Igrot Kodesh · Letter 9021

By the grace of Hashem,

8 Elul* 5725,

Brooklyn,

I greet and bless you,

I have duly received your letter of 1/9[1], together with its enclosure. I thank you greatly for the good news that your journey will indeed take place in a manner permitted by Hashem[2] and not in transgression of Shabbat* on the largest possible scale — that is, by traveling on a ship owned by Jews, operated by Jews, and steered by Jews throughout the full twenty-four hours of Shabbat*, which entails the transgression of many prohibitions: kindling, extinguishing, writing, and others besides. It is indeed particularly painful to witness such a situation in general, and all the more so when the destination of the journey is the Land that is holy for us as for all. That Shabbat* should be violated so many times by the numerous people aboard the ship is so distressing that it is even difficult to speak of.

May Hashem grant, through the favorable outcome of your travel plans, that the journey take place at a good and auspicious moment, and that you moreover be blessed by being inscribed and sealed for a good and sweet year. With my blessing, in the hope of receiving good news from you,