Igrot Kodesh · Letter 1710 — Grief & Loss

By the grace of Hashem,

15 Tammuz 5712,

Brooklyn,

To the distinguished chassid who fears Hashem,

Rav Aharon HaCohen[1],

Greetings and blessings,

Your brother, the distinguished chassid who fears Hashem and discharges his duty faithfully, Rav Yaakov HaCohen[2], conveyed to me your request for a brachah* and the check for one hundred dollars that accompanied it, to be given to the tzedakah* of my choice.

We are still in the week of 12-13 Tammuz, the date of the birth of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, and of his liberation from the imprisonment that was decreed against him for having founded yeshivos*, talmudei Torah*, and strengthened Jewish practice in the other country[3]. You surely know that, after his passing, a network of yeshivos* and talmudei Torah* was created bearing his name, Oholei Yosef Yitzchok, in our Holy Land, in Africa[4] and in Australia. I have therefore transmitted your donation to the fund that finances these institutions.

The merit of this tzedakah* is sufficiently great to bring you blessing and success in all your needs. For these schools bear the name of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, are directed in his spirit and according to the conduct he advocated. The aid you bring them will therefore strengthen your bond with him and will arouse an additional channel for revealing and containing the blessings of Hashem.

Your brother also asks, in your name, whether you should send your children to the Talmud Torah* of Miami Beach, in which the studies last only an hour and a half[5].

Here is my opinion. You should do so, for various reasons:

1. The children will thereby be bound to the Torah every day. In this way they will distance themselves from the contrary situation[6]. The Torah says, in fact, "If you abandon Me for one day, I will abandon you for two days."

2. They will become acquainted with children attending an Orthodox Talmud Torah*, and this will be very useful to them. It will not be very easy for you to obtain the same result in another way.

There are still other reasons, and for all of these, you must send your children to the Talmud Torah* of Miami Beach.

With my blessing of prosperity,

[1] Rav A. Katz. See, regarding him, letters no. 867 and 1120.
[2] Rav Y. Katz, of Chicago. See, regarding him, letter no. 1609.
[3] Russia.
[4] In Morocco.
[5] Per day.
[6] From abandonment of Torah.