Igrot Kodesh · Letter 669 — Prayer

By the grace of Hashem,

11 Menachem Av 5710,

To Mr. Baruch Levitin,[1]

I greet you and bless you.

I received your letter of erev Shabbos Parashas Devarim, with which a check for Merkaz LeInyanei Chinuch was enclosed. You will find a receipt enclosed.

You tell me that you wanted to write a much longer letter but renounced doing so because of my many occupations. You should know that I am always satisfied to receive long letters, that I read them with all the attention required. On the other hand, my workload may delay my reply, and I would not want one to hold this against me. I think that this will indeed be the case for what concerns you.

In continuation of my previous letter,[2] which evoked action toward one's fellow, I would like to add a few lines about the effort each one can and must introduce, for what concerns himself personally. For, according to the expression of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, which appears in his sichos on different occasions: "One must act on the other, without for all that forgetting one's own person."

The yetzer hara* is cunning. He therefore addresses each one according to his own nature. When he sees that someone is attracted to communal action, "social work," he will say to him: "Why occupy yourself with yourself? Is it not more important to save human lives? And if you are capable of bringing others closer to practice, why should you concern yourself with your own?"

The Rebbe therefore underlines that one must not let oneself be convinced by the argument of the cunning one. One must ensure that each action one undertakes is indeed in accordance with Torah and Mitzvos*, as Chassidus* defines them.

In general, the effort on oneself consists of three points: Torah, prayer, and good deeds. In each of these domains, effort is necessary, and as long as it is not invested, one cannot be considered as having served Hashem as one should have done.

The Tanya emphasizes, in chapter 15, that the man fighting against his yetzer hara must strengthen himself well beyond what his nature permits. It is then that he is defined as someone who serves Hashem.

Each one must establish objectively to what extent he is engaged in this merciless combat, as chapter 30 of the Tanya explains at length.

I hope you will not hold it against me for being so direct in my words. I await from you good news, in your efforts toward yourself and toward others.

Wishing you all the best and addressing my blessing to you and to all the members of your family,

Menachem Schneerson