By the Grace of G-d 11th of Nissan,1 Immediately following Shabbos HaGodol,2 5746. Brooklyn, N.Y.

Greeting and Blessing:

Pursuant to our letter of Rosh Chodesh Nissan, in which we discussed the special importance³ of the teachings of Pesach, in all their minute details, with a view to implementing them in the everyday life and experience —

Taking into consideration that Pesach is the first of the three comprehensive festivals (Pesach, Shovuos and Succos) — the first not only in time, but also being the one from which the other two festivals derive,

As is, moreover, underscored in the case of Shovuos, the Festival of Mattan Torah, by the fact that the opening words of the Ten Commandments were: “I am HaShem your G-d Who brought you out of the land of Mitzraim";⁴

And in the case of the festival of Succos, the Mitzvah of Succos was given in the words: “You shall dwell in Succos⁵ (booths) . . . in order that your generations should know that I made the children of Israel dwell in Succos when I brought them out of the land of Mitzraim"; thus making the knowledge⁶ of it part of the mitzvah of dwelling in Succos;

Down to the imperative of remembering Yetzias Mitzraim “All the days of your life,”⁷ each and every day, including the nights.⁸ Be it remembered that a remembrance connected with Torah, is translated into practical application, “remembered and done”⁹ —

It is timely to deliberate more deeply on the central point¹⁰ of the said letter, namely, the factor of חפזון (haste) in connection with Yetzias Mitzraim, both as a preparation to eating of the Korban Pesach, as well as during the eating of it, while still being in Egypt, and also at the departure from Egypt, which was also in a manner of haste, as mentioned in the Torah, “The people fled.”¹¹

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It was discussed in the previous letter that the factor of haste at the Exodus from Egypt conveys a message that in all cases of “evil”—in the realm of “turn away from evil”¹²—it is necessary to “flee” as quickly as possible; especially the kind of evil that is “like the practices of the land of Egypt.”¹³

And although also in the realm of “do good” the element of זריזות¹⁴ alacrity is required, and, indeed, in essential,¹⁵ so as not to postpone it or allow a Mitzvah to become “chometzdik,” as our Sages of blessed memory derive from the words ושמרתם את המצות¹⁶ “You shall guard the Matzos” (reading it as if it were written, “the Mitzvos”) — it does not compare to the lack of haste¹⁷ in the realm of “turn away from evil,” when one delays or procrastinates, to run away from everything that is the opposite of good, as is self evident.

The element of haste in connection with Yetzias Mitzraim, as expressed in the Torah, indicates reflection in three areas, namely, “Your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand,”¹⁸ as also mentioned in the previous letter. In the plain sense of this text, these are only external signs of haste. However, in a deeper sense, these “details” contain highly important general instructions.

A prefatory explanation is here indicated:

The life of a human being, which, means, of course, the spiritual life,¹⁹ is in general, divided into three areas,²⁰ and in each one of them it is required that the person should attain the highest level of שלימות²¹ “completeness” which one can attain. This can be attained, first and foremost, when a person frees²² himself from all inhuman, negative aspects which hinder, or, at any rate, limit, the person in one’s course to attain completeness. These three areas are:

First — to attain personal completeness which encompasses the whole individual and his, or her, whole conduct, both in the realm of “turn away from evil,” as well as in that of “do good”; all this in indicated in —

“Your loins girded.” In the plain sense of these words, namely in the physical sense, the loins are the part of the body which support and keep up the whole body,²³ together with the head. Hence, to “gird up one’s loins” — spiritually — means to prepare to work strenuously towards self perfection, in mind, speech and action, with the emphasis that in this area of one’s life, one has to act with haste and alacrity.²⁴

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The second area in human life centers on one’s connection²⁵ with other human beings and with the whole environment,²⁶namely, to help other persons with whom one comes in contact, that they, too, attain their completeness, and, in general, to promote G-dliness and holiness in the whole society, on both realms of turn away from evil and do good. This is indicated it —

“Your shoes on your feet,”²⁷ inasmuch as one’s legs are those parts of the human body²⁸ by means of which a person stands and walks and comes in contact with the earth.

Since on the earth there are sharp objects, or thorns, snakes, scorpions and the like, it is necessary to put on shoes on the feet²⁹ in order to be able to go where necessary and to do what is necessary.

There is a further advantage in shoes: With the aid of shoes on one’s feet, a path is trodden out so that thereafter, one need not have shoes to walk on it, and even to help those who have no shoes to walk on this path.

The metaphor, “your shoes on your feet,” in all its minute details, insofar as the spiritual life³⁰ of a person is concerned, is self evident; with the emphasis that also in this area of one’s life, one has to act with haste and alacrity, as mentioned above.

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The third area of human life has to do with that part of the world and human endeavor with which one apparently has no connection, either because of ordinary distance, or spiritual distance. However, inasmuch as “A person is supposed to say, ‘The world was created for my sake'”³¹ — it is necessary to find a way to influence also that part; as in the metaphor of a staff in one’s hand, with which one can reach something which could not be reached by the hand itself. This is indicated in —

“Your staff in your hand.” Here there are, in general, two kinds of staff: “A staff of pleasantness” מקל נעים, and “A staff of punishment” מקל חובלים³². A staff is a symbol of power, even of absolute rulership,³³ as that of a world ruler. And sometimes this power is used in a punitive capacity.

As metaphors, the “Staff of pleasantness” and the “Staff of punishment,” in the spiritual realm³⁴ of a person, refer, in general, to the realms of “do good” and “turn away evil,” respectively. And in this area too, one has to act with haste and alacrity.

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Torah requires a Jew to be an absolute ruler over his actions. A person should not permit himself to be persuaded, G-d forbid, by the Yetzer Hara that, to become an absolute ruler in his, or her, particular “small city”³⁵ is beyond reach, and therefore one might as well let go of efforts at self control, etc. In such a situation, there is the teaching, which is at the same time also “a delegation of power,” and in a generous measure,³⁶ of the Baal Shem Tov,³⁷ based on the verse,³⁸ “If you see the ass of your enemy lying under its burden, you must not leave it, but you must help him with it.” Metaphorically, according to the Baal Shem Tov, it refers to the “animal” the materialistic, “enemy” forces in a human being, which a person must try hard, very hard to control and refine, until those forces are converted into positive forces. It must be a persistent and consistent effort through increased study of the Torah, the kind of study that leads to a perfect action,³⁹ namely, the performance of Mitzvos with excellence. An effort that enables him to achieve such heights, without which he would be unable to achieve.

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May G-d grant that we should all see soon, in our own days, the fulfillment of the prayer, in the Book of the “Sweetner⁴⁰ of the Songs of Israel: “Show us⁴¹, O G-d⁴² (in a manner that we can immediately⁴³ see), Your kindness, and give us Your help (including the help) to dwell in honor in our land,”⁴⁴

With the coming of the true and complete Geulo through Moshiach Tzidkeinu.

With esteem and blessing for Hatzlocho

and good tidings in all above, and for

a Kosher and Joyous⁴⁵ Pesach,

/Signed: Menachem Schneerson/