By the Grace of God
1st day of the week, Emor Cider, 5721
Brooklyn, NY.
To the participants of the Annual Testimonial Dinner
from the Lubavitch Yeshiva of Newark, NJ.
God bless them!
Shalom and Brajá:
I send my greetings and blessings to the honored guests and all participants in the Newark Lubavitcher Yeshiva Annual Dinner. I am confident that this event will exceed all expectations regarding the spiritual and financial advancement of the Yeshiva through the special efforts of all its friends.
This year is particularly auspicious for institutions that deal with education in purity and holiness, combining both formal and internal (Hasidic) learning and the practice of Torah and Mitzvot.
It is the 200th anniversary of the Histalkus (death) of the Baal Shem Tov (the first day of Shavuot, the festival of the
Giving of the Torah), the founder of Hasidism and spiritual grandfather of the Alter Rebbe, author of the Tanya and Shulchan Aruch, the founder of Chabad Hasidism - may his merits protect us!
Baal Shem Tov's first activity, before his revelation, was as a teacher's assistant, teaching children the sacred letters of the aleph-bet and how to recite the blessings and prayers: Amen, Yehei Sheme Rabbah, Barchu, and Kedushah. At the same time, he taught distinguished adults, disciples, and Torah scholars, illuminating the darkness of their pre-Messianic generations.
The Newark Lubavitcher Yeshiva, along with so many other sacred Lubavitcher Torah institutions (may their number multiply!), is a link in the golden chain that the Baal Shem Tov began to forge. Here, the two basic principles of the Baal Shem Tov's system merge into one: to provide children with an education in sacred purity so that they may grow into truly great and mature Jews, fulfilling the desire and design of our "Great God who is exceedingly praised," by spreading the light of Torah and Mitzvot, based on the foundations of love for God, love for Torah, and love for one's fellow Jew.
In order to achieve this, it is necessary to "warn the adults about the young people," that the adults, parents, workers, and friends of the Yeshiva must make it possible for the Yeshiva and its students to grow and advance, so that they become what they are supposed to be: "bright lights" to illuminate everyone around them.
With the blessing of success both materially and spiritually,
(Signature)