By the Grace of G‑d
16th of Adar I, 5738 [February 23, 1978]
Brooklyn, N.Y.

Greeting and Blessing:

I am in receipt of your letter of February 13th. If you will let me know the Hebrew names, together with the mother's Hebrew name in each case, of all those for whom you request a blessing, I will remember you all in prayer.

I trust it is unnecessary to emphasize to you at length that the daily life and conduct in accordance with the Will of G‑d, namely in accordance with the Jewish way of Torah and Mitzvoth, in addition to being a must for its own sake, is also the channel to receive G‑d's blessings in all needs. Therefore, every additional effort in this direction, is bound to bring additional Divine blessings, and there is always room for advancement in all matters of goodness and holiness, Torah and Mitzvoth, which are infinite, being derived from, and connected with, the Infinite.

The above is particularly important since, as I note, you are planning to spend Pesach in Eretz Yisroel. As I had occasion to mention this to others, visiting another country often requires a visa, and the "visa" insofar as a country which is recognized even by non-Jews as the "Holy Land" is surely in terms of an extra measure of holiness. Our Rabbis speak of Eretz Yisroel as the "Palace of the Supreme King," and it is understandable that when a person is about to visit the palace of a king or a president, one makes appropriate preparations both in regard to dress and particularly conduct befitting the occasion. Thus, however satisfactory the position may be in regard to goodness and holiness, Torah and Mitzvoth, in one's personal life, an extra measure of it is called for when visiting the Holy Land, both before and, certainly, during the visit.

Wishing you and your son a pleasant visit to the Holy Land in the above spirit and in every respect.

With blessing,