6726 —סדר הלימוד: למיגרס ולעיונא בנגלה ובחסידות, והתחרות ופרסים לתלמידים

B"H, 21 Adar I, 5719
Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

After the longest interruption^[1], your letter was received, in which you write details about your work in the holy institution, the Talmud Torah^[2] Yeshivah Lubavitch…

As for your own studies, I have already said my word to many^[3]: there must be study for breadth and study in depth^[4], both in Nigleh and in Chassidus^[5]: study for breadth every single day, and study in depth, how good it is if every day; and for students of Tomchei Temimim^[6] it is more than "how good": it is a necessity as well. As for study in general, our Sages taught that it should be in the area his heart desires^[7]; but it is good, for understandable reasons, that it be in the same tractate, the same maamarim and hemshechim^[8] that are studied in Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim, so that he can discuss them and debate them back and forth^[9] with his fellows. It is also well known that the study must include the laws needed in everyday life: the laws of Shabbos and Yom Tov, etc.

It is very, very proper that a competition (contest) was held and prizes were distributed. Well known is the ruling of our Torah, the Torah of life: "the jealousy of scholars increases wisdom"^[10]. See also the Rambam's Commentary on the Mishnah (beginning of Perek Chelek)^[11] on the matter of "educate a child according to his way"^[12] specifically; and something of this kind is brought as a halachic ruling in his book, Hilchos Teshuvah, chapter 10^[13].

With blessings for success in your holy work of bringing the hearts of the Jewish people close to our Father in Heaven through the Torah of Nigleh and of Chassidus; and your reward is beyond telling.

With blessings for good news^[14] in all the above.

Notes

1. After the longest interruption (לאחרי הפסק הכי ארוך): That is, after a very long time in which he had not written.

2. The holy institution, the Talmud Torah (המוסד הק' ת"ת): הק' = הקדוש; ת"ת = תלמוד תורה.

3. To many (לכו"כ): לכו"כ = לכמה וכמה; שצ"ל = שצריך להיות, "there must be".

4. Study for breadth and study in depth (לימוד למיגרס ולימוד לעיונא): לימוד למיגרס = study for breadth, covering much ground; לימוד לעיונא = study in depth. See Avodah Zarah 19a: ואמר רבא: לעולם ליגריס איניש, ואע"ג דמשכח, ואע"ג דלא ידע מאי קאמר, "Rava said: a person should always go over his learning, even if he forgets, and even if he does not understand what he is saying."

5. Chassidus (דא"ח): דא"ח = דברי אלקים חיים, "words of the living G‑d", the teachings of Chassidus.

6. Students of Tomchei Temimim (תלמידי תומכי תמימים): For students of Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim (and, as the continuation shows, "with his fellows", the recipient is among them), study in depth every day is not merely "how good" but necessary.

7. In the area his heart desires (במקום שלבו חפץ): Avodah Zarah 19a: אמר רבא: לעולם ילמוד אדם תורה במקום שלבו חפץ, שנאמר: כי אם בתורת ה' חפצו, "Rava said: a person should always learn Torah in the area his heart desires, as it says: 'but his desire is in the Torah of G‑d.'"

8. Maamarim and hemshechim (מאמרים והמשכים): Discourses of Chassidus, and hemshechim: long series of discourses.

9. Debate them back and forth (שקו"ט): שקו"ט = שקלא וטריא, give and take in study. ויו"ט = וימים טובים.

10. "The jealousy of scholars increases wisdom" (קנאת סופרים תרבה חכמה): Bava Basra 21a: ואמר רבא: האי מקרי ינוקי דגריס, ואיכא אחרינא דגריס טפי מיניה, לא מסלקינן ליה, דלמא אתי לאיתרשולי. רב דימי מנהרדעא אמר: כ"ש דגריס טפי. קנאת סופרים תרבה חכמה, "Rava said: a teacher of children who teaches, and there is another who teaches better, we do not remove the first, lest the second become lax. Rav Dimi of Nehardea said: all the more will he teach better: 'the jealousy of scholars increases wisdom.'" There it is said of children's teachers; the Rebbe applies it to a contest among the students.

11. Beginning of Perek Chelek (ר"פ חלק): ר"פ חלק = ריש פרק חלק (Sanhedrin), where the Rambam's Commentary on the Mishnah has a long introduction. There: שים בדעתך כי נער קטן הביאוהו אצל המלמד ללמדו תורה... ולפיכך בהכרח יצטרך המלמד... שיזרז אותו על הלמוד בדברים שהם אהובים אצלו לקטנות שניו ויאמר לו קרא ואתן לך אגוזים או תאנים ואתן לך מעט דבש..., "Picture a small boy brought to a teacher to be taught Torah… The teacher must therefore spur him on to study with things he loves at his young age, and say to him: 'Read, and I will give you nuts or figs, and I will give you a little honey'…"; and as he grows: "'Read, and I will buy you fine shoes or attractive clothes'… 'and I will give you a dinar or two.'"

12. "Educate a child according to his way" (חנוך לנער שע"פ דרכו): Mishlei 22:6: חנך לנער על פי דרכו גם כי יזקין לא יסור ממנה, "Educate a child according to his way; even when he grows old he will not depart from it." That is, educate the child in the way that suits him; and, as the Rambam says, with rewards and prizes suited to his age and understanding.

13. Hilchos Teshuvah, chapter 10 (הלכות תשובה פרק יו"ד): לפס"ד = לפסק דין, "as a halachic ruling"; יו"ד = ten. Rambam, Hilchos Teshuvah 10:5: ואמרו חכמים לעולם יעסוק אדם בתורה ואפילו שלא לשמה שמתוך שלא לשמה בא לשמה. לפיכך כשמלמדין את הקטנים ואת הנשים וכלל עמי הארץ אין מלמדין אותן אלא לעבוד מיראה וכדי לקבל שכר, עד שתרבה דעתן ויתחכמו חכמה יתרה מגלים להם רז זה מעט מעט, "The Sages said: a person should always occupy himself with Torah even not for its own sake, for from not for its own sake he comes to for its own sake. Therefore, when children, women and the unlearned are taught, they are taught only to serve out of fear and to receive reward, until their knowledge grows and they become very wise; then this secret is revealed to them little by little."

14. Good news (לבשו"ט): לבשו"ט = לבשורות טובות.

Summary

Writing to a young man active in the Lubavitch Talmud Torah, the Rebbe sets out his own daily study: for breadth and in depth, in Nigleh and Chassidus, ideally in the same tractate and maamarim as Tomchei Temimim, together with practical halachah. He warmly approves the contest and prizes held there: "the jealousy of scholars increases wisdom," and the Rambam on educating a child according to his way.