9211 —מכתב תנחומים על פטירת שלמה הכהן ומשמעות הנחמה המסורתית

B"H, 16 Elul 5726.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

To Mrs. Devorah Leah, may she live, and Mr. [Yosef], may he live: Out of deep sorrow I express my participation in your mourning for the passing of your father-in-law, Haraha"ch iy"a nu"n etc. Shlomo HaKohen, of blessed memory. In the traditional wording: May the Omnipresent comfort you among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem, and from now on may you know no more sorrow or sighing, but only goodness and kindness all your days.

With blessings for a good inscription and sealing for a good and sweet year in revealed and apparent good.

It is seemingly not understood why the style of the condolence blessing connects comfort with mourning over Zion and Jerusalem. However, this itself is the point of comfort, in two ways (though this is not the time to elaborate): a) The individual's mourning is truly communal mourning—emphasized by associating the mourner with those who mourn for Zion and Jerusalem, meaning all of Klal Yisrael; b) The individual's comfort is true and assured just like the comfort for Zion and Jerusalem, which is a foundation of our living faith. Regarding this comfort it is said: Odecha Hashem ki anaphta bi yashuv apecha u'tenachameini ("I thank You, Hashem, for You were angry with me; Your anger has turned away and You have comforted me") (Yeshayahu 12:1). The 'I thank You' applies also to 'You were angry,' and so too is the assurance in comforting an individual—and even more than what is written can be found here.

Summary

The Rebbe teaches that traditional words of comfort link personal loss to communal suffering and hope, assuring us that just as Zion will be comforted, so too will every individual mourner—rooted in our enduring faith in G‑d's promise.