The name of the recipient of this letter was not released.

B”H, Yud-Tes Kislev, the holiday of our redemption
and the deliverance of our souls, 5711,
Brooklyn, N.Y.

Greetings and blessings,

In reply to your letter concerning the conflict that you had regarding the matter of...: From the time you first wrote to me about this, I maintained a correspondence with the representatives of the chassidic brotherhood in the Holy Land concerning this matter. The last letter I received from there informed [me] that the representatives of the chassidic brotherhood in ... also came to ... and at a festive gathering in which you also participated, a compromise was reached to which all agreed.

From that time onward, I took joy in receiving that news and I trust that it is true, because peace among the Jewish people as a whole and among the chassidic brotherhood in particular, and especially in the Holy Land, [is very important]. As is well known, people were afraid and frightened regarding a controversy in the Holy Land. Certainly you will make me happy with a letter stating that “the land has come to rest”1 and there is “peace over Israel.”2

I will conclude with the subject spoken about at the farbrengen of Yud-Tes Kislev this year: “The Holy One, blessed be He, did not find a vessel that would hold blessing for the Jewish people other than peace.”3 On the surface, there is an internal contradiction in that statement, [for G‑d’s blessing is unlimited,] as the Prophet states:4 “I will pour out blessing for you without end.” [The concept of] a vessel “containing blessing,” however, implies a contradiction, [that the blessing is contained, i.e., limited]. If this5 is fulfilled, then this6 cannot [be fulfilled] and the converse is also true.7

The resolution of this in short is that G‑d’s greatness and might lies in combining two opposites — an unlimited blessing with an appropriate vessel — except the only vessel that can accomplish this is peace, for its thrust is to resolve two opposites: [for example,] fire which contracts and constricts is brought together with water, which expands and broadens, and they do not extinguish each other, as our Sages commented8 on the verse:9 “Dominion and dread are with Him; He makes peace in His celestial heights.”

In this context, a parallel can be drawn to our Sages’ comment in tractate Chagigah:10 “His legions are numberless.” Every legion is limited, [although it is written:]11“a thousand thousands will serve Me,” [that is the number of angels in one legion, but the number of legions is unlimited. This applies] even though as is well known from the texts of the philosophers and quoted in the Tzemach Tzedek’s Sefer HaChakirah, that according to the rules of logic, it is impossible for there to be an unlimited number of limited entities.

This is the meaning of the statement: The Holy One, blessed be He, did not find a vessel that would hold [His] blessing, for His blessing is unlimited. [The only vessel was] peace, for it joins two opposites, a vessel and an unlimited blessing, [together]. [It is to highlight this contrast] that the mishnah speaks in the negative, [although,] on the surface, it would have been preferable to have used positive terminology: the only vessel that holds blessing is peace, rather than stating a negation at the outset, “did not find... other than.” This is not the place for further discussion of the matter.

Enclosed is the communal letter for Yud-Tes Kislev. I conclude with a blessing [that you] be inscribed and sealed for success in the study of Chassidus and [observance of] the ways of Chassidus.” As a natural consequence, this will bring blessing and success in “all that you need in material and spiritual matters.”

Awaiting good tidings,

Menachem Schneerson