When “the house is on fire”, everyone must do all they can to save Jewish souls rather than focusing on long term plans or projects.
By the Grace of G-d
21st of Kislev, 5733
Brooklyn, N.Y
Mr. Yehuda Stulman
777 United States Plaza
New York, N.Y.
Greeting and Blessing:
Many thanks for your letter of Nov. 15th. I appreciate your taking time out of your busy schedule to write to me at length, explaining your views and activities.
Needless to say, I welcome your remark to the effect that basically your views coincide with mine. Yet, though I do not care to indulge in polemics, least of all in a letter, the overriding importance of the subject matter calls for a response. I must state that in the final analysis what really matters is not so much agreement in principle as how this expresses itself in practical results.
Perhaps the best way I can make myself clearer is by means of a parable. If some may object that the assessment is overly pessimistic, I can only say - would it were so.
When a house is on fire on all sides, and some people are trapped in it, it is the elementary duty of anyone within reach, even if not a relative of those inside the burning house, let alone a close relative, to do everything possible to save the endangered persons and help put out the flames. Clearly, this is no time for any person in the immediate vicinity to say that he has more important business to do, being engaged in a project that would benefit the entire neighborhood, or the entire city, or even humanity at large.
Starting with this premise, with which I am sure you will agree, I am also certain that we are both in agreement also on the principle that the Jewish people must not be permitted to forfeit its identity as a unique nation among mankind. Even if its physical existence were not endangered, there can be no doubt it is spiritually endangered. It is common knowledge that we are losing daily countless young men and women, flowering Jewish youths, because of their appalling ignorance of what Jewishness is and what is a Jew. Yet we cannot afford to lose a single Jew, especially after having lost one third of our people in the holocaust, i.e. one third numerically; infinitely more in terms of our spiritual heritage. It is also a well known fact that existing educational facilities are woefully inadequate, not only to provide a secondary place in the present situation, [but even a bare minimum. Means are lacking even to establish a mere contact with the vast majority of Jewish students in the campuses and elsewhere, to make them aware that they owe it to themselves and to our people to remain Jews. Most of them are either completely alienated from our people or on the road to complete alienation, intermarriage and assimilation.
Add to this the fact that the birthrate is relatively smaller among Jews than among non-Jews (a particularly alarming factor in the Land of Israel), and other factors contributing to the erosion, and there could be no question that the above parable is, unfortunately, very realistic.
It follows that every Jew, as the next of kin of his fellow Jews, must consider it his primary duty to help save those who are trapped in the “burning house.” There is only one way to do it: to concentrate all resources and efforts on the expansion of educational facilities and on all activities directed toward awakening Jewish consciousness within the broad ranks of our endangered youth.
At the same time, similar efforts must be directed towards bolstering Jewish consciousness among parents. For, despite the so-called generation gap, Jewish parents and grandparents have traditionally played a vital role in the preservation of the Jewish heritage.
After only the fullest needs of Jewish education of the young and of the adults have been taken care of, and only if there is still a surplus of resources, time and personal effort, can the question arise as to what to do with that surplus. In other words, it all boils down to a simple question of priority: the vital, life-saving needs of our brothers and sisters versus any long range or even short range plans — however ambitious or promising — for the welfare of underdeveloped countries or humanity at large.
A further point. If a Jew should declare that he has no time to worry about the survival of the Jewish people, or to help save Jewish children, because he is too busy with personal affairs, we can only feel sorry for his selfish attitude. But we can also hope that inasmuch as he is a Jew and possesses a soul which is “verily a part of G-dliness above.” (a basic doctrine in Chabad), he will in time renounce his selfishness for the benefit of his people. But if the reason for refusing to do his share to ensure the survival of his people is based on the claim that he is engaged in a humanitarian effort of global proportions, etc., there is less chance that he will turn his attention to the immediate needs of his brethren. This is not to detract from the merit of the humanitarian cause the Jew may be engaged in. Yet, however commendable it may be per se, it must take a secondary place in the present situation.]
You, my friend, are an idealist, but you are also a practical businessman, and a super successful businessman. So I will take the liberty of asking you a straight, practical question, hoping you will forgive the stark candor: How many Jews, especially children and young adults, have been saved from assimilation and loss to our people in the last decade as a result of the plans and projects to which you refer in your letter?
I have no doubt, of course, that you made financial contributions to Jewish causes during this period. But I also have no doubt that had your best efforts been channeled towards what should be your primary concern, as I see it, many many more Jewish souls would have been saved.
I trust you will bear with me if some of the expressions in this lengthy letter appear overly harsh. I believe friends should have a right to indulge in complete candor, occasionally at least.
To conclude on a bright note, now that we are about to celebrate the Festival of Lights by lighting the Chanukah candles in increasing numbers, symbolizing the light of the Torah and Mitzvoth, as Scripture defines true light: “For a Mitzva is a lamp and the Torah is light,”
May I express the fervent hope that each one of us, in the midst of all our people, should kindle ever more lights and spread ever more light to the fullest G-d-given capacity.
With prayerful wishes for a bright and inspiring Chanukah and always,
Cordially,
M. Schneerson
