By the Grace of G-d 4th of Elul, 5731 Brooklyn, N.Y.

Greeting and Blessing:

Your letter reached me with considerable delay. In it you write about your practice of meditation, etc., and you ask elucidation on a number of religious questions.

It is, of course, difficult to explain such matters adequately in a letter. However, I might mention a general principle which, as many aspects of the Torah, are expressed in a few concise words. I am referring to the expression “Torah-Or." This means that one of the primary functions of the Torah is to illuminate everything in its true light. For such is the function of light in general, since in the absence of it there is darkness and in darkness a person can only grope and feel, and rely on the sense of touch, which is of course very unreliable. It is possible, for example, to mistake a very valuable gem for an ordinary piece of glass, or vice versa.

Similarly in the daily life, when a person seeks true meaning in life involving both the emotions and intellect it is possible for a Jew to find a meaningful life only in the Torah, and in its directives and guidance.

In light of the above, when you write about meditation, the important thing is what the meditation is on, and what the meditation leads to. Here again the Torah has its clear say on meditation, when it is to be practiced and what its content should be. The Torah tells us that meditation should be before prayer as a preparation to attune one's mind and heart to G-d, and that the meditation should be on the exaltedness and majesty of G-d and on the smallness and insignificance of man. In other words, to help a person realize that the material and physical aspects in life are not an end in themselves, but must be made subservient to the spiritual, holy and G-dly. And having thus elevated himself through meditation itself and through the prayer itself, the Jew can then go on to implement these truths in his actual daily life and conduct. As to the question how much time should be devoted to meditation and introspection, this, of course depends on the individual, his character and frame of mind in each particular day, etc. All this is clearly spelled out in the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim, beg. 98 See it there.)

Needless to say, as in everything else, G-d's help is needed also in this, and one of the good practices in this connection is to set aside a small coin for tzedoko every weekday morning before prayer.

It is superfluous to emphasize that what you write about the nature of meditation does not at all correspond to what has been said above.

Another important point that I wish to make, is also at variance with what you write. I refer to the fact that according to our Torah, Torah Or, the important thing is the deed. As a matter of fact, the deed, namely the actual fulfillment of the Torah and mitzvot in the daily life, is the primary objective, and it is through actual practice of the Torah and mitzvot that a Jew obtains a deeper insight into their meaning and significance.

The way to such meditation as mentioned above is through the study of those sections in Torah (Mussar and Chasidus), where the subject matter is discussed.

With regard to the question of diet, here too we have clear directives in the Torah as to what a Jew is permitted and not permitted to include in his diet. It is self evident that the nourishment which a person consumes is directly related also not only to his physical but also to his mental faculties. But we also have a clear directive in the Torah that a Jew is permitted to eat meat, and need not restrict his diet to vegetarian food.¹ The thing is that the meat has to be kosher in every respect. As a matter of fact, on Shabbos and Yom Tov, the eating of meat has a special significance.

A further point, which has been mentioned above in passing, should be emphasized. It is that the daily conduct in accordance with Torah, the actual fulfillment of the mitzvot in the daily life and the religious experience itself, have the effect of refining the general character of the individual, both his emotional as well as his thoughts, and make him more receptive to understand his life and his purpose in life, etc.. This too may be found in the ethical and Chasidic teachings, which are part of the Torah.

Finally, inasmuch as you are a college student, I will offer an analogy from the world of science. A person who wishes to make a study of any particular subject in the world of science, has before him two options: a) He may wish to start from scratch independently, or b) He may familiarize himself with what has already been discovered and attained by others who preceded him, and, instead of trying to verify all that for himself, utilizes his time and efforts to make further advancement. The first method has two obvious disadvantages 1) It is first of all a waste of time, inasmuch as others have already done all the exploration and investigation and have finally reached their conclusions. 2) No less important is also the consideration that it is very possible that his independent studies may altogether prove futile, or worse still, may lead him to make false deductions. On the other hand, if he accepts the body of knowledge and experience of previous generations, and conclusions arrived at by specialists and authorities, he is certain to be on the right track.

The above is true also in regard to meditation and the whole approach to finding one’s way in life. There is living proof that does not even require any faith, to the effect that the survival of the Jewish people since its inception more than 3,000 years ago, is due only to Jewish adherence to the Jewish way of life, in accordance with the Torah and mitzvot. Be it remembered that throughout this long period of history, the Jewish people have been put to various tests, and through various "experiments" such as all sorts of persecutions, wars and other crises, yet the Jewish people has outlived the mighty nations and empires of the world who had attempted to annihilate the small Jewish nation. The only single factor that helped the Jewish people survive and overcome its adversaries and to preserve its identity and uniqueness, has not been a language, or territory but the adherence to the Torah and mitzvot in its totality, with the observance of Shabbos, kashrus, the putting on of tefillin and the practice of other mitzvot, as commanded in the Written Torah and explained in detail in the Oral Torah.

I trust it is unnecessary to elaborate further on the above to you. May G-d grant that you should accept the directives of the Torah as a guide in life and way of life in the same spirit as when it was given at Sinai, when the Jewish people accepted the Torah on the principle of naaseh (we will do), and then v'nishma (we will understand). One must not expect to understand everything right away, since there is a body of knowledge which has accumulated over forty generations, and it still cannot be fully fathomed. But, as mentioned above, the proper approach is to begin with the practice of the mitzvot, since that in itself refines the mind and heart, and provides the insights into the deeper meaning. May you also be a living example in your environment as to how a Jew should live his daily life, in accordance with the Torah, called Toras Chaim and mitzvot by which Jews live. In the final analysis it is primarily a matter of one’s own will and determination.

Wishing you hatzlocho and a Kasivo vaChasimo Tovo,

With blessing,

M. Schneerson