By the Grace of G-d 13th of Elul, 5743 Brooklyn, N.Y.

Greeting and Blessing:

I was pleased to receive your letter of the 8th of Elul that the matters have been resolved satisfactorily.

If peace and harmony are always important, it is especially important where communal activities are concerned, since peace is that vessel which is replete with blessings. Indeed, as you know, this is the concluding note of all the Six Orders of the Mishnah. And with the characteristic precision of all expressions of our Sages of blessed memory, it is significant that they express it by saying, “The Holy One found no vessel to contain His blessing than peace." In this way they emphasize that G-d Himself, Who is כביכול omnipotent and nothing is impossible for Him, did not find such a unique vessel for His blessings.

As it is a Jewish custom to offer some remark where an opportunity presents itself, I take the liberty of commenting on the reference in your letter to my "efforts". I must confess that it required no effort on my part, and all that was necessary was to call attention to the situation and the persons involved resolved everything on the spot.

I trust you are familiar with the parable of the Alter Rebbe, Founder of Chabad, explaining the significance of the month of Elul as a month of special Divine grace. Briefly: When the king rules his kingdom from his palace, his subjects know it and feel it in various degrees. It is not easy to meet the king personally when he is in his palace. But there is a time when the king goes out and meets the people in the field. At such a time everyone can go up to the king and present a request to him personally, and the king receives every person with a smiling face, and fulfills the request.

Such is the month of Elul - a time when the people go out to meet the King of Kings, HaShem, "in the field," for He has designated this month as a month of special Divine grace, mercy and forgiveness, (Likutie Torah, p. Re'eh 32, column 2).

With prayerful wishes for a Kesivo vachasimo Tovo, for a good and sweet year, materially and spiritually, and

With blessing,