It may seem easier to be a 24/7 Jew in Eretz Yisroel, land of our Bible and heritage, than abroad. How can we retain this “high” wherever we go? The Avner Institute presents the Rebbe’s insights into the nature of Torah commandments, which are not limited to physical space – rather they embrace a spiritual mindset, elevating the material world and proclaiming our unique role as a holy people.
Dedicated in memory of Hadassah Lebovic OBM
5728
Mr. ________
Chicago, Illinois
Greeting and Blessing:
It was an unexpected pleasure to receive your letter after this long interval, and to read in it that all the members of your family are doing well, thank G-d, and that you are expecting new additions to the family, in a happy and auspicious hour.
As it is customary among Chassidim to be remembered at the holy resting-place of my father-in-law, of saintly memory, it would be well to receive the Hebrew names of the expectant mothers, together with the mother’s Hebrew name, to be so remembered in prayer. The zechut [merit] of the tzedakah [charity] will additionally stand you all in good stead.
Special Source
I read with special interest about your visit in the Holy Land. I trust that you brought back with you some of the holiness of the land, as a source of lasting inspiration. For, although Jews are a holy nation everywhere, there are various levels of holiness, and this is also quite understandable, inasmuch as the source of kedusha [holiness] is in G-d the Infinite, hence kedusha is infinite too.
A special point that Eretz Yisrael teaches us in regard to kedusha is that it is not the case that kedusha belongs only in the realm of emotion and intelligence but not necessarily in that of ordinary day-to-day affairs, least of all in the daily routine, as some erroneously think. Even though many will admit that eating matzah on Pesach is a mitzvah, they cannot see what holiness there can be in eating their daily food.
Yet, Eretz Yisroel itself can well illustrate the point. For, although at first glance it is a country like any other country, not particularly distinguished from its neighbors insofar as fauna and flora are concerned, it is nevertheless called the Holy Land – not only in respect to the area of the Beit Hamikdash [Holy Temple] and the like, but also in respect to its soil and plant life, for which reason there are the special [agricultural] mitzvoth of shemittah, trumot [resting, consecration], and ma’asrot [tithes], which do not apply to other countries.
Similarly, the Jews are a holy nation, because a Jew is expected to sanctify all his actions, including his daily routine of eating, drinking, and even sleeping, etc. (Ramban, Leviticus 19:2; Rambam, Hilchot Deot, beginning of ch. 5) – all of which should give evidence of a person who lives a sanctified way of life: starting off the day with Modeh Ani [I thank You], putting on tzitzit [ritual fringes], reciting the daily prayers, and so on. In your case it is surely unnecessary to elaborate on this further.
Special Mitzvah
I trust that when you visited the Western Wall, you observed the Lubavitcher men engaged there in the Tefillin Campaign. In this connection, you will be interested to see the enclosed material on the subject.
You will no doubt suspect of me, and rightly so, that it is my hopeful expectation that you will not limit yourself to merely reading this material, but will also endeavor to bring it to the attention of the widest possible circles where your influence reaches, in order to impress upon our fellow Jews the vital importance of the observance of the mitzvah of tefillin. Moreover, in addition to its own significance, it can well serve as a starting point for the observance of many other mitzvoth, given the assurance of our Sages that “one mitzvah brings another in its train (Avot 4:2).”
I also note that you, and especially your wife, took the occasion to further the cause of the visually handicapped, and I trust that there have been practical accomplishments in this area. I regret to say that my efforts some time ago in this regard, when I wrote to Eretz Yisroel after talking with you, did not bear fruit at the time, and consequently did not lead to anything permanent.
In conclusion, I send you my prayerful wishes always to have good news to report, and only good news, in regard to yourselves and each and every one of your family, and also in regard to your activities in the shul, about which you wrote to me and which I hope have been productive in the right direction, namely towards an ever greater adherence to the traditional way – and – may you continue to do so with joy and gladness of heart.
With blessing,
[signature]
P.S. In reference to the matter you raise in your letter, relating to the endeavor to increase soil productivity by means of electrical currents, etc., I wish to make the following point (though, technically speaking, this is not my field). It is that it surprises me that no one has yet suggested doing basic research in the nutritive aspects of those plants and crops whose manner of growth has been artificially interfered with, whether by means of electricity or radiation, and the like, not forgetting developments in hydroponics.
I think it is high time that a study were made of the effects of such foods upon humans in general, particularly those who are still going through physical growth and development, namely children and youths. Even to a layman like myself it seems incredible that the methods of speeding plant growth by means of techniques which are quite abnormal to it should have no effect on the food in relation to humans, who for thousands of years have been accustomed to eat only naturally-grown foods – all the more so since such effects would be cumulative.
As already mentioned, this is entirely unconnected to my field; but that a problem exists here seems to me so plain and logical that surely even a layman may call attention to it.
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