6827 —חלישות בתחום אחד – סיבה להוסיף כח בשאר התחומים

B"H, 27 Nissan, 5719
Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In reply to your letter of 23 Nissan, after a very prolonged interruption.

At an auspicious time you will be mentioned at the holy resting place of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, of sainted memory,^[1] in accordance with the contents of your letter.

As for your description of your state of mind – [arising] from the weakness in some of the activities of Tzeirei Agudas Chabad and of Anash,^[2] especially in . . .^[3]

It is understood, and also obvious, that the reverse is more reasonable,^[4] as can be illustrated from a person himself: when he feels a weakness in one of his limbs, it is obviously no reason for him to bring weakness into his other limbs. On the contrary, one of the ways of healing the limb that has weakened is by strengthening, and adding strength to, the other limbs.

Now all of Israel are one complete body,^[5] and similarly there is a body within a body – Chabad Chassidim and Tzeirei Agudas Chabad in particular.

In other words: if you see (and everything is by Divine Providence) that at one point or more there is weakness, this is surely an instruction pointed out to you from Above, that you must arouse those concerned about the weakness, and act yourself, so that the said activities be doubled and tripled, in order to fill what is lacking, and to add. And this too is essential in the above: since "according to the camel is its load,"^[6] the demand for the said addition is itself proof that you have been given additional powers as well, and the ability to add much more in your activities so far. You only have to bring the above from potential into actuality, and this is easy to understand.^[7] Because of the simplicity of the matter it requires no further explanation. I shall await good news in all the above, and also of your influence on your friends in the said point; and in this too, nothing stands in the way of the will.^[8]

With blessings for good news,

In the name of the Rebbe, shlita,
A. Kvint^[9]
Secretary

Publisher's notes

Printed in Likkutei Sichos, vol. 23, p. 462.

Notes

1. My father-in-law, the Rebbe… (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, "may the memory of the righteous and holy one be for a blessing, for the life of the World to Come"; נבג"מ = נשמתו בגנזי מרומים, "his soul is in the hidden treasuries on High"; זי"ע = זכותו יגן עלינו, "may his merit protect us".

2. Tzeirei Agudas Chabad and Anash (צעירי אגו"ח ואנ"ש): צעירי אגו"ח = צעירי אגודת חסידי חב"ד, "the Youth Organization of Agudas Chassidei Chabad"; אנ"ש = אנשי שלומנו, "our fellow Chassidim".

3. Especially in . . . (בפרט ב...): The dots in the printed text show that the rest of the sentence was not printed.

4. The reverse is more reasonable (איפכא מסתברא): A Talmudic expression: "the reverse stands to reason." Weakness in one area is no reason to weaken, but on the contrary a reason to add strength.

5. One complete body (קומה שלימה אחת): See Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim, the discourse beginning "Shir HaShirim asher li-Shlomo": וכל ישראל אחד מעורב בחבירו, מה שחסר לזה נמצא בחבירו, וכשיצטרפו כולם כאחד – הם קומה שלימה, "All of Israel are intermingled one with another; what one lacks is found in another, and when they all join together as one, they form a complete body." Just as in the human body a weak limb is strengthened by strengthening the other limbs, so in the Jewish people, and all the more so in the "body within a body" of Anash and Tzeirei Agudas Chabad: strengthening in one area fills what is lacking in another. עד"ז = על דרך זה, "similarly".

6. "According to the camel is its load" (לפום גמלא שיחנא): ע"ד = על דבר, "about"; ה"ה = הרי הוא, "is". Sotah 13b: תנא דבי ר' ישמעאל, לפום גמלא שיחנא, "It was taught in the school of Rabbi Yishmael: according to the camel is its load"; Rashi: "according to the strength of the camel they increase its load" (so too in Kesubos 67a: "as people say, according to the camel is its load"). The Rebbe reasons from the load back to the strength: since the load matches the camel's strength, the very demand to add to one's activities proves that additional powers have been given for it.

7. This is easy to understand (וק"ל): וק"ל = וקל להבין, "and this is easy to understand": the powers have already been given to him, as said, and he has only to reveal them and put them to work.

8. Nothing stands in the way of the will (אין לך דבר העומד בפני הרצון): A well-known saying. If he truly wishes to influence his friends in the area where he saw weakness, he will succeed.

9. In the name of the Rebbe, shlita... A. Kvint, Secretary (בשם כ"ק אדמו"ר שליט"א א. קווינט מזכיר): כ"ק אדמו"ר שליט"א = כבוד קדושת אדוננו מורנו ורבנו, שיחיה לאורך ימים טובים אמן. That is, this letter was written and signed by the secretary in the Rebbe's name. A. Kvint was one of the Rebbe's secretaries, who signed many letters in his name (e.g. vol. 15, letter 5364).

Summary

To a Chassid discouraged by weakness in some of the activities of Tzeirei Agudas Chabad and Anash, the Rebbe answers that the reverse follows: as a weak limb is healed by strengthening the rest of the body, so weakness at one point calls for doubling and tripling the activity, and for arousing those concerned. Since "according to the camel is its load," the very demand proves that he has been given the strength to meet it.