To His Mother — Do Not Be Angry; He Yearns But Must Stay

Peace and blessing and all good things, forever — and a joyous Purim and a kosher and joyous Passover — to his honor, my beloved, my friend, my dear, with heart and soul, [בלב ונפש — "with heart and soul." A formula of complete inner devotion — the heart (seat of feeling and will) and the soul (the deepest inner being) together — expressing that the friendship involves the whole person, not merely the surface.] who yearns for the service of Hashem in truth — his honor, his splendor, and his glory, our master and teacher Rabbi Avraham Yakovitch, may his light shine, may he live long, may G-d protect him and guard him. After inquiring after your precious wellbeing with great love. As for our own wellbeing — thanks be to Hashem.

Practical Matters I have indeed received his letter from Parshas Bo, and from Parshas Yisro, and from Parshas Terumah — together with the money that you sent. And I will write you a reply on everything. Regarding the cheques: it makes no practical difference [אין נפקא מינה — "it makes no practical difference / there is no distinction in outcome." An Aramaic-Hebrew Talmudic legal phrase meaning: the matter has no practical consequence — either way the result is the same. Used here in its everyday sense: the specific type of cheque doesn't matter.] which cheques his honor sends — for all of them I exchange for money at the government bank, which accepts all types of cheques — for which I personally take responsibility [שאני מקבל אחריותי — "for which I accept / take upon myself personal responsibility." Achrayus (אחריות) — responsibility, guarantee, accountability. The author personally guarantees to the bank that these cheques will be honored — he puts his own name and credit behind each one, making himself the guarantor.] that they will be paid.

And regarding the Rabbeinu Tam tefillin — it has been about two weeks since they were already sent. And there was much laboring exertion and toil for my son, may his light shine, with the maker of the housings of the tefillin — who pressed him and urged him on every single time. And the essential thing — you should know: you have no cause to worry that you might have been able to obtain more distinguished tefillin. You should know: even if you had sent double the money you sent — you would not have obtained more distinguished tefillin.

Counsel on the Question of Aliyah And regarding his honor's question about coming to the Land of Israel — behold, according to my understanding and my opinion: his honor should not leave his livelihood and his dwelling place, and should not act hastily [בחיפזון — b'chipazon — "in haste / hastily / in a rush." The same word used for Israel's hasty departure from Egypt (Exodus 12:11) — that urgency born of sudden compulsion. Here it describes the dangerous rush of making an irreversible life decision too quickly, before the ground is properly prepared.] — for perhaps he will greatly regret it afterward, G-d forbid. And my counsel is: that his honor should see to revive himself through the longing with which he longs for the Land of Israel [בהחשק שחושק לא"י — "through the longing with which he longs for the Land of Israel." The Hebrew uses both the noun cheshek (longing/desire) and the verb chokayk (longs/desires) from the same root — a grammatical intensification: the longing itself as longing, the desire in its fullest quality. This emphasis conveys: not a mild wish but a deep, saturating yearning.] — for through this one draws [ממשיכין — "draws / pulls down." From the root משך — the same verb of flowing-forward used in Letter 9. Through longing one actively draws — pulls downward toward oneself — the spiritual atmosphere of the Land of Israel, making it present wherever one is.] the air of the Land of Israel and the holiness of the Land of Israel to the diaspora. And likewise he should give life to himself through the charity that he sends to the Land of Israel — for through this he is considered before Hashem literally as if he is in the Land of Israel — as brought in the holy books and in the books of Kabbalah.

And also in Likutay Moharan, Part 1, Section 37: "Through charity for the Land of Israel — include yourself in the atmosphere of the Land of Israel — and your breath will be the breath of the Land of Israel — and the breath of the children of the school-house who have no sin." [The precise Aramaic words of Likutay Moharan I, §37: תכלול עצמיך באוירא דא"י — "include yourself / incorporate yourself in the avira (atmosphere / air-spirit) of the Land of Israel." אוירא (avira) is the Aramaic for the spiritual atmosphere — the distinctive spiritual quality that permeates the very air of the Land. והבל שלך יהי' הבל דא"י — "and your hevel (breath / vapor) will be the hevel of the Land of Israel." Hevel — the same word used by Kohelet for "vanity" — here means breath, the physical and spiritual breath of life. והבל תינוקות של בית רבן שאין בו חטא — "and the hevel of the tinokos shel beis raban (the young children of the Torah school-house) who have no sin." The breath of young Torah-learning children — unstained by any sin — is considered the purest, most spiritually potent breath in the world (Shabbos 119b). Through charity for Israel, one's own breath is elevated to this level of purity.] See there, the entire section.

