Igrot Kodesh · Letter 141 — Dedication Through Choice — Son and Son-in-Law

By the grace of Hashem,

Purim* 5704,

To the honorable Chassid*, fearing the word of Hashem,

Rav D. Halevi [1],

I greet you and bless you,

The pamphlet "18 Elul 5703" has just been published and you will find, enclosed, a copy.

And I would like to announce to you, with much pleasure and joy, that this publication was made possible thanks to funds collected by your children, in particular your son-in-law, a great scholar and full of eagerness, Rav M. P. [2] and his family. He stipulated as a condition that the collection be published for the merit of his father-in-law, that is to say, of yourself. He also mentioned another name [3], that of a person whom he will endeavor to have contribute as well to this publication. You will therefore see these names printed in the present work.

Our Sages* compare the son to the son-in-law, even though it is clear that differences exist. One of them, concerning the father or father-in-law, was specified by my father-in-law, the Rebbe Shlita*, in the words he spoke on Shemini Atzeres* 5697 [4]: "One does not choose one's children. Conversely, one chooses one's disciples." In other words, one can learn to know a person by seeing the son-in-law to whom he gave his daughter, as it is said: "I gave my daughter to this man," much more than by seeing his son.

The Jews are the children of Hashem, as it is said "you are children to Hashem your Hashem." They are also the sons-in-law of the Almighty. The Midrash* says, indeed: "A king had an only daughter. Another king came and asked for her hand in marriage. She was then granted to him." Thus, the Torah* is the daughter of Hashem and Israel, His son-in-law.

One can perhaps establish the following difference. One becomes the son-in-law of Hashem only by marrying the Torah*, that is to say, by making enormous efforts in everything that concerns the Torah* and mitzvos*, until one acquires it and becomes its master, as a husband toward his wife. The son, on the other hand, remains so in any case, even if he is mute, foolish, or small. And the love of the father for his son, emanating from the essence of himself, is not conditioned by his evident qualities.

The Shir HaShirim Rabbah* defines another quality of the son-in-law that the son does not possess. It reports a story in which one sees that the arrival of the sons-in-law provokes an additional joy, after the arrival of the sons.

Such is also the importance of this day of Purim*, of which our Sages* say that the Jews then accepted the Torah* deliberately, whereas near Mount Sinai, it had been given to them under duress, for He had placed the mountain over their heads. The Alter Rebbe* explains that the deep love of Hashem for Israel was then revealed, embraced and surrounded him on all sides, not allowing him to turn away and keeping him face to face with Him.

Purim* added to all of this, according to the expression of the Alter Rebbe*, the full consent of the Jews. All gave their lives, of their own initiative, without prior divine revelation. On the contrary, the Divine Presence was then hidden, for our Sages* say: "Where do we see an allusion to Esther* in the Torah*? In the verse 'I will hide My face'" [5].

It was then that the giving of the Torah* was full and complete, then that the marriage of the only daughter of the King, King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, was celebrated, then that we became the sons-in-law of Hashem.

May Hashem grant that you have much satisfaction from your children and your sons-in-law. Each will bring all his ardor to growing and beautifying the Torah*.

Then, with the entire Jewish people, in this period of concealment, we will merit, "on that day," the fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah*: "And it will be, on that day, it will be light in the evening," "and Hashem will reign over the entire earth. On that day, Hashem will be One and His Name will be One."

With my blessing for a joyous Purim*, for an immediate teshuvah* and an immediate redemption,

Rav Menachem Schneerson,

Director of the executive committee

Notes

[1] Rav David Halevi Shtockhamer.

[2] Rav Moshe Pinchas Katz. See the beginning of the previous letter.

[3] See, on this matter, letter no. 145.

[4] 1926.

[5] Esther also means concealment.

קמא*

ב"ה, פורים ה'תש"ד
כבוד הרה"ג והרה"ח הנכבד והנעלה אי"א וו"ח נו"מ

חו"ב וכו' וכו' מהרר"א שי' קאראסיק

שלום וברכה!

א) בטח הגיע לכמ"ע מכתבנו מט' שבט והמכתב הכללי בענין הפצת עניני הדפוס ומחכים אנו לדעת מה נעשה בזה.

ב) באשר תמו כבר כל ספרי התניא שנמצאו ברשותנו ורבו בע"ה הרוצים ללמד בהם, הננו לבקשו להשתדל שישלחו לנו מספרי התניא דפוס א"י במספר כמאה אם אפשרי, וגם להודיענו את מחירם.

ג) אחד מידידנו בקש אותנו למצא מי שיוכל לעורר בחור אחד בא"י ושמו... אשר לפנים, כנראה, למד והלך בדרך הישרה ואח"כ סר ממנה. אביו זקנו של הבחור הזה ר'...

ואפשר לברר אצלו כל הדרוש ע"ד הבחור.

ולכן הננו לבקש את כמ"ע למסר את הענין למי שראוי לזה ושיתמסר להצלת נפשו ולעוררו לתורה ומצוות.

ות" אם יודיענו התוצאות בזה.

בברכת לאלתר לתשובה - לאלתר לגאולה

מ. שניאורסאהן
יו"ר ועד הפועל
קמא*
מצילום האגרת.

כבוד... קאראסיק: אגרת נוספת אליו - לעיל קכט.

התניא : ראה לעיל שם.