Igrot Kodesh · Letter 1055 — Faith & Bitachon

By the grace of Hashem,
17 Sivan 5711,
Brooklyn, New York,

To the chassid* who has yiras Shamayim*, Rav Yaakov[1],

Greetings and blessings,

On the occasion of the visit you paid me, I would like to express to you once again my blessing that you may have long days and good years, as well as your wife.

These will be truly long and good years, which means, among Jews, that one will live them in tranquility of mind and body, by performing good deeds. One must therefore feel these days and years through accomplishments linked to Torah and mitzvos*, which will take the form of positive realizations, suffused with the three loves: love of Hashem, love of Torah, and love of one's fellow.

Such an existence brings success and blessing in one's own home, as in that of the children and grandchildren.

As I told you orally, my father-in-law, the Rebbe, has many times recalled an explanation of the Baal Shem Tov*, according to which everything that a Jew sees or hears must deliver to him a teaching about his manner of serving Hashem. Obviously, a permanent situation must, a fortiori, deliver such a teaching.

Linen and clothing, before they are worn, are perfectly clean, impeccably ironed and admirably in their place. Then, once they are worn for a certain time, they are wrinkled, dusty, or stained. Yet one must not throw them away. One entrusts them to a launderer or to a dry cleaner[2].

The launderer places these clothes in a vessel or in a machine, which he brings to a warm or hot temperature, pouring into it hot water, various chemical products, and soap. He thus rids them of the dirt and the stains. Then he irons them by applying to them an iron or a press. After that, one can again wear these clothes.

It is the same for the Jewish soul. When Hashem gives it to a man or a woman, it is pure[3], crisp[4], and adapted to this person[5]. Thus, we note each day, in the morning blessings, that "the soul that You have given me is pure."

But time passes, and this soul also devotes itself to the preoccupations of the world. From then on, it becomes wrinkled, for it is not used in the manner desired by Hashem. Moreover, it can even cover itself with dust or stains, if one neglects a mitzvah* that one should perform, chas v'shalom*, or if one transgresses a prohibition, chas v'shalom*.

Nevertheless, the Torah asks us not to lose hope of having a pure soul adapted to Jewish life. For this, one must place it in a place where the temperature is warm, having been heated by the enthusiasm of Torah and mitzvos*. The soul will draw from it its passion and its drive.

This enthusiasm must, however, be reserved for sacred activities. For this, one must daven* with the greatest fervor, as it is said: "pour out your heart like water," study Torah with concentration, as it is said: "You who are thirsty, go drink water" — and there is no question here of water in the literal sense, but indeed of Torah.

To achieve this, various elements must be assembled[6]. One must give tzedakah*, observe kashrus*, and other mitzvos*. Thus the soul fully recovers its purity. If, in addition, one places upon it the weight[7] of the Torah, one will perceive that, despite the pressure, this does not disturb it, but, quite the contrary, makes it straight, puts each detail back in its place, restores to it the form and appearance that suit it.

Thanks to Torah and mitzvos*, the soul becomes what it must effectively be.

I conclude by formulating the wish that you may have long days and good years, as well as your wife. You will derive, from all your children, much Jewish satisfaction.

With my blessing,

Notes
[1] Rav Y. Perl.
[2] Such is presumably the activity of the addressee of this letter.
[3] Rein, the Yiddish term used here by the Rebbe, signifies both clean and pure.
[4] That is, ironed.
[5] That is, well in its place.
[6] Corresponding to the chemical products and the soap.
[7] Corresponding to the iron.