By the Grace of G-d 6th of Teveth, 5719 Brooklyn, N. Y.
50 Cranwich Road
London N. 16
England
Greeting and Blessing:
I was pleased to receive your letter informing me of your forthcoming Bar-Mitzvah celebration on the 16th of Teveth.
I send you my blessing that you should grow up into a fine Jew, which means one who lives his life in accordance with our holy Torah, observing the Mitzvoth. This road is full of light, but it should be further illuminated by the teachings of Chassidism, which reveal the richness and abundance of the light of our faith, our Torah and Mitzvoth.
Bar-Mitzvah is a festival, marking the time when a Jewish boy becomes a fully qualified member of our holy nation It is a great and important day for him. Yet it is not like the other festivals, when either no work is permitted at all, or, if it is, then in smaller measure. On the day of Bar-Mitzvah (if it does not occur on Shabbos) work is permitted, and Tachnun is said in prayer.
There is a lesson in this for the Bar-Mitzvah boy; that although the Bar-Mitzvah is a great and joyful event, it also places on him all the duties, responsibilities and privileges that belong to a fully qualified Jew. Such an event cannot be celebrated by a stoppage of work. On the contrary, it calls for increased efforts immediately, showing that the Bar-Mitzvah boy has become an active member of our people, according to the requirements of our holy Torah.
But in course of work, especially in the beginning it is possible to make mistakes without knowing about them. That is why the Bar-Mitzvah says Tachnun on this day, even though it is his festival. For Tachnun is a confession of the mistakes which he may have made, and a prayer for forgiveness, together with a resolution never to repeat them again. It is a resolution to be better, purer and holier, that is, to be worthier of the name "Jew" in the fullest sense of the word.
I will be glad to receive a letter from you about your progress in Jewish studies and I wish you much success in them. With the blessing of Mazaltov to you and all the family,
M. Schneerson
Notes and sources
Rabbi Chayim Yehuda Jacobs (b. 5706) was an early British Lubavitcher and a pioneering shliach of the Rebbe to Scotland. Raised in a traditional home in London, he connected with Lubavitch through attending evening and Sunday classes at the fledgling Lubavitch school in the city.
Additional English letters addressed to Mr. Chaim Yehudah Jacobs include those dated 27 Adar II, 5719; 26 Sivan, 5719; 5 Tishrei, 5720; 5 Tishrei, 5721; 3 Cheshvan, 5721; Days of Chanukah, 5721; 34 Nissan, 5721; 28 Iyar, 5721; 27 Sivan, 5721; 26 Tammuz, 5721; 16 Marcheshvan 5722; 22 Kislev 5722; 18 Iyar 5722; 18 Tammuz 5722; 28 Tammuz 5722; 12 Cheshvan 5723; 13 Teves 5723; 4 Adar 5723; 15 Iyar 5723; 28 Teves 5724; 20 Shevat 5724; 11 Adar 5724; In the days of Sefirah 5739.
Source: Photocopy of Original.
Published: Kovetz Divrei Torah (New Haven, 10 Shevat, 5760).