This letter was sent to an artist whose name was not released.

24 Adar II, 5711

Your two letters — one undated and one from the 22nd of Adar — were duly received. Nevertheless, because of my many preoccupations, I have not had the opportunity to answer them until now.

I am sending you as an enclosure the kuntres from Purim1 as well as the kuntres from Beis Nissan.2 Now, I will reply to your letters.

I was exceedingly happy to read that you are employing your artistic ability and are preparing an exhibition about which the press wrote positive reviews. Certainly, you will proceed in such [activities] and use your G‑d-given talent to strengthen Yiddishkeit and the fear of G‑d.

With regard to the fundamental aspect of your letter, that you lament your situation and circumstance, that you feel broken, and, at times, fall into despair, [that you] can’t find a place for yourself and the like and would therefore like to meet with me so that we can speak things over face to face.

It is a good thing for two good friends to meet, and doing so brings about an elevation of spirits for both. Nevertheless, which of us could bear postponing [dealing with the issue] until then, while you [presently] find yourself in a situation of despair, Heaven forbid?

You do not describe the factor that brings you to such an emotional state. Therefore I can’t analyze the particulars and show that these reasons are just figments of [your] imagination that have their source in the yetzer hara. My intent is that even if the factor has a certain element of truth in it, designating it as a reason for despair and fallen spirits is erroneous; it is a trick of the yetzer. My revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, would call the yetzer “the clever one” because it approaches everyone with words that he will heed.

I feel the necessity to make a broad-ranging statement that serves as a basis for the general concept [that there are no grounds for despair], supporting the idea with an adage of the Baal Shem Tov that my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, quoted on many occasions:3 “Every Jew can derive a lesson in the service of G‑d from everything that he sees or hears.” [From that starting point,] I would like to shed light on your situation in particular.

You are certainly aware that the primary skill of an artist in the craft of painting is to be able to withdraw from the external dimensions of an entity. [From that standpoint,] he looks past its external form and glimpses at the entity from within. He sees its inner and essential dimensions and then expresses them in the art [he produces].

This enables a person who looks at the artist’s painting to become aware of elements of that entity that he had not appreciated previously. For that inner dimension had been covered by less important facets. In this manner, the artist highlights the essence and the nature of the thing that he paints. As a result, the person who sees it, sees it in a different and true light and realizes that his previous [perception] was in error.

This entire explanation and description [relates] to one of the fundamental elements of a person’s service to his Creator.

As we know from the Torah as a whole and Chassidus in particular, the entire Creation stems from “the word of G‑d.”4 At all times and at every moment, “the word of G‑d” brings [all existence] into being and maintains it. It is only because of G‑d’s power of tzimtzum (contraction) and might that “the word of G‑d” is hidden and only the external aspects are visible.

The concept of avodah (Divine service) is based on the simple faith that “there is nothing else aside from Him.”5 This is the standpoint from which one approaches every aspect of life. Every person, each one according to his capacity, endeavors to bring out the G‑dliness that is present in every entity to a greater extent, and to reduce, to whatever extent possible, the concealment and veiling of the external dimensions [of existence] that cover the G‑dliness within them.

Similar concepts apply to every person individually. [It is written:]6 “You are children to G‑d your L‑rd.” With regard to this, Tanya (ch. 2) states: “Just as a son is drawn down from the brain of his father, so too, every Jewish person is drawn down from G‑d’s thought and wisdom… and He and His wisdom are one.” This is the fundament element, the essence and the nature of all Jews, including you.

Since G‑d desired that the soul not receive “bread of shame,”7 He gave the Jews the potential for avodah — and not simple avodah, but labor, toiling with one’s body and soul. Through this avodah, one will receive all forms of good, including the highest levels. And all this will be justly earned.

The [Alter] Rebbe explains another point in Tanya: One should not think that there are certain individuals who will not realize [their spiritual potential]. This, [the Alter Rebbe] states, cannot be. Ultimately, even from [Divine service] that is not carried out for G‑d’s sake, one will certainly come to Divine service that is carried out for G‑d’s sake,8 for “No one will be [eternally] estranged from Him”9 (Tanya, the conclusion of ch. 39).

As such, we must watch ourselves to ensure that the secondary matters do not cover up the fundamental dimension of man and his ultimate purpose.

The difficulties and challenges that a person faces and the matters that he must refine are intermediaries that enable him to come to his ultimate purpose, i.e., that his soul should manifest [its true nature], what it was before “You created it.” [The wording of the blessing Elokai Neshamah recited each morning.] On that level, “the soul that You gave me is pure.”10 [Indeed,] it will reach even higher levels, because “One hour of teshuvah and good deeds in this world surpasses the entire life of the World to Come.”10 Consequently, one cannot let the difficulty in overcoming the challenges — or even the descent if from time to time one fails — prevail over the happiness one must feel as “My son, My firstborn, Israel”11 and from the promise we have from G‑d Himself that “Your nation are all righteous.”12

Accordingly, if there is a Jew — and certainly if he has heard of the light of Chassidus, and how much more so if he has studied the teachings of Chassidus, and even to a greater degree when G‑d has visited suffering upon him — who writes that he is, Heaven forbid, in despair and can’t find a place: not only does this run contrary to our faith, it also runs contrary to logic.

G‑d promises with all His strength and power that “No one will be [eternally] estranged from Him.”9 And it is not required of a person to do anything beyond the power that he possesses (for “the Holy One, blessed be He, does not approach His created beings with unfair demands”).13 [Instead, He desires that a person] act according to his own potentials. Afterwards, the person is told,14 “You need only to make Me an opening the size of the eye of a needle and I will make an opening for you the size of the opening of the Entrance Hall [of the Beis HaMikdash].”

The above is what G‑d says. A person, however, says: “I have a different reckoning,” and as a result, falls into despair. He lifts up his hands in dejection, convincing himself that the situation continually proceeds to get worse.

The question is [— to borrow a Talmudic phrase15 — When there is a conflict between] the words of the master and the words of the student, whose words should be heard? You must pose this question to yourself. To you, it appears one way, but G‑d says something else. Now, is there a question who is correct?

This is sufficient for laying out my arguments.

With regard to actual conduct, you must know that you are one of the members of the congregation of chassidim. As a natural consequence, you are bonded with the Tree of Life.16 The nature of this bond is reflected in the verse:17 “And you who are clinging to G‑d your L‑rd are all alive today.” In the kuntres published for Beis Nissan,18 the Rebbe cites our Sages’ statement:19 “Even on the day when the entire world will die, you are alive. And just as you are alive today, all of you will also be alive in the World to Come.” Thus you have a personal promise from our Sages that “you are all alive today and will also be alive in the World to Come.”

As a result, we must use our time for the Torah and its mitzvos with the fear of G‑d, and you should use your G‑d-given talents to advance the fear of G‑d.

These are among the things that we cannot postpone until the following day, because on the following day, we will have to do those things destined for tomorrow. Thus the things destined for today must be done today. In order to do everything [asked of one], one must know that all obstacles are the counsels of the yetzer hara. One must bring his faith into his intellect (mind) and feeling (heart) and in actual practice in thought, speech, and deed.

When you apply yourself to the above, even if it will appear to you that you can only make an opening the size of the eye of a needle, G‑d will grant you success and make the opening as large as that to the Entrance Hall of the Beis HaMikdash.

I hope that you will not reckon with the fact that my answer took you to task to such a degree and will soon write back with happy tidings that you are acting in the spirit of the concepts spelled out above.

With blessing, while awaiting good tidings in the very near future,