Conveying a letter from the Rebbe's mother to a relative

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Solicitation of donations for printing chassidic texts; the need to go beyond the measure of the law

No. 279

This letter was addressed to R. David Bravman, a chassid who was charged with overseeing the publication of texts of Chassidus in Germany after WWII.

B"H, 7 Menachem Av, 5707

Greetings and blessings,

Your letter from 15 Tammuz reached me. I had [both] wondered and worried with regard to your silence until now.

1. As soon as I received your letter, I conveyed its details to my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe Shlita. He was satisfied [to hear] that printing is continuing and proceeding. Certainly you will endeavor that everything is carried out in the most attractive manner possible.

2. In the prefaces that I sign (Tanya, Ateres Rosh, and Shaarei Orah), the date must be changed. It should be 20 Av, 5707.[188]

3. I informed R. Benyamin Gorodetzky[189] that if he is asked, he should give you $500 a month for the sake of printing, on my responsibility. Therefore, you should turn to him when necessary and he will certainly fulfill your request. Without a doubt, you will reduce the expenses where possible (as long as it will not detract from the quality of the texts' appearance) "for you are acting in good faith."[190]

4. In the Shulchan Aruch [HaRav], there is no need to print the additions from the Tzemach Tzedek at the conclusion. (They are not related to the Shulchan Aruch and they contain many errors. In the new printing of the Tzemach Tzedek, [these writings] were printed with corrections and additions.) I will send the title page and the preface shortly. You may begin printing the Shulchan Aruch. Only 1000 copies should be printed.

5. According to the plan, in addition to the Tanya, at present you should print 1000 copies of [each of the following]: Ateres Rosh; Shaarei Orah; Shulchan Aruch [HaRav]; Sifreinu, Vols. I, II, and IV; Shaar HaEmunah and Shaar HaYichud of the Mitteler Rebbe; and 2000 copies of the complete Siddur Tehillat Hashem. (It should be corrected according to the correction table that I sent you to whatever extent possible.) When we receive the first copies and see the quality of the printing and the binding, we will decide with regard to the future.

6. Please return the Biurei Zohar to Shalom DovBer Schneerson.

7. I am awaiting notification about:
   1. the prices as you mentioned in your letter cited above,

   2. primarily, concerning the progress of the printing, and

   3. that you send one impression of 20 or 30 printed pages (as an example, to show [others] here).

8. Certainly you will endeavor that the Tanya reach here before Rosh HaShanah (there will certainly be some who travel here from there) and preferably, [they should arrive] before the celebration of Chai Elul. If you will notify us while there is still time, we will print a booklet here about the Tanya.

   Ateres Rosh and Shaarei Orah should also arrive at that time; certainly no later than the month of Cheshvan.

9. If you send the texts with travelers, send three-quarters of the quantity printed.

10. I do not know through which avenue you will receive [my correspondence] first, so I am writing to you directly and also via our friends in Paris.[191] Please advise me what I should do in this regard in the future.

To conclude with the words of [our] master:

My revered father-in-law, the Rebbe Shlita, writes in one of his letters:[192] "The Tzemach Tzedek states: 'A word spoken is public knowledge; in writing, it is for the entire world, and in print, it is for generations upon generations.'"

With regard to the [above] expression "for generations upon generations," it is possible to say that the intent is at least four generations. For in the Hebrew, both terms are stated in the plural (to cite a parallel: Sanhedrin 99a, commenting on the verse[193] "generation after generation").

See also the Tzemach Tzedek's interpretation of Tehillim 148:4, "from generation to generation," as referring to the entire scope of the spiritual cosmos. For every world can be referred to as "a generation." Four generations thus refer to the four worlds: Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah. Just as the four worlds include many worlds within them, so, too, the expression "generations upon generations" includes within it many generations. See also the maamar entitled Biur Inyan Motzieihem in Likkutei Torah.

Awaiting good tidings from you,

M. Schneerson

   

Notes:

188. (Back to text) [Significantly, the Rebbe chose his father's yahrzeit as the publication date for these texts. In practice, only the Tanya was printed with this publication date. The printing of the other texts was delayed. Ateres Rosh was printed with the date 23 Elul, 5707, and Shaarei Orah with the date 10 Kislev, 5708. See Letters 306, 320, and 367.]

189. (Back to text) [The director of the Bureau for the Assistance of Refugees.]

190. (Back to text) [The Rebbe is referring to II Melachim 22:7 which uses the same phrase with regard to the money given the craftsmen to renovate the Beis HaMikdash.]

191. (Back to text) [The letter was sent to R. Benyamin Gorodetzky on 15 Av.]

192. (Back to text) [See Igros Kodesh of the Rebbe Rayatz, Vol. II, Letter 558; see the Rebbe's Igros Kodesh, Letter 185 which also focuses on this expression.]

193. (Back to text) [Tehillim 72:5.]

Conveying a letter from the Rebbe's mother to a relative

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Solicitation of donations for printing chassidic texts; the need to go beyond the measure of the law