This letter was sent to the congregants of the Nusach Ari shul in Montreal, Canada.

B”H, 13 Nissan, 5711,
Brooklyn

Greetings and blessings,

I duly received your letter from the 29th of Shvat. I was happy that the motivating words conveyed to you by the chassidic mentor R. Moshe Chayim Sapochinsky found a warm response. I had no doubt that this would occur, for on the verse,1 “I am asleep, but my heart is awake,” our Sages comment:2 “I am sleeping in exile, but my heart is awake to the Torah and its mitzvos.” I also hope — and this is what is most important — that this arousal will be brought down to actual deeds in the three areas of focus which my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, זצוקללה"ה, נבג"ם, זי"ע,3 would so frequently emphasize: the love of G‑d, the love of the Torah, and the love of one’s fellow Jew.

At present, as we stand in the days of Pesach, you are certainly familiar with our Sages’ statement4 that it was necessary for all 600,000 Jews to have left Egypt. For if even one was lacking, Heaven forbid, that would have prevented all the others [from leaving]. These words provide a lesson for us, particularly in the days of Pesach. We must remember and devote our greatest energies to drawing every individual Jew — man, woman, and child, young and old — to the Torah and to Yiddishkeit. This has an effect not only on the one whom one draws close, but on all of us.

This is one of the allusions derived from the practice of — [observed] at the beginning of Pesach, before we begin carrying out the Sedarim — announcing and proclaiming: “All who are hungry, come and eat. All who are needy, come and celebrate Pesach.” This means in a simple sense — help in material matters and help in spiritual matters. Only after that can we say, “This year we are here; next year may we be in Eretz Yisrael. This year, we are slaves; next year, may we be free men.”

I wish all of you and the members of your household a kosher and a happy Pesach and I hope to hear good news from you in all matters. And may we very speedily merit the fulfillment of the request which we ask of G‑d, “Next year in Eretz Yisrael… as free men,” [with the coming] of Mashiach.

With blessings for a kosher and joyous holiday,