6729 —ישיבת קרית גת: נוסח סניפותה לישיבת תו"ת דלוד, "תחת נשיאות", והתמיכה בה

B"H, 22 Adar I, 5719
Brooklyn, N.Y.

The veteran Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, engaged in communal needs, etc.^[1], Reb Yaakov, may he live long^[2]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I acknowledge receipt of your letter of 15 Adar I and of the one before it^[3], with their enclosures.

As to your question whether it is worthwhile to change once again^[4] the wording that the yeshivah is affiliated with the yeshivah in Lod: in the present situation, when there are disturbances, etc.^[5], it would seem not worthwhile to change what has already been accepted and established, so as not to give room for other changes, and this is easy to understand^[6].

As to what you write about adding that the yeshivah is under my presidency: it is understood that there is no place for this unless it is mentioned that the yeshivah is a branch of the yeshivah in Lod or of Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim^[7] or the like, in such a way that the words "under the presidency of" refer to the yeshivah in Lod or Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim.

As to support: for the time being there seems to be no room to commit to a permanent allocation. This is not so, however, regarding one-time help, if in your view it will strengthen^[8] the standing of the yeshivah as a branch of Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim in Lod…

As to a one-time allocation, as above: perhaps it would also be proper for it to be received in several installments and not all at once, for several reasons^[9].

Because of the content of the above, and at your request, the letter is being sent express^[10], with a copy to Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim. Surely all of you will consult together soon and let us know here, since I am waiting for the answer regarding the letter of the yeshivah's administration enclosed with your letter. And since they have entered into the thick of the matter^[11], and as in the wording of the letter of protest, they must do everything possible to establish the yeshivah firmly, and for its bond with Lod and its development.

With blessings for success in your holy work, education in holiness and purity, and especially in the above matter, with peace of mind, with joy and gladness of heart.

Publisher's notes

Reb Yaakov (מוה"ר יעקב שי'): Peles. Further letters to him: above, letter 6696, and the references in the notes there.

That the yeshivah (שהישיבה): which they are founding in Kiryat Gat. See above, there. Below, letter 6787.

Notes

1. The veteran Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, engaged in communal needs (הוו"ח אי"א נו"נ עוסק בצ"צ): הוו"ח = הוותיק וחסיד; אי"א = איש ירא אלקים; נו"נ = נעלה ונכבד; עוסק בצ"צ = עוסק בצרכי ציבור.

2. Reb Yaakov (מוה"ר יעקב שי'): מוה"ר = מורנו הרב רבי. Peles (per the publisher's note). R. Yaakov Peles of Tel Aviv, a former student of the Kishinev yeshivah, who worked with his former fellow students for the Achei Temimim yeshivah in Rishon LeZion (vol. 15, letter 5365). On 23 Shevat the Rebbe answered his proposal to found a yeshivah in Kiryat Gat among the immigrants from Romania who had settled there, as part of the project to perpetuate the students of the Kishinev yeshivah, "and they will also state explicitly that it is a branch affiliated with Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim in Lod"; the Rebbe set out what had to be clarified first (letter 6696 above). In this letter he answers him on the wording of the affiliation and on support for the yeshivah. What followed: letter 6773 (17 Adar II, to Mr. Yitzchak Koren, chairman of the immigrants from Bessarabia): "the immigrants from Romania and Bessarabia set up a yeshivah in Kiryat Gat… the yeshivah became a branch of Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim in Lod"; letter 6787 (27 Adar II), to "the administration of the Kiryat Gat Yeshivah, affiliated with Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim in Lod", with blessings for the yeshivah's success; letter 6984 (27 Menachem Av), on the students' progress; and letter 8474 (21 Tammuz 5722), to him: "fortunate is their lot that they merited to be at the beginning of the holy undertaking".

3. 15 Adar I… the one before it (אד"ר… והקודמו): אד"ר = אדר ראשון, Adar I (5719 was a leap year). והקודמו = "and the one before it", his previous letter.

4. Once again (עוה"פ): עוה"פ = עוד הפעם. The wording that the yeshivah is "affiliated with the yeshivah in Lod" had already been accepted and established (already in his first proposal he wrote "that it is a branch affiliated with Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim in Lod", letter 6696), and the recipient asked whether it was worth changing it once again.

5. Disturbances, etc. (הפרעות וכו'): The Rebbe does not say what the disturbances are; he only hints with "etc."

6. This is easy to understand (וק"ל): וק"ל = וקל להבין. Changing what has already been accepted and established opens the door to demands for further changes.

7. Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim (ישיבת תו"ת): תו"ת = תומכי תמימים. The Rebbe's presidency may be stated of the central yeshivah, Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim in Lod, of which the Kiryat Gat yeshivah is a branch, and not of the Kiryat Gat yeshivah on its own.

8. Strengthen (יְחַסֵן): From חוסן, "strength".

9. In several installments (באיזו פעמים): And indeed, in letter 6787 below (27 Adar II), to the yeshivah's administration: "Enclosed is a check from the office here – as a first participation".

10. Sent express (נשלח המכתב מהיר): By express mail, at the recipient's request, with a copy to Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim in Lod. So too in letter 6696: "At your request the letter is being sent express, without waiting its turn".

11. Entered into the thick of the matter (נכנסו בעובי הקורה): Literally "entered the thickness of the beam": they have taken the matter upon themselves and gone into it in depth. What followed, letter 6787 below: "It was pleasant for me to read in the details about the first activities of the office of Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim in Lod in the matters of this branch, the Kiryat Gat yeshivah".

Summary

The Rebbe advises the recipient not to change again the established wording that the new yeshivah in Kiryat Gat is affiliated with Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim in Lod; the Rebbe's "presidency" may be mentioned only as that of the Lod yeshivah. He declines a permanent allocation but considers one-time help, perhaps in installments, and urges everyone involved to do all they can for the yeshivah.