This letter was addressed to R. Efraim Eliezer HaKohen Yolles, one of the leading Rabbis in Philadelphia.

B”H, 12 Adar II, 5711,
Brooklyn

Greetings and blessings,

With satisfaction and pleasure, your letter reached me (with regard to the term הגיעני, “reached me,” see Likkutei Torah, Parshas Shemini, p. 18a, at the bottom of the column).1 [In it, you relate that] you were chosen by the Rabbinic Committee of the Vaad HaIr as the Rosh Av Beis Din (the head of the Rabbinic Court).

May it be G‑d’s will that you succeed in this position to draw down the aspect of Av ([literally, “father,” which is identified with mercy, as in the expression,] “Merciful Father”; see the maamar entitled Shir HaMaalos Mimaamakim in the Rosh HaShanah maamarim in Likkutei Torah) into the Court (which is associated with the quality of Gevuros, might). In particular, this applies to the term ראש אב"ד, for ראש shares the same letters as אשר, a term connected with pleasure and inner happiness (see the beginning of Likkutei Torah; see also Kehillas Yaakov, the beginning of sec. 103). May you and those whom you direct enjoy mutual pleasure.

Because of the preparations for Purim, this is not an appropriate time to answer your letter befittingly. Instead, enclosed is the kuntres for Purim and a copy of my communal letter2 that is [also] relevant to you. Please accept this instead of the reply which I hope will still follow in the coming days.

Concluding as I opened, with blessings for success in your new position and wishes for all sorts of everlasting good.

Enclosed with thanks is the letter my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, wrote to you from 28 Adar, 5702.3 Therefore I am sending this letter [back to you] by registered mail.

A note: Seemingly, the title ראש אב ב"ד is redundant, [for both terms ראש and אב have the connotation “head”]. Horios [13b] uses the expression אב ב"ד. Perhaps the intent of the acronym ראב"ד is ראש אבות בתי הדין, “the leader of the heads of the Rabbinic Courts.” That, however, is a [somewhat] forced [resolution]. Regardless, in connection with the matter at hand, the intent is the same: that you should succeed in your position. The mission of the head is to direct all the organs and arrange them so that each one will function appropriately according to the task allotted to it.

Otzar Yisrael, maareches av beis, interprets ראב"ד as an acronym for אב ב"דרבינו, “our master, the head of the court.” And the Book of Acronyms (Perlman4) interprets it as an acronym for ראש ב"ד. This too, seemingly, is a forced interpretation.