By the Grace of G d
6th of Adar, 5742 [March 1, 1982]
Brooklyn, N. Y.

Mrs. Alene S. Ammond
Cherry Hill, N.J.

Blessing and Greeting:

This is to acknowledge receipt of your letter of Feb. 25th, in which you introduce yourself as a Catholic-Christian, and outline high points of your life and public service, noting that you have a strong desire to continue to utilize your capacities to make an important contribution in certain areas of public endeavor.

To a person of your background, there is no need to emphasize at length the importance for every person to realize his or her potential, especially one who has been endowed with special talents and capacities, and has used them successfully.

There is an ancient Talmudic saying, which is both timeless and universal, “Nothing stands in the way of the will,” coupled with the assurance, “Make the proper effort, and you will succeed.” In view of your experiences in the past and your determination for the future, I am confident that you will find the proper ways and means to achieve your goals, all the more so since in such a case one receives aid from On High.

At the same time, I would like to call attention to a point which is really self-evident, but because of its importance, cannot be overemphasized. I refer to the Divinely ordained Seven Categories of moral laws and principles which have been given to Noah and his descendants by the Creator and Master of the world, i.e., all humanity. These include such fundamental precepts as the prohibition of idolatry, robbery, the laws of justice, etc. Although common sense dictates that these laws are indispensable as the basis of any decent human society, experience has shown that, human nature being what it is, common sense has not been a reliable factor in the implementation of the said basic laws, if they are based only on the dictates of common sense. Suffice it to mention that the Holocaust of the Second World War sprouted and burst forth in a country and a people that had been most prominent in the area of human thought, philosophy and ethics. But because it was all based on the human mind, and not on the recognition of a Supreme Being, it could be twisted to devise and “justify” the most horrid inhumanity and cruelty in human history.

It is therefore everyone’s obligation, especially in this day and age, to promote the said moral laws as ordained by the Supreme Being. Certainly those who have a prominent position in the society have a greater responsibility to strengthen the moral fabric of the society by example and precept, especially among the young generation, for a better and brighter future for all.

With prayerful wishes for success in all above, and
With esteem and blessing,
M. Schneerson