By the Grace of G-d15 Shevat, 5738Brooklyn, N. Y.

Greeting and Blessing:

I was pleased to be informed of the Seminar this coming weekend. Since time is a factor and, by Divine Providence, the event is taking place in the week of Mattan-Torah and Rosh Hashonoh Lo’ilonos, I am confident that the Seminar will prove particularly illuminating and fruitful.

“Man is like a tree,” declares the Torah, Toras Chayim — the Jew’s true guide in the everyday life. The analogy is instructive in that it emphasizes, among other things, that man’s purpose in life is to grow and develop and produce “fruits” to be enjoyed not only by himself, but also by others.

This reminder is especially relevant to young people, who are in the midst of their development — in character and Weltanschauung — which will determine their future course and aim in life. During these formative years in particular — the Torah serves notice — one should bear in mind that the basic goal of a human being in general, and of a Jew in particular, is to be like a “fruit-bearing tree.” The Torah shebe’al peh is even more explicit, as our Sages declare that the fruits of Tzaddikim (“and Thy people are all Tzaddikim") are the Mitzvos and good deeds.

A further point in the analogy is that a fruit contains in itself the seeds to produce trees and fruits after its own kind to all posterity. The inference is obvious.

Needless to say, to achieve the best results a fruit-bearing tree has to be cultivated when it is still young, and this is the time when every effort is rewarded out of all proportions in later years.

There was hardly a time when young people faced greater challenges than in this day and age, and serious efforts are required to face up to them and overcome them. However, the Torah assures us that when a Jew is truly determined to lead a life of Torah and Mitzvos to which every Jew is committed from Sinai, he has the full capacity to do so and receives help from On High. My father-in-law of saintly memory — whose Yahrzeit-Hilulo we observed a few days ago (10 Shevat) — has shown by example that where there is a firm will and determination, there are no difficulties that a Jew cannot overcome. To be sure, who can compare to his stature — but then the difficulties one faces in the “free world” are quite minimal by comparison, and many of them are more imaginary than real. Certainly Jewish youths, endowed with energy and enthusiasm and unafraid of a challenge, should have no serious problem in this regard.

May G-d grant that each and all of you participating in this get-together should rededicate yourselves to your real goal in life, as indicated above, and advance from strength to strength in this direction, with joy and gladness of heart.

With prayerful wishes for Hatzlocho,

With blessing,

M. Schneerson