Igrot Kodesh · Letter 214 — Annual spiritual renewal and strengthening Torah outreach

By the grace of Hashem, Shushan Purim* 5706. To the Chassid* who fears Hashem, the learned Shochet*, Rav Y.[1], I greet you and bless you,

I have learned with pleasure of your fruitful activities, aimed at strengthening Torah* and Mitzvot* in general, and at distributing the books published according to the instructions of my father-in-law, the Rebbe* Shlita*, in particular.

Doubtless you strengthen your efforts in this domain from time to time. The Tanya* indicates that each year a new Light is revealed, emanating from a particularly lofty source that has never yet illuminated the world. And man, created in the image of Hashem[2], must adopt a similar mode of conduct, forging vessels to contain this light.

This applies especially to the spreading of Chassidut*. Few are those in your country who can dedicate themselves to this. If you are able to use your contacts with persons in other cities to speak to them of our publications — in Hebrew*, in Yiddish*, or in English — you will certainly do so. You will also inform us of what has been accomplished in this regard. For someone like you, it is unnecessary to say more.

I will conclude by speaking of Purim*. The name of this holiday is in the plural — at the simplest level because there was one lottery for the month and another for the day[3].

Rashi*, in his commentary on the Megilla*, says that the lottery for the day was intended to determine a date within the month. One may question this, for in such a case the verse ought to have said "from one month to another and from one day to another." Yet it employs the reverse formulation.

The Midrash* Esther Rabbah* and the Targum Sheni* say, by contrast, that there was first a lottery for the day of the week, and then another for the month. For the Midrash it is self-evident that a lottery for the day of the month followed, since a date in Adar* was chosen. And according to Rashi as well, one may suppose that there was similarly a lottery for the day of the week, which explains the formulation of the verse. But this explanation is difficult to accept.

Now, one may ask why Haman[4] conducted a lottery for the day of the week. Is the month and the day within the month not sufficient? And if one says he sought confirmation of his initiative through the agreement of all these lots, as Nebuchadnezzar* did when he set out to conquer Jerusalem*, he should nonetheless have begun with the most important lottery — namely, that of the month.

The explanation is therefore as follows. By having recourse to the lottery, Haman wished to invoke a level transcending intellect and justice, a stage at which light and darkness are equivalent — that is, the most superficial aspect of the celestial Surrounding Light* encompassing creation, over which the nations of the world have a hold, for their calendar is solar, since the sun is always identical[5].

By contrast, the children of Israel have a lunar calendar and all that is granted to them is earned. The Kuntres U'Ma'ayan*[6] explains all this clearly. His evil thought was therefore aimed at strengthening the influence that could be obtained in this manner. Now, days follow the solar count and months the lunar count, so the days of the month form the junction between these two counts.

This is why the first lottery was for the day of the week — from which he drew his power and strength — and only thereafter did he cast the lot for the month.

Then the children of Israel, through self-sacrifice, drew down the inner aspect of this Surrounding Light. At this level the nations of the world have no hold, and the sins of the Jews are no longer reckoned, as it is said: "He perceives no iniquity in Yaakov*" for "Hashem his Hashem is with him." Certainly, in this world, one who gives up his life does not perceive what he has accomplished. Above, however, everything is apparent, and it is clear that this was so at the very moment of the lottery.

What has just been said allows us to answer another question. The Midrash reports that the lottery of the day of the week left Haman no room for doubt, whereas he could err regarding the lottery of the months. Yet based on what was said about the solar calendar, would not the reverse have been more logical?

This will be understood from the preceding analysis. The lottery for the days of the week corresponds to a level that the actions of lower creatures cannot reach — a Surrounding Light. Then, when the inner dimension of this Light is revealed, everything becomes incontestable and no error is possible.

Human beings, by contrast, can intervene in the lottery of the month and the day within the month. This is why, subsequently, distinctions were made between cities — those that were surrounded by a wall[7], and those that are permitted to advance to the day of the assembly[8].

What has been said highlights the three aspects of Purim. One who celebrates it must, for himself, ascend "until he no longer knows"[9]. He thereby attains "the head that knows itself not"[10] and what it contains, as the Likkutei Torah* explains, noting that Yom Kippur* means "like Purim"[11]. This level is symbolized below by Achashverosh*, "the king who possesses the end and the beginning"[12].

What one must do for others, however, corresponds to two stages of the chain of worlds: gifts "each to his friend," even if that friend is not poor and lacks nothing — having access to the Surrounding Light, symbolized by the Medes* — and, on the other hand, gifts to the poor, corresponding to the Inner Light, to the Persians*, as it is said: "break your bread for the poor"[13].

With my blessing for immediate Teshuvah*, immediate redemption, and a kosher* and joyous Pesach* festival. Rav Menachem Schneerson*, Director of the Executive Committee.

ב״ה ,א׳ אייר ,תשי״ח
בריקלין.
שלום וברכה!
בעתו קבלתי את מכתבו מ 23/3-עם המצורף ,ועל פי בקשתי
התקשר ידידי ד״ר זליגזון שי׳ לאחר הרופאים הגדולים ,המומחים
ביותר בזה ,ומצו״ב המכתב של ד״ר זליגזון ,בו הוא מוסר את חוו״ד של
הד״ר המומחה ,והשם יתברך יעזור שיהי׳ בהצלחה ויוכל לבשר בשורות
טובות בזה ובקרוב ממש.
אך כשם שאנו אומרים בברכות השחר ,השם יתברך הוא הרופא כל
בשר ומפליא לעשות האמיתי ,והרופאים אינם אלא שלוחים שלו ,לכן
נחוץ בהחלט להתנהג בחיי היום יום על פי ההוראות של הרופא כל בשר
ומפליא לעשות ,ובפרט כשמדובר אודות ילדים ,שהדבר הראשון
והעיקרי הוא לשמור את חוקי תורתנו הק׳ בנוגע לטהרת המשפחה)נדה,
הפסק טהרה ,מקוה וכד׳( ועד כמה שהמצב בזה יהי׳ טוב ,הרי תמיד יש
מקום להוסיף בזה ,והשי״ת נאמן להוסיף בברכותיו בהמצטרך.
מהנכון שיבדקו את התפילין וגם את המזוזות בדירתם ,שיהיו כולם
כשרים כדין .וגם שזוגתו תחי׳ תשמור את המנהג הטוב של בנות ישראל
הכשרות ,לתת לצדקה בכל פעם לפני הדלקת הנרות בערב שבת ובערב
יום טוב.
בברכה לבשורות טובות.
נ.ב.
בשל העדרו של המזכיר הכותב אנגלית ,נכתב המכתב באידיש .אבל
הוא יכול לכתוב גם להבא באנגלית.