6572 —רישום מנהגי חסידים מפי בעלי סמכא, מנהגי ער"ה ונשיאת כפים בנעילה, וברכה בהתחלת לימוד מקרא

B"H, 29 Marcheshvan, 5719

Brooklyn.

The Chassidic Rabbi, a G‑d-fearing man, honored and distinguished, engaged in communal needs, our teacher Rabbi Menachem Zev HaLevi, may he live

Shalom u'Vrachah!

We confirm receipt of your letter of the 25th of Cheshvan and the preceding ones, with their enclosures.

Many, many thanks for your efforts to obtain further records of the customs of Chassidim. You will surely continue in this, from Rabbi Y. Ch., may he live, and from the rest of our fellow Chassidim, may they live — provided that they are reliable authorities in such traditions. And where there is a doubt concerning the person transmitting it, or the like, one must record the doubt as well, and its content.

The commentary on Tanya was received in due time, and many, many thanks.

As to your question about our custom not to say the verses of Zechor Bris on Erev Rosh Hashanah (and the same applies to the question about the innovation of saying ויאמר דוד אל גד "And David said to Gad" (Shmuel II 24:14)):

The difficulty you note — I asked my father-in-law, the Rebbe, about it when he arranged the list of the order of Selichos, and he said that despite the difficulty, this is nevertheless the custom. The same applies to the priestly blessing at Ne'ilah (Mishnah Taanis 4:1), about which I heard an explicit, clear directive from my father-in-law, the Rebbe, to be printed in the Likkutei Minhagei Chabad for the Ten Days of Teshuvah that was published then; and he cited מעשה רב "an actual practice" (Shabbos 21a) from Lubavitch in this. From this it is understood that in the year you write about, this was a directive for that time only.

At an auspicious time I will mention all those about whom you write at the holy resting place of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, of saintly memory, whose soul is in the hidden treasuries on high, may his merit protect us — each one for what he needs, in accordance with the content of your letter.

On the occasion of your son, may he live, beginning to learn Mikra, the Written Torah: may it be G‑d's will that from the learning of Mikra he grow to בן עשר למשנה ולבן י"ג למצות "ten years for Mishnah, thirteen for mitzvos" (Avos 5:21), etc., and that you and your wife, may she live, raise him together with all your children, may they live, לתורה ולחופה ולמעשים טובים "to Torah, to the marriage canopy and to good deeds" (Shabbos 137b), בשמחה וטוב לבב "with joy and gladness of heart" (Devarim 28:47).

With blessing for good news in all the above.

Publisher's notes

Printed in Likkutei Sichos vol. 19, p. 534, and completed according to the copy in the Secretariat.

Our teacher Rabbi Menachem Zev, may he live (מו"ה מנחם זאב שי'): Greenglass. Further letters to him: above, vol. 16, 5887, and the sources noted there.

Rabbi Y. Ch., may he live (הררי"ח שי'): Apparently Chitrik.

See also: vol. 20, letter 7586.

Summary

This letter encourages gathering Chassidic customs only from reliable sources, recording any doubt rather than omitting the report. It upholds the established customs of Erev Rosh Hashanah and the priestly blessing at Ne'ilah on the Previous Rebbe's authority, and blesses a child beginning Chumash to grow in Torah, marriage and good deeds.