Igrot Kodesh · Letter 8407 — Faith & Bitachon

By the grace of Hashem,

30 Nissan* 5722,

1st day of Rosh Chodesh* Iyar*,

Brooklyn, New York,

To the participants of the annual dinner of the Yeshivah*

Achei Temimim* Lubavitch of Newark,

may Hashem grant you long life,

I greet you and bless you,

I learned, with pleasure, that your annual celebration will take place on 23 Iyar*, which approaches for good. At the conclusion of the propitious month of Nissan* and at the beginning of the favorable month of Iyar*, I address to you my blessing that Hashem grant success to this evening, both materially and spiritually. Among the Jews, indeed, these two domains are linked and unified. The month of Iyar* is distinguished by the fact that each of its days is blessed by a specific Mitzvah*, that of the counting of the Omer* (note 1: The Rebbe* underlines the words: 'counting of the Omer' and: 'Temple'). It is also in this month that the construction of the first Temple (note 1) began.

As is known (note 2: According to tractate Megillah* 29a), the Yeshivah* and the synagogue, in which Jews study the Torah* and pray, occupy, at the present time, the place of the Temple and are even called: "small Temple." Their reason for being is the same as that of the Temple, to maintain the bond between the Jews and their Father Who is in the heavens, through the intermediary of the Torah* and the Mitzvos*, applied in daily life, the eternal and immutable Jewish way of life. All of you who take part in this, by coming to the aid of the Yeshivah*, invest in imperishable and perpetual values and options.

I hope that you will extend a generous hand. This will allow you to be blessed by Hashem, from His full and generous hand, in all your needs, material and spiritual. With my respects and my blessing,

M. Schneerson,