Igrot Kodesh · Letter 9600

By the grace of Hashem,

Rosh Chodesh Kislev* 5729,
Brooklyn, New York,

To all participants in the inauguration of the school Ohaleï Yosef Yitzchak Lubavitch*[1] and, at their head, to the important communal leaders B. Goldfarb, Yoel Gaska, and Binyamin Zuker — may Hashem grant you long life,

I greet you and bless you,

I learned with pleasure that the two buildings of the summer vacation center[2] were to be inaugurated on the 10th of Kislev*, at a good and auspicious time. Everyone no doubt knows that the 10th of Kislev is the festival of the liberation of the Admur HaEmtzai*[3], son and successor of the Admur HaZaken*, the founder of Chabad* Chassidut*. Now, Chassidut in general and Chabad Chassidut in particular place very special emphasis on the education of children and underline its importance.

If, in the early days of Chassidut, the value of education was so clearly emphasized, how much more fundamental, in our era, are the educational institutions grounded in sacred values. For the school must now give the child what he formerly received at home and from his surroundings.

One must therefore hope that the opportunity represented by this inauguration is fully seized in order to strengthen and develop this institution, both materially and spiritually, in keeping with the ideal and teachings of the Admur HaZaken, the Admur HaEmtzai, and the Chabad masters who succeeded them, up to my father-in-law, the Rebbe*, whose name this institution bears.

Moreover, the Ohaleï Yosef Yitzchak institutions are imbued with the spirit of the verse connected to the liberation of the Admur HaZaken and that of his son: "He has redeemed my soul in peace…"[4]. Our Sages, of blessed memory, explain in tractate Berakhot 8a that this verse alludes to "those who devote themselves to Torah*, good deeds, and pray with the community." Thus, the students of the Ohaleï Yosef Yitzchak schools — boys and girls — imbibe the knowledge and perception of Torah, a profound feeling and fervor in prayer, so that Torah and the service of Hashem permeate all their limbs and give them life to do good and perform good deeds.

Great is the merit of all those who participate in, support, and develop the school Ohaleï Yosef Yitzchak Lubavitch. May Hashem grant them and all their families the fulfillment of all their needs, both material and spiritual. With my respect, my blessing for success, as well as to give me good news,

Notes

[1] Of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
[2] In the southern hemisphere.
[3] See, on this subject, HaTamim, vol. 2, pp. 77–86a and beginning on p. 81–88a, the introduction of the Bad Kodesh, and the Beit Rabbi, vol. 2, chapters 4 and 5.
[4] Psalms 55:19. The Rebbe emphasizes the words of this verse. See Torat Menachem, Sefer HaMaamarim, Kislev, p. 142.