6835 —לדעת גם מעלות עצמו: איסור לשון הרע גם על עצמו, והודעת הטוב שבפעולותיו

[2 Iyar 5719]

After a most prolonged interval, your letter of 23 Nissan was received, [with] an outline^[1] of your activities.

Understandably, the wonder and astonishment^[2] at the longest interval are very great; especially as I have received from the side a number of reports of your activities during the past months, which were successful and left a good impression, and at times even a strong impression, etc., etc. So why should the good be withheld from being reported – especially as this is "good to Heaven, good to people", and good that bears fruit, as our Sages said in Kiddushin 40a^[3]. From the above it is also understood that what you write – that in your state of mind there is no change for the better, because of etc. – certainly does not accord with reality. The saying of my father-in-law, the Rebbe^[4], is already known, that the prohibition of lashon hara applies not only regarding another but also regarding oneself^[5]. And the instructive saying of the Rebbe (his father)^[6] is known: Just as one must know one's own shortcomings, so must one also know one's own virtues^[7]. And a further remark: with regard to working with others, at times recognizing one's own virtues matters more than recognizing one's own shortcomings; and this is easily understood^[8].

At an auspicious time you will be mentioned, together with all the members of your household, may they live^[9], at 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^[10]; and may it be [G‑d's] will that you report good news about each one^[11] of them.

And since we are coming from the month of Nissan and are in the month of Ziv, in which the radiant ones of the world were born^[12] – and the words of the Arizal are known, that when the days are remembered, they are (also) re-enacted^[13] – there will be added in matters individual and communal, within the whole Jewish people^[14], freedom and redemption, to increase radiance in the world: the radiance and illumination of the deeds of our forefathers, as brought in Tanya, that all their limbs and their actions were only for the Supreme Will alone, all their days^[15].

With blessings for good news^[16] in all the above.

Publisher's notes

Printed in Sefer HaShlichus, p. 244.

Notes

1. An outline (ר"פ): ר"פ = ראשי פרקים, a brief outline of the main points of his activities. 23 Nissan 5719 fell on Friday, 1 May 1959. The recipient's name is not printed.

2. Astonishment (התמי'): התמי' = התמיהה.

3. Good to Heaven, good to people… as our Sages said in Kiddushin 40a (טוב לשמים טוב לבריות... קדושין מ' ע"א): The Gemara (Kiddushin 40a): "'Say of the righteous man that he is good, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds' (Isaiah 3:10). Is there then a righteous man who is good and a righteous man who is not good? Rather, one who is good to Heaven and to people – he is a righteous man who is good"; and Rashi there (on the mitzvos that benefit others): "people all benefit from these, so one is found to be good to Heaven and good to people, and of such it is written, 'for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds'." Good done for Heaven and for people "bears fruit"; therefore it should be made known.

4. My father-in-law, the Rebbe (כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר): כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר = כבוד קדושת מורי וחמי אדונינו מורנו ורבנו, the Previous Rebbe, R. Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn.

5. The prohibition of lashon hara… also regarding oneself (איסור לשון הרע... גם בהנוגע לעצמו): The Rebbe tells the story (vol. 7, letter 2056): "what I heard from my father-in-law, the Rebbe… who told me that someone came in to him for yechidus and asked for a tikkun for certain matters, and in doing so described his spiritual state in frightening terms; and my father-in-law, the Rebbe, answered him that the gravity of lashon hara is known: it is forbidden to speak it about one's fellow, and also about oneself." What the recipient writes, that there is no improvement in his state of mind, does not accord with reality, and is a form of lashon hara about himself.

6. The Rebbe (his father) (כ"ק (אביו) אדמו"ר): The Rebbe Rashab, R. Sholom DovBer Schneersohn, father of the Previous Rebbe.

7. Just as one must know one's own shortcomings, so must one also know one's own virtues (כמו שצריך לדעת חסרונות עצמו, כן צריך לדעת ג"כ מעלות עצמו): ג"כ = גם כן, "also". The Rebbe writes similarly in vol. 15, letter 5468: "the saying of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, is known, that the negation of lashon hara applies not only to speaking it about another but also regarding oneself; and just as it is essential in the service of G‑d not to make light of one's shortcomings, so it is essential to know one's virtues too." See also Hayom Yom, 26 Cheshvan: "The true path is that one must know what one really is, with a true recognition of one's own shortcomings and of one's own virtues."

8. And this is easily understood (וק"ל): וק"ל = וקל להבין. One who is engaged in working with others must recognize his virtues and the success of his activities, so that he continue and add to them; therefore this recognition at times matters more than recognizing his shortcomings.

9. All the members of your household, may they live (כל ב"ב שיחיו): ב"ב = בני ביתו.

10. Of saintly memory… may his merit protect us (זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע): 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".

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

12. 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."

13. 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.

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

15. As brought in Tanya (וכמובא בתניא): 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."

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

Summary

To a correspondent who wrote after a very long silence that his spirits had not improved, the Rebbe asks why he withheld the good news of his successful activities, which the Rebbe had heard of from others; to speak ill of oneself is also lashon hara, and one must know one's virtues as well as one's shortcomings – in working with others, at times even more so.