6734 —השתדלות יתירה בחינוך בחורי ישיבה, שעליהם להתנהג לפנים משורת הדין

B"H, 28 Adar I, 5719
Brooklyn.

The Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, a man of fine character and many deeds^[1], Reb Chaim Baruch HaLevi, may he live long^[2]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

With pleasure I received your letter of 22 Adar I, in which you write about your classes with fine young men and with householders, may they live long – may their number increase^[3].

I believe I have already written to you of the necessity of making an effort in the appropriate manner, but to the point of^[4]

toil, with regard to yeshivah students, since a certain portion of them in the course of time become guides for many of the Jewish people^[5]. Therefore every improvement in their state (and, as with all matters of holiness, one can always add to it, since they are bound up with the Holy One, blessed be He, Who is infinite) is multiplied many times over in those they influence.

They too must be made to understand that they cannot content themselves with, and hold themselves to, the strict letter of Torah law^[6]. For if, with regard to ordinary Jews, our Sages said that "Jerusalem was destroyed only because they based their [rulings] on the letter of Torah law"^[7] – even though the Beis HaMikdash then still stood and G‑dliness was seen tangibly, as the Mishnah says, "Ten miracles were performed for our ancestors"^[8] – how much more so in our era, the doubled and redoubled darkness of the "footsteps of Mashiach"^[9], and with regard to those whom "what the people do"^[10] looks upon as people from whose conduct one should learn. Moreover, people make a calculation: if so-and-so behaves like this, then surely for the people at large a part is enough, etc.^[11] From this it is understood that a yeshivah student must conduct himself "doubly"^[12]. And this is also the law in the revealed part of Torah: "moist enough to moisten"^[13] – and it is easy to understand.

May G‑d, blessed be He, be "with your mouth"^[14] and grant you success in the above.

The pidyon nefesh enclosed in your letter will be read at an auspicious time at the holy resting place of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, of saintly memory, whose soul is in the hidden treasuries on High, may his merit protect us^[15]; and may it be G‑d's will that just as you brought the request, so may you bring good news about it.

Especially as we are in the month of Adar, of which it is said that "it was turned about" to joy and to a festive day^[16].

With blessings for good news^[17] in all the above,

M. Schneersohn

Publisher's notes

Reb Chaim Baruch (מו"ה חיים ברוך): Duchman, Bnei Brak. Further letters to him: above, vol. 17, letter 6227, and the references in the notes there; below, letter 6982.

Notes

1. The Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, a man of fine character and many deeds (הרה"ח אי"א נו"נ בעל מדות ורב פעלים): הרה"ח = הרב החסיד, "the Chassid"; אי"א = איש ירא אלקים, "a G‑d-fearing man"; נו"נ = נעלה ונכבד, "distinguished and honored"; בעל מדות ורב פעלים, titles of praise: a man of fine character traits, who does much.

2. Reb Chaim Baruch HaLevi, may he live long (מו"ה חיים ברוך הלוי שי'): Duchman, Bnei Brak. R. Chaim Baruch HaLevi Duchman, a Chassid who came from Russia to the Holy Land with his wife in the winter of 5718. On 7 Teves 5718 the Rebbe wrote to him in Tel Aviv about the news "of your arrival in peace together with your wife" (vol. 16, letter 5973); on 7 Iyar 5718 he asked him to report "everything that took place with Anash in general and the Temimim in particular" in Russia "during the last years", and blessed him to "spread light and warmth around him" (vol. 17, letter 6227). Now, in Bnei Brak, he writes of his classes with young men and householders; and on 24 Menachem Av 5719 the Rebbe answers his letter with "good news from Anash there" and urges him to add in his work of spreading the wellsprings, especially among Torah scholars (below, letter 6982).

3. May their number increase (בע"ב שי', כ"י): בע"ב = בעלי בתים, "householders"; כ"י = כן ירבו, "may they increase".

4. But to the point of (אבל עד כדי): That is: the effort with yeshivah students must be "in the appropriate manner", but to the point of real toil. (The print divides the sentence into two paragraphs here.)

5. The Jewish people (בנ"י): בנ"י = בני ישראל, "the Jewish people". Likewise below: הקב"ה = הקדוש ברוך הוא, "the Holy One, blessed be He".

