9049 —בקשה לפרסומים והתנגדות לנוסח תפלה מאוחד

B"H, 28 MarCheshvan, 5726.

Brooklyn, NY.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I hereby acknowledge receipt of your letter from Friday, 6 Cheshvan. Surely by now you have already received my blessing for the new year.

As is customary among Jews to answer a question with a question, I will also write my question here: It has been a long time since I received any publications from the offices under your management, even though you have surely published several books and pamphlets over the past months. As you know, I am interested in various fields and especially in printed materials that appear in general and particularly in the Holy Tongue. In any case, these are added to the library where they are of much benefit.

Incidentally, I have received information that you have published a siddur or machzor or haggadah—or perhaps all together—in a unified version for members of different communities in Eretz HaKodesh (the Holy Land). Surely you know my position on this matter is negative, since prayer is an avodah shebalev (service of the heart) and should not be interfered with; on the contrary—ancestral customs should be preserved.

Nevertheless, if it has already appeared, I would be grateful if you would include it as well in your next shipments.

With honor and blessing and thanks in advance for the above.

Summary

The Rebbe values receiving Jewish publications—especially in Hebrew—and stresses that prayer customs should remain true to each community's tradition rather than being unified artificially.