Father to Son
This year will mark the 78th yahrzeit of Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, father of our Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Famed mystic, beloved Rav in Ukraine, and prolific Torah scholar, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak suffered greatly under the Soviet regime, which eventually kept him virtual prisoner and exile in Kazakhstan for the rest of his life.
The Avner Institute presents tender letters to the Rebbe, then a bridegroom, from Rabbi Levi Yitzchak and the Rebbe’s uncle Shmuel Schneerson — both of whom were cruelly denied permission to attend the Rebbe’s wedding in Warsaw. Forced instead to celebrate in absentia, they nevertheless express their fervent joy and love felt thousands of miles away, as well as a father’s unshakeable influence.
In honor of David and Eda Schottenstein, wishing them much success and nachas
“Buy Your Bride a Good and Worthy Gift”
7 Kislev 5689 [1928]
To my son, the groom, long may you live:
Use the amount enclosed to buy your bride a good and worthy gift that seems fit and pleasing to both of you, and tell the bride, from us, that she should make use of it with health and harmony, with joy and cheer, together with you, with a bounty of wealth and happiness both in body and spirit, as is the wish of your parents, your father and mother who love you and anticipate seeing only good and kindness for you.
May this indeed be G-d’s will!
Levi Yitzchak Schneerson
P.S. Wear your new garments in health and peace with all things good, as those who love you wish for you.
“Guard Your Health Zealously”
2 Adar I 5689 [1928]
. . . that you make a practice of fasting daily till the time of Minchah – I’m actually happy that she told me and grateful to her for it.
I don’t understand you at all. What kind of practice is this, and from where and from whom did you learn it? It would seem to me that your might has been somewhat less than that of Samson, so why do you carry on like this? This is not a way appropriate to the Torah nor the way to engage in repentance at all!
We have got to protect our health determinedly and zealously, and so I command you in all earnestness to cease this practice utterly. And not only not till the afternoon prayers, but even not till after the end of Shacharis! Instead, every morning you must eat something before davenen. (Just recite Shema Yisrael beforehand and, if possible in tefillin, even better.) Make every effort to safeguard your health, and the more you do so, the better will it be.
. . . with this I conclude, repeating all my above-mentioned requests, and please, please, my beloved one, write a bit more frequently, and tell us everything in a detailed fashion. And may Hashem be with you, so that you rise and succeed increasingly both materially and spiritually, as is the wish of your father who loves you from the depths of my heart. May this indeed be G-d’s will.
Levi Yitzchak Schneerson
P.S. I’ll probably be sending you a letter on another matter in the coming days, G-d willing.
“Dancing on the Table-Tops”
By the Grace of G-d
Thursday, 17 Kislev 5689 [1928]
Dniepropetrovsk
To my dear and beloved Menachem, long may you live;
To my dear and precious Moussia [Mushka], long may you live;
Peace unto you forever!
Now after the percussion’s clash and festive dance and after the momentous evening of your wedding which I shall never forget, I am once again inscribing my blessings, to join the first ones: Mazel tov! Mazel tov! Mazel tov! To you, my precious ones! My pen has not the ability to express to you my heart’s emotions, yet what G-d desires is the heart, and that is – prayer!
May the Holy One, blessed be He, grant you all my heartfelt requests concerning you. The only thing I desire is to see you living a happy life, with bountiful joy, satisfaction and beneficence forever. May your lives be pleasant and your desire granted to spend your years together in bliss, abundance and honor, with beneficial things for you and us for eternity. And may all the blessings and heartfelt desires of our relatives and friends light upon our heads forever.
Since it seems to me that you would like to know what took place here on that grand day, I will try to recount for you a little of what happened as well as my short memory will permit, as it comes to mind – on condition, after the fact, that you, for your part, will report to me in great detail the day’s events from your end.
I will begin from the ufruf, in which I also participated together with your parents [Reb Levi Yitzchak and Rebbetzin Chanah], long may they live. After the prayers of the holy Shabbos day, Kiddush was laid out including a large festive meal. Few were invited but many attended – to honor the occasion and the new couple. Torah expositions abounded, but your father’s surpassed them all, as he delivered them with tears of joy from the depths of his heart. It really seemed as if the bride and groom were sitting together with us with no distance intervening at all: it was as if you were with us!
Representatives of the beis midrash spoke, giving emotional expression to their fervent joy. The undersigned also had some things to say, but since I am not in the habit of repeating my discourses, I will refrain from reproducing them here. May my compensation be that with G-d’s help everything I spoke of should come to pass.
The meal continued till eight p.m. and nearly all the guests stayed on till the end. In the middle of the feasting, as we were in very good spirits, we celebrated by dancing the way it should be done, and even more so! The dancing did not remain below; it also rose above, taking to the tabletops. And not only did the soul shake off its restrictive garments. The body did too: we stripped off our outer garments, right down to our tallis katan!
In a word, on the day that you were called to the Torah there was a real sense of splendor and joy abounding. In fact, even I myself, the undersigned, stepped somewhat out of my usual self-imposed boundaries . . . . Enough said.
Shmuel Schneerson
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