Directives to the Mentors of the Lubavitch Community in France

Letter No. 717:

From correspondence of the Lubavitcher Rebbe; translated by Eli Touger

From the Sichos in English Collection

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How a Person Can Rise Above His Own Circumstances By Bonding Himself to the Rebbe

The Importance of Studying the Teachings of the Rebbe Rayatz, Particularly on Shabbos

This letter was addressed to R. Yisrael Noach Belinitzky, R. Peretz Mochkin, and R. Nissan Nemenov, three of the mentors of the Lubavitch community in France.

B”H, 11 Elul, 5710

Greetings and blessings,

In reply to your letter of 25 Menachem Av with regard to ... and your request for my opinion:

In my opinion, you should all hold a farbrengen together either this week or next week, after studying — each one individually or all together — the teachings of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, הכ"מ, and reciting his kapitle. Then you should confer regarding the matters concerning .... Undoubtedly, my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, הכ"מ, will see to it that you reach the correct decision, as in the well-known story of Tzemach Tzedek and R. Aharon Belinitzer. 1

With blessings for a kesivah vachasimah tovah,

Menachem Schneerson

This letter was sent to the address on the envelope [containing your letter].

« Previous

How a Person Can Rise Above His Own Circumstances By Bonding Himself to the Rebbe

The Importance of Studying the Teachings of the Rebbe Rayatz, Particularly on Shabbos

Footnotes

See Sefer Toldos Admur HaMaharash, p. 64, where the Rebbe quotes the Rebbe Maharash, speaking about his father, the Tzemach Tzedek:

“He [the Tzemach Tzedek] could see things hundreds of miles away. He could hear what was being said in Petersburg. And if he had to transmit some information [to someone far away], he would say it to himself and this would cause the other party to come to the same conclusion as what he had said here.”

He also related: “During the year 5619, Father [the Tzemach Tzedek] had to travel to Petersburg on urgent public business. But the winter was very cold and harsh. Being unable to make the journey, he sent as his agent Reb Aharon Belinitzer, a man who possessed both sound intelligence and an iron will. He knew how to speak to government officials and was also a great Torah scholar.

“Before he departed, the Tzemach Tzedek instructed him that whenever there was debate about some matter, he should think deeply about it and come to a decision; then, he should remain firm in his opinion.... [Later] I understood what Father had meant when he told him before his departure that he should remain firm in his opinion: he meant that he should aim to arrive at the same opinion as Father’s opinion and desire.”