This letter was sent to R. Yitzchak Herzog, the chief Rabbi of Eretz Yisrael.

B”H, 25 Elul, 5710

Greetings and blessings,

As the new year approaches (May it bring goodness to us and all of the sons and daughters of Israel!), I wish you and all those associated with you a year of abundant life, peace, and blessing in material and spiritual matters, a fruitful and successful year in your work for the benefit of both [our people as] a whole and [each one] individually. May the desire of G‑d that is in your hand be successful.

With blessings for a kesivah vachasimah tovah for a good and sweet year, a year of Redemption led by our righteous Mashiach; may it be speedily in our days, Amen.

Menachem Schneerson

Enclosed is the kuntreis for the coming Rosh HaShanah from the teachings of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, זצוקללה"ה, נבג"מ, זי"ע, הכ"מ, 1 that was just published. Certainly you will find desirable points in it.

A short note with regard to the present date: The world was created on the twenty-fifth of Elul. [Then it was said:] 2 “And it was evening; it was morning, one day.”

There are two conceptions regarding [the philosophical definition of] time: that it is one continuum or that it consists of separate moments. It is possible to say that this is the difference between the argument presented by the Talmud in Nazir 7a and the objection raised by Ravva. 3 All of the views there, however, understand night and day as being [components of] one unit and not separated. For the fact that [some of a twenty-four hour period] is day and some, night, is an additional factor aside from [the fundamental passage of] time that does not [change] its essence. In contrast, there is a rationale which says that each day is distinct from that which follows, for “each and every day carries out its own service” (Zohar III, p. 94b). For this reason, there are seven days which are distinct from one another, and only seven, for afterwards, the cycle repeats itself; Sunday....

To [focus on the parallels in] a person’s service of his Creator: Night and day [can be seen as a single unit]. For ultimately, “None will be estranged from Him” 4 and “one’s intentional sins will be transformed into merits,” 5 for “the spirit of impurity will be removed,” and “night will shine like day.” 6 Nevertheless, “days will be separated from one another.” 7 For even in the ultimate future, “every tzaddik will be burnt by the canopy of his colleague.” 8 This is not the place for further elaboration.