Igrot Kodesh · Letter 2340 — Health

B"H,

12 Teves 5714,

Brooklyn,

To Mrs. Rachel [1],

Blessings and greetings,

I received with satisfaction your letter of this past Tuesday in which you write to me that your children are in good health and that they study Torah with enthusiasm. May Hashem grant that you derive from them, with your husband, Yiddishe* and chassidishe* nachas*. May you do so in good health, with a joyous heart and in material abundance.

I also learned with pleasure that you take part in the women's association. I hope that you will act to improve its moral situation. And my hope is reinforced by reading your article, in which you speak of spiritual vitamins. In America, one must constantly pay attention to this. It must be quite clear that tzedakah* does not exempt one from putting all the other mitzvos* into practice.

Tzedakah* is so important that it is qualified as the mitzvah* par excellence [2]. Despite this, there are also six hundred and twelve other mitzvos*, which one must also put into practice, in particular keeping Shabbos*, kashrus*, taharas hamishpachah* and many other commandments still.

All that can be said and explained on this subject will never be enough. It is necessary to repeat it ceaselessly, especially when one expresses oneself in English and brings to it the necessary explanations.

May Hashem help you and grant you success in this domain as well.

With my berachah*,

Notes:
(1) Mrs. R. Cunin.
(2) See chapter 37 of Tanya, p. 48b.