By the Grace of G‑d
13th of Tammuz, 5725 [July 13, 1965]
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Greeting and Blessing:
I am in receipt of your letter of the 28th of Sivan, in which you write about your background. The main point of your letter is that there is a general tendency to strengthen religious observance in your home, but that your wife, though she has also made considerable headway, is not yet fully in agreement with all the requirements of the Jewish way of life, and you sometimes reproach yourself for having initiated your move to...
Surely it is unnecessary to emphasize to you at length that it is quits out of place to reproach yourself in this situation. On the contrary, you should be gratified that you have had the Zechus to illuminate your home and family with the light of the Torah and Mitzvoth and the Jewish way or life. As far the difficulties involved, surely you know that all good things cannot be attained easily, and, in fact, the more valuable and desirable a thing is, the harder it is to attain it.
Insofar as your wife is concerned, experience has shown that it is usually easier to obtain the desired results through the influence of friends, rather than in a direct way by the husband. For, a wife may misinterpret her husband's intentions, and think that all he wants is to show that he is the boss, whereas when friends talk about the same things, she will more readily accept it from them. Better still would be to find some women who can speak to your wife from their own religious experience, and how it has helped to give their personal and family life true meaning, harmony, and happiness. Needless to say, every effort in this direction is worthwhile, because it is not only a matter that concerns you and your wife, but also your children.
I trust that you are familiar with the significance of the 12-13th of Tammuz, the anniversary of the Liberation of my father-in-law of saintly memory, and will be inspired by their message. The essential message is that when a Jew does not permit himself to be discouraged by any obstacles, but resolves to go along the way of the Torah, he can even single handedly overcome all difficulties, and accomplish extraordinary and wonderful things. And while none of us can compare to my father-in-law of saintly memory, we must also remember that the obstacles and difficulties we may be facing are almost quite insignificant by comparison with those which he faced. Furthermore he has already trodden out the path of Mesiras Nefesh for us, which makes it easier for all who wish to follow in his footsteps, all the more so since his Zechus stands everyone in good stead.
With blessing
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