Igrot Kodesh · Letter 4682 — Faith & Bitachon

B"H

3 Elul 5716

Brooklyn

Greetings and blessings,

I am responding to your letter of 26 Menachem Av. You tell me that you read each verse of the Parashah* twice, along with the Targum*, on Friday and Shabbos*, with the commentary of Rashi* (see note 1), as the halachic authorities explain (see note 2).

But this in no way replaces the institution of my father-in-law, the Rebbe*, whose merit protects us, according to which one should study the Chumash* with the commentary of Rashi each day — namely, on Sunday from the beginning of the Parashah to Sheini, on Monday from Sheini to Shlishi, and so on.

Indeed, each day must have a specific contribution (see note 3), and this institution (see note 4) does not have the same content as the reading of the two verses and the Targum on the eve of Shabbos.

The same applies to the study of Tanya* and Tehillim*, which is also daily, even if one can, on one day, make up for what was missed the day before. Nevertheless, as is the case every time it is a matter of making up, this solution should be adopted only when one cannot do otherwise and in cases of force majeure. Moreover, this makeup itself is not considered as the action done at its proper time. This is self-evident.

Regarding machine-woven tzitzis*, you cite a teaching of my father-in-law, the Rebbe.

Briefly, the account I received (see note 5) is as follows. During the First World War, in Russia, thousands of Jews had been exiled to the most remote corners of the country. It was no longer possible to import ritual articles from Poland, and due to the urgency, a weaving factory was established by Jews. It was there that tzitzis were manufactured for the exiles.

I do not know how these machines were designed or on what basis they were permitted, but this took place in 5675-5676 (see note 6), in Russia. It is clear that the machines available then were not like those that exist today, and that those of that time required much more manual intervention. Nevertheless, the major part of the process was indeed automated.

With my blessing that you be inscribed and sealed for a good year,

On behalf of the Rebbe shlita*,

ב״ה ,י״ד מנ״א ,תשט״ז
ברוקלין.
ברכה ושלום’
במענה על מכתבה מבי מנ״א ,בו כותבת אודות הקשיים של חיי’.
בעת שהשי״ת עזר לה והיא גידלה ילדים ההולכים בדרך היהדות,
גם אם הם שונים זה מזה ,ויכולה להיות חזקה בתקותה שגם בעתיד
ילכו בדרך חיים זו ,הרי בהתבוננות בשנות העבר הלא רחוק ,היא אחד
המאושרים שפוגשים ,ובפרט כאשר עורכים השוואה עם הקרובים
שחלק מהם נשאר מהעבר שהשני וחלק מהם וכף -כמובן מאליו שאין
הכוונה שלא יכול להיות עוד יותר טוב ,והשי״ת שהוא עצם הטוב ,יתן,
ואכן יתן ,עם הזמן ,כהנה וכהנה ,אך בד בבד עם התקוה לשיפור המצב
הנוכחי בעתיד הקרוב ,אין לשכוח ח״ו אודות החסדים והטוב שהשי״ת
נתן ,שזה מוסיף גם חיזוק באמונה ובטחון ,משפר את הבריאות ועושה
את כל הבית בריא יותר ,יהודי יותר וחסידי יותר. . .
בברכה,
בשם כ״ק אדמו״ר שליט״א