Igrot Kodesh · Letter 7680 — Faith & Bitachon

By the grace of Hashem,

Eve of the holy Shabbos*, Parshas* Shelach*,

5721, Brooklyn, New York,

I bless you and greet you,

The culminating point of our Parshah*, that of Shelach*, is the mission entrusted to the twelve representatives of the people of Israel, whom Moshe our master sent to reconnoiter and explore the land that Hashem wished to give to the children of Israel, Eretz Yisrael*. Now, one may wonder about this. Moshe was the initiator of this mission and, without doubt, it was therefore in conformity with the Torah*. How, then, could it have resulted in a calamity and a cause of lamentation for all generations?

The answer to this question is the following. This mission was, indeed, in conformity with the Torah*, which asks Jews, individually or collectively, to act by all the means that are naturally possible. But, at the same time, they must also know that blessing and success emanate from Hashem, including in a supernatural manner, when this is necessary. However, the spies did not act and did not speak in this spirit. They constructed their own reasoning concerning the taking and conquest of Eretz Yisrael*. Then, they attempted to convince the Jews not to put into practice the Will of Hashem.

Every undertaking, personal or, all the more so, communal, must be considered as a mission that is entrusted by Hashem. Human reasoning must not be allowed to weaken one's trust in Hashem. For, if that were the case, the final outcome would be certain. Each person must do everything in his or her power. In this way, Hashem will grant supernatural success. How much more is this the case when it concerns an activity whose purpose is to assist a school providing an education in conformity with the criteria of holiness. All those who contribute to it are thereby directly linked to the holy Torah* and to Hashem.

In such a case, it is quite evident that the merit of the Torah* and that of the community come to one's aid. The more one applies oneself to carrying out the mission in the best manner, the greater the divine blessing that is granted. This concerns not only the fruitful outcome of what has been undertaken, but also everything one may need in one's private and family life — the satisfaction from children, health, and material abundance. With my blessing of success, to give good tidings of your work and of everything in general,