6831 —בין חודש הגאולה לחודש זיו: זיו מעבודת האבות, ו"אייר" ר"ת אברהם יצחק יעקב רחל

B"H, 29 Nissan, 5719
Brooklyn.

The Rav and Gaon, the Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, engaged in communal needs^[1],
Reb Ephraim Eliezer HaKohen, may he live long^[2]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

Today I received your letter, before my journey to the holy resting place of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, of saintly memory, whose soul is in the hidden treasuries on High, may his merit protect us^[3]; and I mentioned there all those you write about.

May it be [G‑d's] will, since we find ourselves between the month of Nissan – the month of redemption and miracles^[4] – and the month of Ziv, in which the radiant ones of the world were born^[5]; and the words of the Arizal are known, that these days, when they are remembered, are (also) re-enacted^[6]: that there be added in all matters, individual and communal, within the whole Jewish people^[7], freedom and redemption, to increase radiance in the world too – radiance and illumination from the service of our forefathers, as explained in Tanya, that all their limbs and their actions were only for the Supreme Will alone, all their days – the level of a Merkavah (chariot)^[8].

With blessings for good news^[9].

P.S.

By way of a witty remark^[10], one may note, regarding the name Rachel, which you write was given without any particular reason, what is cited even for a halachic ruling^[11] in the revealed part of Torah (N"Sh; Beis Shmuel, siman 126, se'if katan 20)^[12]: that Iyar is the initials of Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Rachel [a Merkavah]^[13]. And the freedom and the redemption, of which it is said, "As in the days of your going out of the land of Egypt, I will show him wonders"^[14] – this will come about through "Rachel weeping for her children", which has its effect, for "Thus says the L‑rd, etc.… and the children shall return to their own border"^[15].

Publisher's notes

Reb Ephraim Eliezer (מו"ה אפרים אליעזר): Yolles, Philadelphia. Further letters to him: above, letter 6582, and the references in the notes there.

Reb Ephraim Eliezer: See also above, letter 6752 (to him, 7 Adar II 5719, with the blessing that he be "whole and strong" in health); below, letter 6986 (to him, 27 Menachem Av 5719); and vol. 19, letter 7232 (to him, 19 Adar 5720: "the matter of the explanation of two yuds is alluded to in the revealed part of Torah too").

Notes

1. The Rav and Gaon… engaged in communal needs (הרה"ג הרה"ח אי"א נו"נ עוסק בצ"צ): הרה"ג = הרב הגאון, "the Rav and Gaon"; הרה"ח = הרב החסיד, "the Chassid"; אי"א = איש ירא אלקים, "a G‑d-fearing man"; נו"נ = נעלה ונכבד, "distinguished and honored"; עוסק בצ"צ = עוסק בצרכי ציבור, "engaged in communal needs".

2. Reb Ephraim Eliezer HaKohen (מו"ה אפרים אליעזר שי' הכהן): מו"ה = מורנו הרב. Yolles, Philadelphia (as in the publisher's note). Rabbi Ephraim Eliezer HaKohen Yolles, a rav in Philadelphia, who carried on an extensive correspondence with the Rebbe in Nigleh and Kabbalah. In Kislev 5719 he wrote to the Rebbe about the state of his health, and the Rebbe blessed him: "may the situation go on improving until he returns to full strength" (letter 6582); in Teves, when he reported an improvement, the Rebbe wrote: "may it go from good to even better" (letter 6662); in Shevat he blessed him with Adar's "turning about" (letter 6700); and in Adar II, that he be, in the Rambam's words, "whole and strong" (letter 6752). In this letter, written on Thursday, 29 Nissan, a day on which the Rebbe went to the Ohel, he tells him that he mentioned there all those he wrote about. The next letter to him: 6986 (27 Menachem Av 5719).

3. 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".

4. The month of redemption and miracles (חדש הגאולה והנסים): After the Gemara (Rosh Hashanah 11a): "In Nissan they were redeemed, and in Nissan they will be redeemed in the future."

5. The month of Ziv, in which the radiant ones of the world were born (חדש זיו, בו נולדו זיותני עולם): The month of Ziv is Iyar, "the second month" (I Kings 6:1); "the radiant ones of the world" are the Patriarchs. After the Gemara (Rosh Hashanah 11a): "R. Yehoshua says: From where do we know that the Patriarchs were born in Nissan? For it says… 'in the month of Ziv' – in the month in which the radiant ones of the world (זיותני עולם) were born."

