Igrot Kodesh · Letter 8084 — Faith & Bitachon

By the grace of Hashem,

13 Teves* 5716,

Brooklyn,

I bless you and greet you,

I respond to your letter of the fifth day of Chanukah*, in which you ask me to explain to you, in a concrete manner, what unity means. In our generation, one does indeed ask to study the Torah* profoundly, in general, and Chassidus*, in particular. Nevertheless, the essential of the mission entrusted to our era consists of acting upon oneself and influencing one's circle in the simplest domains of daily existence. For men in general, unity is the opposite of discord, the effort to love one's fellow, including when it costs. All the more so must one not offend the other and, as I said, this is so even in the simplest domains, with which one must begin, then elevate oneself higher and higher.

You yourself reside in this place and you observe dissensions between people. I do not wish to say more, for this is painful and the matter here is solely to express a feeling. Of course, my purpose is not to seek the faults of Jews in general, of those of this city in particular. No one will suspect me of this. Nevertheless, when I think of your situation, all of you, when I observe the success that Hashem grants you, the help you obtain in an unexpected manner, although you do not count on it, then when I see what concretely happens, I think that one does nothing well by wanting to hide the reason. Quite the contrary, when a patient wants to be healed, he cannot deceive himself and persuade himself that the illness does not exist, especially when it is evident. One cannot pretend not to see it. According to a well-known principle, the diagnosis is a large part of the healing of the patient.

I formulate all of this in general terms, without considering the specific aspects of this situation, for my purpose is not to write to one against the other, with reference to what is not good, to what is not for his benefit. In this case, it is clear that such an approach would be superfluous, for all who are on the spot know the situation perfectly. What is lacking is only the will and the energy to rectify it. In such a case, in very little time, it is possible to modify both the situation and the people. Likewise, the schools of this place could be a pride and a glory. May Hashem help you, as well as your husband, so that you earn a broad livelihood and attain breadth of spirit.

I hope that you yourself and the other people to whom you will show my letter will not consider it as a moral lesson or as a reproach, but rather as an attempt, once again and once again, to communicate my position to those who are in a position to repair the situation and restore it as it truly must be. May Hashem grant you the success of announcing good news of all that has been said, as well as of the good deeds you carry out daily. With the blessing,