7139 —הכרת תודה על הצלת כתבי יד הזהר והרהורים על זהות יהודית

B"H, 3 Teves, 5720. Brooklyn.

Mr. Moshe, may he live.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I am writing to express my gratitude to you from the depths of my heart for your efforts and actions regarding the rescue of the sacred Zohar volumes with my father's notes, which have just come into my possession. Beyond the great importance of saving words of Torah itself, there is also a special personal aspect for me in this matter—as with all matters of ancestral inheritance—especially when I recall the toil and enthusiasm with which my father engaged in this work.

May it be G‑d's will that for many more years you continue to be involved in Torah and mitzvos in general, and specifically in the great mitzvah of redeeming captives as mentioned above. According to Chassidus, a person's holy work—the avodah of refinement—is a redemption of sparks of holiness found in exile and a redemption of one's own G‑dly soul, which is a particular spark of the Shechinah within every Jew (as explained by Rabbeinu HaZaken in various places, including Tanya Iggeres HaKodesh ch. 4). May you do this with tranquility and joy, always increasing light.

With respect and blessing, concluding as I began—expressing thanks for all the above.

P.S. Although what follows may not fully fit with what was said above, I still felt obligated to include it to fulfill the commandment "and you shall be clean before Hashem and Israel," especially based on what I heard—that you wondered about not receiving a response to your letter regarding your visit to Soviet Russia. The lack of response was for two reasons taught by our Sages: (a) Just as it is a mitzvah to say something that will be heard, so too... (b) One does not respond to... To clarify: The true purpose of Jews visiting our former country—according to my approach and surely yours as well—is so that those there will be strengthened in their struggle for their Jewish identity and encouraged when they see many brothers who share their views; if G‑d forbid they were under similar conditions, they too would fight for their way of life and withstand all trials.

Certainly during your visit there, to whatever extent you managed genuine contact with such individuals and observed their lives and difficulties, you saw that even though every detail depends on hostile authorities fighting every aspect of Torah and mitzvos, nevertheless they keep them as much as possible—even at risk to their lives or at least their livelihood—and are not deterred even regarding their children’s education so long as they remain faithful to Torah and mitzvos. Therefore they set times for Torah study whenever possible; they keep Shabbos and Yom Tov; certainly kashrus; many even keep beard and payos despite these being obvious signs of religious Jews—even though such people tend to avoid meeting visitors from abroad due to increased surveillance—but hopefully you at least heard about them.

After this introduction, consider how those Jews living under such conditions for decades react after meeting Jews from countries where Torah study and mitzvah observance are completely unimpeded—especially when visitors come from Eretz HaKodesh. Even from afar it is clear that these visitors try not to appear Jewish at all—in face or dress or tzitzis—and when asked (gently so as not to offend), how do they use their complete freedom regarding Torah study? The answers are: one plays soccer successfully; another acts in theater; at best some are observant but devote most energy to secular studies at communist universities—with only occasional fixed times for Torah study.

This raises doubts whether such visits encourage our brethren there more than they harm them. I admit that when I first received your letter about traveling there I wanted to write all this but anticipated what results it might bring—so I chose silence based on the two points above.

To end on a positive note: When young rabbis traveled from America two years before your group—and since they went officially as rabbis representing Israel—the doubts about benefit were even greater than regarding your visit. The reaction there was summed up by a pointed question received from Jews there—not only religious ones but also non-Jews: "There are soccer players here too; why must they come from America?" Please forgive me for saying this—but truly even this comes after much restraint. The criticism is not just because people visited but is deeper—a spiritual issue: After all our brethren have endured (which greatly increases our responsibility), especially those living in Eretz HaKodesh must fill—at least as much as possible—the role once played by those martyred al kiddush Hashem in areas where we differ from other nations: Torah observance openly—not like the slogan "be a Jew at home but a man outside," whose results are seen generations later.

Simply put: Especially young people raised today—in an era without having to change worldviews formed over decades—must give themselves an honest reckoning that they stand in place of Israel’s elite. They must walk openly so everyone recognizes them as descendants of Avraham Yitzchak Yaakov—and especially in Eretz HaKodesh so it’s clear they are fully observant—not just because they speak Hebrew but because when seen on the street people say "surely he’s from Meah Shearim." When asked how he spends his time he should simply answer: studying Torah and keeping mitzvos; earning a living is only secondary—not requiring major effort or investment of his intellectual powers—in contrast with pursuits that excite non-Jews.

You may ask why such demands aren’t heard from certain rabbis or leaders; perhaps because of the two points above—but mainly this isn’t an excuse: If it’s true one should accept truth regardless who says it; if not—it can be disproved. As above—these words are directed especially toward Jewish youth everywhere—most importantly those viewed as representatives of Israel.

Summary

The Rebbe expresses deep gratitude for saving precious manuscripts while urging visible pride in Jewish identity. He teaches that Jews everywhere—and especially youth—must openly embody Torah values so others recognize them as faithful descendants committed to mitzvos.