Weekly Moment With the Rebbe

The Avner Institute presents the Rebbe's letters of gratitude, written during the yahrzeit (10 Shevat) of the Rebbe Rayatz, to two gentlemen on their success in returning part of his father-in-law’s holy books to their rightful place, the Library at 770 Eastern Parkway; and of gratitude for the holy memory and impact of his father-in-law—referred to here as the Ba’al Hahilulo—on Jews of all ages and backgrounds.

This Shabbos we celebrate Yud-Beis (12) Tammuz, the liberation of the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn—the Frierdiker Rebbe, also known as the Rebbe Rayatz—from Soviet prison. The Rebbe Rayatz’s equally dramatic flight from wartime Europe and arrival in the U.S. marked the re-establishment of Chabad-Lubavitch, the Chassidic movement, which rapidly spread under the leadership of his heir and son-in-law. The Avner Institute presents his son-in-law’s letters of gratitude, written during the yahrzeit (10 Shevat) of the Rebbe Rayatz, to two gentlemen on their success in returning part of his father-in-law’s holy books to their rightful place, the Library at 770 Eastern Parkway; and of gratitude for the holy memory and impact of his father-in-law—referred to here as the Ba’al Hahilulo—on Jews of all ages and backgrounds.

In loving memory of Hadassah Lebovic A”h

By the Grace of G-d
11 Shevat 5740
Brooklyn, NY

Mr. Joseph Shestack
Parkway House
2201 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19130

Greeting and Blessing:

With sincere apologies for the tardiness. I take this first opportunity of conveying to you my profound gratitude for your dedicated and steadfast efforts which finally and happily resulted in restoring the sacred manuscripts to their rightful place in our Library.

As I had occasion to mention to you before, it is truly a case of pidyon shevuyim [rescue] for these manuscripts after they had languished so long “in captivity.” And though a mitzvah in general, and such a great mitzvah in particular, hardly requires a human “thank you,” the homecoming of these long-lost and missed manuscripts, which had been so soulfully bound up with their authors and legatees, and so deeply touched me personally, that the least I can do is to let you know how much I appreciate what you have done and accomplished.

May G-d grant that you continue doing good deeds and accomplish great things, with joy and gladness of heart, both for our Jewish people and for mankind (which is also part of a Jew’s obligation given to us in the Torah from Sinai), all your life, in good health and happy circumstances.

Inasmuch as everything is by Divine Providence, I take this occasion to congratulate you on your appointment as American Representative and Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. May I add that what you have accomplished for the rights of the above-mentioned manuscripts eminently fits in with your qualifications as a champion of human rights. My prayerful wishes for utmost hatzlacha [success] in utilizing the fullest measure your prestige and capabilities, with which Divine Providence has rightly endowed you.

With esteem and blessing,

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P.S. What follows here really deserves a special letter of its own. But in these hectic days it is wise to take prompt advantage of a good opportunity, even if it comes in the form of a P.S. — which, of course, in no way detracts from the importance and high priority of the subject at hand.

I refer to the recently published State Department report on human rights for 1979. According to my knowledge, the section dealing with the Land of Israel, particularly with the so-called “West Bank,” is clearly prejudicial and, at least, obliquely critical, giving currency to unsubstantiated, indeed categorically refuted, allegations, unworthy of repetition here.

It is not surprising, though no less painful, that the prevailing attitude in the U.S. State Department would encourage such despicable bigotry as the world has just been treated to by a high-ranking Egyptian government official, said to be a close friend and confidant of Sadat, in his interview for a Kuwaiti newspaper, of which you are of course fully cognizant.

It is a pity that your appointment as U.S. Ambassador to the UN Commission on Human Rights was not made earlier, for you might have been able to influence the said report. But I am hopeful that you can still do something even at this stage, since a report of this kind takes long to prepare, and in a rapidly changing world cannot be considered the final word. It no doubt leaves room for revisions and supplements. Thus, the opportunity may still be present for you to assert your influence in the way you know best.

By the Grace of G-d
17 Shevat 5740
Brooklyn, NY

Mr. Leib Goldfine
1424 Melrose Avenue
Melrose Park, PA

Greeting and Blessing:

I appreciate very much your coming to participate in the celebration of the thirtieth anniversary. It was a pleasure indeed to greet you personally at the Farbrengen, following the Dinner reception, and to have you join in a l’chaim [toast] on this auspicious occasion. May G-d grant that it truly be “for life and blessing,” filled with fruitful activities on behalf of our people, in the spirit of the Ba’al Hahilulo, my father-in-law of saintly memory.

This is a fitting occasion to convey to you again my profound appreciation of your efforts, in conjunction with those of our esteemed mutual friend, Mr. Joseph Shestack, which finally resulted in the restoration of the sacred manuscripts to their home. As I had occasion to point out, this is verily a case of pidyon shevuyim, which undoubtedly brought immense gratification to the soul of my saintly father-in-law, who was soulfully bound up with these sacred writings that had so long languished in “captivity.”

I also take this opportunity of expressing to you heartfelt thanks for being instrumental in the acquisition of several additional manuscripts which you so joyfully—as I am told—purchased and turned over to our Library to be reunited with their kin.

May G-d grant you many happy opportunities of doing good deeds with joy and gladness of heart—thus also widening the channels to receive and enjoy G-d’s blessings for continuous and growing hatzlacha in all your affairs, both personal and public.

With warm, personal regards, and with esteem and blessing,

[signature]

By the Grace of G-d
14 Shevat 5741
Brooklyn, NY

Hon. Joseph Shestack
Parkway House
2201 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy
Philadelphia, PA 19130

Greeting and Blessing:

I was pleased to see you. In the company of our mutual esteemed friend Rabbi Avrohom Shemtov, at the Yud Shevat Farbrengen, in the midst of such a solemn assembly, in a holy place of worship, gathered to observe the yahrzeit-hilulo of my predecessor, my father-in-law of saintly memory. In Chabad terms such an event would be described as a confluence of the three dimensions of time, space and person.

The solemnity of the occasion and the sublime atmosphere surely did not escape a person like yourself, whose professional and public activities make him particularly sensitive to the human mind and human spirit.

I am sure you were gratified to know, also, that the vast majority of the participants were comprised of the younger generation, including teenagers and even younger ones, who were all obviously permeated with the inspiration of the Ba’al Hahilulo, though many of them were too young to know him personally. But all certainly felt a profound spiritual affinity that united them all in dedicated commitment to perpetuate the priceless heritage my predecessor has left for all of us. In his teachings and in the sacred institutions and programs which he founded and initiated for the purpose of strengthening and disseminating Torah Yiddishkeit in this country and in all parts of the world.

I am especially pleased that your participation in this event gave you a living opportunity to see with your own eyes some of the good fruits of your labor in connection with the recovery of the manuscripts and books that belonged to the Ba’al Hahilulo and restoring them to their rightful place. For, a goodly part of what was said on this occasion, as well as what has taught and inspired many of the young people you saw, came from these manuscripts, some of them now printed and published for the first time.

This is a good opportunity, therefore, to emphasize again your unique zechus [merit] to having been instrumental in the pidyon shevuyim of these sacred books. This great zechus will certainly always stand you in good stead for a generous measure of Divine blessings in all your affairs, both personal and public, and to go from strength to strength in all your good works: “Good to Heaven and good to creatures.”

With warm personal regards, and with esteem and blessing,

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To recive to your inbox email: Rebbebook@gmail.com

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