The Rebbe’s Letter to Chess Player Champion

Welcome to our weekly program, "The Inside Story of Chabad in America," through the Mindel archives.

Among the thousands of letters in English, most of the letters are answers to people who wrote asking about different issues, different problems. But there are a few letters that the Rebbe writes to people where the Rebbe initiates the letter — the Rebbe wrote without them asking or writing to the Rebbe — because the Rebbe heard about something the person did that gave him nachas, that gave him happiness.

So I want to share with you a letter today that the Rebbe wrote to a chess champion, because he heard what he did and that gave him nachas. I'm going to read the letter — there's a lot here, so I'll read it.

Greeting and blessing. After the very long interval since I heard from you directly, which is somewhat surprising, I was pleased to be informed of your recent success in the international tournament, as reported in the New York Times on March 18th, 1984. I was doubly gratified because it was good to know that you continue to participate in international tournaments, and especially that you shared the first prize in the tournament at Rov [?].

Now, the Rebbe was not interested in chess — the Rebbe was interested in the Kiddush Hashem that he did.

Needless to say, the most gratifying point is that you continue to display a Kiddush Hashem by insisting upon your right not to play on the holy Shabbos, and that your stance was recognized and accepted. What made it even more conspicuous is that there was another Jewish contestant from the USSR who attempted to be a stumbling block in your way, which made your Kiddush Hashem all the more brilliant.

And then the Rebbe gives him a blessing: May G-d grant that for many years to come you will continue to use your great influence in the cause of Kiddush Hashem, and do so in good health, with joy and gladness of heart, and in happy circumstances both materially and spiritually.

The above is very much in the spirit of Purim, as we read in the Megillah, that although in those days, as nowadays, Jews were spread and scattered among the nations of the world, facing all kinds of difficulties, nevertheless, as Jews, they clung to the Jewish way of life. As the Megillah says, their laws were different from those of other peoples. However, because of their determined and proud stance as Jews — to quote the Megillah again — Mordechai the Jew would not bend his knee, nor bow down before anyone or anything that challenged their Jewish commitment. Precisely this is what brought about that for the Jews there was light, joy, gladness, and honor — meaning also honor and admiration for the Jews on the part of their enemies.

This reminds me of something. Now, usually when I tell a story, you know — there's a saying, don't believe everything you hear, believe only half of what you see. Many stories you hear said in the name of the Rebbe, or in the name of the Frierdiker Rebbe, could be true, could not be true. But I try to tell stories that I heard directly — not stories you heard from someone who heard it from the Rebbe, or from my father-in-law [Rabbi Mindel] — a story once removed, I try not to repeat, because I don't know if it's accurate.

But this I want to tell you — a story that I heard from a very, very reliable person. He told me the story, and I asked him if I could mention his name. He said no, so I won't mention his name, but I'll tell you the story he told me — about not bowing down, not bending the knee.

In the 1940s, the Rebbe lived on [unclear street] in New York — this was before he moved to President Street. Every day he used to go, either to shul or to the mikvah, in the morning, every day at the same time. There was a Yid standing there — before the Rebbe was Rebbe — he liked the Rebbe, and the Rebbe always smiled at him and always nodded hello to him, like greeting him — but that's it, the Rebbe never spoke to him. This went on for a long time, and every day he made sure to go out when the Rebbe went to 770, or wherever the Rebbe went.

One day he was standing there, and there was also — maybe it was a neighbor — a non-Jew standing there. So the Rebbe again saw him, smiled, and nodded hello to him, but to the non-Jew he spoke — he asked him how he was. The Yid was a little surprised, because every single day the Rebbe never asked him anything and never spoke to him, but to the non-Jew he spoke, and for a long time.

So he decided the next day he would ask the Rebbe — he felt he could ask. So the next day he asked him — I don't know exactly how he asked — but he said something like, "You know, you never spoke a word to me, but yesterday there was a non-Jew there, and you spoke to him for a long time." So the Rebbe said, "But I never bow down to a Jew." In other words, this bowing, this nodding hello — he only does that to a non-Jew; he never bows down to a fellow Jew.

So this reminds me of... anyway, we'll go further, we'll finish.

There is surely no need to elaborate to you on the above. I would only like to add, in connection with the quotation of light, joy, gladness and honor, the explanation of our sages that this includes also the inner meaning of these terms, namely: light — this is Torah. In light of this, I trust that you surely have regular daily periods of study, with additional time on special days like Shabbos and Yom Tov. And though this is a must for its own sake, it also increases light and goodness in the ordinary sense.

And with prayerful wishes to you and to your wife and family — and then the Rebbe gives him a blessing.

Now, the Rebbe writes one more paragraph — a P.S. You know, there was a big chess champion, Bobby Fischer, and the Rebbe wanted to know about him — all about that, I'll tell you more later — but here the Rebbe said to him — by the way, I think I mentioned his name was [?]ski — that's the one the Rebbe wrote this letter to. But the Rebbe writes a P.S. to him, the following lines:

May appear strange, but I consider it my duty not to miss the opportunity to bring the matter to your attention. You surely are familiar with the life story of Bobby Fischer, of whom nothing has been heard in quite some time. Unfortunately, he did not have the proper Jewish education, which is probably the reason for him being so alienated from the Jewish people. However, being a Jew, he should be helped by whomever possible. I am writing to you about this since you are probably better informed about him than many other persons, and perhaps you may find some way in which he could be brought back to the Jewish fold, either through your personal efforts or in some other way. And after all, there is the assurance of Chazal [unclear].

So maybe the Rebbe wrote this whole letter initially so that he should be able to speak to Bobby Fischer and bring him back — and the Rebbe thought about him. This is how the Rebbe thinks about every single Jew.

So today I wanted to read this — we're now in order — so I wanted to share with you this. Next week we'll continue our weekly program. Thank you.