By the Grace of G‑d,
3 Shevat, 5718
Brooklyn, N.Y.

Greetings and Blessings!

In response to your letter from Motzei Shabbos Kodesh.

1) How will you merit success in your studies and receive a lot of G‑d's help in this area?

The teaching of our Sages is well known, "If a person says that he has tried hard and did not succeed, don't believe him," meaning, if you will exert yourself in studying our Holy Torah, you will certainly achieve and be successful, and this only depends on your strong will to do so.

In order to increase G‑d's help in this matter, which will also increase your success and lessen the difficulties involved, you should set aside coins for tzedakah on every weekday before the Morning Prayer, and saying the portion of Tehillim for each day of the month every day, including Shabbos and Yom Tov, after the Morning Prayer.

Even better, if you will also make sure to learn the well known study portions of Chumash and Tanya, about which we have heard several times from the Previous Rebbe, that they are equally applicable for every person and are a segulah [remedy] for many things.

2) Since we were commanded, "Serve G‑d with joy," what does one do when one becomes a little depressed?

You should look up Rambam, at the end of the Laws of Lulav, and from there you will understand how every person in every circumstance and situation, has the ability to be joyful while he serves his Creator, and not only is he able, but this is a great task, a necessary and fundamental one. Advice on how to get rid of the depression and to push it away is explained in the Holy Tanya in several places (as listed in the index). May it be the will of G‑d that you should report good news regarding everything mentioned, and that you should increase in learning the Holy Torah and the source of light within it, i.e., the inner dimension of the Torah, which in our generation was revealed through the teachings of Chassidus.

With Blessing,

On behalf of the Rebbe

Secretary