Igrot Kodesh · Letter 927 — Chassidic Unity

By the grace of Hashem,

24 Adar Rishon 5711,

Brooklyn,

To the great Rav, distinguished chassid* who fears Hashem,

Rav Moshe[1] and all those who follow him,

Greetings and blessing,

I read with pleasure your letter informing me of the friendly gathering held among the chassidim* to strengthen their unity and their attachment to the Tree of Life—that is, to the light of Chassidus* and its conduct, to the teaching that has been bequeathed to us by our forefathers, our holy Rebbeim, from the Baal Shem Tov*, the Maggid[2], the Alter Rebbe*, until the Frierdiker Rebbe*, whose merit shall protect us and all of Yisrael*.

Chazal* say in the Midrash Avkir, cited by the Yalkut[3], at the beginning of this Shabbos's Parshah[4], commenting on the verse "And Moshe gathered": "HaKadosh Baruch Hu* said to Moshe: convene great assemblies and expound the Torah before them, so that one will learn, in the generations to come, to gather communities, to teach and guide Bnei Yisrael*, that My great Name be praised by My children."

It follows that when the "Moshe" of a community or place gathers the members of his community and teaches them the conduct they should adopt, he thereby brings about that the great Name of Hashem be praised and exalted.

Generally speaking, a name is needed only in relation to an interlocutor. So it is also, if one may speak thus, with the Essence of Hashem, who cannot be designated by any sign or any name. For Hashem receives Names only in the process of the creation of the worlds.

Chazal teach in Menachos 29b that the World to Come was created with the yud of the Tetragrammaton. The "great Name" of Hashem therefore expresses the potential of creating the worlds, before this potential receives effective application. Chazal say, in chapter 3 of Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer, that "before creation there was only Hashem and His great Name." Now, one can praise and exalt such an exalted divine sanctity by gathering a community, by repeating words of Chassidus that specify what is forbidden and what is permitted, what is the path and the way that lead to the abode of Hashem.

Please convey my greetings to all those who participated in this gathering, and to each of them in particular. You will transmit to them my blessing for success in everything that concerns them, that they may secure their material and spiritual livelihood in the manner suitable to each, materially and spiritually.

With my blessing for all good, material and spiritual,

Notes

[1] Rav M. Etter, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

[2] Of Mezeritch.

[3] Yalkut Shimoni.

[4] Vayakhel.