Weekly Moment With the Rebbe

Road to Freedom

Drugs. Protests. Social media. The pursuit of meaning has followed a perverse dead-end toward physical pleasure and fake ideology. How to regain moral clarity and spiritual peace? The Avner Institute presents the Rebbe’s congratulatory letter to a chiropractor on both his son’s engagement and newfound commitment to Torah observance—with the advice on the path to true happiness: the ability to conduct one’s life fully in accordance with Divine will and wisdom.

In honor of David & Eda Schottenstein wishing them much success and Nachas

“The Happiness of a Human Being”

By the Grace of G-d
In the Days of Repentance 5719
Brooklyn, NY

Greeting and Blessing:

I am in receipt of your letter of August 21, in which you write about the way of life that your son has recently chosen for himself, having become more religious and observant, devoting time to the study of the Torah, etc., all of which has seemingly filled you with anxiety, as your opening sentence expresses it: “Where are our children going?”

Since your profession is connected with the science of medicine, especially chiropractic, which even more than the other branches stresses the importance of the nervous system for the proper functioning of the entire organism, and no doubt also with the emphasis on the need of the nerves’ functioning without outside pressure, it makes it easier for me to explain my position in regard to the question raised in your letter.

My position is based on the authority of our wise ancients, whose views pertinent to our subject matter have been gaining increased recognition even by modern medical science, namely, that physical health, not to mention spiritual, or, to use a modern idiom, “peace of mind,” is conditioned upon inner security, and the absence of mental (I would say, spiritual) pressures, since any such pressure brings disorder in the normal and proper functioning of the nervous system, thereby affecting sooner or later the proper functioning of the organism. In other words, the most important factor in the happiness of a human being is not so much the externality of things per se, but that the person should feel free to conduct his life in accord with his inner spiritual faculties, convictions and desires.

Different Goals

Not many years ago, “peace of mind” was variously predicated on the attainment of certain goals: To the materialistically inclined it meant the amassing of wealth, which they felt would give them security; others sought security in scientific progress, considering modern science as the panacea of all human ills; still others sought security by identifying themselves with a certain movement of ideology, such as socialism, communism, fascism, etc. Finally, there are those who can find security only in religion and faith.

In recent years, however, especially in the last decades, it was clearly demonstrated that wealth offered no security, for we have seen how economically “secure” families have been impoverished overnight. Similarly disappointing have proved political regimes and social movements and “isms” of all sorts. As a result, an overwhelming feeling of insecurity has taken root among growing youths and thinking adolescents, reflected in their vacillation from one extreme to the other, in emotional and mental disturbances, in juvenile delinquency and rebelliousness, etc., which have spread alarmingly in recent years, as is even better known to the medical profession than to laity.

In the present disturbed society and environment it is, therefore, more vital than ever before that the young generation should feel terra firma under their feet. This solid basis can be provided only by finding religion. Consequently, when one’s own child has happily found this security, it should be regarded as G-d’s greatest blessing. For far from being a disturbing factor to their happiness, it is The Factor, one and only, which will ensure their true happiness. It goes without saying that nothing should be done to jeopardize this factor, not even by any form of pressure, which could only bring disturbance and distortion and unavoidable consequences.

If it is detrimental to bring pressure on any spiritual factor, how much more so in regard to faith. For the essence of our faith is to accept G-d and His precepts as an area which lies above and beyond human comprehension. For, on the one hand to profess faith in G-d and Divine Power and Authority, on the other to place His commandments under the scrutiny of one’s own human intelligence, picking and choosing only that which seems to him “rational,” is a contradiction in terms, since no matter how intelligent a person is, his intelligence is finite and limited and cannot be used as a yardstick in the realm of the infinite. It would therefore be just as illogical and unjustified to attempt any kind of pressure to influence somebody else against his religious beliefs and dictates.

I do not know your son personally, but I have had occasion to meet your daughter-in-law several times while she was a student at Beth Jacob. Since she has chosen your son as her life’s partner, I can safely assume that your son’s natural faculties and inclinations tally with hers. I therefore congratulate you and Mrs. ——– on having been blessed with such a fine son and daughter-in-law. I am quite confident that if they follow the way of life which you describe, they will be increasingly happy, and you and your wife will have ever-growing nachas [joy] from them, for, in the final analysis, children’s happiness is the parents’ true nachas.

Total Unity

Before closing, may I refer to your observation towards the end of your letter about…

…not neglect the physical body: on the contrary, it considers it of paramount importance, and this is, in fact, the basis of the Jewish law that where there is any danger to life or limb, all other laws, even those concerning Shabbos, Yom Kippur, etc., are suspended. I do take issue, however, on the point of “duality” which would treat the physical and spiritual as two separate entities.

The essence of Jewish monotheism, on the contrary, is that there is unity everywhere, and the body and soul likewise constitute one whole, each complementing the other in complete harmony so that any separation of the two is forced and not natural. This should provide also my commentary on your question, was it the intention of the Creator that religion should stand still… Should we travel by camel while others travel by air and thus turn back the clock of progress?

He who believes in the Creator as the term implies, not in an abstract sense, or that having created the world the Creator retired to the Seventh Heaven, taking no further interest in His handiwork; but that He constantly creates and guides the destiny of the universe and each and every particular thereof—which indeed is the basis of most deistic religion—and must also realize that no human progress, scientific or otherwise, is possible without His knowledge and will, and that such progress, too, is not exempt from His jurisdiction. Hence, all progress must be utilized for the true benefit of the world, and of mankind in particular. But man has freedom of action and can use such progress for better or for worse.

At any rate, to use your parable, surely the fact that one can travel by air does not necessitate that everyone should become a pilot or flight engineer, and it only means that nowadays a person has greater facilities to achieve the real and ultimate good, of which even modern progress should be the servant. There is no greater danger to mankind than in separating technical and scientific progress from morality and true humanitarianism based on Divine Authority, as has to our profound sorrow been demonstrated by the so-called most progressive (scientifically) nations of the world, whose scientific and technological progress has been matched only by their beastliness.

Much more could, of course, be said on the subject matter of our correspondence, but I trust that I have made my position clear to you, and for a person of your standing it will be adequate. I am firmly convinced that the path chosen by your son which, as is evident from your letter, is in complete harmony with that of his wife, is the one that assures their true happiness, and I prayerfully hope that you and your wife will give them every encouragement in that direction.

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