Today's editorial is the transcript of a private audience with the Rebbe, which took place on the 8th of Shvat in 1980 with a student from Brazil.
During the hearing, the student mentioned to the Rebbe his relationship with a non-Jewish woman and wanted to hear the Rebbe's opinion.
""Rebbe, my girlfriend, who is not Jewish, and I are thinking about getting married. What does the Rebbe say about this?""
""There are," the Rebbe replied, "many aspects of our lives over which we have no control. Many physical conditions, as has been scientifically proven, cannot be altered because they are the consequence of our genetic makeup, which we inherit from past generations. There is not much that can generally be done by others to change these conditions.".
""However, our daily functioning is primarily influenced by the decisions we make throughout our lives. When people make dangerous choices, we expect those around them to work to prevent the danger. If, for example, we hear that someone is planning to commit suicide, even if they say they clearly know what they are doing and made a conscious decision to proceed with the suicide, it is universally assumed that we will do everything in our power to prevent it from happening.".
""Our spiritual life is shaped by the choices we make. In a sense, the consequences can be more tragic than suicide. Unlike suicide, which is momentary and causes no further distress to the perpetrator, a dangerous decision concerning one's spiritual life can afflict the person for many years. Therefore, we must do everything we can to dissuade our Jewish neighbors from marrying non-Jews.".
""May God bless you and your girlfriend so that you may find the right person for you, and then, with your respective spouses, you will both live happily. In the meantime, you should sever all ties with her, and they should never be renewed. May you grow stronger and stronger.""
Then the Rebbe gave him a dollar and concluded:
""This is to help end the relationship.".