6731 —ברכה לרפואה מאדר עד ניסן, והדס – אסתר: הצרה עצמה נהפכת לאורה

B"H, 25 Adar I, 5719
Brooklyn.

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

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I have just^[3] received the letter of Rabbi Yehosef Ralbag concerning the state of your health, in addition to the regards that reached me through Rabbi Yaakov Yehudah Hecht, shlita^[4].

At an auspicious time I will mention you at the holy resting place of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, of sainted memory^[5], for whatever you need,

and my hope is strong that you yourself will share good news of the improvement in the state of your health, in good that is visible and revealed specifically; and that from improvement you will go on to an increase in what you, sir^[6], add in spreading Judaism and its matters wherever your hand reaches, with joy and gladness of heart.

For we are now in the month of Adar, and from it to the second Adar, and from it to the month of Nissan – the whole month "turned" to joy and to a festive day^[7], and joining redemption to redemption^[8], "as in the days of your going out of the land of Egypt"^[9]. And "these days" (when they) "are remembered" (they are also) "enacted", as is known from the explanation of the living Ari on this^[10].

Awaiting good news, I conclude with many, many thanks^[11] for the precious gift of bundles of myrtle from Meron^[12],

which is also connected with the theme of the day: "Hadassah [myrtle], that is, Esther"^[13]. For the Congregation of Israel, the Jewish people, of whom it is said "and your people are all righteous"^[14], are in the time of exile like "myrtles in the depths"^[15], because "I will surely hide My face from them"^[16]. Yet precisely out of such a time – "it is a time of trouble for Yaakov, and out of it he shall be saved", as the Baal Shem Tov points out*^[17] – the trouble itself turns into light^[18]: "Estahar – the moon, beautiful as the moon", until even the nations of the world call her so^[19] (Megillah 13a).

With blessings for good news in all of the above, in proper health, soon.

*) See the discourse beginning "Hoi ki gadol" in the Sefer HaMaamarim, Yiddish, of my father-in-law, the Rebbe^[20].

Publisher's notes

Reb Eliezer Lipa (מו"ה אליעזר ליפא): Lavi. Further letters to him: below, letters 6801, 6990.

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 Eliezer Lipa (מו"ה אליעזר ליפא שי'): מו"ה = מורנו הרב. Lavi (per the publisher's note), Jerusalem (publisher's note to letter 7043). R. Eliezer Lipa Lavi of Jerusalem, author of Otzar Maamarim al HaTorah. This letter, the first to him in the volume, was written while he was unwell. What followed: letter 6801 (6 Nissan 5719) – thanks for the books he sent, "first among them his own book, Otzar Maamarim al HaTorah", with remarks on the book; letter 6990 (4 Elul 5719) – on his meeting "with the representatives of Anash"; letter 7043 (11 Tishrei 5720) – on the esrog "which I picked myself" that he sent, and his questions; and letter 7358 (9 Tammuz 5720) – on his proposal to compile an anthology from the works of Chassidus on the Talmud.

3. Just (ז"ע): ז"ע = זה עתה, "just now".

4. Rabbi Yaakov Yehudah Hecht (הרב הרי"י שליט"א העכט): פ"ש = פריסת שלום, "regards". הרי"י = הרב יעקב יהודה. On R. Yaakov Yehudah Hecht see letter 6773 below (17 Adar II 5719), where the Rebbe mentions receiving "regards also through Rabbi Yaakov Yehudah Hecht" from Mr. Yitzchak Koren in the Holy Land.

5. My father-in-law, the Rebbe, of sainted memory (כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע): הק' = הקדוש, "holy". כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר = כבוד קדושת מורי וחמי אדונינו מורנו ורבנו, the Previous Rebbe, R. Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn; זצוקללה"ה = זכר צדיק וקדוש לברכה לחיי העולם הבא; נבג"מ = נשמתו בגנזי מרומים; זי"ע = זכותו יגן עלינו.

6. You, sir (כב'): כב' = כבודו.

7. Turned to joy and to a festive day (נהפוך החדש כולו לשמחה וליום טוב): From Esther 9:22: והחדש אשר נהפך להם מיגון לשמחה ומאבל ליום טוב, "and the month that was turned for them from sorrow to joy and from mourning to a festive day"; and 9:1: ונהפוך הוא, "and it was turned about".

8. Joining redemption to redemption (מסמך גאולה לגאולה): Megillah 6b: אמר רבי טבי: טעמא דרבי שמעון בן גמליאל, מסמך גאולה לגאולה עדיף, "R. Tavi said: the reason of Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel is that it is preferable to join redemption to redemption"; Rashi: "Purim to Pesach". In a leap year Purim is kept in the second Adar, to join the redemption of Purim to the redemption of Pesach in Nissan.

9. "As in the days of your going out of the land of Egypt" (כימי צאתך מארץ מצרים): The verse on the future redemption, Michah 7:15: כימי צאתך מארץ מצרים אראנו נפלאות, "As in the days of your going out of the land of Egypt, I will show him wonders."

