Igrot Kodesh · Letter 6799 — Faith & Bitachon

By the grace of Hashem,

6 Nissan* 5719,

Brooklyn,

I bless you and greet you,

I am responding to your letter of 13/4. At a propitious moment, I will mention all those you cite at the holy resting place of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, whose merit protects us, so that each one may obtain the satisfaction of his needs, in accordance with what you write.

You seem to consider, from what you say in your letter, that it suffices, to give a good Jewish education to one's children, to send them to the Talmud Torah* and to celebrate their Bar Mitzvah*. I am surprised by this, for that is far from sufficient. This is self-evident. Indeed, Jewish education continues after the Bar Mitzvah*. It is no less important than before it — perhaps even more so. A boy must therefore be sent to the Yeshivah* and a girl to a Beis Rivka* or Beis Yaakov* school. In this way, one avoids much trouble (note 1: In English in the original text, "trouble," the rest of the letter being in Yiddish) and difficulties in the following years, for one's children and for oneself. However strictly one may express all this in words, it will still not be sufficient, given the importance of what is at stake — the necessity of a Jewish education, as I have said.

You do not specify what education you are giving your boy (note 2: In English in the original text, "boy") and your girl. I therefore thought it was my duty to write you what is said above, in an even stronger and more serious manner. When one truly desires it, one succeeds in convincing oneself, in convincing one's children and one's husband. May Hashem grant that the merit of what you will accomplish in this matter, to persuade your children to receive a Jewish education and to put it into practice, protect you yourself and your husband, so that you derive true Jewish satisfaction from all of them at once. With my blessing to give good tidings, as well as for a kosher and joyous Pesach*,

For the Rebbe Shlita*,

the secretary,