Igrot Kodesh · Letter 3335 — Chinuch

B"H

9 Adar* 5715

Brooklyn, New York

To the dear president, to the directors and to the members

of the synagogue following the rite of the Arizal*,

to the president and to the participants in the celebration

of the fiftieth anniversary,

may Hashem grant you long life,

Greetings and blessings,

I learned with pleasure of the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of your important congregation, following the rite of the Arizal, which will take place this 12th of Adar.

This celebration is particularly significant, for it demonstrates that the directors and members appreciate at their true value the role of this synagogue — all the more so since it bears the name of the Arizal, who illuminated the service of Hashem by permeating it with joy and self-sacrifice*, with Chassidic* enthusiasm and warmth.

This celebration will take place one day before the date of the reading of the Megillah*, and it is therefore directly connected to this event, in accordance with the Chassidic interpretation of the saying: "One must live with the times." One of the most fundamental aspects of the teaching of Purim* is the following: At that time, the Jews — men, women, and children — were threatened with persecution and destruction for an entire year, Heaven forbid. Yet they did not rely on the contacts they had established with the authorities through Queen Esther* and Mordechai*, "the Jew who stood near the king's gate." They understood that the salvation of Israel depended on the salvation of the Jewish children.

This is why Mordechai assembled a very great number of children, in order to teach them Torah* and Mitzvos*, as the Gemara* and the Midrash* recount in detail.

It is clear that this is still the case, and perhaps even more so at the present time, especially when one is in a free country, where the opportunities to save Jewish children morally are significant. Each person can take part in this immense work, upon which depends not only the moral continuity of our people but also its physical existence, in every place where it is found.

Consequently, I am particularly gratified that one of the principal activities of your synagogue is the education given to children, under the direction of your devoted and energetic rabbi, Rav Shalom Rivkin.

Without a doubt, this educational work of immense importance will continue to be carried out in the spirit of Mordechai the Jew. It will be illuminated and permeated by the teaching of the Arizal — the Chassidic teaching and enthusiasm, the self-sacrifice. It is only under this condition that you will do justice to the prestigious name your synagogue bears, that of the rite of the Arizal, and give it concrete expression in life.

With my blessing of success,

M. Schneerson

ב״ה ,כ״ז אדר ,תשט״ו

ברוקלין.

שלום וברכה!

שמחתי לקבל את מכתבו מכ״א אדר . . .הסברא להכניס את

חפציו הפרטיים לדירה החדשה לפני פסח ,נכונה ,וכידוע חודש ניסן הוא

חודש החירות בכל מכל כל גם מדאגות הגבלות וכו׳ .ולפני שיכניס משהו

לדירה ,יכניס תחילה סידור חומש תהלים ותניא.

בברכת מזל טוב וחג פסח כשר ושמח לו ולכל ב״ב שיחיו

נ״ב

אודות שאלתו שמפני ענינים שונים ,יוצא שהוא ישן רק 5־ 4שעות,

מלבד ביוצא מן הכלל ,הרי מצד עניני בריאות הגוף זה מעט ,ויהודי

צריך גוף בריא לעבוד את השי״ת ללא בלבולים ובמנוחת הנפש ,וכלשון

רבנו הקדוש תניא ריש פרק ז׳ כדי לעבוד את ד׳ בגופו ,ולכן יש לקבוע

את הסדרים שהגוף יהי׳ נינוח ,ויעשה את חלקו בשליחות האדם לעשות

לו ית׳ דירה בתחתונים.