Igrot Kodesh · Letter 2392 — Chinuch

B"H,

6 Shevat 5714,

Brooklyn,

To the distinguished chassid* who fears Hashem

and devotes himself to communal needs,

Rav David[1],

Greetings and blessings,

You know my view. I hold that nowadays — and perhaps it was already so before — one cannot wait for the other person to come and ask to be guided in Yiddishkeit*. One must go to him and awaken in him the desire to practice Yiddishkeit*.

As a pleasant thought, one could apply here the interpretation given of the verse "You shall walk in His ways." For it is said, "Just as the Holy One, blessed be He…[2]." Indeed, Hashem arrived first at Mount Sinai. There He waited for Bnei Yisrael*, who at that moment were still asleep, as Chazal* relate in the Midrash[3].

One can verify how very much this statement of Chazal* is in force today, for "the good that the poor man does for the wealthy man is greater than the good the wealthy man does for the poor man." And so it is materially and spiritually. One has never yet seen a merchant sit idle in his shop, waiting for someone to come and tell him: "You must earn your livelihood. May I help you do so?" It is surely unnecessary to elaborate further.

I enclose the chassidic* maamar* delivered last year on the day of the hilula* of my father-in-law, the Rebbe[4], may his merit protect us. You will surely take a generous attitude and place it at the disposal of others.

With my blessing,