Blessings for the establishment of a local committee for strengthening Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch, Machne Israel, and Kehot

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Birthday for a youth

No. 662

This letter was sent to the members of the Committee for the Strengthening of Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch, Machne Israel, and Kehot, i.e., chassidim involved in communal affairs, those distinguished primarily as "bonded with my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, hk"m."

B"H, 5 Menachem Av, 5710 (the yahrzeit of the AriZal)
Brooklyn, N.Y.

Greetings and blessings,

With satisfaction, I read in your letter the reports of your positive activities for the sake of strengthening the institutions Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch, Machne Israel, and Kehot.[667] Certainly, as in all matters of holiness, your activities and their effects will continue to grow until they become very great.[668] (See sec. 5 of the maamar [to be] published for Chai Elul entitled Hashkifah MiMaon Kodshecha[669] and the source in Likkutei Torah[670] cited in the note there which explains the advantage of me'od over me'odecha.)

The [constraints of] time do not allow for elaboration and I will restrict myself to a few lines. This [should be] sufficient for a person of understanding.

There are several manners of bonding: a person with a friend, a disciple with a teacher, and a chassid with a Rebbe — and there are several levels in each.

In general, bonding comes about through "walking in his paths."[671] There are three basic approaches, [listed in] ascending order, which are dependent on the paths of the one with whom one seeks to bond:[672]

1. He[673] asks or orders others to act — a bond is established by carrying out this command and directive;

2. He acts in cooperation with others — a bond is established by participating in these joint efforts;

3. He acts on his own initiative — a bond is established when the opportunity is given to take over the activities of [the person with whom one desires to bond].

In my letter of erev Rosh Chodesh Tammuz,[674] I wrote to encourage the chassidim who are bonded or connected to my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, hk"m, [explaining that] now there is an opportunity to establish a bond on the third level, a bond of [all five levels of] their [souls]: nefesh, ruach, neshamah, chayah, and yechidah with the Nasi, the head of our generation, my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, hk"m.

It is self-understood that my intent is not to minimize the importance of the other institutions of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, hk"m. And how much more so, that my intent is not to minimize, Heaven forbid and Heaven forbid, the concept of maamad. [On the contrary,] it is well known that in all matters of holiness, [different endeavors] complement each other, rather than detract from each other.

With blessings for a kesivah vachasimah tovah and success in your holy work which serves as one of the broad mediums to draw down and receive all forms of material and spiritual good, for each man and woman, in everything that they need.

Awaiting good news,

M. Schneerson

   

Notes:

667. (Back to text) [See Letters No. 629, 633, et al.]

668. (Back to text) [Cf. Bereishis 26:13.]

669. (Back to text) [Sefer HaMaamarim 5710, p. 275.]

670. (Back to text) [Shir HaShirim, p. 50a.]

671. (Back to text) [See Tanya, Iggeres HaKodesh, Epistle 27.]

672. (Back to text) [I.e., the Rebbe is mentioning three ways in which a Rebbe acts and thus three ways for his followers to bond with him.]

673. (Back to text) [I.e., the one with whom one seeks to bond.]

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

Blessings for the establishment of a local committee for strengthening Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch, Machne Israel, and Kehot

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Birthday for a youth