This letter was addressed to R. Chanoch Hendel Havlin, one of the members of the Lubavitch community in Jerusalem.

B”H, 11 Teves, 5711,
Brooklyn,

Greetings and blessings,

Your letter of the 2nd of Teves was received. I was worried about your prolonged silence which is out of character [for you]. Even now, you do not explain the reason for the long interruption between your letters.

I derived satisfaction from reading that you received all the kuntreisim and the letters appended to them and that you publicized them in an appropriate manner, that you arranged farbrengens among the chassidic brotherhood on Yud-Tes Kislev and on the fifth night [of Chanukah] [A night traditionally reserved for chassidic farbrengens. As stated in Toras Shalom, p. 84, there was a difference of opinion whether the reason for the celebration was that the Alter Rebbe was released from his second imprisonment on that day or whether it was that a group of chassidim arrested with him were released on that day. (Based on other sources, it is apparent that the Alter Rebbe was released on the third day of Chanukah. See Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 25, p. 473, fn. 74, and the sources mentioned there.)] and that they were also joined by others who are not yet members of our brotherhood. Certainly, you will reinforce these efforts and [you will merit] the fulfillment of G‑d’s promise, as recorded by our Sages:1 “Open [your hearts even no more than] an eye of a needle and I will open them as wide as the opening to the Entrance Hall [of the Beis HaMikdash].”...

“The last is the most cherished”:2 I acknowledge receipt of five packages of manuscripts of chassidic teachings. Great thanks [We have translated the Rebbe’s words non-literally. The Rebbe mentions here the expression in Zechariah 4:7: “Exultations of grace.”] for [your] past [efforts] and a manifold and redoubled request that you send such texts in the future. Undoubtedly, in Jerusalem, there are many such manuscripts of old chassidic texts that, in addition to all other matters,3 there is hope that [sending them here] will lead to people at large benefiting [from them]. For there are early maamarim from the Chabad Rebbeim in these manuscripts that have not been publicized. I hope that over the course of time, they will be publicized in an appropriate manner. The merit of people at large is dependent upon you4 and this will bring you blessing and success in whatever is necessary for you and for your household.

I will motivate you particularly [to act] with regard to the manuscripts that remain from [the library of] R. Chayim Eliezer Bichovsky, of which only a few of them... are in my possession. There are certainly several others.

I can bring you joy [by informing you] that the manuscript of Pelach HaRimon5 on Shmos that you sent to my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, הכ"מ, last year was given to me by him last winter. He added that it is advisable to print it and I am now preparing it for publication.

At the time, I communicated to my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, הכ"מ, that there were chassidim who raised complaints against me because of my suggestion to publish Pelach HaRimon, saying that we should only be concerned with the teachings of our Rebbeim, the Nesiim of Chabad.6My revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, הכ"מ, negated those complaints and ordered me to print this text.