By the Grace of G-d 10th of Sivan, 5724 Brooklyn, N.Y.

Greeting and Blessing:

The participants in the forthcoming Banquet will surely bring with them a goodly measure of the inspiration derived from the festival of Mattan Torah, which we have just celebrated in order to re-experience the great event of the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.

It is highly significant that the Torah was given in a desert, the Desert of Sinai. This emphasizes — as our Sages point out — that the Torah is not conditioned upon any particular place, or time, or any “normal” set of living conditions.¹

The same idea is indicated also in the Sidra B’haalosecho, which will be read next week, the week of your Banquet. Here the Torah tells us how the Jewish people journeyed through the wilderness: “By the command of G-d they rested, and by the command of G-d they journeyed” (Num. 9:20), and “the Ark of the Covenant of G-d went before them” (ibid. 10:33).

Throughout our long history, whether the Jewish people were in a state of restfulness and peace and prosperity, or in a state of exile and wandering, driven from place to place, the Jews always knew that it was “by the command of G-d.” The same benevolent Divine Providence which decreed for our people peace and prosperity also decreed the exile and suffering. The Ark of the Covenant has always guided us, and our attachment to G-d has remained unshaken in times of stress as in times of comfort.²

What is true of the Jewish people as a whole is true of the individual Jew. From the moment of birth to the last breath, every Jew undergoes a variety of “journeys” both in his physical and spiritual development, and the “Ark of the Covenant” — the Torah — goes before him, beckons to him and pleads with him: “Follow Me!” Unfortunately, some Jews, for one reason or another, do not see this Ark of G-d, nor do they hear this call. The Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch is dedicated to all Jews and especially towards these Jews, young and old, to help them in their journey through life. This is a vital activity, vital for the individual, the community, and our people as a whole. It deserves the utmost support.

With prayerful wishes for success, and

With blessing,

M. Schneerson