Igrot Kodesh · Letter 8492 — Faith & Bitachon

By the grace of Hashem,

"Between the afflictions" (note 1: Between two fasts connected to the destruction of the Temple, 17 Tammuz* and 9 Av*) 5722,

may these days be transformed

into gladness and joy,

To Mr. Moshe,

I greet you and bless you,

I have duly received your letter, with what was enclosed. Making reference to the publications of the Merkaz LeInyonei Chinuch*, you ask me whether it is legitimate to educate children to believe in miracles, whether it is fitting to teach them about them (note 2: See, on this subject, Sefer HisVaaduyos* 5746, volume 3, page 192). You express your negative attitude in this matter and you ask me whether you have the right to criticize those who do not share your opinion on this question. I must tell you, first of all, and I hope you will be kind enough to excuse me, that I cannot even imagine that you do not believe in miracles. For, even if there were periods in which one could have thought that they do not exist, the same is not the case in ours. If a Jew currently claims not to believe in the supernatural, it is solely because he wants to convince himself that it is so. First of all, the Jews who survived the concentration camps observed evident miracles. Furthermore, whoever understands what happened and what is still happening, provided he keeps his eyes open and rejects negative influences, has no need to "believe" in miracles, since he observes them with his eyes of flesh.

The answer to the question you pose to me is therefore quite evident. If, toward adults, who have a critical sense and approach, one must always express and write the truth, how much more must one respect the principle according to which: "You shall distance yourself from every word of falsehood" toward children, who fully trust their parents and especially their teachers. Of course, no one is authorized to criticize the teachers and educators for this, for this would have the effect of annihilating the trust that the children bear toward them.

You pose the following question to me: if one speaks of miracles to the child, then he expects one and it does not occur, is this not harmful to him? First of all, as has just been said, this does not justify hiding the truth from him. Furthermore, your question has no place in our discussion for, if one relates to the child or to the student a miracle that occurred in the past or even a minute ago, without hiding anything from him, one gives him no assurance whatsoever that the same miracle will also occur the next day. Thus, when one solicits the help of Hashem, He can grant it in a supernatural manner, as He did for one person, for a second and for many others. But no one will deduce from this that Hashem must (note 3: The Rebbe* underlines the word: "must") fully grant every prayer. One can only observe that this is possible. The more fervent the prayer, the more meritorious the one who formulates it, and the more probable it is that it will be so.

You begin your letter by specifying that you were a teacher in a school of the labor circle. This specification is intended, it seems, to justify your conception of the belief in miracles. However, I see no justification in this, for many educators and directors of the schools of the labor circle believe in miracles and organize their daily existence accordingly. No doubt you know concrete cases better than I.

To conclude, I consider that it is my duty, as well as my merit, to address another point, in relation to the specification you give me, the fact that you were a teacher, which means that you have capacities to educate and to influence. On this occasion, I would like to emphasize to you that whoever possesses certain capacities must also assign an objective to them. It is incumbent upon him to make use of them not only for himself, but also for all those who surround him, in the broadest proportions. If one tells oneself that all aspects of the world are closely linked, in relation to one another, one will conclude that the fact of not making use of one's capacities, or, in any case, not to the measure of what one could do, is not "a private business," as one says here, but indeed an obstacle to the proper functioning of one's environment.

In conformity with their custom, our Sages expressed this idea also in a short sentence. Thus, our great master, the Rambam*, says, in his Laws of Teshuvah*, chapter 3, paragraph 4: "Throughout the entire year, a man must consider that he is half meritorious, half guilty and that the entire world is likewise. If he commits a single transgression, he will tip himself and the entire world toward the side of guilt. He will then cause destruction. Conversely, if he accomplishes a single Mitzvah*, he will tip himself and the entire world toward the side of merit. He will thus cause salvation and deliverance." With my respects and in the expectation of your good news,