Igrot Kodesh · Letter 59 — Outreach to Jewish Soldiers: Tefillin & Kosher Food

[3 Adar II 5703]

To Rav Y. O. [1]

I take the liberty of addressing you to formulate the following request.

A young man named ... currently works for the army in Washington. His father is a man who fears Hashem and he himself is of an agreeable nature, easily guided in the right direction. He can free himself, every day, for a certain time from his work.

One can therefore convince him to put on Tefillin* every day, to eat kosher, including at his workplace.

This young man is going to visit you and I therefore ask you to be close to him, physically and morally, then to let me know the consequences of the influence you will exert. I thank you in advance.

Since we are discussing the case of a soldier, perhaps you could consult with other people who have fear of Hashem, in order to establish a committee to provide kosher food to the soldiers in your city. In many large cities, such committees already exist and have been able to preserve many Jews from treif* food.

Obviously, we are ready to help you, to the extent possible.

To conclude by evoking the Parshah, a question was posed to me these days [2] regarding Parshas Tetzaveh, about which two opinions exist. According to the first, it was said before the sin of the golden calf; according to the second, after it. A discussion opposes, on this matter, the Sages of the Mishnah. The Zohar*, on the other hand, considers that the donations for the Sanctuary were themselves brought before the sin of the golden calf. One may question this.

With my blessing of immediate Teshuvah, immediate deliverance,

Rav Menachem Schneerson,

Director of the executive committee