Igrot Kodesh · Letter 8976 — Faith & Bitachon

By the grace of Hashem,

Tuesday of Parshas* Emor 5725,

Brooklyn, New York,

To the participants at the tenth annual convention

of the Chabad* women and young women,

may Hashem grant you long life,

I bless you and greet you,

Your convention, this year (note 1: See Likkutei Sichos*, vol. 7, p. 329.), which marks a period of ten years, presents more specific aspects than usual and it must therefore impart a direction to your accomplishments, in accordance with the lesson and the teaching delivered by the number ten. It concludes the units (note 2: The Rebbe* underlines the words: "units," "tens," "quantitatively," "qualitatively," "I shall be sanctified among the children of Israel," "a community," "faculties of the soul," "Tanya*," "the intellect," "emotion," "the love and fear of Hashem," "conduct," and "mistress of the house.") and it introduces the tens (note 2), marking, in this way, the attainment of a higher stage, not only quantitatively (note 2), but also qualitatively (note 2). From the number ten onward, a new organization is introduced, not merely a greater number, but, in addition, a higher level.

This is one of the reasons why the number ten possesses a particular role, in the Torah* and therefore also in Jewish life. That is why every sacred act and certain prayers, the Barechu*, the Kaddish*, the Kedushah* take place only in the presence of a Minyan*, a quorum of ten people. Commenting on the verse of our Parshah*, 22:32: "I shall be sanctified among the children of Israel" (note 2), our Sages* underscore (note 3: In Tractate* Berachos* 21b.) that every Jew, as an individual, is dear and holy. Yet, when ten men unite, they all constitute a community (note 2), possessing a holiness that is altogether different. Within this very community, each individual himself receives a particular elevation.

The number ten is also the number of the faculties of the soul (note 2), as our holy books explain, in particular the Tanya* (note 2), of the Admur HaZakein* (note 4: In chapter 3 of the Tanya*.), founder of Chassidus* Chabad*. For, every person possesses ten particular faculties, which are linked to his mind. These are those of the intellect (note 2), intellectual discovery, reasoned analysis, final synthesis, and the seven faculties of emotion (note 2) and feeling. Indeed, the foundation of the Chabad* conception is the revelation of the faculties of the intellect, so that they direct those of feeling, in particular the love and fear of Hashem (note 2), expressing themselves in all the emotions, in particular in daily conduct (note 2), in all domains.

My father-in-law, the Rebbe* and the masters of Chabad*, in all the generations, have many times underscored the central role of women in the implementation of the values of Chabad*, on a daily basis. The woman, mistress of the house (note 2), who builds her home, determines, to a large extent, what the spirit and the conduct of the family will be. She exerts, moreover, a broad influence, direct or indirect, on her surroundings. The Torah* delivers to her a teaching and also gives her the strength to put it into practice: she must make use, in the appropriate manner, of the ten faculties of her soul, as it is said (Mishlei* 9:1): "The wisdoms of women have built their house, erected their seven pillars," through their intellectual faculties, which are three in number, as we have seen, and through the seven pillars, corresponding to the different emotions.

* * *

We are entering the second decade of your activity linked to the Torah* and the Mitzvos*. May Hashem therefore grant that every group of Chabad* women and young women, that every participant in these groups, rise to a higher level, in all the domains that have just been defined, that she be blessed with the broadest success, both materially and spiritually. With my blessing of success and to give good tidings,

M. Schneerson,