This letter was sent to a donor from Chicago whose name was not released.

B”H, 11 Adar II, 5711,
Brooklyn

Greetings and blessings,

I was happy to receive good tidings about you from our friend, a person faithfully dedicated to the needs of the community, R. Yaakov Katz, as well as your check as a down-payment on your pledge to print a text from the works of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, זצוקללה"ה, נבג"ם, זי"ע.

I hope that you no doubt remember our conversation when you visited here. When your son will put on tefillin every day as I told you and will maintain his observance, that [mitzvah] will bring blessing and success to him and to you in all matters.

As Purim — a holiday which is joyously celebrated by Jews — is approaching, I would like to conclude with a thought that my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, spoke about on Purim 5701 (1941) when the persecutions of that time began.1

The concept of Purim is that regardless of the decree which Haman tried to carry out against the Jews — solely because they were Jews — the Jews held on to their Yiddishkeit even more strongly [than before] and did so courageously. This caused the decree to be nullified and the situation to be transformed from tragedy to rejoicing.

This [motif] applies at all times. When we Jews courageously identify as Jews, without paying attention to the difficulties this causes, we will be freed from all the Hamans — Hamans in a material sense and Hamans in a spiritual sense — and “for the Jews, there [will be] light and happiness, gladness and honor.”2

With blessings for a joyous Purim and with greetings to your son,