Igrot Kodesh · Letter 1738 — Faith & Bitachon

By the grace of Hashem,

27 Tammuz 5712,

Brooklyn,

Greetings and blessings,

I had news of you some time ago, through the Rav, distinguished chassid who fears Hashem and devotes himself to communal needs, Rav Mordechai Dov Teleshevski, as well as through the members of your family who visited me.

I write to you now concerning your son, distinguished chassid who fears Hashem and is full of zeal. You no doubt know that he spent some time in Mexico, where he devoted himself to the chinuch* of children. Thank Hashem, his work was fruitful. Now, for various reasons, he has left that place.

From the news I have received from there, the situation, in particular in the area of chinuch*, is critical. There are many children there who wish to receive a good chinuch*, but no one is capable of meeting their expectation positively.

I spoke with your son when he came to see me. Among other reasons, he told me that he did not know what his parents' reaction would be, considering that he must continue his own studies for some time longer.

It is surely unnecessary to specify to you how important it is to study Torah, for all Yidden in general and for the young in particular. But what is at stake here is the saving of hundreds of children, enabling them to maintain themselves in their Yiddishkeit*. Each one must therefore make a sacrifice to attain this objective, setting aside his own desire to advance in Torah or any other motivation.

One must devote at least a little of one's time to saving Jewish children who are in danger of completely forgetting their Yiddishkeit*, chas veshalom*. It is precisely now that your son can intervene in this area and meet with success. Our Sages give us the assurance of this. When Hashem sees that one gives tzedakah* to His children, that one comes to their aid in fully assuming their Yiddishkeit*, He grants His help in turn and refines a thousand times the brain and heart of one who adopts such conduct, enabling him to accomplish, in a short time, what ordinarily could only have been obtained at the end of a long period had he not given tzedakah*.

I am certain that there is no need to say more, and that what has just been set forth will suffice to modify your way of viewing this question. I hope, and I am convinced, that you will make use of your influence on your son to persuade him to devote his time to this accomplishment, even if it appears to him to be a sacrifice. It is, nevertheless, justified, since it enables children to preserve their Jewish observance.

May Hashem reward him and reward you a thousand times, in all the needs experienced by each of you.

You will find enclosed the report of the words I addressed to the talmidim* now traveling throughout this country, sent as emissaries of the Merkaz LeInyanei Chinuch*. These apply equally to your son.

With my blessing of success in all that concerns you, and in expectation of good news,