By the Grace of G-d 18th Teves, 5740 Brooklyn, N.Y.

Greeting and Blessing: 

I was pleased to receive your letter. Many thanks for your thoughtfulness to share with me your delightful Chanukah experience, which was very much in keeping with the principle emphasized by our Sages that, “the essential thing is the deed,” the actual performance of the mitzvot. Especially when it concerned such a unique mitzvah as lighting the Chanukah Lights, which are kindled in growing numbers from day to day, in a manner of Mehadrin Min haMehadrin and which symbolize all the mitzvot. It was particularly gratifying to note, moreover, that you were instrumental thereby to inspire also another Jew to observe this mitzvah. 

May G-d grant that you should go from strength to strength in this direction and thus widen the channels to receive G-d's blessings, likewise in a growing measure. 

By this I especially have in mind the Talmudic dictum that I have often called attention to: 

Eizuhi parsha ktana shekol gufei torah tlu’yim bo - b'chol d'rachecho do'ey'bu - "Which is the succinct doctrine that all basic Torah tenets depend on it? Know Him in all your ways.” (Brachos 63, 1) 

The point of it is that "in all your ways,” even those that are seemingly personal, there is an obligation to know and make known, G-d. Whatever a Jew's business or profession is, he is obligated to spread G-dliness among those with whom he comes in contact and the more prominent and influential a person is, the greater the opportunities to do so, for it is in human nature to look up to such a person and be influenced by him, directly and indirectly, even in an area not directly related to his profession. All the more so in Yale, where, I understand, there is no need to elaborate on the above. I only add that zechus horabim messayet. 

With esteem and blessing,