7631 —ניצול כשרונות, שיתוף פעולה, ופעולה בעניני חב"ד

B"H, 23rd of Nissan, 5721.

Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In response to your letter from the 4th day of Chol HaMoed Pesach: It is clear and simple—and surprising that there is even a doubt about this—that you must be involved in the matter of... for several reasons. First and foremost, it is necessary, and you are already proficient in this area (despite the undesirable matters you wrote about).

Regarding the general content of this letter and the previous one—it is surprising that your arguments are not directed to the correct address. If you had directed them properly, all basis for your complaints would have immediately disappeared. Let me explain: You have been granted by Divine Providence good and even lofty talents along with the appropriate energy to actualize them. I mean—in teaching, organizing matters, and communal activism. However, two points prevent you from utilizing them as fully as needed or possible (for whatever reason—you do not wish to change them—and therefore it seems to you that you cannot): cooperation with others (i.e., as partners who are both interested solely in the good of the cause and therefore must compromise on various matters), and secondly, that your energy—as is common with many people—prevents you to some extent from doing things in an orderly and planned fashion. [By the way—even here cooperation with others helps since another person’s energy does not disturb him from making a plan and calculation in advance.]

Despite these two points, your talents and virtues mentioned above far outweigh these two issues—even if they are not entirely nullified—as you surely saw in the past; i.e., in summary it was good—not just barely good but much more than that—even though there were shortcomings as mentioned.

In summary: It is necessary and also good—not only spiritually but also materially—that you continue your involvement in... especially so; but try as much as possible—if not to eliminate entirely at least to minimize these two points...

Another point—to conclude your letter where you wrote that you spoke with... one of the elder chassidim who shouted at you etc.—after asking forgiveness from this elder chassid among other elders—I can only repeat what I heard from my father-in-law the Rebbe: action is what counts (and if not—it is also an explicit Mishnah). When we sum up the actions of the elder chassidim in... regarding practical deeds—it is evident: The yeshivah they founded kept declining until it ceased altogether [the time was prolonged because meanwhile Anash came from Russia and acted on their own without the will of those elders etc., but eventually a yeshivah was established...] The situation in... is certainly known. Likewise with the chassidic synagogues there etc. and their activities in spreading the wellsprings etc.

Therefore it is no wonder that they advise others to act similarly; but those who heed their advice can look at the results of this approach by those elders regarding practical outcomes—and can surely estimate what would happen now in all Chabad matters if G‑d forbid people followed their instructions. It is remarkable—that although generally it is hard for them to agree on any point—when it comes to advocating "sit back and do nothing," they are completely united. Enough said about this distressing matter...

It is clear and simple that it is within your power—and permitted—to show these lines to those advising you or anyone else to adopt a passive approach.

Knowing your character traits, I suspect your first reaction upon reading my letter will not be as I intend—to strive for increased activity—but rather a reaction like our Sages’ phrase: "What do I need this trouble for?" Or—which also isn’t desirable—a sense of discouragement.

Therefore I repeat what I wrote at the beginning of this letter: You have been endowed with extraordinary energy and lofty talents; you can—and should—use them fully; obviously priority goes to Chabad matters—especially since as I have written many times—they bring success beyond measure to all Chabad activities. But what’s needed are actions—not just thoughts or debates at meetings whose conclusion is "better to do nothing; I’ve expressed my opinion." Rather—tangible actions carried out broadly as instructed by my father-in-law the Rebbe...

May it be G‑d’s will that when you read (and internalize) my letter according to its true content and intent—it will uplift your spirit greatly and increase your activity with joy and gladness of heart.

Summary

The Rebbe teaches us here that our unique strengths must be used actively for communal good—especially within Chabad—through collaboration, planning, overcoming inertia or discouragement, focusing on real deeds rather than debate or passivity.