The essential aspect of Judaism and Kabbalah is the performance of the actual deed
By the Grace of G-d
5th of Kislev, 5725
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Mr. . . .
Los Angeles, Cal.
Greeting and Blessing:
I am in receipt of your letter and enclosure.
In reply to your request for my comments relating to your enclosed article, I can only say, in your own words in your letter, that everyone is entitled to his own opinion.
However, I would like to emphasize again, what I believe I have already written to you in my previous correspondence, that our Sages of blessed memory, who certainly were well versed in the Sepher Yetzirah and Kabbalah in general, always emphasized that the essential thing is the actual deed (Mishnah, Avos 1:17). Actually there is no need even to call upon the Sages of the Mishnah. For it is clear and specific in a passage in the Bible “Fear G-d and observe His commandments, for this is the whole of man.” (Koheles. 12:13). As to what are His commandments, there is no doubt about that, for they are explicitly stated in the Torah and clearly formulated in the Shulchan Aruch, the Code of Jewish Law. The extent of the importance which the Sages placed on the actual deed can be seen from another Mishnah (Avos 3:12) where it said, “He whose deeds exceed his wisdom, his wisdom endures; but he whose wisdom exceeds his deeds, his wisdom does not endure.”
I trust that you will not take it amiss if I will be even more explicit. Although everyone is entitled to his opinion, there is an opinion which is binding on every Jew, namely the will of G-d, which makes it incumbent upon every Jew to conduct his daily life in accordance with the Torah and mitzvot. Moreover it is not sufficient that the Jew should conduct his personal life in that way, and also his home but, on the basis of the great principle of our Torah, the commandment to love our fellow Jew as ourselves, every Jew is duty bound to do his best to spread this truth among his coreligionists in his immediate environment and to the fullest extent of his influence. As quoted above, such action is the best test and verification that the wisdom is of an enduring kind.
With blessing,
