8338 —היסוד של חוק מוסרי והתפקיד הייחודי של תומכי תמימים

B"H, Eve of Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Yisro, 5722.

Brooklyn, NY.

To the participants in the annual dinner of Merkaz HaYeshivos "Tomchei Temimim" Lubavitch — may Hashem be upon them and grant them life.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I hope that all who came to unite with Merkaz HaYeshivos Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch for the occasion of this annual event brought with them the spirit of this week's Torah portion—the portion of the Aseres HaDibros (Ten Commandments) and Matan Torah—which was read on Shabbos, a day before this event.

The Aseres HaDibros unite within themselves two, at first glance, extremely different fundamental laws: The first commandments—Anochi (I am), Lo Yihiyeh Lecha (You shall have no other gods), etc.—express and reveal the deepest ideas of the unity of Hashem; while others contain such simple commandments as Lo Tirtzach (Do not murder) and Lo Tignov (Do not steal), which are essentially self-evident even to the average human intellect.

But in truth, if moral laws—even those "self-evident" ones—are left to human intellect alone without their Divine foundation and strength, human reasoning, due to self-love, can twist them so much that a transgression is interpreted as a "mitzvah." Interpreting "Do not murder" and "Do not steal" from one's own perspective has led many nations and individuals to justify their most abominable goals—not to mention justifying any means to achieve those goals—as has unfortunately been clearly demonstrated, especially in recent years.

If by discarding or even separating "Anochi" and "Lo Yihiyeh Lecha" from "Do not murder" and "Do not steal," humanity could not be protected from murder and theft in their most brutal forms, then certainly it cannot be protected from more subtle forms—such as shaming another (which is likened to bloodshed) or deceiving others intellectually.

The Aseres HaDibros emphasize—and experience has repeatedly confirmed—that even the simplest laws of morality and ethics must have their Divine foundation in Anochi and Lo Yihiyeh Lecha; only then do they endure.

This is also the main purpose and mission of education al taharas hakodesh: To implant in our children a way of life according to Toras Chaim—a path for daily living based firmly on Torah and mitzvos—which gives true meaning to life and serves as the source of life for every Jew and for all Jews collectively.

The founders of Merkaz HaYeshivos Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch—our Rebbeim Nesi'im, especially here in America—my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe—zatzal—established these yeshivos so that they would always embody this foundation with deeper understanding and feeling, as illuminated and explained in Toras HaChassidus. This has endowed Lubavitcher yeshivos and students with a special uniqueness and merit.

Therefore it is a special merit to have a personal share in these yeshivos—by helping them not only keep their doors open and maintain their current state but also enable their expansion according to pressing needs.

May Hashem bless all friends and supporters of Merkaz HaYeshivos Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch—they and their families—with everything they need materially and spiritually.

Summary

Moral values endure only when rooted in Divine truth. Supporting Tomchei Temimim means investing in education that instills G‑dly foundations for both individual lives and Jewish continuity.