Igrot Kodesh · Letter 1861 — Personal Guidance

By the grace of Hashem,

22 Elul 5712,

Brooklyn,

Greetings and blessings,

I respond to your letter of 10 Elul, in which you inform me of your remembrances. You tell me that you become irritated easily and that you have bad thoughts.

In a general manner, one must not think of all this. Obviously, you must conform to the prescriptions of the doctor, but these concern only concrete action. As regards your thoughts, by contrast, you must not occupy yourself with them. If you stop thinking about them, you will surely feel better. You will have more time to conduct fruitfully your personal occupations and to participate in Chabad activities in the Holy Land.

It would be good for you to learn by heart a few chapters of Mishnah and of Tanya, obviously without this calling for too great an effort on your part. If you feel that you become irritated, or if you are invaded by undesirable thoughts, you will recite a few passages of the Mishnah and a few lines of the Tanya. A little light pushes back much darkness, and how much more so is it when it emanates from the luminary which is Chassidus*, and when, moreover, the darkness is only an appearance.

I duly received your request for blessing for Rosh Hashanah. Without making it a vow, I will read it, at a propitious moment, at the tziyun* of my father-in-law, the Rebbe.

On the occasion of the new year, which approaches in a positive and blessed manner, for us and for all Israel, I address you my blessing, as also to all the members of your family, that you be inscribed and sealed for a good and sweet year, materially and spiritually.

With my blessing,