Igrot Kodesh · Letter 3841 — Chinuch

B"H

1st day of Rosh Chodesh* Marcheshvan 5716

Brooklyn

Greetings and blessings,

I am responding to your letter of 26 Tishrei, in which you pose the following questions:

A) How does one push away undesirable thoughts?

The solution in this matter is well known: "A little light dispels much darkness." One must therefore concentrate on thoughts of Torah* and prayer, know by heart a few chapters of Mishnah*, of Tanya*, and, if possible, a few Chassidic discourses* that one can easily understand. Through all of this, one can free oneself from thoughts that are not good.

B) What should one do when everything is done in a self-interested manner?

One must be careful in this matter, for very often, when the evil inclination wishes to prevent a person from adopting good conduct, this is the path it takes. It attempts to convince him that he is not acting altruistically and that it would therefore be better for him to do nothing.

Our Sages rule that one must adopt the opposite attitude: "A person should engage in Torah* and mitzvos* even if he does not do so for His Name's sake. For through this, he will come to do so for His Name's sake."

Consequently, one should certainly endeavor to eventually act in a selfless manner. But at the outset, one must not refrain from doing any good deed, Heaven forbid, as has been described.

In this matter, one fully receives the help of Hashem by coming to the aid of one's friends and surroundings, drawing them closer to Jewish values in general and to Chassidus* in particular. This constitutes spiritual tzedakah*, and it is regarding this that it is stated: "Tzedakah* elevates a nation," as explained in Torah Or*, at the beginning of Parshas Bereishis*.

With my blessing to study Torah* with joy and fear of Hashem,

For the Rebbe shlita*,

the secretary,