Igrot Kodesh · Letter 3637 — Faith & Bitachon

B"H

15 Tammuz* 5715

Brooklyn

Blessings and greetings,

I am responding to your letter, in which you express surprise at the content of mine. You refer to a letter that answered a question from your wife, the Rebbetzin*, to whom Hashem will grant long life:

A) I wrote that it is appropriate to have your Mezuzos* checked. This does not mean that I suspect anyone, Heaven forbid. Nevertheless, in similar cases — especially if one takes into account the opinion of the Mechilta* on the necessity of checking Tefillin* and Mezuzos* every twelve months, which is cited by the Rosh* at the end of the laws of Tefillin* — although according to Halachah* it suffices to do so twice in seven years, I wrote what seems to me to be judicious: that these Mezuzos* should be checked now.

You tell me that recently these Mezuzos* were kosher*, but this does not contradict the necessity of having them checked. Indeed, the Halachah* establishes that it is necessary to do so twice every seven years. Sometimes the ink flakes off, or a drop of water enters the casing of the Mezuzah*.

For when health is at stake, one must act even on the basis of a slight doubt, in order to obtain improvement.

B) My father-in-law, the Rebbe*, whose merit protects us, wrote in his time to your wife. He formulated to her a promise, an absolute certainty. Now, you say that you do not find the equivalent in my letter.

The reason is very simple. He was a leader of the Jewish people, a Tzaddik*, foundation of the world. He therefore possessed entirely different powers. Consequently, in accordance with the statement of our Sages* that "the Tzaddik* decrees and the Holy One, blessed be He, ratifies," he could indeed formulate such an assurance.

C) Obviously, I personally read the letter from your wife, the Rebbetzin*, and I dictated, word for word, the text of the response I gave her. All the letters addressed to me are opened by me. Your suspicion that a certain person may have acted in a certain manner is therefore entirely without foundation.

D) We have just celebrated the 12th and 13th of Tammuz*, days of the liberation of my father-in-law, the Rebbe*, whose merit protects us — of our deliverance and the freedom of our souls. May Hashem therefore bring about the fulfillment of the blessings he granted to your wife, the Rebbetzin*, in the best possible way.

May she and you derive from all your children much Jewish nachas*, for long days and good years.

With my blessing,

P.S.: I am enclosing a pamphlet recounting the continuation of the imprisonment of my father-in-law, the Rebbe*. You will surely make its content available to the greatest number. The merit of all depends on it.