6566 —זכות חיזוק התלמוד תורה לבריאות, ומעלת בעלי עבודה "תומכיה מאושר – מראשו"

B"H, 24 Marcheshvan, 5719

Brooklyn.

The veteran Chassid, G‑d-fearing man, honored and elevated, etc., our teacher Rabbi Yaakov, may he live, shochet and bodek

Shalom u'Vrachah!

Through the Rabbi and Chassid, G‑d-fearing man, honored and elevated, engaged in communal needs, a man of fine character, etc., our teacher Rabbi Yosef Chaim HaKohen Rosenfeld, may he live, a pidyon nefesh was received on your behalf.

At an auspicious time you will be mentioned at the holy resting place of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, of saintly memory, for whatever you need.

And the merit of your involvement and efforts in strengthening and developing the Talmud Torah under the direction of the above-mentioned will surely stand you in good stead in all that you and your household need in general, and in this, of course, is included an improvement in health, in keeping with the content of the pidyon nefesh, and in keeping with the teaching of the Alter Rebbe (Simchas Torah 5540; Hayom Yom, 23 Tishrei)

(which we heard from my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, in his maamar of Simchas Torah 5699)

based on the statement of the Zohar (III, 52b): עץ חיים היא למחזיקים בה "it is a tree of life to those who grasp it" (Mishlei 3:18) – these are the men of comprehension who study Torah; ותומכיה מאושר "and those who support it are fortunate" – these are the men of avodah who occupy themselves with Torah. מאושר "fortunate" means gliklech (lucky); as is stated in the Zohar (cited above), do not read me'ushar ("fortunate") but meirosho ("from His head"), for through their avodah they draw down "from His head," that is, from the innermost level of the Ein Sof, blessed be He – like the superiority of the foot, which is precisely what upholds the head.

With blessing for good news.

P.S.

You surely know of the three well-known study portions of Chumash, Tehillim and Tanya, of which we heard several times from my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, of saintly memory, that they are equally suited to every soul and are a segulah for many matters.

Publisher's notes

Our teacher Rabbi Yaakov (מו"ה יעקב): Karasik, San Francisco.

Summary

This letter acknowledges a pidyon nefesh and assures the recipient that the merit of his work for a Talmud Torah will bring health and blessing, for, as the Alter Rebbe taught, those who support Torah draw blessing "from His head," from the innermost level of the Infinite. It closes with a reminder of the daily study of Chumash, Tehillim and Tanya.