By the Grace of G-d5 Av, 5736Brooklyn, N.Y

Greeting and Blessing:

I was pleased to receive you correspondence from Eretz Hakodesh, and especially Yerushalayim Ir Hakodesh and many thanks for keeping me posted on matters there. Assuming that you are back home now, this letter is sent to your home address.

No doubt you will suspect, and righty so, that the purpose of this letter is a practical one, namely, in connection with the activities and special drives relating to “Bein Hamtzorim” and Tisha b’Av etc., of which you must have become particularly aware during your visit in Eretz Yisroel. But although the emphasis was on Bein Hamtzorim, it is clear that if, G-d forbid, Moshiach will not come by the end of this period, this in itself is proof that the concerted effort, or at any rate the effort of some, was inadequate in spreading the Torah and mitzvot to the fullest extent of “Hayom — im b’koli tishmo'u." Hence, there is no need to explain at length that an increased effort is indicated in Torah and Tzedokoh and in gemilus chassodim generally, after Bein Hamtzorim and with no less fervor, vigor and inspiration as before; indeed, with more — to make up for the past deficiency.

As mentioned many times before, the world likes to take note of an extraordinary, especially sensational, event, such as the miraculous rescue at Entebbe airport in Uganda. The lesson is on the surface: Any careless word or act on the part of anyone of the rescue team would have endangered the whole rescue operation, G-d forbid, both for the rescuers and for the hostages, as well as the prestige of our whole Jewish people, in Eretz Yisroel and in the Diaspora.

To cite one illustration, mentioned also at the Farbrengen: Suppose one of the rescuers lit a match, disregarding a strict order to maintain darkness and quiet, etc., with the excuse that it is his private matter. This seemingly trivial act would have had tremendous repercussions, not only for himself and all around him but also for those waiting to be rescued in another building; and it would have had an impact in the U.N., in Washington and all around the world. Here is a direct reply from an obvious situation that unfolded itself before our eyes with clearly recognizable effects - to those who claim why make such a big fuss about a Jew somewhere at the other end of the globe lighting a match on Shabbos or Yom Kippur. By the same token, rescuing a Jew from doing an aveira has far-reaching effects for the well being of that individual Jew and his family and community and Jews everywhere.

Of course, the yetzer hora will retort that the rescue operation at Entebbe was an exceptional case, involving a hijacking, etc. But then there is no worse hijacker that the yetzer hora himself, and there is no more exceptional situation than the survival of the Jewish people as one lamb among seventy wolves, etc. Surely no further elaboration is needed.

May G-d grant that the present period of the Three Weeks, beginning with the Fast of 17 Tammuz and concluding with the Fast of Tisha b’Av , will be transformed, in accordance with the Divine promise, and soon L’sasson ul’simcha ul'mo’adim tovim, and there should be no need to talk about undesirable things spiritually, nor about undesirable things materially, for there will still remain plenty to do in fulfillment of the imperative to promote all things of holiness ma’alim ba’kodesh, that the good should be better and the better, best and what is already best for one who is half way through his journey is not quite as good for one who is more advanced.

With blessing for hatzlocho in all above,

P.S. I take this opportunity of thanking you again for the pleasure of reading your “Diary,” though it mentions my name too frequently. I was afraid to count how many times, lest I be impelled to make a strong protest. Nevertheless, you have my permission to quote sections from this letter in your next Diary, as I suspect you would have done in any case; so it might as well be with permission.