Igrot Kodesh · Letter 1099 — Grief & Loss
Volume 4 · Letter 335
By the grace of Hashem,
Day of the liberation,
13 Tammuz 5711,
Brooklyn, New York,
To the Rav, distinguished chassid who fears Hashem,
Rav Eliyahu Shmuel HaCohen[1], the shochet*,
Greetings and blessings,
I learned with sorrow of the passing of your wife.
May Hashem console you among all the other mourners of Tzion and Yerushalayim[2].
It is known that one is permitted to fast on Shabbos following a bad dream. The reason is as follows: Shabbos is a time of pleasure (oneg*), and at such a time it is impossible to bear pain. Therefore, the attribute of severity (middas hadin*) can no longer take effect.
Today is a day of joy, the day of the liberation and redemption of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, who wrote in a letter that "it was not only me whom the Holy One, blessed be He, redeemed on the 12th of Tammuz, but also all those who cherish our holy Torah, observe the mitzvah*, and even those for whom 'Yisrael' is merely a surname"[3].
On this day, undoubtedly, severity and the boundary of comprehension disappear. Your sorrow will therefore be dispelled.
With my wishes of consolation,