By the Grace of G-d 8th of Adar II, 5722 Brooklyn, N.Y.

Greeting and Blessing:

After not having heard from you for a long time, I received your two letters of the first day of Rosh Chodesh Adar II.

You write that certain individuals and certain matters could do with some improvement. You surely know that generally speaking, there is no perfection in this world. Therefore, every thing, as well as every individual, has room for improvement, as our sages expressed it "all things of holiness should be on the upgrade". There are no exceptions from this rule, for even the greatest Tzaddik must not be content with his present status but must seek to advance further and higher. At the same time, every commandment of the Torah is also a delegation of power and ability to fulfill it, even for the individual who has no yet attained the rank of Tzaddik. For the Torah does not expect of an individual more than he can accomplish, and that which he is commanded to do, he can surely accomplish.

It is important to bear in mind the above, because it is one of the tried strategies of the Yetzer to attempt to discourage the Jew from fulfilling his obligations by suggesting that it is impossible to fulfill all the Torah and Mitzvoth, or that it is a waste of effort, and so on.

You write that you fear that the people of Lubavitch will look askance on . . . or will not accept . . . etc. I must take strong exception to this, for as you surely know, the attitude of Lubavitch is quite the opposite, and one of the basic principles of Lubavitch is the emphasis on Ahavas Yisroel, which as the Old Rabbi declared, is a ”vessel” for Ahavas Hashem, and that ”love your fellow Jew as yourself” means literally, as yourself. This is further expanded in Chapter 32 (לב) of the Tanya. This attitude of Lubavitch extends to all Jews without distinction, especially to a person of your background.

With regard to your plans for moving into a new home, may G-d grant that the change of place will be a change for the better in every respect.

Hoping to hear good news from you, especially as we are now in the auspicious month of Adar. It is said, "With the arrival of Adar, Simchah (joy) should be on the increase.” This does not mean that we should rejoice for the sake of rejoicing, but that the reasons for increased rejoicing are surely there. If one reflects on the benevolent Divine Providence, it should not be difficult to discover some of them; and, with complete faith in G-d, others in addition will become apparent.

Wishing you and yours a happy and inspiring Purim, and hoping again to receive good news from you, including also about your participation in the work of Lubavitch.

With blessing,

M. Schneerson