Igrot Kodesh · Letter 9098

By the grace of Hashem,

Eve of the holy Shabbat* that blesses the month of Adar*,
Parshat Shekalim*, 5726,
Centenary of the passing and Hilula* of the Tzemach Tzedek*,
Brooklyn, New York,

To the annual banquet of the women's auxiliary of Brownsville and East New York in support of the Yeshivot* Tomchei Temimim* Lubavitch,

I bless and greet you,

I send my greetings and blessing to all the participants in the annual banquet[1]. A gathering of women for a particularly important purpose deserves the greatest attention. May Hashem therefore bring it about that success be manifest in all areas — financially and spiritually. This also implies that those who follow the women's auxiliary must appreciate the full measure of their noble task, set an example, and inspire others.

This celebration will take place on Rosh Chodesh* Adar*. Now, the central theme of this month is Purim*. It is therefore appropriate to recall once again that Mordechai* and Esther* each revealed the divine salvation and the miracle of this festival. Despite this, the Megillah* bears only the name of Esther*[2]. In this way, our holy Torah* underscores the decisive role of the Jewish woman — not only at Purim*, but also in all difficult and critical situations, including during the present period.

Certainly, the Haman* of the present era and that country has an altogether different appearance from the one of the time of Mordechai* and Esther*. Nevertheless, he remains the same Amalek*, whose aim is always to discourage, to detach Jews from Torah* and Mitzvot*, to cause them to bow before an idol, before everything that is foreign[3] to the spirit and way of life of Judaism.

The only means of combating Haman* and the idolatry of the present era is the ancient, tried-and-true, and certain path that made all the decrees of the wicked Haman* disappear. It consists of strengthening education based on sacred values, of developing Yeshivot* and schools imbued with the fear of Hashem, which implant in children a profound love for Torah* and Mitzvot* — extending to self-sacrifice — as was the case at the time of Mordechai* and Esther*, in Shushan*, the capital.

The Purim* Megillah* bears only the name of Esther*, and our holy Torah* thereby emphasizes that the responsibility — and likewise the merit — of all decisive periods belongs to the Jewish woman, who is in no way in "second place," Heaven forbid, but on the contrary, bears the same responsibility and the same merit as her husband, or sometimes even surpasses him.

May Hashem grant success to your endeavors, may He bless you yourselves and the members of your families in all your needs, materially and spiritually, and may this Adar* bring joy and gladness to the entire Jewish people.