Igrot Kodesh · Letter 8877 — Tzedakah

By the grace of Hashem,

25 Menachem* Av* 5724,

Brooklyn,

To the distinguished Chassid* who fears Hashem and devotes himself

to communal needs, Rav* Chaim Yonah (note 1: Rav C. Y. Dan, of New Haven.),

I greet you and bless you,

After a long interruption, it is with pleasure that I received your letter of this Monday, announcing good tidings to me, since you tell me that you will soon complete the public shiur* that you are giving, in your home, on the Ein Yaakov*. May Hashem grant that it be at a good and fruitful moment, from every perspective, that you conclude the Ein Yaakov* and that you recommence it immediately, in accordance with the custom of the Jewish people. Indeed, the custom of Yisrael*, an integral part of the Torah* (note 2: See Likkutei Sichos*, vol. 22, p. 56, in note 2.), is that one draws the end close to the beginning (note 3: According to the Reshus* that is recited for the Chasan Bereishis*.).

Moreover, as various texts establish, this (note 4: The Rebbe* underlines the words: "this," "this," "not," "no other," and "conclusion.") conclusion is connected to this (note 4) beginning in different ways. One of them is the following: one may ask in what manner to satisfy the requirement of establishing a true peace among people, when: "their opinions are not (note 4) identical" (note 5: According to Tractate* Berachos* 58a.). Such a requirement is however formulated with great firmness, to the point of stating that: "the Holy One, blessed be He, found no other (note 4) vessel to contain the blessing for Yisrael* than peace" (note 6: At the end of Tractate* Uktzin*.).

The explanation of all this is the following. This can be so through the recitation of the Shema Yisrael*, from the very beginning of the twenty-four hours of the day (note 7: That is, at nightfall.), as stipulated at the beginning of the Mishnah*: "From when does one recite the Shema Yisrael* of the evening?" Now, the purpose of the Shema Yisrael* is to proclaim the Sovereignty of the Holy One, blessed be He, until one becomes conscious that: "Hashem is One," in the seven heavens and on earth, at the four cardinal points (note 8: According to the Sefer Mitzvos Katan, cited by the Beis Yosef, Orach Chaim, chapter 61, and the Shulchan Aruch, as well as that of the Alter Rebbe, Orach Chaim, chapter 61, paragraph 6.). In this way, each person can offer his will to Hashem, merging it with His. Thereupon, everything that can constitute a separation, creating differences, disappears. Thus, true peace is established and Hashem grants His blessing in full, as we say at the conclusion (note 4) of the Amidah*: "Bless us, our Father" because we are "all as one." One should consult, on this subject, chapter 32 of the Tanya*.

All this is set forth clearly by various texts of our holy Torah*, Torah* of life and, more profoundly, by the hidden teaching of the Torah*, which, in the Gemara*, is found in the narratives of the Ein Yaakov*, in which one finds the majority of the secrets of the Torah*, as is explained in Igeres HaKodesh*, of the Alter Rebbe*, in chapter 23. With my blessing of success in all that has been said, greeting all the participants of this particularly important study, to whom Hashem will grant long days and good years,

M. Schneerson,