The name of the recipient of this letter was not released.

B”H, 23 Shvat, 5711,
Brooklyn

Greetings and blessings,

In response to your letters of 11 and 17 Teves, and 4 and 15 Shvat — although I already answered [them] to a certain extent: I acknowledge receipt of your notes and the pan which I read at the gravesite of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, at an auspicious time.

I will start with the most fundamental matter, physical health. Rambam writes in Hilchos Deos, the beginning of ch. 4, that for “the body to be healthy and sound is of the paths of G‑d.” And the Tur and the Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim, sec. 571:2 states: “A Torah scholar does not have license to fast, because he minimizes the service of Heaven.... Teachers and all of those involved in communal affairs are considered as scholars [in this regard].” And the Maggid [of Mezritch] said (printed in HaTamim, Vol. 7, p. 28): “A small hole in the body makes a large hole in the soul.” And the Alter Rebbe rules in Iggeres HaTeshuvah, ch. 3, that a person may afflict himself because of the sins that he performed only when he is certain that doing so will not harm him at all.

After [stating] all the above, according to my opinion, you should pay attention to improving your physical health through eating, drinking, and sleeping in an appropriate manner. If it is necessary to eat pastries before praying, and certainly, to drink tea, milk, or the like, and until now, you have been careful not to do so, you should absolve [yourself from] this custom.1 From now on, you should do this2 without seeking stringencies or the like. G‑d will certainly assist you in transforming the material into spiritual.

I derived much satisfaction from the idea you mentioned: to send one of the students to the house of study in your community to teach Chassidus or to review a maamar of Chassidus. It is proper that this be done in a manner that the listeners should be able to understand. Also, their feelings should be stirred by prefacing with a story or the like (taken from sichos). In addition to the benefit for the listeners and the great reward this brings to those who review the teachings, [as our Sages3 explain the verse]:4 “G‑d illumines the eyes of both,” there is an added benefit for the students. They become trained in communicating Chassidus and spreading the fear of Heaven to people who are not yet members of the chassidic brotherhood. Ultimately, this is their mission: “to be candles that illuminate.”5 It is superfluous to elaborate....

With regard to your statements about the dream, that you wish to undertake a taanis chalom (fast associated with a dream):6 In my opinion, it is preferable that you not fast. Devote your strength to the Torah.7 See the statements of the Turei Zahav8quoted by the Tzemach Tzedek, Shaar HaMiluim, responsum 62.

For the same reason that you explain the benefit of studying a tractate limigras (cursorily), (i.e., that this provides [the student] with at least superficial knowledge of another tractate), if I was granted the power, I would institute such study of Chassidus as well (even though, with regard to Chassidus, in general, internalizing one’s study is more important). For example, [it would be desirable that they study] the chassidishe parshah.9

With regard to your good health, it is my hope that if you conduct yourself as mentioned in the beginning of the letter, your situation will progressively improve and you will share good tidings in this regard in the nearest future.

Awaiting a letter with good tidings with regard to the above and in particular, with regard to your good health.

With greetings to your entire fellowship,

Menachem Schneerson