Igrot Kodesh · Letter 3815 — Chinuch

B"H

7 Tishrei 5716

Brooklyn

To Rav Yehuda Segal (of Tel Aviv),

Greetings and blessings,

You ask me whether a student has the right to pronounce the name of his teacher while according him a title of honor. The details and various opinions on this matter are mentioned in the Shulchan Aruch*, Yoreh Deah*, chapter 242, paragraph 15, and in the commentaries on this text.

The custom of Chassidim* regarding their Rebbe* is to adopt a very stringent attitude in this matter, including when the Rebbe* is not present. Such a practice is, apparently, permitted without the slightest doubt. Nevertheless, this ancient custom is also well-founded. Moreover, it is not merely the mark of a stringent position. Indeed, paragraph 16 at the same reference specifies that "one endeavors not to treat him like all other people."

Consequently, if one applies this permission to one's own Rebbe* by treating him "like any other Rabbi," one effectively enters the realm of what is forbidden in paragraph 16. And it makes no difference whether one does so in greeting, in speech, or in writing.

Certainly, one finds the expressions "Moshe, my master" (said by Yehoshua*, who thereby pronounced the name of his teacher) and "Abba Chalafta" (similarly, Rabbi Yossi was the son of Rabbi Chalafta, whom he called "Abba" — "father" — while mentioning his name). These are precisely the source of the permission granted in paragraph 15. However, Yehoshua* did not call any other man "my master," and Rabbi Yehoshua did not call anyone else "Abba" (the former reserved this title for Moshe, and the latter for his father; in this way, neither of them showed any disrespect). This is self-evident and will not be elaborated here. Nevertheless, I have developed this analysis elsewhere.

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Greetings and blessings,

I am responding to your letter of 3 Tishrei, in which you tell me about a certain person. As you specify, some say that a curse has been placed upon her, Heaven forbid. You ask me what I think.

You should tell this woman to forget all of this completely. She should take upon herself the commitment to scrupulously observe the mitzvos* of the Almighty in general, those entrusted to women in particular — especially the laws of family purity, of niddah*, of the purity examination, and of immersion in a properly constructed mikveh* rather than one filled with running water.

Furthermore, she should also receive many guests, according to her means. Her husband should have his tefillin* and the mezuzos* of their home examined to ensure that they are kosher*, in accordance with halachah*. Each weekday morning, before Shacharis*, he should give a few coins to tzedakah*.

If they resolve to do all of this wholeheartedly and put it into practice immediately, the King, King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, will protect them from all trouble and all suffering, Heaven forbid. They will raise their children to Torah*, to the marriage canopy, and to good deeds.

With my blessing that you be definitively sealed for a good year and that you share good tidings of all of this,

ג'תתטו*

ב"ה, ז' תשרי, תשט"ז
ברוקלין.

שלום וברכה!

במענה על מכתבו מג' תשרי, בו כותב אודות... ואשר עולה במחשבת מי שהוא, שעשו לה כשפים ר"ל וכו' ושואל דעתי בזה.

והנה יאמר להאשה הנ"ל אשר תסיח דעתה לגמרי מכל הענין, ותקבל על עצמה להיות זהירה במצות השם יתברך ויתעלה בכלל, וביחוד במצות המסורות לנשים ובעיקר בדיני וחוקי טהרת המשפחה, נדה, הפסק טהרה, טבילה במקוה כשרה דוקא, ולא ממימי העיר וכו', ותרבה בהכנסת אורחים כפי יכולתה, והבעל שלה יבדוק את התפילין שלו וכן את המזוזות בביתם שיהיו כשרות כדין, ובכל יום חול קודם תפלת שחרית יתן איזה פרוטות לצדקה, וכשיחליטו לעשות כל האמור לעיל בלבב שלם ויתחילו בזה תיכף ומיד, הנה מלך מלכי המלכים הקדוש ברוך הוא ישמרם מכל צרה וצוקה ח"ו, ויגדלו את ילידיהם שיחיו לתורה ולחופה ולמעשים טובים.

בברכת חתימה וגמר חתימה טובה ולבשורות טובות בכל האמור לעיל.