Igrot Kodesh · Letter 2164 — Health

By the grace of Hashem,

8 Tammuz 5713,

Brooklyn,

I bless and greet you,

I received your letter of the 20th of Sivan with pleasure, after a long interruption. In the meantime, you have surely received mine, wishing you mazal tov* on the occasion of the birth of your son. You will also tell me what name you have given him.

I did not respond to your question concerning this name[1]. For when he was asked about this, my father-in-law, the Rebbe, may his merit protect us, would reply: "I do not get involved in this domain"[2].

The writings of the Arizal* allow one to understand why he acted this way. For Hashem suggests to the parents the name that corresponds to the neshamah* and the body of the newborn. For the name is the channel conveying the chiyus*.

I repeat my brachah* and wish you to lead him to Torah*, to the chuppah*, and to maasim tovim*, as well as your other son, his brother, with true broadness of mind.

I enclose for you a kuntres* and a note published for the festival of liberation of the 12-13 of Tammuz, which is approaching, as well as a copy of my open letter, addressed to the N'shei uBnos Chabad* organization. No doubt you will disseminate its content in the broadest circles and in the appropriate manner. May Hashem grant you success.

With my brachah* of success,

Notes

[1] The parents were asking what name to give the child.

[2] See, on this subject, letter no. 2003.

2164*

By the grace of Hashem,

8 Tammuz 5713,

Brooklyn,

Greetings and blessings,

You tell me that, due to your numerous occupations, you were unable to take part in this celebration. I am surprised at this, for the contrary would have been more logical. An image will illustrate my point.

Imagine that one were to ask a physically weakened person to eat and to drink, and that he were to reply that, being anemic, he does not have the strength for it. He will therefore eat and drink when he has recovered his health. Now it is the same with regard to you. When you are worried, vexed, to the point of no longer finding rest, one of the means of delivering yourself from such a situation is to strengthen yourself in Torah* and mitzvos*.

For "breath calls forth breath," all the more so since this concerns the Torah*, and our Sages say that "one who fulfills it in poverty will, in the end, fulfill it in wealth." And wealth and poverty are not only financial. They are also understood with respect to time.

With my brachah* and greeting all the chassidim*,

ב'קסד*

ב"ה, ח' תמוז, תשי"ג
ברוקלין.

שלום וברכה!

...ומ"ש שמפני הטרדות לא יכול להשתתף בענין הנ"ל וכו', הנה פליאני עליו, כי הרי איפכא מסתברא, ומשל למה הדבר דומה לאדם שנחלש בגשמיות ואומרים לו להוסיף באכילה ושתי' ויענה ע"ז שכיון שחלוש הוא אין לו כח לאכו"ש ולכשיבריא אז, יוסיף באכו"ש, וה"ה בהנ"ל שכשרואה שטרוד בענינים המבלבלים ומקלקלים ואין בהם נחת, הנה אחת העצות להפטר מזה הוא להיות טרוד בענינים דחיזוק התורה והיהדות והבלא מפיק הבלא ובפרט בענין דתורה הרי ידוע מרז"ל כל המקיים את התורה מעוני סופה לקיימה מעושר, ועוני ועושר הרי הם לא רק בכסף וממון אלא גם בזמן וכו'...

בברכה ובפ"ש כל אנ"ש שיחיו.