Igrot Kodesh · Letter 1351 — Chinuch

By the grace of Hashem,
17 Teves 5712,
Brooklyn,

To the great rav*, distinguished chassid* who fears Hashem
and devotes himself to communal needs,
Rav Mordechai HaKohen[1],

Greetings and blessings,

I have duly received your letter of 6 Teves, as well as the previous one, in which you tell me that you have settled in Milan. You have already had success in your communal activity and you have established a public shiur*. You have likewise introduced a mikveh*, but this is not yet satisfactory.

A) I am very concerned about this delay. For taharas hamishpachah* is not a mitzvah* like the others. It conditions the nature and the life of the children to be born, as well as the personality of husband and wife, as is explained in various works of nigleh* and of penimiyus haTorah*.

You likewise know what Chazal* say, including those of the latest generations[2] and those who do not belong to the chassidic community. It is permitted to sell a shul* in order to provide a mikveh. You will also consult the Tosafos Yom Tov, at the end of Maseches Yoma, commenting on the Mishnah: "Be joyful, children of Yisroel, in considering before Whom you purify yourselves. Hashem is the mikveh of Yisroel: just as the mikveh purifies the impure, so HaKadosh Baruch Hu* does the same for Yisroel."

It is unnecessary to say more. My aim is only to advance matters, as Chazal say in the Sifra, at the beginning of Parshas Tzav[3], and to furnish you with arguments to encourage the members of your community and those who have this project in charge, in order to do what is necessary as quickly as possible.

B) You no doubt devote yourself with the same zeal to what concerns chinuch*. According to the information I received some time ago, there is much to do in this area in your city. And the opposition is relatively weak.

If it is said that an effort is never in vain, how much more so for a concrete action accomplished with ardor. Without a doubt, the shochet*, chassid who fears Hashem, Rav Yaakov[4] will come to your aid, to the full extent of his possibilities.

C) I thank you for the telegram concerning your chassidishe* gathering for the yom tov of the 19th of Kislev. I am sending you a copy of my letter addressed to all on the occasion of the "yom tov of all yomim tovim"*, namely the 19th of Kislev.

You will kindly make its content known to those who took part.

With my brachah* for success in your sacred mission, and greeting you,

M. Schneerson,

Notes
(1) Rav M. Perlov.
(2) The Rebbe notes at the foot of the page: "See the Ein Yitzchak, Orach Chaim section, chapter 3."
(3) "Zerizus is encouraged only in those who already possess this quality by nature."
(4) Rav Y. Gansburg. See the previous letter.

ב״ה ,ט״ו תמוז ,תשי״ב
ברוקלין.
שלום וברכה!
ע״י הוו״ח אי״א מו״מ באמונה וכו׳ מוה״ר יעקב שי׳ הכהן כ״ץ,
קבלתי בקשתו לברכה ובפרט לזה שהוא וכלתו שלו שיחיו קבעו את יום
עולם הזה ,הרי אין ושחט אלא ומשך ,להעביר את זה לענינים של תורה
ומצוות ,לעניני אלקות.
והיות כל ישראל ערבים זה בזה ,אין להסתפק בעבודה הנ׳יל רק
לעצמו ולבני הבית ,אלא גם להשפיע על הסביבה ,שתמורת גשמיות
חומריות ובהמיות יהיו ענינים של תורה ומצוות מוארים באור אלוקי
כמבואר בתורת החסידות באריכות.
בברכה שיצליח בעבודה הנ״ל שזה יהי׳ צנור וכלי להמשיך ולקבל
ברכות השי״ת בכל המצטרך לו ולב״ב שיחיו.