Igrot Kodesh · Letter 9437

By the grace of Hashem,

20 Tevet* 5728,
Brooklyn, New York,

To Mrs. Sima[1],

I bless and greet you,

I have duly received your letters of 8 Tevet*, as well as the one that preceded them, with what was enclosed, and I thank you for them, in particular for what you tell me regarding the developments at Beit Hanna*.

In response to your proposal[2], it is clear that there is no reason[3] to print the photograph of a person on a stamp, and that this would in no way constitute a mark of respect. I am astonished by those who see a great honor in the fact of canceling with the postal stamp the image of the one they wish to honor! Furthermore, marking the stamp and the effigy in this manner constitutes their normal use!

Notes

[1] Mrs. S. Ralbag, of Jerusalem.
[2] That of printing a stamp bearing the image of Rabbanit* Channa Schneerson, the Rebbe's mother, in order to place it on the diplomas awarded by the Beit Hanna* school of Jerusalem, and then to have it certified by the Israeli postal service.
[3] See, on this subject, letter 6728.

ט'תלז

ב"ה , כ' טבת, ה'תשכ"ח

ברוקלין, נ.י.

מרת סימה תחי'

ברכה ושלום!

. . . מכתבי' מיום ח' טבת והקודמו (עם המצו"ב) נתקבלו. ות"ח – ובפרט על כתבה מההתפתחיות ד"בית חנה".

ו במענה לההצעה – פשוט שאין מקום (וכבוד כלל) להדפסת תמונה פ' בבול. ותמיהני על הי"א שכבוד גדול הוא . . להכות (ע"[י] חותם הדואר) תמונת זה שרוצים לכבדו! ולא עוד אלא שדוקא ע"י הכאה זו ממלא הבול (והתמונה) תפקידם!