By the Grace of G-d Erev Purim, 5724 Brooklyn, N.Y.

Greeting and Blessing:

I am in receipt of your recent letters in reply to my letter to you.

You go into a lengthy discussion as to what should be one’s way in life etc. and that your way in life is perhaps other than the one I indicated in my letter.

With all due respect to you and after carefully reading your letters, I must again repeat very briefly what I wrote to you previously and which apparently has not made the expected impact.

One of the main points is that a discussion and speculation may be in order where there is no emergency. But where there is an emergency, all speculation must be set aside, as it is time for action.

Another important point for you to bear in mind is that when it comes to a choice between speculation and action, there is no doubt as to where the real accomplishment lies. Your own experience is proof of this. For, when you were actively engaged in the field of education, teaching Jewish children the high values of the Jewish way of life, I am certain that you can point to some tangible results. And although you apparently consider this activity as negligible, the fact is that in the view of the Torah “He who saves a soul is deemed to have saved the whole world.”¹ While I do not know your pupils and cannot evaluate exactly the benefit which you bestowed upon them, I am quite certain that you did bestow very considerable benefits upon them, benefits which will in due course be greatly multiplied and increased, since the education of young children is like the care given to seedlings or young plants.

On the other hand, during the years which have elapsed since you gave up your activity, while occupying your mind with some very lofty thoughts about bringing peace and happiness to the world at large, I doubt whether you can point to any single individual who has yet been helped by these contemplations.

I trust you will forgive me for saying that you are not only “skipping on two thresholds,”² but wavering between many influences and are confused. If you wish to listen to my advice, you should at least for a few months, give up all this contemplation and speculation, to devote yourself to practical activity on the lines indicated above, even though you may consider it trivial. I am certain, knowing your capacities, that you will succeed in your work to bring Jewish children closer to the way of the Torah, which is called Toras Chaim. Thus, after giving your mind a rest for about a half a year or so from all the mental strain, which you call contemplation, you will be able to make up your mind more objectively and more deeply as to what your way of life should be.

I do not know if you read my message for Rosh Hashana, but there seems to be no indication of it in your correspondence. I am taking the liberty to enclose a copy of it herewith, which I trust you will read with appropriate attention. For the thoughts expressed therein are not my own but they are drawn from the profound well-springs of our Torah.³

It is customary to refer to timely matters in Jewish life and as I am writing this letter just before Purim, I wish to make a pertinent observation which has a bearing on the subject matter of our discussion.

The story of Purim relates that King Ahasuerus was a ruler of a world empire. When the decree to annihilate all the Jews was issued, there seemed no possibility of revoking it, nor was there any place where the Jews could escape. What did bring about a complete reversal of the situation was, as our Sages relate, that Mordechai, upon learning of the terrible decree, left his high station in the royal palace, also ignored his high position as the head of the Jewish people, but went to gather Jewish children and to teach them like an elementary teacher, the Torah. He taught them with such inspiration that the children were prepared to give up their very lives for the Torah and for Mordechai. It was then that the gezera became null and void and the position of the Jews was reversed from darkness into light, etc.⁴

Of course none of us can compare to Mordechai and to accomplish what he did. On the other hand, fortunately we are not in the same danger and peril as the Jews were in those days. On the contrary, we are fortunate to live in a society where we can live as Jews and study Torah and lead our Jewish way of life without danger and without outside obstacles. The only obstacles are those within, namely the yetzer hara, which seeks all sort of ways and means to distract the Jew’s mind from his true purpose in life.

I wish you a happy and inspiring Purim and may G-d grant that you should have good news to report.

With blessing,