Letter No. 50
To the honorable students, may the Creator be upon you:
I received your letter from the portion, Shoftim [Judges], along with the novelties in the Torah of all except for ... and I do hope to receive his letter today.
It would be very good if you wrote your novelties in the work of the Creator, as well as your questions on the matter. And it makes no difference whether I answer you and comment, or I do not write and do not comment, because your very question is half the answer, while I bring before the Creator to answer you in due time. I am surprised that you still don’t sufficiently understand it.
I do have one comment for you: when you write me novelties in the Torah, you do not understand at all if the ways of which you speak are already in your possession, or at least at your degree, meaning whether you can do them or they are still above your degree. Rather, wait for the Creator to grant the understanding how to do them. Likewise, you should be mindful to always interpret as a prayer to the Creator, so you are rewarded with the novelty you have attained or an intimation, as an apology for not being rewarded with it yet, and so forth.
The beginning of our longed for pleasant future is approaching us, and so I crave and long for you to be next to me in body and in soul (meaning that you would draw near me, and not me to you, which is impossible, as well as pointless).
I must also apologize that last Tishrey [first Hebrew month] was a very favorable time but you weren’t near me then. I looked for ... all through that month but he was nowhere in my area, and I only saw one or two of you. Naturally, I was sorry about that all through last year.
The reason for it is the pride and self-importance that have snuck into you, and to that extent the hatred between you (due to it) in clinging to materialistic friends who are not from our society. ...Clearly, if you hate one of the members of the group, it is a clear sign that you are not in complete love with me, as well.
And although the evil inclination shows you that friend’s bed, meaning that his actions are bad and sinful toward the Creator, you should have prayed and trusted the Creator for his sake, that He will certainly help him because he is my student.
And if you already understand about that friend that the Creator cannot help him, and that my prayers also cannot help him in a time of need, then the judgment reflects back on the hater. From now on, come and see, and pay attention that you do not fall into that trap any more.
...You also need not notice at all if I actually, verbally expel a friend ... judge him favorably, in truth.
Let me tell you the truth: In my departure there is greater unity than in my nearing. Like any craftsman who is toiling in his craft to complete his work in the best way, a stranger must not look at him in the middle of his work because he will not understand his conduct in his work, except for a craftsman as great as him.
I have elaborated on that so you may know that your soul depends on it.
Although I do not tend to offer private guidance, I must still comment on what I have already warned you several times: No one should share the “novelties in the Torah” that he attained, nor should he “admonish” whatsoever. Even the desire for it is a terrible flaw.
The exception is what I have permitted while I am away—to share novelties in the Torah with one another from what I have already said, as accurately as can be explained, but very precisely, without any additions of one’s own.
Also, you must not speak of the words of Torah that I said, and which that friend has not heard from my mouth. He should be educated attentively and wisely.
I find it necessary to warn about the above because I feel that you have already stretched the line that you have given to yourselves. Know for certain that by this keeping you will be granted with saying novelties in the Torah before the Creator, and to admonish yourselves. But one who scatters his qualities in those will not be established in the eyes of the Creator. In that matter, an ounce is as much as a pound, and the Creator will help you and guide you to the doors of truth.
Yehuda Leib