Igrot Kodesh · Letter 8854 — Faith & Bitachon
Volume 23 · Letter 178 · To: élèves de la Yechiva Tom’heï Temimim Loubavitch
By the grace of Hashem,
eve of the days of the liberation
12 and 13 Tammuz* 5724,
To the students of the Yeshivah* Tomchei Temimim* Lubavitch,
on the occasion of the end-of-year celebration in Montreal,
may Hashem grant you long life,
I greet you and bless you,
Your end-of-year celebration (note 1: See the Likkutei Sichos*, volume 13, at page 241) will take place on the day after the days of the liberation of my father-in-law, the Rebbe*, leader of Yisrael* and founder of the Yeshivah* Tomchei Temimim* Lubavitch of Montreal. Without doubt, it will therefore take place under the influence of these propitious days. The self-sacrifice demonstrated by my father-in-law, the Rebbe*, for the Torah* institutions and the students of the Yeshivos*, for all the domains of the Torah* and the Mitzvos*, was the cause of his terrible arrest and also of his miraculous liberation. We must therefore keep permanently present in mind and put into concrete action the principle according to which self-sacrifice for the Torah* and the Mitzvos*, not only for oneself, but also toward one's fellow, must resist the strongest obstacles and, a fortiori, the lighter ones or those that merely seem to arise (note 2: But are only an appearance).
Certainly, no one can compare himself, in his strength and in his self-sacrifice, to the one whose liberation we celebrate. However, one must also not forget that as a faithful shepherd and leader of our generation, he kindled in each one of us an incandescent point of self-sacrifice and he instilled in us increased strength to follow the path he traced for us.
I hope that each of the students concluding his schooling and thus preparing to accede to a higher level, will continue his study of the Torah*, of its revealed part and of Chassidus*, his practice of the Mitzvos* with a much broader self-sacrifice, by offering his own will (note 3: See, in particular, the Torah Or*, Parshas* Mikeitz*, at page 36b), with even broader enthusiasm and ardor, that he will fully exercise his influence on others, so that they orient themselves in the same direction. Hashem will grant you success, both materially and spiritually. With my blessing for considerable success and to give me good news,
M. Schneerson,