5735

Greeting and blessing:

Your letter reached me with considerable delay, and this is the first opportunity I could find to answer it.

You write, “I feel it is important for me to have a better understanding of the roots and principles of Judaism.” Since you have such a strong feeling about it, I trust that you have begun to gratify it by the actual practice and fulfillment of the mitzvot, since it is through this religious experience that a Jew also receives a better understanding of their significance.

Moreover, a better understanding of the mitzvot inevitably leads to the conclusion that the important thing is the actual practice of the mitzvot. Therefore, if one were to wait with the actual practice of the mitzvot until such time as he obtained a better understanding of their roots and principles, every day that passed without the practice of the mitzvot would be an irretrievable loss. The reason that I am so certain about the above is that I have seen from personal contact scores of cases where the above was amply verified, and others may have seen many more of such cases who eventually reached the same conclusion.

In addition to the above, this is also the logical approach even if one were to doubt the above premise, as could be seen from the following simple illustration. Suppose one was told that he could invest a penny in order to make a tremendous amount of money; it would be logical for one to risk the penny, even if he is skeptical about the profit. Similarly in this case, where if a person began with the actual practice of the mitzvot, he would, at any rate, fulfill G-d’s will; and even if, G-d forbid, he does not come to the conclusion that he is doing the right thing, his only loss is the few minutes it took him to fulfill a mitzvah. There is surely no need to elaborate on this.

With further reference to your letter, it is surely unnecessary for you to travel far in order to be able to discuss these matters, for in California there are several Chabad Houses and Centers, of which, as a journalist, you surely know. If you wish to discuss these matters with any of their staff, I am sure you will find them ready and willing.

With blessing,