Igrot Kodesh · Letter 1405 — Faith & Bitachon

By the grace of Hashem,
4 Shevat 5712,
Brooklyn,

Greetings and brachos*,

Rav Hodakov[1] informed me yesterday of your telephone conversation, and I received, just after that, your letter, by special carrier, in which there were press clippings.

You imagine and you have the feeling that another businessman could compete with you and diminish your earnings. You therefore ask me my opinion on this question.

As you wish, I will mention your name once again when I find myself near the tziyun* of my father-in-law, the Rebbe.

In any event, you know that Yidden* are "believers, sons of believers." You must therefore be certain that a man's earnings are fixed for him between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. This includes also the earnings that Hashem has fixed for you, and I am convinced that these are large. No one can diminish them, and still less make them disappear, chas veshalom*.

You must therefore place your bitachon* firmly in Hashem and do so with simchah*, as the Zohar says, in Parshas Tetzaveh, p. 184b. For this lower world receives all the heavenly brachos*, and when simchah and clarity reign here below, these brachos are, moreover, joyous and luminous, as it is said: "Serve Hashem with simchah."

When a Yid* is joyous, he arouses heavenly simchah.

This is particularly true with regard to you. You had the merit of permitting the largest number to dispose of a sefer* of my father-in-law, the Rebbe[2]. This merit, undoubtedly, will protect you and will permit you to earn your livelihood amply. More important still, you will make useful use of your earnings, in good health, for Torah and mitzvos*, in a generous way.

I hope to receive your good news.

On the occasion of the hilula* of my father-in-law, the Rebbe[3], I am sending you my suggestions[4] on the practices it is fitting to adopt.

With my brachah,

Notes
(1) Director of the Rebbe's secretariat.
(2) By financing its publication.
(3) 10 Shevat.
(4) This refers to letter no. 885.