By the Grace of G-d8th of Elul, 5734Brooklyn N.Y.

Greeting and Blessing:

I received your letter and many thanks for the good wishes it contained. But it both surprised and pained me that you should think that persons are evaluated in terms of their connections, at any rate in so far as Lubavitch is concerned. This would certainly not be a factor in relation to any person least of all to you, since you have your own merits, and so has your family, and it goes back to the time of my father-in-law of saintly memory, from whom you received personal blessings.

There seems to be some regrettable misunderstanding and I trust these few lines will suffice to assure you that our longstanding friendship has not been affected.

There could also have been a misunderstanding in regard to the fact that in recent months I have been impelled, for reasons beyond me, to cut down on the time set aside for appointments, apart from those times in the year, such as the months of Nissan, Elul and Tishrei, etc., when no appointments are made altogether.

Be it as it may, I trust the matter is fully straightened out, and that at a mutually convenient time for you and me we will have an opportunity to have a personal talk. May G-d grant that it should be connected with a happy occasion.

In the meantime, and in these auspicious days of Elul, I extend to you and your wife and all your family the traditional blessing for a kesiva vachasimo toivo, for a good and sweet year, and may you and your wife have much true nachas, which is Yiddish Torah nachas, from all your children.

Since you mentioned your son in your letter, I have asked Dr. Mindel to send each of your children a copy of My Prayer which he authored,¹ with my compliments and best wishes for a Happy New fear.

With blessing,