6972 —השפעת לימוד תורה ברבים ומשמעת על הנוער והגאולה

B"H, 16 Menachem Av, 5719.

Brooklyn, NY.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I hereby acknowledge receipt of your letter in which you outline the main goals of your work, and I was especially pleased to see in the issues of "Baton Achdus Yisrael" that you are teaching a public class in Gemara. My hope is that it follows our Sages' instruction—that learning should lead to action in daily life, especially for those who influence a particular circle. Even study that seemingly has no connection to practical matters—at least at first glance—still shapes one's worldview, and thus affects the outlook of those influenced by them.

In our times, this matter of worldview requires special attention and correction in several key areas. Nevertheless, the general principle from the Mishnah—action is primary—remains fully in force.

I wish to emphasize particularly, in connection with the movement you wrote you joined according to your letter, whose foundation is discipline and fulfilling orders—not only during emergencies but also being ready to heed a commander's voice even during so-called normal times. This is based on the saying and fundamental teaching from our teacher the Baal Shem Tov—often quoted by my father-in-law the Rebbe—that everything a Jew sees or hears happens by Divine Providence to serve as a lesson for fulfilling his purpose and mission in the world: Torah and mitzvos in all your ways.

At first glance this seems an impossible demand to fulfill completely since human feeling and understanding are subject to change—not only over different periods but even within one year or month or day—whereas this demand is unchanging. The explanation is based on a fundamental principle brought in Mechilta (Parshas Yisro): there was a precondition for giving the Ten Commandments and Torah: "When they accept My sovereignty I will decree upon them." Accepting sovereignty means accepting authority (kabbalas ol), which does not depend specifically on intellect or emotion; intellect and emotion can only serve as tools to internalize it into understanding or feeling, but they are not essential. Moreover, through kabbalas ol above reason one later attains deeper understanding and more inner feeling.

Therefore, through this core point within your movement there is special potential to instill our Torah—the Torah of life—and practical mitzvah observance into daily living in a unique and effective way. This stands against those who mistakenly claim that today's youth recoil from discipline and accepting authority; on the contrary, this is one of the most successful tactics for winning over youth—not only religious or semi-religious but all—by enlisting them with a call to mobilize, provided there is genuine internal explanation.

Even if at first glance such a call does not immediately win over their intellect or feelings—it will ultimately do so [regardless of how it is explained: whether with materialistic reasoning or more subtly as an explanation for the animal soul—that being drafted under command relieves one from responsibility for every decision—or through the true explanation regarding "Ner Hashem Nishmas Adam," that the Divine soul's nature is to be drawn upward toward its source—a nature which, as explained by our master the Alter Rebbe author of Tanya, "is above knowledge and intellect which are only external tools for the essence of the soul"—in any case], this core point exists absolutely within every young person.

As we have seen recently how matters involving kabbalas ol specifically have captured young hearts—youthful in years or strength or courage—and especially in recent years when many disappointments have been revealed across all areas; thousands upon thousands of youth cannot find solid ground on which to stand. Fortunate is anyone who goes out with a great call: Mobilize for Tzivos Hashem—the Giver of Torah and Commander of mitzvos—for this is how circles upon circles of confused youth are won over. Here both elements combine: soul-nature with being soldiers for true truth—the Torah of truth which is Torah of life—life in our world—not just at peak moments like Ne'ilah prayer on Yom Kippur but equally at every moment even on ordinary weekdays.

This conquest—circle after circle, group after group—is also a condition for ending this exile—which differs from previous exiles where past redemptions were incomplete and some Jews remained behind physically or spiritually; whereas regarding this exile we are promised complete true redemption—from both external and internal exile—from bodily as well as spiritual exile; therefore every rescue of even one Jewish soul hastens general redemption.

This too is a foundation of Chassidus—which stresses "Ve'ahavta l'reacha kamocha" (love your fellow as yourself) through spreading its wellsprings outward—and every step taken in this direction brings closer both the end of exile and beginning of redemption—the true complete redemption.

From here: do not belittle small beginnings—even one act such as putting on tefillin by a boy or reciting Shema Yisrael by a girl—who can estimate its value? Nor is it merely an individual act by an individual on an individual day; since all join together into one great account—and each detail serves as a condition for bringing closer general redemption.

Summary

The Rebbe teaches that public Torah study shapes worldviews and influences others profoundly. Discipline rooted in kabbalas ol enables youth to live Torah authentically; every mitzvah action counts toward hastening redemption—even seemingly small ones matter greatly.