6822 —לימוד מקבלת העול שבצבא לעבודת ה', והפצת היהדות בין החיילים

B"H, 25 Nissan^[1], 5719
Brooklyn.

The veteran and Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, mighty in deeds^[2], Rabbi Yeshaya, may he live long^[3]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I was pleased to receive your letter of Chol HaMoed Pesach, with its enclosure, in which you write of what you learned at the time in the Achei Temimim Lubavitch Yeshivah in the city of Worcester, under the direction of the rabbi of fine character and mighty in deeds, Rabbi Yehuda Tzvi Fogelman, may he live long^[4], with whom you are still in contact by letter; you also write of the distribution of shmurah matzah to everyone you were able to reach.

May it be G‑d's will that you use the talents with which you have been endowed, and the influence that has been given you by Divine Providence, to spread Torah and Judaism in ever-widening circles, and especially among the Jews who are in the army.

I have already said elsewhere at greater length^[5] that from every matter one should learn a lesson in man's service of his Maker, and especially from the matter and situation in which one has been for several years. In this case: the foundation and existence of an army depend on wholehearted acceptance of the yoke [of discipline], without raising difficulties and without even asking questions, but first and foremost carrying out the order in full.

A second point: weakness in this respect on the part of one soldier is not his own private affair alone; it affects all his comrades in his unit, and thereby also the army camp in general, and the defense of the country as a whole.

If this is said of orders issued by flesh and blood, how much more so of the orders of the Supreme Commander of all creation, the King of the king of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He. To elaborate on this is superfluous.

With blessing that you succeed in all the above, the inner point of which is to add in your own conduct in a manner of "moist enough to moisten"^[6]; and nothing stands in the way of the will^[7].

With blessing for good news^[8].

P.S.

Surely you will send in the future, too, what you have printed; many thanks in advance^[9].

Publisher's notes

Rabbi Yeshaya, may he live long (הרב ישעי' שי'): Ziv, Fort Bragg.

Notes

1. 25 Nissan (כ"ה ניסן): 25 Nissan 5719 was a Sunday.

2. The veteran and Chassid… mighty in deeds (הוו"ח אי"א נו"נ רב פעלים): הוו"ח = הוותיק וחסיד, "the veteran and Chassid"; אי"א = איש ירא אלקים, "a G‑d-fearing man"; נו"נ = נעלה ונכבד, "distinguished and honored". "Mighty in deeds" follows the verse on Benayahu ben Yehoyada, Shmuel II 23:20: ובניהו בן יהוידע בן איש חי רב פעלים מקבצאל, "And Benayahu the son of Yehoyada, the son of a valiant man, mighty in deeds, from Kavtze'el."

3. Rabbi Yeshaya (הרב ישעי' שי'): Ziv, Fort Bragg (as in the publisher's note): the U.S. Army base in North Carolina. The letter shows that the recipient, a former student of the Achei Temimim yeshivah in Worcester, had been in the army for several years, worked to spread Torah and Judaism among Jewish soldiers (on Pesach he distributed shmurah matzah to everyone he could), and printed material, which he sent to the Rebbe (see the end of the letter).

4. Rabbi Yehuda Tzvi Fogelman (מו"ה יהודא צבי שי' פאגעלמאן): מו"ה = מורנו הרב, "our teacher, Rabbi". R. Yehuda Tzvi (Hershel) Fogelman, one of the first students of the yeshivah the Previous Rebbe founded in America, who sent him in 1946 to Worcester, Massachusetts, where he opened a branch of Achei Temimim (CrownHeights.info; see also letter 6743 above, note 3). The Rebbe's letter to him: vol. 2, letter 387.

5. I have already said elsewhere at greater length (וכבר מלתי אמורה במקום אחר בארוכה יותר): The Rebbe had already written at length on this elsewhere. For example, on 1 Adar II 5717: והרי שירותו בצבא צריך הי' להרגילו בהענין דקבלת עול מילוי פקודה גם קודם הבנת מטרת הפקודה... עאכו"כ כשהדברים מכוונים למילוי פקודתו של מלך מה"מ הקב"ה, "His service in the army should have accustomed him to accepting the yoke, carrying out an order even before understanding its purpose… how much more so when it concerns carrying out the order of the King of the king of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He" (vol. 14, letter 5235); and on 6 Tammuz 5715: כמו בצבא בשר ודם בעיקר תלוי במשמעת דקבלת עול, "just as in an army of flesh and blood everything depends mainly on the discipline of accepting the yoke" (vol. 11, letter 3611).

6. Moist enough to moisten (טופח על מנת להטפיח): A halachic term for moisture: wet enough that what touches it becomes wet enough to wet something else. Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah 129:13: אם יש בה טופח על מנת להטפיח (פי' שהיד הנעשית לחה במגעו תחזור ותעשה לחה גם יד אחרת), "if it has moisture enough to moisten (that is, the hand made moist by touching it would in turn moisten another hand)". He should add in his own conduct in Torah and mitzvos to such a degree that it influences others as well.

7. Nothing stands in the way of the will (אין לך דבר העומד בפני הרצון): A well-known saying: when the will is genuine, it overcomes every obstacle.

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

9. Many thanks (ת"ח): ת"ח = תשואות חן, "many thanks".

Summary

The Rebbe thanks the recipient, a former student of Achei Temimim in Worcester serving at Fort Bragg, for his report on distributing shmurah matzah, and urges him to use his talents and influence to spread Torah among Jewish soldiers. Army life itself teaches the lesson: an army rests on obeying orders without questions, and one soldier's weakness affects his whole unit; how much more so the commands of the King of kings. He should add in his own conduct so as to influence others.