By the Grace of G‑d16th of Shevat, 5716Brooklyn, N.Y.

Greeting and Blessing:

I received your letter of January 17, and also your regards through Rabbi Shemtov after he visited you.

I was gratified to read that last year was Thank G‑d, a good year for you and was a considerable improvement on the previous year. I hope you will be strong in your faith that the Almighty will help you also in the future, and that business will continue to improve steadily. May G‑d help that you live up to the saying of the old Rabbi, Baal Hatanya, that G‑d gives the Jew material things and the Jew converts the material into spiritual.¹

With reference to the amount of tzedokah, I have already written to you before that one should try to give (a little) more than Maaser.² May G‑d give you much Yiddish nachas from all the members of your family.

With reference to the question of age in the matter of the shidduch³ of your . . . , you probably know the adage that a person’s age is not judged by the birth certificate, but one is as old as one feels. Similarly, in this case, if the person in question is generally more youthful than her age, then the difference should not be a handicap. Needless to say, it depends on whether your . . .is attracted to her. However, mutual attraction must often be cultivated.

With blessing,

M. Schneerson