R' Avner's Commitment — and His Hospitalization

And I departed from there [Jerusalem] on Thursday, the week before the festival of Shavuos. And I spoke there with my uncle R' Avner, may he live — and he was angry about the fact that I had distanced myself from your honor [apparently R' Shmuel had kept somewhat distant from R' Alter during the betrothal period, and R' Avner reproved him for it]. And he promised me to exert himself with all his strength that we be in Meron the entire summer. And he told me that he will apparently see your honor during the festival of Shavuos, etc. And now [i.e., since then] he is in the hospital [R' Avner Luberbaum has been hospitalized — this is a significant and worrying development]. Let your honor pray for complete healing on his behalf — Avner son of Devorah [his full name for prayer purposes, with his mother's name as is customary]. And R' Avner promised me that when he comes to Tzfas he will see to it — with my mother — that I dwell in Meron together with your honor. And regarding the father-in-law [מחותן — his prospective father-in-law R' Amram Valenstein] — let him have no fear [presumably R' Alter had some concern about whether the betrothal to a Jerusalem family would complicate the Meron plan; R' Shmuel reassures him]. And I sent R' Avner a letter today again regarding this.

I heard that his honor diminishes himself[א"ע = את עצמו — "himself / oneself." מכחיש א"ע — "diminishes himself / denies himself." The correspondent is literally "denying himself" food and bodily needs.] through minimal eating and bodily mortification — and this is harming his health. My dear friend — know clearly: this is not the way — G-d forbid. For our master the Rebbe זצ"ל said in the Sefer HaMidos: "The rectification of the body precedes the rectification of the soul." [תיקון הגוף קודם לתיקון הנפש — "The rectification of the body precedes the rectification of the soul." A principle from Rabbi Nachman's Sefer HaMidos (the entry on the Body / Guf). Before spiritual repair is possible, the person must be physically sound and healthy — for the body is the vessel through which all spiritual work is done. A damaged vessel cannot hold light.] And the Ba'al Shem Tov[הבעש"ט = הבעל שם טוב — "the Ba'al Shem Tov." The founder of Chassidism, Rabbi Yisrael ben Eliezer (c. 1700–1760). הבעש"ט is the standard abbreviation.] זצ"ל said: "a small hole in the body is a great hole in the soul." [אקליין לעכיל אין גוף איז אגרוסער לאך אין דער נשמה — Yiddish: "a small hole in the body is a great hole in the soul." One of the famous sayings of the Ba'al Shem Tov — emphasizing that physical illness and bodily weakness directly damage the soul's capacity to serve Hashem. What appears to be a minor bodily ailment or weakness has enormous spiritual consequences.] And in the writings of the Arizal — there is much — and it is brought in Likutay Halachos — and in particular in the Laws of Mincha Prayer — Law 7 — that specifically through the body — which is thick and physical — through this one can refine it — and there will not be an excess of light — which caused the "breaking of the vessels" — and through this was the destruction of all the worlds. But specifically through the body — which is thick and physical — through this there is no excess of light — and one can refine it bit by bit — and make vessels to receive the light gradually and in measure. And this is the essential rectification of all the worlds. [שבירת כלים — "the breaking of the vessels." The Kabbalistic doctrine of the Arizal: in the primordial worlds before the creation of our own world, divine lights descended into vessels that were too weak to contain them — and shattered. This "breaking of the vessels" (shevirat hakeilim) scattered holy sparks throughout the realm of impurity — and our task in this world is to gather and elevate these sparks. The key teaching here: the physical body, with its density and materiality, serves as the precise vessel needed to contain the divine light without causing an excess — and thus enables gradual, measured rectification without a new "breaking."]

