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Chanokh Hendel was a Chassidic individual addressed by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, in several letters during the early 1950s. The correspondence reveals his active involvement in disseminating Chassidic teachings and organizing communal gatherings, as well as his close connection to the Rebbe and the Chabad movement.
The letters from the Rebbe to Chanokh Hendel reflect a warm and personal relationship, marked by appreciation for Hendel's efforts in spreading Chassidus and engaging the community. The Rebbe expresses gratitude for Hendel's distribution of kuntreisim (booklets of Chassidic discourses) and for organizing farbrengens (Chassidic gatherings) on significant dates such as Yud-Tes Kislev and Chanukah, including outreach to those not yet affiliated with Chabad (Anash). The Rebbe encourages him to continue these activities with strength, invoking the teaching of our Sages: "Open for Me an opening like the eye of a needle, and I will open for you an opening like a grand hall."
Additionally, the Rebbe requests that Hendel continue to send old booklets of Chassidic discourses, particularly those that may not have been published, emphasizing their potential benefit to the wider community. The Rebbe specifically mentions interest in materials from the Chassid R. Chaim Avraham Bichovsky and expresses plans to publish a work titled Pelech HaRimon on Shemot, based on Hendel's earlier submission.
In a subsequent letter, the Rebbe responds to the news of the birth of Hendel's granddaughter, extending heartfelt blessings for her upbringing in Torah, marriage, and good deeds. The Rebbe emphasizes the importance of promptly giving a newborn girl her name at the first Torah reading, referencing the directive of his father-in-law, the Previous Rebbe, and the tradition stemming from the Alter Rebbe and the Mitteler Rebbe. He wishes the family abundant nachas—joy and satisfaction—from all their descendants, both materially and spiritually, and expresses hope that they will always share only good news.