6732 —חשיבות ספרי זכרונות ותיאור אמיתי של מנהיגי ישראל בתקופת בלבול

B"H, 28 Adar I, 5719
Brooklyn.

The rav and gaon, the veteran Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, a basket full of books^[1], Reb Yechiel Tzvi HaLevi, may he live long^[2]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

Following our conversation, and the words of your honor in your introduction about your book Matzevas Zikaron, which you are publishing^[3]:

In addition to what you have explained of the benefits of the matter – great men of Israel who authored chronicles of the generations and books of memoirs –

there is a special importance to books of this kind in this era of ours, an era of confusion of minds such as there has never been, confusion by all kinds of strange devices, and first of all by distorting the events of the days before us, even of the most recent years. And since precisely in the camp of those who tremble at the word of G‑d there has not been the needed involvement – for several reasons that this is not the place for – in recording and describing the history of our people and its true great men, the assumption is spreading that the account and description of the above as given in the books of the freethinkers of every kind is fully accurate, etc. So too with regard to the true leaders of Israel and its heroes – "Who is a hero? One who conquers his inclination"^[4], from which the true heroism is drawn in all matters too: there are very, very few descriptions of the leaders of Israel and the great men of Israel of the generation before us and the one before that, and especially few descriptions that are true to reality and complete.

Therefore there is a double benefit in the young generation, and also those who are already advanced in years, knowing – and also telling their children – about the leaders of Israel who stood on guard and gave their lives for what concerned their community and all Jews in general, in their spiritual matters and in their material matters. This is emphasized especially in the history of the Chassidim and the leaders of the Chassidim, up to the founder of the general teaching of Chassidus, the Baal Shem Tov^[5], whose activity began with improving the economic situation of the Jewish people. Several details of this have been handed down, especially in the house of the Rebbeim, from leader to leader up to the Alter Rebbe, what he heard from his teacher the Maggid^[6], what he heard from the Baal Shem Tov; and some of it is also told in the memoirs of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, of sainted memory^[7], which have appeared in print. And indeed "all are from one Shepherd"*^[8]: all the shepherds and leaders of Israel in the way of our Torah, the Torah of life, made the above the guiding line of their activities: the good of their community, their surroundings and the country.

May it be G‑d's will that, as with the inner purpose of all books of memoirs, through your book too the readers will contemplate the ways of the great men and leaders of Israel, and from this they will see and do likewise^[9], according to the ability, position and situation of each one^[10] in his surroundings and his town.

With blessings that, in proper health and with ample means, you add in activities to spread Judaism and its matters, also by describing the deeds of tzaddikim and great men of Israel so that people learn from them, as in the words of the Alter Rebbe: "to cleave to those who know G‑d and His Torah, etc., and the command is repeated, etc., in order to learn from their deeds, etc., and to join with them in every kind of association" (Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe, Orach Chayim 156:4)^[11],

and with blessings for good news^[12].

With thanks I acknowledge receipt of the book Lechem Shamayim on the orders Zera'im–Mo'ed^[13]. It is a pity that the list of the Ya'avetz's books is not complete. And the reason for this, hinted at in the conclusion of the introduction – that it suffices not to detail the content of the book but only its name, etc.^[14]

*) See Shemos Rabbah 2:2; Zohar, end of Parshas Shemos^[15].

Publisher's notes

Reb Yechiel Tzvi (מו"ה יחיאל צבי): Klein, Brooklyn. A further letter to him: above, vol. 12, letter 4003.

Notes

1. The rav and gaon, the veteran Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, a basket full of books (הרה"ג וו"ח אי"א נו"נ צנמ"ס): הרה"ג = הרב הגאון; וו"ח = ותיק וחסיד; אי"א = איש ירא אלקים; נו"נ = נעלה ונכבד; צנמ"ס = צנא מלא ספרא, "a basket full of books", i.e. widely learned.

2. Reb Yechiel Tzvi HaLevi (מו"ה יחיאל צבי שי' הלוי): מו"ה = מורנו הרב. Klein, Brooklyn (per the publisher's note). R. Yechiel Tzvi HaLevi Klein of Brooklyn. In the Rebbe's earlier letter to him (vol. 12, letter 4003, 3 Teves 5716) the Rebbe answered his proposal "to publish words of arousal", saying that he himself had "taken hold of the line of action". In this letter, following their conversation, he writes to him about his book Matzevas Zikaron.