6. The strict letter of Torah law (דינה של תורה): That is: to do only what the law strictly requires, and not to go beyond the letter of the law.

7. "Jerusalem was destroyed only because they based their [rulings] on the letter of Torah law" (לא חרבה ירושלים אלא מפני שהעמידו דבריהם על דין תורה): Bava Metzia 30b: דאמר ר' יוחנן: לא חרבה ירושלים אלא על שדנו בה דין תורה... אלא אימא: שהעמידו דיניהם על דין תורה, ולא עבדו לפנים משורת הדין, "R. Yochanan said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because they judged in it by Torah law… Rather, say: because they based their judgments on Torah law and did not act beyond the letter of the law." The Rebbe gives the saying in his own words ("their matters" for "their judgments").

8. "Ten miracles were performed for our ancestors" (עשרה נסים נעשו לאבותנו): Avos 5:5: "Ten miracles were performed for our ancestors in the Beis HaMikdash: no woman miscarried from the aroma of the sacrificial meat, the sacrificial meat never became putrid…" That is: although in the time of the Temple G‑dliness was seen openly, standing on the letter of the law was still enough to bring about the destruction of Jerusalem.

9. The doubled and redoubled darkness of the "footsteps of Mashiach" (חשך כפול ומכופל דעקבתא דמשיחא): עאכו"כ = על אחת כמה וכמה, "how much more so". "Doubled and redoubled darkness" is the phrase of Tanya, chapter 36, about this physical world: "there is none lower than it in the concealment of His light, and doubled and redoubled darkness"; the Rebbe applies it here to our era, the era of the "footsteps of Mashiach", after Sotah 49b: "In the footsteps of Mashiach, insolence will increase… And on whom can we rely? On our Father in Heaven."

10. "What the people do" (עמא דבר): After Berachos 45a: "Go out and see what the people do", and Rashi: "how they conduct themselves". That is: the public at large.

11. For the people at large a part is enough (בשביל עמא דבר מספיק חלק): That is: people reckon that if the yeshivah student conducts himself so, then for them, who are not yeshivah students, a part of that is enough. His conduct thus becomes the yardstick for many, and wherever he is lenient they are more lenient still.

12. "Doubly" (בכפלים לתושי'): After Iyov 11:6: "And He would tell you the secrets of wisdom, for they are double in counsel." A yeshivah student must conduct himself with double care, so that even the part the public takes from him is as it should be.

13. "Moist enough to moisten" (טופח ע"מ להטפיח, וק"ל): ע"מ = על מנת; וק"ל = וקל להבין, "and it is easy to understand". "Moist enough to moisten" is a measure of wetness in the laws of purity; as Rav Ovadiah of Bartenura explains (Taharos 8:9): "it is not moist enough to moisten – it does not hold so much liquid that if one touched it with his hand, enough liquid would come up on it to moisten something else". That is: it is not enough for a yeshivah student to be "moist" for himself; he must be so full that he imparts to others.

14. "With your mouth" (והשי"ת יהי' עם פיהו): השי"ת = השם יתברך, "G‑d, blessed be He". After Shemos 4:12, said to Moshe: "Now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say." That is: may he succeed in his words and his classes.

15. The pidyon nefesh… of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe (הפ"נ... כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע): פ"נ = פדיון נפש, a note of request for blessing; כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר = "my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe", the Previous Rebbe; זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע = "of saintly memory, whose soul is in the hidden treasuries on High, may his merit protect us".

16. "It was turned about" to joy and to a festive day (שנהפוך הוא לשמחה וליום טוב): After the verses of Megillas Esther: "and it was turned about, so that the Jews ruled over those who hated them" (Esther 9:1), and "the month that was turned for them from sorrow to joy and from mourning to a festive day" (ibid. 9:22). The Rebbe joins the two verses.

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

Summary

The Rebbe answers a Chassid in Bnei Brak who teaches young men and householders: effort with yeshivah students must reach the point of toil, for they become guides to many and every improvement in them is multiplied in others. They cannot stand on the letter of the law, since Jerusalem was destroyed for that and the public takes its measure from them; like a thing "moist enough to moisten," they must have enough to give to others.