Igrot Kodesh · Letter 5785 — Faith & Bitachon

B"H

7 Tishrei 5718

Brooklyn

Greetings and blessings,

I have duly received (note: this letter was drafted by the Rebbe's secretariat, then reviewed by the Rebbe himself; the end of the letter, after the secretary's signature, was personally written by the Rebbe) the newspaper clipping you sent me (note: it was a poem published in the press, and the author noted in the margin: "How many of your students, born here, will be able to understand this prayer?"), together with the few words you appended to it.

The answer to your question is found in its very formulation: what is being done, in your circles, so that a young man born here will not only understand the prayer, but moreover be willing to recite it? And more still — that he not merely be willing, but actually pray, three times a day? And do you think that by publishing the few lines you wrote in a newspaper, you are taking a decisive step in that direction?

May Hashem grant that instead of asking questions and accusing others, you yourself set the example by putting the Torah* and the mitzvos* into practice in your daily existence, without being affected by mockery, without being ashamed to accomplish everything that is expected of you. Whoever exercises influence must be close to the Jewish way of life, which means, very simply, that one must put on tefillin*, eat kosher*, and observe Shabbos*.

Of course, not knowing you, I do not know to what extent what has just been said applies to your case. Nevertheless, in this country, the majority of writers and of those who pose questions about others thereby justify themselves for not seeking true Judaism — that is, in the most literal sense, a daily existence based on the Shulchan Aruch*. But perhaps you belong to the minority that has adopted good conduct.

With my respects and my blessing that you be definitively inscribed for a good year,

The secretary,

I will respond to at least one question posed in your prayer (note: which stated, in particular: "Of those who keep the morning, my soul will not speak — Tassiah, whose numerical value is 718, alluding to the year 5718. Fatigued from killing to sanctify the Name of Hashem and from the birth pangs of Moshiach*, we shall pray: May it be the end, the end of all these straight dragons"):

"Fatigued from killing to sanctify the Name of Hashem and from the birth pangs of Moshiach*."

Why did you choose this formulation, which does not correspond to the rhyme of this prayer, having too many syllables compared to the other verses? Furthermore, its content is not fitting. You say: "killing to sanctify the Name of Hashem," just as Dovid* killed Golyas*. It should have conveyed the opposite: "being killed to sanctify the Name of Hashem." Moreover, this phrase is not in its proper place. It is superfluous in a prayer for the end of persecutions and the coming of the redemption. You yourself should have written, in its place:

"My soul, which is fatigued by those who kill for the birth pangs of Moshiach*, shall pray."

This would have another advantage, for the natural continuation of this text would be: "my soul shall speak and pray," whereas you write: "my soul will not speak," and then you address those who are "fatigued" saying: "we shall pray." Furthermore, "my soul, which is fatigued by those who kill" is indeed a verse. Now, in the other verses, you endeavor to incorporate verses.