7840 —הדפסת ספרים, לוגיסטיקת משלוחים, ומכס עבור כרכים בעברית

B"H, 11 Teves, 5709.

To the esteemed vavac"h iy"a nu"m etc. David

Shalom u'Vrachah!

Your letter from 12 Kislev was received, and in response to your questions:

a) I repeat my request that you kindly answer all my questions point by point so that I will not need to repeat them.

b) Regarding the halachic rulings— I asked the Rebbe Rayatz shlita and he said they should be printed in their place in two volumes on the best paper and as soon as possible. Further instructions on this matter can be found in my letter from 9 Sivan 5708. Of course, this printing is in addition to other printings of the sefer in your possession.

c) Several times I have drawn your attention that it is possible to send books with travelers without any difficulty, especially now when refugees are regularly coming to New York from the camps. Besides this, it is also possible to send via travelers to France, and from there we can arrange shipment here through Anash. For example, soon our friends Reb Shlomo Palmer and Reb Shneur Zalman Gourarie will return from Paris to here. However, so that the books are not lost in Paris, please send them care of our hands via Haraha"g and Haraha"ch etc. Reb Nissan Nemanov shlita and notify him to arrange the shipment according to instructions we will send him.

d) Regarding your suggestion to inquire with Rabbi Kalmanowitz about another shipping method— we checked and the expenses involved make the whole matter unfeasible.

e) Regarding funds— they are ready and available; the main difficulty is in transferring them. I have already urged several times both Reb Nissan Nemanov and Rabbi Benjamin Grodzensky shlita, and hopefully they will arrange things properly.

f) Packages sent by mail should be addressed to Melach (Machaneh L'Chayal), Machaneh Yisrael, and Kehot Publication Society (Kehot), ensuring that here at the post office no single shipment for each exceeds one hundred dollars; otherwise paperwork is required.

g) Until today I have still not received Likkutei Torah. I do not understand why the post office does not accept shipments of Likkutei Torah or Torah Or; surely it is possible to send a few copies at a time periodically.

h) According to law, books sent in other languages (not English), such as Lashon HaKodesh or Yiddish, are exempt from customs here; therefore it is unclear what difficulty with customs you mention in your letter.

i) Regarding selling part of Shulchan Aruch: there is no reason to sell only part cheaply because then the rest would also need to be sold at that price. But if it is possible to sell all except fifty or a hundred for us (and not less than "a terem u'mechtzah," i.e., a weight-and-a-half), then it is worthwhile.

j) Again I urge you to answer my letters and inform me what has already been sent and what remains for you to send— especially using travelers as mentioned above (section c).

k) In the coming days we will send you a transcript of Yud Tes Kislev's sichah; surely there will also be a sichah for Chaf Daled Teves.

I sign with request and appeal and hope for your detailed reply soon.
M. Schneerson

From the post office we received notice that 193 packages have arrived; although they are exempt from customs, by law if a shipment exceeds one hundred dollars there must be an invoice from the sender as well as a consular invoice (certified by an American consul). Concerning the sender's invoice we arranged here according to the attached copy; for the second we deposited some money. If this does not cause confusion or difficulties please obtain a consular invoice for this shipment of 193 packages; if it causes trouble it is better to lose our deposit here. For future shipments: if every shipment addressed to Melach Machaneh Yisrael or Kehot does not exceed one hundred dollars at once so its value here is not assessed above one hundred dollars— we will not need paperwork etc.

Summary

This letter highlights practical guidance on book printing logistics, leveraging travelers for efficient shipping while avoiding customs issues through careful planning. The Rebbe stresses clear communication and timely responses as essential for successful Torah dissemination efforts.