9650 —הוצאת ספר על מאתים שנות חב"ד וגישתה

B"H, 18 Shevat, 5729.

Brooklyn, NY.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

Mr. Dov Ettinger, Shalom u'Vrachah!

I hereby acknowledge receipt of your letter from the 9th and 16th of Tevet along with the mitzvah contributions.

On this occasion, I wish to express my great satisfaction regarding the activities and the unveiling ceremony for the monument of Harav HaGaon and Harav HaChasid etc., Reb Baruch Mordechai Ettinger z"l, one of the great students of our master the Alter Rebbe.

As with all truly good matters, my strong hope is that there will be continued fruits and fruits of fruits from this, first and foremost in the same approach and direction for which Rabbi M.Z.L. gave his life—namely, the Chabad approach and teachings. One key point is that it is not something limited to special times or select individuals but is meant to illuminate and permeate the daily life of every single person as an inheritance for the entire nation. Certainly for someone like yourself there is no need for further explanation on this.

I read with special interest your lines about the idea to arrange a book on 200 years of Chabad in your community. In my opinion, in all responsible matters such as this, there is great responsibility for many reasons. Seemingly it would be better at first to publish a booklet or collections whose content is not so broad or responsible. It is possible to begin regarding Chabad in Chevron and Chabad in Jerusalem etc., or at least not a book on two hundred years of Chabad but rather a comprehensive overview with an added emphasis that this serves as an introduction or preface; over time, when all material has been gathered, they can proceed to publish a comprehensive book.

Of course, what I wrote above does not negate at all collecting material on this subject and processing it to some extent; after all, final editing will certainly depend on both quality and quantity of the book—that is to say, it will be decided in later stages.

Certainly regarding practical discussion about everything written above, all those mentioned in your letter should consult together. Surely you will inform me about developments in this matter; thanks in advance.

With honor and blessing.

P.S. Regarding financial participation in publishing the book: obviously this depends somewhat on quantity (meaning sum of money), but even more so on quality—my intention being that the entire book should fit with the worldview of Harav HaGaon and Harav HaChasid etc., Rabbi M.Z.L. Ettinger—and so forth.

Summary

The Rebbe encourages careful planning when publishing works about Chabad history—starting small before attempting comprehensive projects—and stresses that such works should reflect authentic Chabad philosophy as lived by its great figures.