Igrot Kodesh · Letter 40 — Halacha of Communal Prayer Groups

By the grace of Hashem,

Fourth light of Chanukah

To our friend, of numerous qualities and multiple accomplishments, Rav Shalom Posner, Chicago,

I greet you and bless you,

I respond to your letter of the 14th of Kislev.

A) You will find, enclosed, an official response to the Tehillim group and a receipt for the twelve dollars.

B) The announcements from the Sefer Torah committee, as well as the receipts, will be sent to you in the coming days.

C) It is a pity that no announcement concerning the calendar was printed in your newspapers. Indeed, the value of a calendar is limited in time. Nevertheless, it is better that such an announcement appear late rather than not at all.

D) In accordance with the regulations based on the directives of my father-in-law, the Rebbe Shlita, women can also be members of a Tehillim group. However, they cannot direct it, as specified in a note of the ninth paragraph of these regulations. In general, it should be very easy, for a man as well as a woman, to become a member.

E) We have sent, to the address of the Chassidim Chabad association [1], a letter from my father-in-law, the Rebbe Shlita, for the fast day. It is unnecessary to specify that it must be distributed with eagerness, including, to the extent possible, through the press.

I am also sending a letter, regarding this matter, to our friend, Rav M. L. [2].

F) You will find enclosed a questionnaire that is sent, from time to time, to the members of Machane Yisrael, together with the response letter that is sent when one receives it.

I will conclude with what is timely.

The Chanukah lights have as their purpose to illuminate the public domain, a place of darkness, which corresponds to the three forces of evil that are entirely impure. Such is precisely the meaning of the verse "Hashem will illuminate my darkness," in our generations of the period of the footsteps of Moshiach.

Moreover, we endure the birth pangs of Moshiach and we unfortunately suffer terrible persecutions. The Tzaddik must therefore annul this Heavenly Decree. For him to succeed, the wicked must attain Teshuvah. The son of the ignorant must, in his turn, gain knowledge of the Torah.

With my blessing of immediate Teshuvah, immediate Geulah,

The director of the executive committee

Notes

[1] Of Chicago.

[2] Rav Moshe Leib Rotsztein, who directed, at the time, the Chassidim Chabad association of Chicago.