By the Grace of G-d6th of Kislev, 5736 Brooklyn, N. Y.

Blessing and Greeting:

I duly received your message requesting a blessing for your father. I will remember him in prayer when visiting the holy resting place of my father-in-law of saintly memory. May G-d grant that just as you sent in the request, so you should be able to report good news about it.

Although, needless to say, the reason which has brought you in contact with us again is not one that is desired, I am nevertheless pleased with the opportunity of expressing my hope that you remember our conversation which we had when you visited here, as clearly as I remember it. Furthermore, that in accordance with the saying of our Sages that "the essential thing is the deed," your recollection of our conversation has found expression in a tangible way.

To be more explicit, I think I can safely say that in view of your father’s influence on his environment, and in accordance with the laws of heredity, you must have been endowed with similar qualities. What I mean is simply that your personal daily life in accordance with the teachings of our Torah, and a conscious effort to impart its eternal values by precept and example, is bound to have a far-reaching effect on all with whom you come in contact.

As I have had occasion to emphasize it before, our Torah is called Toras Chaim as well as Toras Emes, the first indicating that it is our guide in life, while the second emphasizes that the teachings of the Torah are not palliative or therapeutic, and consequently are not subject to time and place or special conditions, but are always valid and true. For the Torah and Mitzvoth are connected with the very essence of Jewish life, very much as water is the essential element in which fish can live. It is only because G-d desired that our choosing the Torah and Mitzvoth should be free and not compulsory, we find the distinction between the element of Torah and Mitzvoth and that of the water in the above analogy. For when a fish is taken out of its element, the effect is almost instantaneous, whereas a Jew may find himself estranged from his element for a long time without recognizing it.

Herein is also an answer to those who hesitate to return to their element on the ground that they had managed without it for so long, and, in any case, what will people say, etc. But the truth of Toras Emes speaks for itself, and indeed, it points to the greatness of a Jew that if he faces up to the challenge, he can in one minute and in one turn place himself on the right path and transform himself into a Jew in his full element. This is particularly true of young people who are blessed with special qualities of not being afraid of a challenge, and not to follow the majority, and being quite different and individualistic, etc., regardless of the environment and society of which he had been a part.

In this connection, it is well to add a further point, in which again Toras Emes gives us a special insight. In our holy tongue we have the concept of Teshuvo, which is commonly translated as "repentance."' But this is a complete mistranslation, for repentance means turning away from the past, and starting on a completely new road, whereas Teshuvo means return - a return to the Jew’s true essence arid great historic heritage of nearly 3500 years.

I trust that if you will reflect on what has been said above, with an open mind and without any prejudice, you will see the truth of it and will not be discouraged by any difficulties, which in any case are largely more imaginary than real. For, as our Sages say, "Nothing stands in the way of the will."

With blessing,

M. Schneerson