6720 —תודה על ספר שו"ת מנחת יצחק, והלכה למעשה כמבחן לתורת אמת

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

The Rav and Gaon, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, of many deeds, a basket full of books, etc.^[2], Rabbi Yitzchak Yaakov, may he live long^[3]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I was pleased to receive your letter of the night before Friday, Erev Shabbos Kodesh^[4], and after it your book, Minchas Yitzchak, volume two. Many thanks^[5] for the past, and surely in the future too you will honor me in this way.

May it be G‑d's will that for many more years you add strength to the Torah, as halachah l'maaseh (practical halachah), for this is the test of a Torah of truth that is true to its very core^[6] – as is understood from the saying of our Sages (Eruvin 3b), "These and these are the words of the living G‑d"^[7]; "the halachah follows him, because it is said, 'and G‑d is with him'" (Sanhedrin 106b)^[8]; and as is understood also from the saying of our Sages that "one may not learn halachah" (Bava Basra 156b)^[9].

Out of fondness for the matter, and in keeping with the close of your letter, some remarks are copied herewith^[10]; and our Sages have already told us, "Es vahev besufah"^[11].

With esteem and with blessing.

Publisher's notes

Rabbi Yitzchak Yaakov (מו"ה יצחק יעקב): Weiss, Manchester. Another letter to him: above, vol. 12, letter 4227.

Some remarks (איזה הערות): these have not reached us.

Notes

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

2. The Rav and Gaon… a basket full of books (הרה"ג אי"א נו"נ רב פעלים צנמ"ס): הרה"ג = הרב הגאון; אי"א = איש ירא אלקים; נו"נ = נעלה ונכבד. "Of many deeds" is from Shmuel II 23:20, of Benayahu: ובניהו בן יהוידע בן איש חי רב פעלים, "Benayahu the son of Yehoyada, the son of a valiant man, of many deeds". צנמ"ס = צנא מלא ספרא, "a basket full of books", an epithet for a scholar of vast learning.

3. Rabbi Yitzchak Yaakov (מו"ה יצחק יעקב): מו"ה = מורנו הרב. Weiss, Manchester (as the publisher's note states). Rabbi Yitzchak Yaakov Weiss (1902–1989), author of the responsa Minchas Yitzchak; before the war he headed the Beis Din of Grosswardein, after it he held the same position in Manchester, England, and later he was Av Beis Din of the Edah HaChareidis in Jerusalem. In 5716 he had already sent the Rebbe his responsa Minchas Yitzchak, and the Rebbe thanked him, writing: לחביבותא דמילתא אמרתי בחפזי איזה הערות ומועתקות לקמן בשולי הגליון. וע"פ מרז"ל – ואת והב בסופה, "out of fondness for the matter I jotted down in haste some remarks, copied below at the foot of the page; and according to the saying of our Sages, 'Es vahev besufah'" (vol. 12, letter 4227, 13 Nissan 5716). Now he sent him the second volume, and the Rebbe answers in the same words.

4. The night before Friday, Erev Shabbos Kodesh (מאור ליום ועש"ק): אור ליום ו' = the night of the sixth day, as in the Mishnah at the beginning of Pesachim, אור לארבעה עשר, "the night of the fourteenth"; עש"ק = ערב שבת קודש. His letter was written on Thursday night, the eve of Friday, Erev Shabbos.

5. Many thanks (ת"ח): אח"ז = אחר זה, "after it"; שנ. = שני, "second"; ת"ח = תשואות חן, "many thanks". כגון דא = "in this way".

6. The test of a Torah of truth that is true to its very core (הבחינה לתורת אמת לאמיתו): The test of a Torah that is "truth to its very core" is that it is ruled as practical halachah. The Rebbe brings three proofs from the Sages' words, as follows.

7. "These and these are the words of the living G‑d" (אלו ואלו דא"ח): דא"ח = דברי אלקים חיים. Eruvin 13b: יצאה בת קול ואמרה אלו ואלו דברי אלהים חיים הן והלכה כב"ה. וכי מאחר שאלו ואלו דברי אלהים חיים מפני מה זכו ב"ה לקבוע הלכה כמותן? מפני שנוחין ועלובין היו, "A heavenly voice went forth and said: These and these are the words of the living G‑d, and the halachah follows Beis Hillel. But since these and these are the words of the living G‑d, why did Beis Hillel merit to have the halachah fixed according to them? Because they were gentle and forbearing." Though both views are truth, meriting to fix the halachah is a further distinction.

8. "And G‑d is with him" (והוי' עמו): סנה' = סנהדרין. Sanhedrin 93b, of David: וה' עמו – שהלכה כמותו בכל מקום, "'and G‑d is with him' – that the halachah follows him everywhere". And Sanhedrin 106b, of Doeg and Achitofel: מאן דכתיב ביה: "איה סופר, איה שוקל, איה סופר את המגדלים", ואת אמרת לא הוו סברי שמעתא? אלא דלא הוה סלקא להו שמעתא אליבא דהלכתא, דכתיב: "סוד ה' ליראיו", "Of one of whom it is written, 'Where is he who counted, where is he who weighed, where is he who counted the towers', you say they did not understand the teaching? Rather, their teaching did not come out in accordance with the halachah, as it is written, 'The secret of G‑d is with those who fear Him'"; Rashi: "they did not merit to have the halachah fixed according to them". Even Torah giants like Doeg and Achitofel did not merit that the halachah follow them; meriting the halachah is the sign that "G‑d is with him".

9. "One may not learn halachah" (דאין למדין הלכה): ב"ב = בבא בתרא. Bava Basra 130b: תנו רבנן: אין למדין הלכה לא מפי למוד ולא מפי מעשה עד שיאמרו לו הלכה למעשה, "Our Rabbis taught: one may not learn halachah either from a theoretical statement or from a precedent, until he is told, 'this is the halachah for practice'." Study is complete only when it is stated as practical halachah.

10. Out of fondness for the matter (לחביבותא דמילתא): "Out of fondness for the matter" (the Rebbe used the same words in letter 4227 above). כת"ר = כבוד תורתו, "your honored Torah eminence".

11. "Es vahev besufah" (ואת והב בסופה): Based on Kiddushin 30b: אפי' האב ובנו הרב ותלמידו שעוסקין בתורה בשער אחד – נעשים אויבים זה את זה. ואינם זזים משם עד שנעשים אוהבים זה את זה. שנאמר: את והב בסופה – אל תקרי בסופה אלא בסופה, "Even a father and son, a teacher and his student, who engage in Torah in one gate become adversaries of one another; and they do not move from there until they become beloved to one another, as it says, 'Es vahev besufah' – do not read besufah (in Sufah) but besofah (at its end)". Though remarks on his book carry questions and debate, their end is love.

Summary

The Rebbe thanks Rabbi Yitzchak Yaakov Weiss of Manchester for the second volume of his responsa Minchas Yitzchak and blesses him to keep adding to Torah as practical halachah, the true test of a Torah of truth, as shown from three sayings of the Sages. He encloses some remarks on the book, adding that Torah debate ends in love.