By the Grace of G-d ב"ה4th of Sivan, 5713Brooklyn 13, N.Y.

Sholom u’Brocho:

I received your letter of 19th of Iyar, and was pleased to read in it that you and your family are well.

With regard to a Shiduch: for your daughter . . ., in which case you are referring to a letter of mine in which I quoted a saying of our Sages to the effect that 'It is the way of the man to seek a wife,'¹ and you wonder if you can deduce from it that nothing should be done for a daughter’s Shiduch,

Such an assumption would be wrong, for the implication of the above saying is to include the daughter herself (the would-be bride) but not her parents, and certainly not her father. On the contrary, the Talmud often speaks about the especial duty of the father to seek a suitable match for his daughter. Therefore, you should certainly do what you can in this matter, and usually one gets the cooperation of a friend (professional Shadchen or not) to make suitable suggestions, which you should then carefully consider yourself, not relying entirely on somebody else’s opinion.

You refer in your letter to a suggestion with regard to a Shiduch for your daughter. From the distance it is difficult for me to express an opinion. I suggest that you consult your good friends, who may either know him, or, at any rate, learn to know him. Your preference for someone who is more active for the Klal need not be an obstacle in the case of a Shiduch, especially, as this quality can be acquired under proper guidance. Needless to say, it is important to know your daughter’s opinion and to what extent a particular suggestion appeals to her heart.

As for the question of lack of money, there can be no doubt that this is no reason to handicap you, for when the time will come to do something about [it], the Almighty will surely show a way how to take care of it. If it be necessary to incur debts, many a Jew would be happy to be in a similar position for the sake of a good Shiduch for one’s daughter. When proper efforts are made to find a suitable Shiduch, the Almighty will also show the proper signs as to the suitability.

With regard to your daughter . . . her husband and family, concerning whom you write about financial difficulties of the school and the arrears due to him, I think he should not give up the position, inasmuch as spiritually he is satisfied, and financially there are also prospects for improvement.

Wishing you to enjoy the festival of Receiving the Torah with joy and inner inspiration

M. Schneerson

I trust you can make use of the enclosed Message, timely always.²