Behind Letters 7-13
Mr. Bentzion Bernstein (d. 5783) was born into a traditional Jewish family in London, England, and earned a law degree from the University of London. While completing his studies, he took a teaching position at the local Lubavitch school, where he became increasingly drawn to deeper religious observance. Over time, he grew disillusioned with the practice of law and decided to pursue a career in Jewish education instead.
After spending some time studying at the central Chabad Yeshivah at 770, Bentzion had a private audience with the Rebbe—an encounter that changed the course of his life. During this meeting, the Rebbe instructed him to investigate the steps necessary to qualify as a lawyer. The suggestion surprised Bentzion, who believed he had moved on from that chapter of his life.
The Rebbe explained that he was seeking to build a "task force" of religious Jews in the sciences and professional fields. As he later wrote, the Rebbe wanted Bentzion to serve as a living example of a lawyer who was also a Yorei Shomayim and influence others to follow his example. The Rebbe noted in the audience that since Bentzion was already well on his way to qualification, he was uniquely suited to enter the field.
Following the Rebbe's directive, Bentzion returned to London and began the demanding and complex process of qualifying as a solicitor. "I found it quite difficult," he later recalled, "as I had gotten married and started a family, making it very challenging to study while supporting a household." He conveyed these concerns to the Rebbe, who responded that a scholarship fund would be made available to him for as long as necessary and advised him to discuss the details with Rabbi Hodakov.
"It wasn't something the Rebbe expected us to repay, but we did repay it," Bentzion continued his recollection. "It would have been impossible without that encouragement and financial assistance, and without seeing the confidence the Rebbe had that I would be able to qualify and be of some service to the community."
With the exception of the first letter, the following letters are being published here for the first time, courtesy of the Bernstein family.
Sources: Interview with Mr. Bernstein, Living Torah, program 312; Here’s My Story: The Taskforce; the Bernstein family.
