By the Grace of G‑d30 Shevat, 5748February 18, 1988Brooklyn, N.Y.
The White House
Washington, D.C.
Dear Mr. President
I deeply appreciate your kind and warm words of sympathy.1
"Words emanating from the heart, enter the heart," the Sages say.2 I want you and Mrs. Reagan to know that they brought me comfort and solace,
We are, indeed, consoled by the abiding thought that the dear departed has left behind her a legacy of a lifetime spent here on earth in good deeds which live on, and continue to grow; and, of course, growth is a sign of true vitality. And her eternal soul – reflected in the ongoing activities of the institutions - will continue to be a source of inspiration and encouragement, especially to all whose lives were touched by hers.
In the Torah, an expression of sympathy in a time of grief, invoking solace from the One Above who is the true source of Consolation, is termed a "Blessing of Condolence," and is reciprocated with the words, "May you be blessed from Heaven."3
I do so reciprocate your blessing. Needless to say, a blessing from Heaven, the Source of All Blessings, is replete and boundless with all good. I only add my prayerful wish that it be "in the kind of good that is revealed and obvious" – not only in Heaven, but also here on earth.
With profound esteem and with blessing,
M. Schneerson
Notes and sources
For more information on President Ronald Reagan's relationship with the Rebbe, and further correspondence, see letter dated 12 Nissan, 5741.
1) President Reagan's letter read:
Nancy and I send our heartfelt condolences as you mourn the loss of your wife. Although there are no words to ease the deep sorrow you feel, we wanted you to know that we are keeping you and your family in our prayers.
Rebbetzin Chaya Moussia's long and fruitful life was a shining example of the scriptural values that Americans deeply cherish: love of the Almighty and our neighbor, humility, wisdom, and compassion. She truly personified in her own words and actions the ethical values and principles of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. Her life has been a continuing source of inspiration not only to world Jewry, but to all men and women of goodwill. She will be as sorely missed as she was deeply loved.
We pray that warm memories of Rebbetzin Chaya Moussia will be a source of peace and strength in the coming days. May every consolation be yours.
With our deepest sympathy,
Ronald Reagan
2) See Rabbeinu Tam's Sefer HaYashar, ch. 313.
3) See Mishneh Torah, "Hilchos Avel," 13:2.
Source: Photocopy of original
Published: Chabad.org.