6. The words of the Arizal… remembered, they are (also) re-enacted (דברי האריז"ל… נזכרים (ה"ה גם) ונעשים): The Arizal: R. Yitzchak Luria. ה"ה = הרי הם, "they are". After the verse (Esther 9:28): "And these days are remembered and observed (literally, 'done') in every generation." The Arizal's explanation, in the Rebbe's words in vol. 14, letter 4899: "that every year, at the season of these days, when they are remembered – then they are also – done, and the matters are drawn down as they were the first time"; and in vol. 6, letter 1620, he notes: "it is cited in the name of the writings of the Arizal (it is in the book Lev David by the Chida)." This is why he adds in parentheses "(they are also)": when the days are remembered, they are also re-enacted.

7. Within the whole Jewish people (בתכ"י): בתכ"י = בתוך כלל ישראל.

8. As explained in Tanya… the level of a Merkavah (וכמבואר בתניא... בחי' מרכבה): After Tanya, ch. 23: "This is what our Sages said, 'The Patriarchs are the very chariot (מרכבה)': all their limbs were holy and set apart from the affairs of this world, and they became a chariot only for the Supreme Will alone, all their days." Hence the Rebbe's closing words, "the level of a Merkavah": the Patriarchs were a chariot for the Supreme Will.

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

10. By way of a witty remark (ע"ד הצחות): ע"ד = על דרך: a remark made by way of wit and wordplay.

11. A halachic ruling… in the revealed part of Torah (לפס"ד להלכה... בנגלה): פס"ד = פסק דין, "a ruling"; נגלה, the revealed part of Torah, as against its inner dimension.

12. Beis Shmuel, siman 126, se'if katan 20 (ב"ש סקכ"ו סק"ך): Beis Shmuel on Shulchan Aruch, Even HaEzer, siman 126 (the laws of writing a get), se'if katan 20: "Iyar with two yuds – an allusion to this: Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Rachel." That is, this allusion is cited in halachah too: in a get, Iyar (אייר) is written with two yuds. A year later the Rebbe wrote to the recipient himself (vol. 19, letter 7232): "the matter of the explanation of two yuds is alluded to in the revealed part of Torah too, in keeping with my approach all along, that whatever is discussed in the revealed part has its counterpart in the hidden part, and whatever is said in the hidden part has its counterpart in the revealed part."

13. Initials… [a Merkavah] (ר"ת... [מרכבה]): ר"ת = ראשי תיבות, "initials". In another letter the Rebbe writes: "Iyar, the month of Ziv in which the radiant ones of the world were born, is the initials of the secret of the complete Merkavah" (vol. 15, letter 5450). The initials of Iyar allude to the Merkavah; hence he adds here "[a Merkavah]", continuing what he wrote above of the Patriarchs: "the level of a Merkavah".

14. As in the days of your going out of the land of Egypt… (כימי צאתך מארץ מצרים...): From the prophecy of the future redemption (Micah 7:15): "As in the days of your going out of the land of Egypt, I will show him wonders."

15. Rachel weeping for her children… and the children shall return to their own border (רחל מבכה על בני'... ושבו בנים לגבולם): ה"ז = הרי זה, "this". After Jeremiah 31:15–17: "Thus says the L‑rd: A voice is heard on high, lamentation, bitter weeping; Rachel weeps for her children, she refuses to be comforted for her children, for they are not. Thus says the L‑rd: Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for there is a reward for your work, says the L‑rd, and they shall return from the land of the enemy. And there is hope for your future, says the L‑rd, and the children shall return to their own border." The name Rachel is thus bound up with Iyar (by the allusion above) and with the redemption: her weeping for her children has its effect, that the children return to their border.

Summary

Written on the day he went to the Previous Rebbe's resting place, the Rebbe blesses the recipient that, standing between Nissan, the month of redemption, and Iyar, the month in which the Patriarchs were born, freedom, redemption and the radiance of the Patriarchs' service be renewed. In a postscript he remarks that the name Rachel, given "for no particular reason", is alluded to in Iyar, the initials of Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Rachel, and in the redemption through Rachel's weeping.