Letter 8 ח

Life, peace, and all goodness and blessings forever, and fulfillment of all his heart's desires for good — to the honor of the beloved of my soul, my spirit, and my neshamah [נר"נ — the three levels of the soul: נפש, רוח, נשמה] — beloved, dear, precious, and greatly cherished to me — one who enables the many to merit [מזכה הרבים — one who brings others to Torah and to merit; a high designation], who loves people and draws them near to Torah [אוהב הבריות ומקרבן לתורה — a direct echo of Hillel's famous dictum in Avos 1:12: "Love creatures and draw them near to Torah"; applying it to R' Alter is a remarkable compliment] — the distinguished Torah scholar, our Master R' Alter Ben Tzion, may he live.

Behold — the essential of teshuvah is genuine regret — and to confess to Hashem — and to request from Him that He forgive him — and that He help him to be saved from now on — not to do such again. And one needs very very great strengthening — not to fall from anything — however it is and however it will be. And it is inevitable that ascents and descents without measure and count will pass over the person. And on the contrary: one who does not have ascents and descents passing over him — this is a sign that he is far from Hashem — or that he is foolish and does not feel.

And the principle: the person was created to break through the obstacles and to stand in the tests — this is his rectification. And all the more so[מכ"ש = מכל שכן — "all the more so."] in every test — in all that passes over him — and without falling at all and at all from anything and from any weakness of mind — and let him do whatever he can in the service of Hashem — and everything in joy. For one must greatly rejoice in what one has merited: to yearn for the service of Hashem and to draw close to the true Tzaddik — for certainly from this there will be a good end forever and ever.

And the essential is according to the strengthening with which one strengthens — for to stand firm in one's place — and not to fall into the snares of the evil inclination — which always stands to bring the person down — this depends essentially on his strengthening and his faith in Hashem[ש"י = השם יתברך — "Hashem may He be blessed." ש"י = ש[ם] י[תברך] — a compressed abbreviation for the divine Name with its blessing.] — that Hashem sees everything — and judges favorably — and "the Eternal is righteous in all His ways" [Psalms 145:17] — and certainly all the distances and the descents — all are for the good. And in the end he will merit what he merits — if he merits to stand firm in his place — and not to fall in his mind from anything.

For one who is not strong to always strengthen himself — and to stand firm in his place — and not to fall in his mind from anything — then he is not safe, G-d forbid. And who knows — he can fall, G-d forbid, into the very depths of Sheol literally — like all the great wicked ones — like Jeroboam and Acher and so on — whose essential failure was that they did not strengthen themselves to return to Hashem from wherever they were — and to rejoice in their portion.

But one who strengthens himself[א"ע = את עצמו — "himself / oneself."] in whatever he can — and whatever he can do in the service of Hashem — even if not in completeness — is very precious to him. And every movement toward the service of Hashem — and every guarding from a sinful thought and a glance and a thought — is precious to him. And so every holy matter — such as every yearning — and every psalm of Psalms — and every chapter of Mishnah — and every movement of a commandment — that one snatches and strengthens oneself in all the descents and in all the tests — certainly it will be very good for him in the end. As our master the Rebbe זצ"ל said about all that passes over the person: in Yiddish: "Abi me halt zikh" — [the essential: that one holds firm]. [אביא מע דער האלט זיך — "the essential that one holds firm." Yiddish: abi me halt zikh — "as long as one holds on / the essential is that one holds firm." One of the most beloved and oft-cited of the Rebbe's Yiddish sayings — whatever may be happening, whatever may be passing over a person — the one indispensable requirement is simply: hold firm. Don't let go. Don't give up. This is the sum of the entire spiritual path in four Yiddish words.]

This thirty-ninth letter — written Wednesday of Parshas Terumah from Meron — is addressed to a new correspondent, Mr. Baruch Zilber, who requested words of strengthening. Compact and precise, it is one of the most concentrated treatments of the theme of spiritual perseverance in the collection. The author again signs as "Shmuel HaLevi Horovitz."

True teshuvah (§2): Three components: (1) genuine regret; (2) verbal confession to Hashem; (3) request for forgiveness and help not to sin again. Inevitable ascents and descents — not a failure but a sign of being close to Hashem. One who has no ascents and descents is either far from Hashem or simply insensitive. The person was created to break through obstacles and stand in tests — this is his rectification.

Standing firm and snatching (§3): Standing firm depends on strengthening + faith: G-d sees all, judges favorably, all descents are for the good. Warning: Jeroboam and Acher — they failed because they did not strengthen themselves to return from wherever they were. Every small movement toward holiness is precious — every psalm, every Mishnah chapter, every guarding from a sinful thought. The Rebbe's climactic saying: "Abi me halt zikh" — "the essential is that one holds firm." Four Yiddish words that contain the entire spiritual path. Key terms: Mr. Baruch Zilber — new correspondent; seeks divrei hischazakus (words of strengthening) · Teshuvah = charatah + viduy + bakashah — regret, confession, request; the three components · Aliyos v'yiridot b'li shi'ur va'erech — ascents and descents without measure; inevitable for those close to G-d · Adam nivra lishbor haminiyos v'la'amod b'nisyonos — the person was created to break obstacles and stand in tests · Tzaddik Hashem b'chol derachav — Psalms 145:17 — all descents are for the good · Yeravam v'Acher — the two great warnings: didn't strengthen themselves to return from wherever they were · Kol tenu'ah la'avodas Hashem — kol shemirah mehirhur — yikar etzlo — every movement, every guarding, is precious · Abi me halt zikh — "the essential is that one holds firm" — the Rebbe's climactic four-word saying