By the Grace of G-d
In the Days of Sefira, 5740
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Mrs. . . . W. Orange, N.J. 07052
Blessing and Greeting:
This is to acknowledge receipt of your letter in which you write that you and your husband attended your daughter's wedding and that everything turned out well. May G-d grant that all the good wishes which the young couple received will be fulfilled and that you and your husband will have true Yiddish nachas from them and, in due course, from their offspring.
To refer to the general topic of your letter, in which you make a point of the basic tenet of the honor due to parents, of course, no one can question the importance of this mitzvah which is one of the Ten Commandments. I trust, however, that you also know that there is an immediate logical consequence that follows from this basic tenet, namely: if one is duty bound to honor one's father and mother, how much more so is one obligated to honor our Heavenly Father, who is the Father of both the children and the parents and grandparents. Hence, should there arise a conflict as to first loyalty, surely our duty to our Heavenly Father takes overriding precedence. Moreover, the conflict is only a temporary one, due to misconception, and when the natural parents recognize that it is also their duty to honor Him and that no disrespect was intended by their children, they will realize that there really was no conflict in the first place. Herein lies also the answer to other points raised in your letter and in previous correspondence.
In these days of Sefira which link Pesach, the Festival of our Liberation from physical slavery, with Shavuos, the Festival of our Receiving the Torah, bringing spiritual liberation, namely liberation from un-Jewish influences, etc., every day that brings us closer to the festival of Shavuos strengthens the bond not only between the Jewish people and their Heavenly Father, but also the bond between one Jew and another, since the Torah unites all our people.
Wishing you and yours an inspiring and joyous Festival of Kabolas HaTorah.
With blessing,
P.S. Since writing the above letter, your (other) letter was received. In reply, and succinctly, as you request:
As indicated above, the Torah and all its mitzvos have been given to all Jews, without exception, and all Jews are equally committed to carry out all its precepts in the everyday life. Any man-made distinction between Jews, under one label or another, is invalid and can in no way override the said Divinely ordained commitment. Within this so-called "mainstream" of Torah-true Yiddishkeit, there can be special emphasis on certain aspects of Yiddishkeit. For example, the teaching of Chassidus accentuates the three-dimensional loves - love of G-d, love of the Torah and love of fellow Jews and also emphasizes the aspect of joy and enthusiasm in serving G-d. There could be special emphasis on hiddur mitzvah - excellence in performing a mitzvah. But these and similar emphases are basic to Torah Yiddishkeit in general.
There is, further, the general rule that "all things of holiness should be on the ascendancy." This means that however satisfactory the religious life may be at any particular moment, there is always room, and consequently an obligation, to advance in all matters of goodness and holiness, Torah and mitzvos, which are infinite, being connected with the Infinite.
I trust this basically answers your question.