3. Your honor… which you are publishing (כת"ר… מו"ל): כת"ר = כבוד תורתו, "your honor"; ע"ד = על דבר, "about"; מו"ל = מוציא לאור, "publishing".

4. "Who is a hero? One who conquers his inclination" (איזהו גבור הכובש את יצרו): The Mishnah, Avos 4:1: איזהו גבור? הכובש את יצרו. The true heroes of the Jewish people are those who conquer their inclination, and from this the true heroism flows into all their other matters too.

5. The Baal Shem Tov (הבעש"ט): בעש"ט = בעל שם טוב.

6. His teacher the Maggid (מורו הרב המגיד): R. DovBer, the Maggid of Mezritch, disciple of the Baal Shem Tov and teacher of the Alter Rebbe.

7. The memoirs of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, of sainted memory (זכרונות כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע): 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.

8. "All are from one Shepherd" (כולם מרועה אחד): From Koheles 12:11: דברי חכמים כדרבנות… נתנו מרעה אחד, "The words of the wise are like goads… given from one Shepherd." In his footnote (*) the Rebbe refers to Shemos Rabbah 2:2 and to the Zohar at the end of Parshas Shemos, which explain that Moshe and David were tested by tending sheep: Shemos Rabbah there: אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא, מי שהוא יודע לרעות הצאן איש לפי כחו, יבא וירעה בעמי, "The Holy One, blessed be He, said: whoever knows how to tend the sheep, each according to its strength, let him come and tend My people"; and the Zohar there: כך המנהיג לישראל, צריך להנהילם ברחמים ולא באכזריות, "so the leader of Israel must lead them with compassion and not with cruelty". All the true leaders of Israel follow this way of the "shepherd", who cares for his flock, including its material needs.

9. They will see and do likewise (יראו וכן יעשו): From the words of Gidon, Shoftim 7:17: ממני תראו וכן תעשו, "Look at me and do likewise."

10. Each one (כאו"א): כאו"א = כל אחד ואחד.

11. As in the words of the Alter Rebbe (וכלשון רבנו הזקן): The Alter Rebbe's words there: מצות עשה לידבק ביודעי ה' ובתורתו שנאמר ובו תדבק… ונכפל הציווי במקום אחר שנאמר ולדבקה בו… ואמרו רז"ל וכי אפשר לאדם לידבק בשכינה, אלא כך אמרו חכמים בפירוש מצוה זו: הדבק בחכמים ובתלמידיהם כדי ללמוד מעשיהם… ולהתחבר להם בכל מיני חיבור, "It is a positive commandment to cleave to those who know G‑d and His Torah, as it says 'and to Him you shall cleave'… and the command is repeated elsewhere, as it says 'and to cleave to Him'… Our Sages said: Is it possible for a person to cleave to the Divine Presence? Rather, the Sages explained this commandment: cleave to the wise and their disciples in order to learn from their deeds… and to join with them in every kind of association." Describing the deeds of tzaddikim in a book also fulfills this: learning from their deeds.

12. Good news (בשו"ט): בשו"ט = בשורות טובות.

13. With thanks… Lechem Shamayim on the orders Zera'im–Mo'ed (בת"ח… הס' לחם שמים ע"ס זרעים-מועד): בת"ח = בתשואות חן, "with thanks"; הס' = הספר. Lechem Shamayim is the commentary of the Ya'avetz, R. Yaakov Emden, on the Mishnah. ע"ס = על סדרי, "on the orders".

14. But only its name (כ"א שמו): כ"א = כי אם, "but only".

15. Shemos Rabbah 2:2; Zohar, end of Parshas Shemos (שמו"ר פ"ב, ב. זהר ס"פ שמות): שמו"ר = שמות רבה; פ"ב, ב = parashah 2, section 2; ס"פ = סוף פרשת, "end of the parashah". See note 8 above.

Summary

Following their conversation and the recipient's introduction to his book of memoirs, the Rebbe stresses the special need, in an age of confusion and distorted history, for true and full accounts of Israel's leaders, who cared for their people's material as well as spiritual needs, as did the Baal Shem Tov, so that readers will learn from their ways. A postscript thanks him for a copy of the Ya'avetz's Lechem Shamayim.