Igrot Kodesh · Letter 23 — Foreword to Teshuvah Collection — Call for Immediate Teshuvah and Redemption

[At the end of 5702]

By the grace of Hashem [1],

As soon as he arrived in the United States, two and a half years ago, my father-in-law, the Rebbe Shlita*, undertook a formidable effort to promote the Teshuvah* of American Jews, to bring them back to Torah* and good deeds, so that it would be abundantly clear that the terrible persecutions that Jews are enduring are the birth pangs of Moshiach*. But there is a way out, and it is as follows:

"Immediate Teshuvah, which will bring about an immediate and complete redemption, through our righteous Moshiach, with kindness and mercy."

The words of my father-in-law, the Rebbe Shlita, have had their effect. The broadest circles of the Jewish population have undertaken a process of Teshuvah. Various Jewish organizations have incorporated a call for Teshuvah into their programs.

In order to enable everyone to become acquainted with the words and letters of my father-in-law, the Rebbe Shlita, concerning "immediate Teshuvah" and "immediate redemption," we are publishing the present collection of some of these texts, among the most recent.

We invite the rabbis, the Torah scholars, and, in general, all those who have influence, to make use of the days of Selichos* and the Ten Days of Teshuvah*, in the spirit of the appeals of my father-in-law, the Rebbe Shlita. We have good hope that they will be able to:

A) establish without ambiguity that the terrible persecutions that Jews are enduring are the birth pangs of Moshiach,

B) lead everyone to sincere Teshuvah and to strengthen themselves in the practice of Torah and Mitzvos*,

C) explain what it means to purify the atmosphere by reciting texts of the Torah, in particular those of the Mishnah*, wherever the Halachah* permits it,

D) engage everyone to become a member of a Tehillim* group and, in this way, to join the international association for Tehillim, which has its headquarters in Yerushalayim*, may it be speedily rebuilt. Thus, everyone will take part in the prayer formulated for the entire Jewish people.

With my blessing to be inscribed and sealed for a good year, "Immediate Teshuvah, immediate redemption,"

Menachem Schneerson

Director of the Executive Committee [2]

Notes [1] This letter was printed as the foreword to a collection of texts of the Previous Rebbe, calling for Teshuvah and requesting, in particular from Yeshivah* students, to memorize Tehillim and Mishnah. This collection was published by Machane Yisrael*, at the end of 5702-1942.

[2] Of Machane Yisrael.