Igrot Kodesh · Letter 68 — Tzedakah for Torah Publishing & Activating Community for Jewish Education

By the grace of Hashem,

Friday, 4 Nissan

To our friends, faithful community leaders,

of multiple accomplishments, who cherish the Torah

and seek Tzedakah*, the members of the association of

Chabad Chassidim and its women's branch,

Newark, New Jersey,

I greet you and bless you,

We have duly received your donation of two hundred dollars, which is your participation in the edition of the small pamphlets containing the blessing after the meal [1] and we thank you for it.

It is difficult to describe the merit that constitutes participation in such an important Mitzvah. Thousands of Jews will be able, with the help of Hashem, to strengthen their Jewish practice, thanks to these pamphlets. And the millions of blessings that will be pronounced thanks to them will be, if Hashem wills it, so many intercessors for all those who enabled their publication.

We hope that your donation will not have an exceptional character and that you will continue to come to the aid, to the full extent of your means, of the Merkaz LeInyonei Chinuch and its broad educational action.

Knowing your devotion to the Jewish cause and your immense energy, we also wish to express the hope that you will not content yourselves with collecting funds. You will also mobilize all your means to lead the greatest number of children to receive a good education at the Beit Sarah of Newark and to carry out all the necessary actions for the development of this school, with the help of Hashem.

In this month of Nissan*, the month of redemption, each one of us must, even more than usual, remember what our Sages report to us about it.

It is by the merit of the virtuous women that the children of Israel were liberated from Egypt. They knew how to raise a generation, made of hundreds of thousands of children who, while still very small, perceived Hashem and saw the miracles that He accomplished for His people.

At the crossing of the Red Sea, the enemies of Israel were drowned and the children of Israel were able to leave, safe and sound, led by Moshe our master toward Eretz Yisrael*. These children were then the first to exclaim: "This is my Hashem and I want to be pleasing to Him, the Hashem of my father and I want to proclaim His greatness." This was the first song sung by the entire Jewish people.

At the complete redemption, very soon and in our days, the Jewish people will sing once again, as the Midrash* says. They will pronounce a new song and we must therefore prepare Jewish children so that they can proudly exclaim:

"This is my Hashem and I want to be pleasing to Him through my good behavior during the time of exile. Thus, He will be able to dwell in the Temple."

We wish a kosher and joyous Pesach* to all your members and success in what you accomplish.

With my blessing of immediate Teshuvah, immediate redemption,

Rav Menachem Schneerson,

Director of the executive committee [2]

[1] Destined to be distributed among Jewish soldiers fighting at the front.

[2] Of the Merkaz LeInyonei Chinuch.