By the Grace of G‑d
4th of Cheshvan 5728 [November 7, 1967]
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Blessing and Greeting:
I duly received your (undated) letter. Since it has just been received, I assume it was sent out recently. You begin your letter by saying that you have been confused, etc., and this is why you have not written for a long time.
Generally speaking, it is well to remember that the Torah is called Torah Or, "The Torah is Light", because the essential nature of the Torah is to illuminate man's path in life. And when the path is illuminated in this way, one can see clearly which actions and conduct are good, and which have to be avoided.
Of course, the Torah is vast and cannot be easily mastered by all. For this reason, there is a resume of the Torah in the Shulchan Aruch which is a concise code of daily Jewish conduct. But even the Shulchan Aruch is not easily accessible to everyone, and that is why there are Rabbis to be consulted, since it is their purpose and function to teach and guide the individual Jew on how to live his daily life in accordance with the Torah.
All this gives everyone the opportunity to develop the proper and meaningful way of life, and above all, to have complete trust in G‑d, whose benevolent providence extends to each and every-one individually. Above all, it is necessary to cultivate sincere and wholehearted confidence in G‑d, as it is written, "Thou shalt be wholehearted with G‑d thy G‑d." and thus eliminate all sorts of worries, anxieties and confusions. It develops a sense of security in that there is a Lord and Master Who takes care not only of the world as a whole, but also of each individual, with loving care. Even if, as you write, a person sometimes fails to live up to expectation, there is always the knowledge that nothing stands in the way of Teshuvah.
It is surely unnecessary to elaborate to you on the above, but only to emphasize that we are all commanded to serve G‑d with joy and gladness of heart. And upon reflection, it is possible to see how every happening can serve as a lesson in true Divine service.
With blessing,
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