By the Grace of G-d18th of Adar, 5743Brooklyn, N.Y.

Blessing and Greeting:

I received your letter in which you recount highlights of recent events, concluding with the question where you should settle down.

Needless to say, you are quite right that the first consideration for a Jew, especially a Jewish family, is to settle in a place where there are many Torah observant Jews. Of the three options that you mention, namely, Miami, L.A. and New York all have this advantage. So you ought to consult with knowledgeable friends who know you and your husband and could help you decide which of these places would be most suitable for you. And so it is written, “Help comes with the abundance of counsel.”¹

May G-d, Whose benevolent Providence extends to each and everyone individually, guide you in the way that is truly good for you in every respect.

There is surely no need to emphasize to you at length about the need to strengthen adherence to the way of the Torah and mitzvos in the everyday life. For although this is a must for its own sake, this also widens the channels to receive G-d’s blessings.

Having just celebrated the festival of Purim, I would like to mention one of the central teachings of the festival, which emphasizes the most important role of the Jewish woman in the life of our people. This is emphatically underscored by the fact that the Megillah, the book in our Holy Scriptures which records the story of Purim, is called not after Mordechai, nor after Mordechai and Esther jointly, but solely after Esther - the Book of Esther. This is not just to pay a compliment to Jewish womanhood, but to impress upon every Jewish woman and daughter how much even a single woman can accomplish, not only for herself and family but for all our Jewish people. And although not every Jewish woman can compare in stature to Queen Esther, nevertheless the fact that everyone, men as well as women, have to hear the reading of the Megillah, shows that it is relevant to everyone and everyone can, in his and her own way, accomplish a great deal along the lines of the accomplishments of Mordechai and Esther.

May G-d grant that you should have good news to report.

With blessing,