Shiurim in this topic
Rabbi Naftali Telushkin was a respected rabbinic scholar and community figure, addressed with honorific titles in correspondence from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. His engagement with the Rebbe included halachic discussion and support for Jewish education initiatives.
The Rebbe's letter to Rabbi Telushkin acknowledges receipt of two letters from him, expressing gratitude for a scholarly discussion regarding a spring that ceased to flow, as well as for raising a halachic question about reciting Kaddish Yatom (the Mourner's Kaddish) following the instruction of a notable rabbi from Minsk. The Rebbe responds by referencing sources such as Mishmeres Shalom and Sanhedrin 46b, analyzing whether there is any disgrace for a mourner to recite Kaddish for a father considered a 'rasha.' The Rebbe notes practical observations that seem to contradict the theoretical ruling and directs Rabbi Telushkin to further sources for study.
The tone of the correspondence is scholarly and respectful, with the Rebbe providing thoughtful halachic analysis and sharing relevant source material. The Rebbe also includes a booklet for Chof-Daled Teves and a copy of a related letter, indicating a relationship of mutual Torah inquiry and learning.
The Rebbe thanks Rabbi Telushkin for his donation to the Merkaz L'Inyonei Chinuch (Central Organization for Education), enclosing a receipt and invoking the blessing of the Alter Rebbe that through the mitzvah of tzedakah, one's mind and heart are refined a thousandfold. The Rebbe further assures Rabbi Telushkin that he was mentioned in prayer at the resting place of the previous Rebbe, expressing heartfelt wishes for both material and spiritual blessings.