By the Grace of G‑d
4 Shevat 5725
[January 7, 1965]
Brooklyn, N.Y.

Greeting and Blessing!

. . . the Torah likens a human being to a tree. Thereby the Torah teaches us an important lesson, particularly in the field of child education.

When the tree is young, especially when it is still in the stage of a seedling, every good care given it in that early stage, however insignificant it may seem, is an investment which in due course amplifies itself many times, and the full effects become evident in the mature, fruit-bearing tree.

Likewise is the minute attention given to a child, even where the benefit for the moment appears to be quite small, so much so that one may wonder if it is worth the effort. For even a “small” benefit may in time turn out to be of a lasting quality and extraordinary proportions, reaching into the daily conduct according to the Torah and Mitzvoth; and as our Sages of blessed memory expressed it: “What are real fruits?—the Mitzvoth.” Therefore every effort is justified in the field of Chinuch, for what is at stake is the whole future of the student and his life-long benefit.

(Excerpt from a letter)