By the Grace of G‑d
26th of Tammuz, 5718 [July 14, 1958]
Brooklyn, N.Y.

Greeting and Blessing:

I was pleased to receive the news of your forthcoming Bar Mitzvah. I send you my prayerful wishes that this great day in your life, which makes you a full-fledged and fully responsible Jew, will bring you inspiration and an increased determination to observe all the Mitzvos and to continue to study the Torah with increased diligence and devotion.

Since you are a student of a Lubavitcher Yeshivah, I am sure you realize that to become Bar Mitzvah does not mean a graduation or completion, G‑d forbid, even of preparations and training. On the contrary, it is the beginning of a full life as a fully qualified Jew, and all your studies and training up to the Bar Mitzvah were only a preparation for it.

Obviously, when one undergoes a period of training and preparation for a certain thing, it would be rather foolish and illogical to let all that preparation go down the drain when the time comes and one has become fully qualified. I am therefore certain that you will make full use of your preparation before your Bar Mitzvah and will continue your studies of the Torah and the observance of the Mitzvos in the fullest degree.

I am sure you know that the portion of the week which will be read on your Bar Mitzvah Shabbos contains the important portion of Shema - "Hear O Israel, G‑d, our G‑d, G‑d is One." This portion of Shema, which is also contained in the Tefillin, is the declaration of the whole Jewish people and the basis of our faith throughout the generations and accompanies the Jew everywhere, as is stated: "When thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down and when thou risest up." For the Torah and Mitzvos are eternal for all times and all places.

I am sure that if you will fulfill the above you will be happy in every way and your parents will have real nachas from you. Moreover, I trust that your parents will encourage you to their utmost to continue along this way, which is the way of real happiness, not only spiritually but also physically and materially.

With blessing,