The Torah illuminates man’s path in life; Wholehearted trust in G-d, free of anxieties and confusions; Rectifying the past; Your divergent thoughts come from the Animal Soul; You have the tool to combat it – your Divine Soul
By the Grace of G-d
4th of Cheshvan, 5728
Brooklyn, N. Y.
Blessing and Greeting:
I duly received your (undated) letter. Since it has just been received, I assume it was sent out recently. You begin your letter by saying that you have been confused, etc., and this is why you have not written for a long time.
Generally speaking, it is well to remember that the Torah is called Torah Or, “The Torah is Light”, because the essential nature of the Torah is to illuminate man's path in life. And when the path is illuminated in this way, one can see clearly which actions and conduct are good, and which have to be avoided.
Of course, the Torah is vast and cannot be easily mastered by all. For this reason, there is a resume of the Torah in the Shulchan Aruch which is a concise code of daily Jewish conduct. But even the Shulchan Aruch is not easily accessible to everyone, and that is why there are Rabbis to be consulted, since it is their purpose and function to teach and guide the individual Jew on how to live his daily life in accordance with the Torah.
All this gives everyone the opportunity to develop the proper and meaningful way of life, and above all, to have complete trust in G-d, whose benevolent Providence extends to each and everyone individually. Above all, it is necessary to cultivate sincere and wholehearted confidence in G-d, as it is written, “Thou shalt be wholehearted with G-d thy G-d,” and thus eliminate all sorts of worries, anxieties and confusions. It develops a sense of security in that there is a Lord and Master Who takes care not only of the world as a whole, but also of each individual, with loving care. Even if, as you write, a person sometimes fails to live up to expectation, there is always the knowledge that nothing stands in the way of Teshuvah.
It is surely unnecessary to elaborate to you on the above, but only to emphasize that we are all commanded to serve G-d with joy and gladness of heart. And upon reflection, it is possible to see how every happening can serve as a lesson in true Divine service.
With regard to your writing that sometimes you have feelings and thoughts which are not in accord with the Torah and Shulchan Aruch, this should not be surprising inasmuch as the Alter Rebbe explains right in the beginning of his major work, the Tanya, that every Jew has also a so-called animal soul, connected with the material body, and which is often the source of confusion and distraction, even to the point of blundering from the right path, and robbing one of one’s peace of mind, etc.
On the other hand, what makes it easier to deal with the situation is the fact that the Jew has also a Divine soul, which is truly a part of G-dliness Above, which is the essential and true aspect of the Jew. Hence, it is not only possible to overcome the above mentioned distractions, etc., but as our Sages declare, “One who is determined to purify himself receives aid from on High.”
If this is so at any time of the year, it is particularly so at this time, when we have just celebrated the auspicious month of Tishrei, with all its festivals, and which provided an ample source of lasting inspiration.
I trust that my above lines, few though they are in relation to the importance of the subject matter, will nevertheless suffice, and that you will have good news to report, including also of your increased participation in the activities of the Neshei Chabad in London, and that you are going about it with joy and gladness of heart.
With blessing,
