By COLlive reporter
A letter from the sixth Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, R’ Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn OBM, after he recuperated from his illness, is being presented by the Kedem Auction House in Jerusalem, Israel.
Written on Chanukah 1944, just 4 years after the Frierdiker Rebbe arrived safely in the United States, the letter expresses his gratitude to Hashem for his recovery and an exciting personal disclosure concerning his spiritual mission in the world.
“We were much excited to have received the letter concerning the mission of the Rebbe Rayatz which was never posted publicly before,” Meron Eren of the Kedem Auction House, told COLlive.com.
“The letter reveals another aspect of the greatness of the Rebbe who dedicated his entire life to spreading Torah and Yidishkeit, and bring close those afar and strengthen the spiritually remote – a thing quite apparent in the letter he wrote although he was ill and bedridden.”
The letter, typewritten and bearing the signature of the Frierdiker Rebbe, reads: “I praise and thank Hashem for His good kindness that in the merit of my holy fathers He received the prayers of my friends and fulfilled their requests and their blessings to elevate me from my illness.
“And although I am still weak- G-d should strengthen me amidst all Beit Yisrael sick ones who need recovery in body and soul – I can still hold my pen to write to my friends… to implore them… to give me the opportunity, G-d willing, to fulfill the purpose and mission of my soul which is to teach Torah and fear of Heaven, to rouse the Jewish people to study and tread in the path of Chassidus and the Chassidim and to be among those who benefit and influence much good through their love of the Jewish people.”
The letter will be up for sale this week at Kedem’s auction along with other unique Chabad items such as first editions of the Tanya (1814), the Be’urei HaZohar of the Alter Rebbe (1816), Sha’ar HaTeshuva (1818) and Tzemach Tzedek (1871).
Other entries include an invitation to the wedding of the Rebbe, a letter from Rebbetzin Sarah Sterna, wife of the Rebbe the Rashab, a letter from the Rebbetzin Nechama Dinah, wife of the Rebbe Rayatz, a dollar and letters with Shana Tova wishes signed by the Rebbe.
Beautiful