Long Handwritten Letter by the Admor Rayatz to the Talmidim of Yeshivas Toras Emes in Chevron
Igeres Kodesh! A 2-page letter handwritten by the Rebbe Rayatz to the founding group of talmidim in the first Chabad yeshivah in Chevron – Yeshivas Toras Emes.
The entire letter exudes deep affection for the students and immense interest in every detail of their spiritual progress. It includes words of encouragement to the young men, urging them to fulfill the lofty purpose for which they were sent to Chevron—the exalted goals of the ‘Tomchei Temimim’ institutions, namely the dissemination of Torah and Chassidus.
In the letter, the Rebbe issues a "request and directive" to the students, asking them to write to him in detail about their spiritual growth: "What have you studied during this time, and which character traits have you conquered and mastered?" He also inquires whether their journey to Hebron is achieving its primary goal of spreading "the wellsprings of Divine knowledge in Torah and awe of Heaven."
Toward the end of the letter, he pledges to read every letter sent to him, adding that “it will be a pleasure for me to read them with affection”, and expresses his profound love toward each student with the following words:
"I love each of the temimim individually, like a brother, wishing to see them blessed with temporal and eternal happiness, endlessly."
Yeshivas Toras Emes in Chevron
Yeshivas Toras Emes was founded in Chevron in 1912 as a branch of the umbrella Tomchei Temimim Institutions. The yeshivah was established by the Rebbe Rashab who served as Nasi of the yeshivah and appointed his son, the Rebbe Rayatz, to serve as its director.
Both the Rebbe Rashab and Rebbe Rayatz regarded the founding and proliferation of Yeshivas Toras Emes as their personal endeavors to establish Torah and disseminate the wisdom of Chassidus in Eretz Hakodesh. They devoted enormous efforts and resources to promote and expand the yeshivah and facilitate the spiritual ascent of their talmidim.
Lubavitch, 1912. Personal stationery; double-sided letter, entirely handwritten by the Rebbe Rayatz.
Page Size: 21 x 28 cm.
Condition: Good.
This letter was originally printed in Tomchei Temimim (New York, 1969) pgs. 178-180 and then again in Hamashpia (Jerusalem, 1982) p. 265 and Igros HaRayatz (vol. 1, Letter 41) pgs. 78-79.
