A Gerer Chasid once received a postcard from his Rebbe, the Imrei Emes (Rabbi Avraham Mordechai Alter, 1865-1948). The postcard was blank, except for one line which contained a series of letters as follows: ח 'ה 'ל 'ו 'ל 'י'. The Chasid turned the card all around looking for some hint to this cryptic message, but made no progress.
Finally, he approached the Rebbe’s brother, Rav Nechemiah Alter. Rav Nechemiah looked at the letters and asked the Chasid when he last visited the Rebbe, and what they discussed.
The Chasid thought for a moment and remembered asking the Rebbe for a Brachah and advice about six months prior, when his child was ill. Rav Nechemiah asked, “And how is your child today?” The Chasid replied, “Baruch Hashem, completely recovered.”
Rav Nechemiah then asked, “And did you let the Rebbe know that?”
The Chasid was quiet, and he said that he did not.
Rav Nechemiah explained, “This is what the Rebbe wrote to you. The letters stand for the Pasuk in Yirmiyahu (4:22), חכמים המה להרע ולהיטיב לא ידעו,’ They are clever at doing wrong, but they are unable to do right.’”
Rav Nechemiah said, “One must visit the Rebbe, not only in difficult times, but also when things improve, to let him know that they are better!”
Reprinted from the Parshas Va’era 5785 email of Torah Sweets.
