Glad to hear of progress in your studies / ambition grows with accomplishment / lesson from the Rebbe Rayatz’s incarceration
By the Grace of G-d
11th of Tammuz, 5735
Brooklyn, N.Y.
To the Students
c/o Mrs. Miriam Popack
518 Crown St.
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11213
Greeting and Blessing:
I duly receive your letters through your teacher Mrs. Miriam Popack, and was pleased to note from your letters, as well as your teacher’s report, that you are making good progress in your studies as well as in your daily conduct, as befits Jewish children, sons and daughters of our Fathers, Avrohom, Yitzchok, Yaacov and our Mothers Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel and Leah.
I trust that your achievements in the past will further stimulate you to greater achievements in the future, in accordance with the saying of our Sages, “He who has 100, desires 200, and having achieved 200, desires 400.” In other words, human nature is such that ambition grows with accomplishment. And if this is so in material things, how much more so should this be in spiritual things which are the true important and eternal aspects of the Neshama life. Since you are students of Mrs. Popack, it is surely unnecessary to go into this subject at length.
However, I would like to add an important and timely point in connection with the anniversary of the Geulo of my father-in-law of saintly memory, which we are about to observe.
I hope you know the history of the events which led to his imprisonment, which placed him and his work in great danger, until he was miraculously freed on the 12-13th of Tammuz. One of the main reasons for which he fought and suffered so bravely and selflessly was his work in behalf of Jewish children, to enable them to receive the Torah-true education and to observe the Mitzvoth. This was something which the terrible regime in that country did not like at all and tried every way to stop. But with the help of G-d, my father-in-law of saintly memory triumphed, and as a result of his dedicated work a generation of Torah-true Jews grew up even there under the most difficult circumstances, as we can see by the many Jewish families that come out from behind the Iron Curtain.
You are fortunate that you can study the Torah and observe the Mitzvoth without difficulty, and without anyone having to put his life in danger for it. Surely you will want to apply yourself with the utmost devotion and diligence to the study of the Torah and the observance of the Mitzvoth, with joy and inspiration, and may G-d grant that you should be a shining example to all Jewish children, both in the school and outside.
Wishing you Hatzlocho in all above,
