6719 —מנהגי חסידים נלמדים מחסידים ומספרים, וקבלת לימוד החסידות בהקדמת נעשה לנשמע

B"H, 11 Adar I^[1], 5719
Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In reply to your letter of Tuesday, in which you ask about the customs of Chassidim, their reasons, their source, etc.

It is understood, and indeed obvious, that this subject has no place in a letter; especially as there is no need for it, since there are several Chassidim in your community^[2], besides the books already printed on such matters. Speak with the Chassidim in your community and look into the books mentioned, and you will find what you are seeking.

I will take this opportunity to remind you that Chassidus is a part of our Torah, the Torah of life. And just as regarding the entire Torah our Sages taught that it can be received only by putting "we will do" before "we will hear", as it is written, "The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the perverseness of the treacherous shall destroy them" (Shabbos 88a), see there^[3] – so it is with regard to all the parts of our Torah: the part of pshat (the plain meaning), the part of remez (allusion), the part of drush (homiletic exposition) and the part of sod (the mystical)^[4]. Only after this prelude does G‑d grant success, so that one arrives at the state of "the integrity of the upright shall guide them"^[5].

I hope you have a fixed time for studying the teachings of Chassidus. Well known is the saying of the Alter Rebbe, which is also a directive, that fixedness must be not only in time but also in the soul, and that is the main thing^[6]; and as the ruling is known, "what is fixed is not nullified"^[7].

With blessing for good news,

In the name of the Rebbe shlita^[8]

Secretary

Notes

1. Adar I (אד"ר): אד"ר = אדר ראשון; 5719 was a leap year. The day was a Thursday.

2. In your community (במחנו): במחנו = במחנהו, "in his camp", i.e. in his community where he lives.

3. Shabbos 88a, see there (שבת פח, א עיין שם): רז"ל = רבותינו ז"ל, "our Sages"; כמ"ש = כמו שכתוב. Shabbos 88a–b: ההוא מינא דחזייה לרבא דקא מעיין בשמעתא... א"ל עמא פזיזא דקדמיתו פומייכו לאודנייכו, אכתי בפחזותייכו קיימיתו; ברישא איבעי' לכו למשמע, אי מציתו קבליתו ואי לא לא קבליתו. א"ל אנן דסגינן בשלימותא כתיב בן תומת ישרים תנחם, הנך אינשי דסגן בעלילותא כתיב בהו וסלף בוגדים ישדם, "A heretic saw Rava immersed in study… He said to him: Impetuous people, who put your mouth before your ears! You still persist in your impetuousness. You should first have listened: if you could [keep it], accept it; and if not, not accept it. He replied: Of us, who walk in wholeheartedness, it is written, 'The integrity of the upright shall guide them'; of those people who walk in crookedness it is written, 'but the perverseness of the treacherous shall destroy them'." Rashi: "Who put your mouth before your ears – before you heard how difficult it is and whether you could stand up to it, you took it upon yourselves to keep it." The verse is Mishlei 11:3. Whoever receives the Torah wholeheartedly, putting "we will do" before "we will hear", is guided by that very wholeheartedness; and the Rebbe adds that this holds for all the parts of the Torah, including its mystical part, the inner dimension of the Torah, revealed in the teachings of Chassidus.

4. Pshat, remez, drush and sod (הפשט, הרמז, הדרוש והסוד): The four parts of the Torah, known by their initials as PaRDeS.

5. Does G‑d grant success (מצליח השי"ת): השי"ת = השם יתברך. Only one who takes on the study of Chassidus in wholehearted acceptance, without first making it conditional on understanding its reasons, merits with Heaven's help that "the integrity of the upright shall guide them" – that the study guides him.

6. Not only in time but also in the soul (לא רק בזמן כי אם גם בנפש): Setting times for Torah must be not only fixed in time but fixed in one's soul, and that is the main thing. The Rebbe cites this saying of the Alter Rebbe in many letters; see for example vol. 16, letter 5820: קביעות מתאים לפתגם רבנו הזקן, בעל התניא... קביעות בזמן וקביעות בנפש, והוא העיקר, "fixedness in accordance with the saying of the Alter Rebbe, author of the Tanya…: fixedness in time and fixedness in the soul, and that is the main thing".

7. What is fixed is not nullified (קבוע לא בטיל): What is fixed does not become nullified. As the Rebbe wrote (vol. 14, letter 4937): וכביאור רבנו הזקן בזה, לא רק קביעות בזמן אלא גם קביעות בנפש, אשר אז מתקיים בזה הדין קבוע לא בטל בשאר שיעורי היום, אלא אדרבה פועל פעולתו ועושה רושם גם על שאר היום, "as the Alter Rebbe explained, not only fixedness in time but also fixedness in the soul; then the law that what is fixed is not nullified applies to it amid the rest of the day's lessons – on the contrary, it has its effect and makes its mark on the rest of the day as well".

8. The Rebbe shlita (כ"ק אדמו"ר שליט"א): כ"ק אדמו"ר שליט"א = "our holy master, teacher and Rebbe, may he live long and good days, amen". The letter was written by the secretary in the Rebbe's name.

Summary

To someone who asked about Chassidic customs and their reasons and sources, the Rebbe's secretary replies that a letter is no place for this: he should ask the Chassidim in his community and look in the books printed on the subject. He adds that Chassidus, like all of Torah, is received by putting "we will do" before "we will hear", and that a fixed time for its study must be fixed in the soul too.