And in particular — his honor supports us so that we can serve Hashem in the Land of Israel and produce many innovations in Torah, [לחדש הרבה בתורה — "to produce many innovations / novelties in Torah." Lechadesh — to make new, to renew, to create original Torah insights. Chidushim (חידושים) — Torah novelties or innovations — are original creative interpretations and insights that a scholar generates: they "make new" what was always there but never seen in quite that way before. The author is saying: the recipients' financial support enables him to produce original Torah scholarship in the Land of Israel, specifically in the Rebbe's Torah — a creative and generative activity, not merely repetition.] and in particular in the Torah of our master the Rebbe זצ"ל — which will be a merit for the multitudes for all generations. And in particular — his honor engages in making efforts so that we should be able to print holy books like these that can revive the entire world from beginning to end. For on every single utterance, every single person in the world can say: "Were I not to have come [into the world] except to hear this — it is sufficient." [אלמלא לא אתינא אלא למשמע דא די — Aramaic: "Were I not to have come except to hear this — it is sufficient." A formula found repeatedly in the Zohar when the disciples of R' Shimon hear a wondrous Torah teaching: the experience is so sublime that it alone would have justified their entire existence in the world. The author applies it to each individual teaching in the Rebbe's book: every single utterance is so life-giving that a person could say this about it. Almaley — "were it not / had it not been"; lo asina — "I had come / I entered"; ela — "except"; l'mishma — "to hear"; da — "this"; dai — "it is sufficient."] [As this kind of language is found in the holy Zohar — that the Tzaddikim said this when they heard the secrets of the Torah.] And many, many people will become penitents and complete Tzaddikim through these books.

And the essential thing — you should know: you have no cause to worry that you might have been able to obtain more distinguished tefillin. You should know: even if you had sent double the money you sent — you would not have obtained more distinguished tefillin.

Therefore — my holy and faithful counsel is: do not leave your livelihood and all your financial matters at all — only to long and request from Hashem about this. And in the meantime — strengthen yourselves to snatch what you can snatch: both in the matter of the printing work — through which you will have a merit for the multitudes for all generations that is incomparable — and in drawing your companion R' Moshe Aharon, may his light shine, close — and perhaps Hashem will help that you will draw more souls close. And also pay off your debts. And within this time — find a way [that will not damage your livelihood or domestic peace, G-d forbid] that you could come yourself to the Holy Land for some period of time by airplane — and merit to fulfill the commandment of "one who walks four cubits in the Land of Israel" — and also to be at the holy sites, and to snatch service of Hashem during this time as much as you can. And you will be able to see the matter and the counsel here regarding livelihood and a dwelling — so that you could establish your residence here with all your household [עם כל ב"ב = עם כל בני ביתו — "with all his household / with all the members of his home." B"B (beis-beis) is the standard abbreviation for bnei beiso — "the people of his house / his family household" — wife and children and all dependents. The dream: to eventually bring the entire family to live permanently in the Land of Israel.] permanently. But for now [לעת עתה — "for now / for the present moment." The phrase appears twice in this paragraph. לע"ע (lamed-ayin-ayin) is the standard abbreviated form of לעת עתה — "for the present time / for now." A temporalizing phrase: not "never" but "not yet, for the current moment."] — there is no need to confuse the mind and to study courses at all — and also not to think at all about establishing a residence in America. Only to long specifically for the Holy Land — and in the meantime to do and snatch merits as above as much as you can — and to long until you will be able to bring from potential to actual: to come yourself for some period of time — alone and without leaving your livelihood for now [לע"ע = לעת עתה — "for now / for the present moment." The abbreviation appears again here. The nuance: without leaving the livelihood *for now* — the "for now" softening what might seem like a permanent injunction. Eventually things will change; for now, the livelihood must be maintained.] — until Hashem helps that you merit to establish your residence here.