Igrot Kodesh · Letter 1416 — Health

By the grace of Hashem,
15 Shevat 5712,
Brooklyn,

To the mispalelim* of the Anshei Lubavitch shul*,
in Boston, and first of all, to the president and the directors,

Greetings and brachos*,

I received your greetings with pleasure, through the rav*, distinguished chassid* who fears Hashem and devotes himself faithfully to communal needs, Rav Eliyahu Simpson. And I, in turn, charged him with conveying my brachah to all the mispalelim and members of the shul, as well as to the persons of their family, for the satisfaction of all their needs — children, health, and material prosperity.

You are one of the oldest shuls of this country, and in particular of Boston, to bear the name of Lubavitch. It is doubtless unnecessary to define for you the great merit that this constitutes. Indeed, Lubavitch is the name of a city from which there spread, in all its strength, the study of Chassidus* and the chassidishe* practices, since the time of the Tzemach Tzedek. The mere fact of mentioning this name evokes a quite particular way of life.

My father-in-law, the Rebbe, told me that the name Lubavitch — a small village in Lithuania, which in Russian designates love — was given, at the time, by one of its founders. The latter was a hidden tzaddik*, and he distinguished himself by the love he showed toward his fellow and, in a general way, toward all of Hashem's creatures.

It is for this reason that Chabad chassidim* are bound to this name of Lubavitch, which has in no way an accessory significance. Citing the holy Baal Shem Tov, my father-in-law, the Rebbe, affirmed that everything that takes place in this world is an effect of hashgachah pratis*. It is the same in our case, since this name establishes the deep link that exists between Chassidus and the three loves — ahavas Hashem*, ahavas haTorah*, ahavas Yisrael* — which are inseparable and indispensable in the daily existence of every Yid*.

The forms of love just cited all find their expression, in a certain manner, in a shul. In the tefillah* said there, one cites the verse "ve'ahavta es Hashem Elokecha," and one mentions thereby ahavas Hashem. One reads the Torah there and recites the brachah*: "Who chose us from among all the nations and gave us His Torah," thereby introducing ahavas haTorah. One also gives tzedakah* in a shul, which is a mark of ahavas Yisrael.

The rav, distinguished chassid who fears Hashem and is devoted to communal needs, Rav Eliyahu Simpson, also aroused my concern by informing me that many are those who move and distance themselves from the shul, that it is, consequently, difficult to gather the community each day for tefillah.

It would be good for the members of the community to gather and to decide on the opening of a part of the shul in the new neighborhood, where Yidden* are settling. Little by little, they will develop there everything that characterizes this shul, in particular the chassidishe practices and minhagim*, so that, in the new neighborhood also, the name of Lubavitch may serve as a guide for the other mispalelim, showing them in what manner chassidim must daven*.

I conclude by addressing my brachah, material and spiritual, to all the mispalelim.