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Advice to a chassid who states that he feels alone

No. 653

This letter was sent to R. Nissan Nemenov, the spiritual mentor of the Lubavitch yeshivah in Brunoy, France.

B"H, Erev Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av, 5710

Greetings and blessings,

Your letters from the 10th and the 24th of Tammuz, together with the lists of the students, [the contributions] for Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch, and the pan were received. Your second letter was received on Thursday, and when I was at [the Rebbe's] gravesite, I read the pan and the lists. Also, the telegram concerning your son was just now received and I read it in the room of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, hk"m, where one enters for yechidus and to give pannim. Certainly, the tzaddik — my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, hk"m — will grant blessings, and the Holy One, blessed be He, will fulfill those blessings fully, giving each man and woman [what they require] according to their needs. You will surely not refrain from sharing good tidings concerning the situation of your daughter and son as they continue to improve.

The package to Kozliner was sent.

I received much pleasure from [your] notifying [me] that actual work was begun concerning [the establishment of local committees for] Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch and Machne Israel,[633] [especially in light of] the well-known statements in [Tanya,] Iggeres HaKodesh, Epistle 21, concerning eagerness. Nevertheless, please make known two conditions concerning [these efforts]:

1. they should not detract from [the collections for] nifneh,[634] since it appears that the same people are involved in both endeavors; and

2. that [these individuals] should not be overly stringent when evaluating their own obligations.

With regard to success in your efforts in your work, the task of Heaven: Success is [inherently] intertwined with this work, as stated in [the passage from] the Zohar III (p. 98a), which is recited on the night of Shavuos: "[Happy is the portion of...] one who prepares her jewelry, causes her crown to shine, and arranges her ornaments." This [certainly applies to] your work with the students, [of whom it is said]:[635] "Israel is a youth and I love him." [This applies] particularly since my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, hk"m, is holding you by the hand and directing you. Only much care is necessary not to mix in one's own desires. See sec. 4 of the second maamar entitled Tzeena U'Reena in Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim,[636][which explains that] even after attaining the level of "Make your will His will,"[637] one must "negate one's will."

With regards to the entire fellowship,

M. Schneerson

   

Notes:

633. (Back to text) [See Letter No. 633.]

634. (Back to text) [The chassidic code for maamad, money sent by the chassidim to the Rebbe for use at his discretion.]

635. (Back to text) [Hoshea 11:1.]

636. (Back to text) [Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim, p. 25d ff.]

637. (Back to text) [Avos 2:4.]

Bar-mitzvah blessings

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Advice to a chassid who states that he feels alone