And this is brought in all the holy books — and in the words of our master the Rebbe זצ"ל — and in particular in the words of our master R' Nossan[מוהרנ"ת = מורינו הרב נתן — "our master, our teacher, Rabbi Nossan." The standard abbreviation.] זצ"ל — how to preserve the health of the body — for this surpasses everything. And in the Shulchan Aruch[ש"ע = שולחן ערוך — "the Shulchan Aruch — the Code of Jewish Law."] and in the Talmud: "and he shall live by them" [Leviticus 18:5 — "And you shall keep My statutes and My laws — which a person shall do and live by them." The Talmud (Yoma 85b) derives from "live by them" — and not die by them — that the preservation of life overrides virtually all other commandments. וחי בהם — and he shall live by them — not die by them. The principle of pikuach nefesh — the overriding of all commandments for the preservation of life.] — for the danger to life overrides everything — except for idol worship[ע"ז = עבודה זרה — "idol worship / foreign service." The first of the three cardinal sins that may not be violated even to save one's life.], forbidden relations[ג"ע = גילוי עריות — "the forbidden relations / sexual immorality." The second cardinal sin.], and bloodshed[ש"ד = שפיכות דמים — "the shedding of blood / murder." The third cardinal sin. These three — ע"ז, ג"ע, ש"ד — are the only violations where one must give one's life rather than transgress (yehareg v'al ya'avor).] — as is well known. And there is a teaching from R' Avraham זצ"ל: how one must guard the body from danger — for as long as one is alive — one can merit to true teshuvah through saying one true word before Hashem — as brought in Likutay Moharan §112 [לקוטי מוהר"ן סי' קיב — "Likutay Moharan §112." קיב = kuf(100) + yud(10) + beis(2) = 112. LM Part 1, §112 — the teaching that throughout all of a person's life he must request from Hashem that he merit to speak one true word before Hashem — and through this one true word all the barriers and screens that separate the person from G-d will be pierced and broken. The teaching: even at the very end of life, even after everything — one true word can rectify everything. Therefore: as long as one is alive, there is always hope.] — that throughout all one's days one must request from Hashem to merit to speak one true word before Hashem — and through this all the screens that separate will be pierced and so on — see there. And if one has not yet merited to such a word — how can one kill oneself, G-d forbid — when one has not yet merited one's proper rectification?

The principle is: as long as the body is healthy and whole and strong — one can perform all the divine services — and endure all the obstacles and what passes over him — and can merit what one will merit. And if there is no body — then there is no soul either. Therefore one must not listen to the voice of the evil inclination which disguises itself as a commandment — for on the contrary: the greatest commandment is to preserve the health of the body — and through this one can do and do and do. And as our master the Rebbe זצ"ל said: "When the person is healthy — he must do and do and do" — [in Yiddish: "when a person is healthy he must do and do and do (in the service of Hashem) — when he is not healthy — one puts aside the scissors and the iron (meaning: the tools of divine service) — and he has one commandment to fulfill: 'And you shall carefully guard your souls.'"] [Deuteronomy 4:15 — "And you shall very carefully guard your souls." The Talmud (Berachos 32b and Rashi on Parshas Noach) applies this verse to the obligation of self-care and preserving one's health.] Therefore — my dear brother — see to guard your health — to eat and drink — and to serve Hashem with joy and love — for this is the essential more than everything — as brought extensively in all the holy books — in the holy Zohar — and in the writings of the Arizal — and in the books of the Ba'al Shem Tov[בעש"ט = בעל שם טוב — the standard abbreviation, here used without the ה prefix.] and his disciples — and in particular in the books of our master the Rebbe זצ"ל and our master R' Nossan זצ"ל.

Shmuel Horwitz

This fifty-sixth letter — 8 Cheshvan 5725 (November 1964), Jerusalem — is unique in the collection: entirely devoted to a single urgent warning against excessive fasting and self-affliction, marshaling an extraordinary range of sources. The correspondent (unnamed young scholar) has been starving himself in the belief this will advance his spiritual state. The warning (§2): Sefer HaMidos: "the rectification of the body precedes the rectification of the soul." Ba'al Shem Tov (Yiddish): "a small hole in the body is a great hole in the soul." Arizal + LH Laws of Mincha §7: the body's density prevents excess of light — without a body there would be another "breaking of the vessels" — the body is the precise vessel for gradual, measured rectification of all the worlds. Shulchan Aruch + Talmud: "v'chai bahem — and he shall live by them, not die by them" — preserving life overrides all commandments except three. R' Avraham: one must protect the body because as long as one is alive — one can say one true word to G-d (LM §112) — which pierces all barriers. Therefore: how can one kill oneself when one has not yet achieved one's rectification? The evil inclination disguises itself as a commandment — but the greatest commandment is health. The Rebbe's saying: when healthy — do and do and do; when not healthy — put aside the scissors and the iron (the tools of divine service) and fulfill "guard your souls" (Deuteronomy 4:15). Key terms: Sefer HaMidos — tikkun haguf kodem l'tikkun hanefesh — body's rectification precedes the soul's · Ba'al Shem Tov — a small hole in the body is a great hole in the soul · Shevirat hakeilim — the breaking of the vessels — the body prevents excess of light; enables gradual rectification · LH — Laws of Mincha §7 — the body enables measured rectification of all worlds · V'chai bahem — and he shall live by them, not die by them — Leviticus 18:5; Talmud Yoma 85b · LM §112 — one true word before G-d pierces all barriers; therefore life must be preserved · The Rebbe's saying on health — when healthy: do and do and do; when sick: "guard your souls" · The evil inclination disguises itself as a commandment — mortification is not the path