Igrot Kodesh · Letter 4911 — Faith & Bitachon

B"H

7 Kislev* 5717

Brooklyn

To the distinguished chassid* who fears Hashem and devotes himself to communal needs,

Rav Shmuel Betzalel (see note 1),

Greetings and blessings,

After a long interruption, I have finally received your letter of 29 Cheshvan*. In keeping with the practice you have adopted until now, in this letter as well, you do not write me how the days of Tishrei* went, particularly regarding the strengthening and development of the Chabad institutions of Melbourne and the success that Hashem has granted you.

You mention the Beis Rivkah* (see note 2) and the harm that might result from it for the yeshivah*. One can observe that you yourself and many chassidim* have not yet meditated upon the words of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, whose merit protects us, spoken on various occasions and partially reproduced or printed, concerning the fundamental importance of the education of girls — Jewish education in general, chassidic* education in particular.

The chassidim* gave of their very selves for the education of boys, so that it would be not merely Jewish but also chassidic*. The difference between a simple education and a chassidic* education is well known. To you and to all those who come from the country in which we previously found ourselves (see note 3), it is unnecessary to explain what you all personally witnessed — the impact (see note 4) on the fundamental principles of faith.

Now, the same applies to the education of girls. This is perhaps even more true, considering that as they grow, they will become mistresses of the home and then mothers. The education of their children will depend, to a large extent, upon them.

If one considers the question from this angle, it is posed in entirely different terms. There is no longer room for doubt. One does not ask whether there should be a Beis Rivkah* or not — Heaven forbid — just as one does not ask whether there should be a chassidic* school for boys or not.

The only question is therefore the following: How to ensure the financial autonomy of this institution? In this regard, the situation is better than for the Ohalei Yosef Yitzchak schools (see note 5). When those were founded, there were already several Jewish schools for boys. As for the Beis Rivkah*, by contrast, according to the information I have obtained through the Feiglin family, the competition is minimal.

The temporary deficit you mention is surely not based on a weakness of the Beis Rivkah* concept, but rather on the manner in which the chassidim* approach this issue — different from their attitude toward Ohalei Yosef Yitzchak. Because of this, deep reflection and analysis are lacking, and insufficient effort is made to strengthen and develop it.

It is self-evident that the resentment (see note 6) you mention at the end of your letter is absolutely without foundation. Quite the contrary — the more detailed the letters, the more they come from different people with different perspectives, the more precisely one can form a picture of the situation and reach a conclusion. However, the fundamental principle — the existence of the Beis Rivkah* — must be regarded as a necessity. It is solely a matter of establishing it in the best possible manner.

In this regard, I would like to point out another matter. It is precisely through the Beis Rivkah* that the chassidim* have the opportunity to attract women from various backgrounds, including those who are very distant and cannot be reached through the Ohalei Yosef Yitzchak schools. For this, one must discover the appropriate means.

I would also like to note that, based on the concrete situation observed here, and considering that girls' education is less costly, the Beis Rivkah* can very quickly become financially balanced, even before Ohalei Yosef Yitzchak.

Surely the necessary preparations are being made to take advantage of the days of Kislev*, in particular Yud-Tes Kislev* and Chanukah*, for everything concerning Chabad and the Chabad schools.

May Hashem grant you considerable success.

With blessing to give good news of your communal accomplishments and personal concerns,