Igrot Kodesh · Letter 2995 — Chinuch

B"H

5 Marcheshvan* 5715,
Brooklyn.

Greetings and blessing,

Our Torah, Torah of life, explains that in various domains, if one forbids, as a matter of principle (with the intention of persecuting the Jews), what may seem secondary — for example, shoe laces (the Shulchan Aruch* says that if the Jews wear black laces and they are prevented from doing so in order to persecute them, if they are thereby compelled to wear red laces, they must let themselves be killed rather than wear them) — one must persist (in not obeying, even though it concerns a completely secondary practice), going even to the point of giving one's very life.

It is not so when one reduces the importance of these concerns, when one strives to give them a secondary value. In such a case, one can repair concerns as great as mountains.

May Hashem cause you to succeed in influencing your surroundings, in the spirit of the Tradition of Israel, in a peaceful manner and with uprightness.

With my blessing,

You tell me that you sometimes experience a feeling of Teshuvah*, a desire to put into practice the Torah and the mitzvos*. Then, the desire passes from you completely. This is clearly explained by the Likkutei Torah*, Vayikra, in the Chassidic* discourse entitled "A man who offers a sacrifice." You will consult this text, applying its terms to your own person.

ב'תתקצה

ב"ה, ה' מ"ח, תשט"ו
ברוקלין.

שלום וברכה!

...בכמה ענינים הוא ע"ד המבואר בתורתנו תורת חיים אשר באם עושים מענין פעוט דבר של גזירה ועיקרון, הרי גם על ערקתא דמסאנא מתעקשים עד כדי למסי"נ, משא"כ כשמקטינים הדברים ומשתדלים לסדרן דרך אגב מצליחים ליישר גם ענינים כהרים, ויצליחו השי"ת להשפיע על סביבתו ברוח ישראל סבא בשלום ובמישרים.

בברכה.

מש"כ שלפעמים מתעורר לתשובה ולתומ"צ ואח"כ חולף כליל כו' - מבואר היטב ענינו בלקו"ת ויקרא ד"ה אדם כי יקריב יעו"ש אליבי' דנפשא.