By the Grace of G-d 8th of Tishrei, 5751 Brooklyn, New York

Greeting and Blessing:

I was gratified to see you yesterday at the meeting of the Machne Israel Development Fund, during these auspicious days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

A unique characteristic of this new year is the fact that the two days of Rosh Hashanah (Thursday and Friday) were followed immediately by Shabbos. This provided us with three uninterrupted days of heightened spiritual experience, from the awe inspiring days of Rosh Hashanah through the G-dly holiness of Shabbos.

It is a principle of Jewish law that "What is repeated three times acquires the force of chazakah (strength and permanence)." This chazakah state of holiness exerts a very strong influence on the entire year. Thus, all one's activities, in each and all days of the year, should be influenced by the sublime holiness of the first three days of this year. Indeed, like the head controls and directs the entire human organism so does Rosh Hashanah (lit. the "head" of the year) influence and animate every day of the entire year.

May the Almighty grant that the strength and holiness indigenous to our New Year have the desired effect on each and every one throughout the entire year.

With esteem and blessing for a chasima and gmar chasima tova

M. Schneerson

P. S. I take this opportunity to enclose an excerpt from my remarks addressed to the participating members שליט״א.