10. The explanation of the living Ari (פירוש האר"י החי): ה"ה = הרי הם, "they are". From Esther 9:28: והימים האלה נזכרים ונעשים בכל דור ודור, "And these days are remembered and enacted in every generation." האר"י החי = the Arizal, R. Yitzchak Luria. His explanation, in the Rebbe's words in vol. 14, letter 4899: "every year, at the season of these days, when they are remembered, they are then also enacted, and the matters are drawn down as they were the first time"; in vol. 6, letter 1620, he notes that this is "brought in the name of the writings of the Arizal (it is in the book Lev David of the Chida)". That is why the Rebbe adds here, in parentheses, "(when they)" and "(they are also)".

11. Good news… many, many thanks (בשו"ט… בת"ח ת"ח): בשו"ט = בשורות טובות, "good news"; ת"ח ת"ח = תשואות חן תשואות חן, "many, many thanks".

12. Bundles of myrtle from Meron (מדאני אסא ממירון): The Aramaic phrase of Shabbos 33b: after R. Shimon bar Yochai and his son left the cave, חזו ההוא סבא דהוה נקיט תרי מדאני אסא, ורהיט בין השמשות, "they saw an old man holding two bundles of myrtle and running at twilight"; Rashi: "bundles of myrtle to smell on Shabbos"; "They said to him: What are these for? He said to them: In honor of Shabbos." Meron is the resting place of R. Shimon bar Yochai.

13. "Hadassah, that is, Esther" (הדסה היא אסתר): מענינא דיומא = "from the theme of the day", i.e. of this season, Adar. From Esther 2:7: ויהי אמן את הדסה היא אסתר, "He raised Hadassah, that is, Esther"; and Megillah 13a: ר"מ אומר: אסתר שמה, ולמה נקרא שמה הדסה – על שם הצדיקים שנקראו הדסים, וכן הוא אומר: והוא עומד בין ההדסים, "R. Meir says: her name was Esther; why was she called Hadassah? After the righteous, who are called myrtles, as it says: 'and he stood among the myrtles'." So the gift of myrtle too suits the days of Adar.

14. "And your people are all righteous" (ועמך כולם צדיקים): Yeshayahu 60:21: ועמך כלם צדיקים לעולם יירשו ארץ, "And your people are all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever."

15. "Myrtles in the depths" (הדסים אשר במצולה): Zechariah 1:8: והוא עמד בין ההדסים אשר במצלה, "and he stood among the myrtles that were in the depths"; Rashi in Megillah 13a: "among the myrtles in the depths – among the righteous who were exiled to Babylon".

16. "I will surely hide My face" (הסתר אסתיר פני): Devarim 31:18: ואנכי הסתר אסתיר פני ביום ההוא, "And I will surely hide My face on that day"; and Chullin 139b: אסתר מן התורה מנין? ואנכי הסתר אסתיר, "Where is Esther alluded to in the Torah? 'And I will surely hide (haster astir)'."

17. "It is a time of trouble for Yaakov, and out of it he shall be saved" (עת צרה היא ליעקב וממנה יושע): Yirmiyahu 30:7: הוי כי גדול היום ההוא מאין כמהו ועת צרה היא ליעקב וממנה יושע, "Alas, for that day is great, there is none like it, and it is a time of trouble for Yaakov, and out of it he shall be saved." The Baal Shem Tov points to the word "out of it": the salvation comes out of the trouble itself, as the Rebbe goes on to explain. In his footnote (*) the Rebbe refers to the Previous Rebbe's discourse on this (see note 20).

18. Turns into light (נהפכת לצהר): צהר = light, as Rashi explains "Make a tzohar for the ark" (Bereishis 6:16): "Some say a window; some say a precious stone that gave them light". And the letters of צרה, "trouble", are the letters of צהר, "light".

19. "Estahar – the moon, beautiful as the moon" (אסתהר ירח יפה כלבנה): אוה"ע = אומות העולם, "the nations of the world". Megillah 13a: ר' נחמיה אומר: הדסה שמה, ולמה נקראת אסתר – שהיו אומות העולם קורין אותה על שום אסתהר, "R. Nechemiah says: her name was Hadassah; why was she called Esther? Because the nations of the world called her after Estahar"; Rashi: "Estahar – the moon – beautiful as the moon" (from Shir HaShirim 6:10: יפה כלבנה). Just as Esther, whose name speaks of concealment, was named after the shining moon, so the concealment and the trouble themselves turn into light.

20. The discourse beginning "Hoi ki gadol" (ד"ה הוי כי גדול): ד"ה = דיבור המתחיל, "the discourse beginning"; בס' = בספר. "Hoi ki gadol" are the opening words of Yirmiyahu 30:7, quoted above (note 17).

Summary

Having heard of the recipient's illness, the Rebbe promises to mention him at the Previous Rebbe's resting place and expresses strong hope for his recovery, linking it to the months from Adar to Nissan, when sorrow turns to joy. Thanking him for myrtle from Meron, he explains that Esther, the "myrtle" of the exile and of G‑d's hidden face, shows how the trouble itself turns into light.