Letter the Rebbe Asked Rabbi Dworkin to Write

Historic Treasures — Episode 171: "Letter the Rebbe Asked Rabbi Dworkin to Write"

Welcome to our fourth program in honor of the Rebbe's birthday, Yud Aleph Nissan. The first program we showed you the pekel (bundle) of letters that Rabbi Mindel received from the Rebbe — from dignitaries in America and Israel, the Prime Minister, rabbanim, people who sent letters to the Rebbe wishing him well. The second program we had was about the 500 rabbis. Then we had, last week, about the presidents from the USA. You can always go back and see those. And I promised you that I would read to you a letter from Rabbi Dworkin — a letter that the Rebbe wanted written to the U.S. Department of Justice, Immigration and Naturalization Service. Rabbi Mindel went to Rabbi Dworkin, and Rabbi Dworkin wrote it in Hebrew, and Rabbi Mindel translated it into English. Rabbi Dworkin signed it, and it's very interesting, and the Rebbe was very happy with it.

But before I do that, I just want to read you a letter from the State of Florida, Office of the Governor, Bob Graham:

"Dear Rabbi Schneerson, it is a pleasure to extend congratulations to you on the occasion of your 82nd birthday. I hope this will be a memorable and enjoyable day for you. I am aware of your invaluable contribution to our society as world leader of the Lubavitch movement in America. We are appreciative of your dynamic leadership, as well as your efforts towards improving education. Through hard work, dedication, and a commitment to improving the lives of all citizens, you have set a shining example for others throughout this nation."

Rabbi Aaron Lieberman, from Florida, writes — he recently served as Minister of the Day during the opening session of the Florida legislature — "It is an excellent example of the work your organization is doing. Happy birthday and best wishes for continuing success." This is one letter, and there's a long answer that isn't important right now.

Now, before I tell you what Rabbi Dworkin wrote, here we have — I mean, there's no way to count, probably thousands of letters. This is from South Africa, Belgium, Pretoria, and also from Andorra [?]. This is from every state of the USA, every city, the mayor, the governor — I'm not going to repeat all of them. Letters from Poland, New Zealand, Texas, Colombia, Argentina, Lima Peru, and Munich — these are letters also wishing the Rebbe well, from over the years.

Here's one — a letter to the Honorable Robert Wagner, Mayor: "Dear Mayor, I was grieved to learn of your bereavement..." — he had lost his mother — "...I wish [to console] you, I appreciate your goodness." Anyway, so this one and the others are all wishing the Rebbe well. This is from New York, California, from Ohio, from Detroit, Michigan, from Plattsburgh, from Washington D.C., from Albuquerque, from Vermont — and here is one from Bernard Sanders, a letter — I have no time to read it now — from the Rebbe to him. It's unbelievable.

And this is from Uruguay, Scotland, and Gibraltar; this is from [Becca?], from Australia, Austria, Manchester, Dublin, London — and Chief Rabbi Jakobovits was from London. We have letters, correspondence between Chief Rabbi Jakobovits and the Rebbe, many, many letters, but this is just the outer wrapper. This is from Morocco, Casablanca; this one is from Mumbai, India. There's a letter here — unbelievable — someone wanted to make a trip to Mumbai, and the Rebbe said, "Do not go there, to India." Anyway, this is also from Australia and Caracas, also wishing the Rebbe well.

Let's see — this is from Italy, dignitaries, Canada; this is from France, from Nice; this is from Brazil; this is about Panama; Switzerland — let me see — these are from different governors. Anyway, so this is the pekel that the Rebbe gave to Rabbi Mindel.

Now I'm going to read to you what Rabbi Mindel wrote, and then I'll read you what Rabbi Dworkin wrote:

"By the Grace of God, Tishrei 5731. U.S. Department of Justice, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Regional Office, Burlington, Vermont. Greeting and blessing."

This is from Rabbi Nissan Mindel, whom the Rebbe told to do this:

"With reference to the above communication, and with apology for the unavoidable delay in acknowledging same sooner, I am directed first of all to convey to you the Rebbe's sincere appreciation of your kind interest and concern to ensure that the Lubavitcher chassidim should not be denied their rights under Title VII, Civil Rights Act, and to be in full conformity with their religious requirements. In the enclosed statement by the Lubavitcher Rabbinical Council, you will find the information you requested. Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to write to us again."

So he gave it to Rabbi Dworkin, and Rabbi Dworkin wrote it up — I guess they wanted Rabbi Dworkin to testify, so that people entering the United States would know the laws, the customs — what they're allowed to do and what they cannot do. So this is official, this is signed by Rabbi Dworkin, and the Rebbe looked it over, and the Rebbe was very happy with it. So I want to share this with you.

"U.S. Department of Justice" — this is translated into English by Rabbi Mindel from the Rebbe's [Rabbi Dworkin's] Hebrew — "Immigration and Naturalization Service, Regional Office. Religious Requirements of the Lubavitcher Chassidim.

Number One: Dress. If employment requires the wearing of a uniform, it may be worn, provided the uniform does not contain shatnez — wool and linen mingled together. This may be verified with a shatnez laboratory, and in most cases it can be easily removed. Similarly, if necessary, [the garment — unclear] may be worn, except of course..."

It shows here [the concern about] shatnez — maybe they'll give these people, who are coming from outside the United States and are looking for a job, some clothes to wear, and they have to know that they need to be careful of shatnez — always careful about shatnez. Many people are not careful about this. People buy suits, people buy coats — and I spoke to someone who checks shatnez, and he says not too many people come and check. This is d'oraisa — it says in the Torah a person is not allowed to wear shatnez. This is part of the chukim of the Torah. So this was very important for Rabbi Dworkin to write — the first thing, that they should know about shatnez.

"Number Two: Personal Appearance. Wear a full, untrimmed beard and moderate payos. Head covering — a yarmulke — is obligatory at all times, and one may not walk or work bareheaded. Married women are obligated to cover their hair, usually by a wig. And all women are required to dress with modesty — for example, skirts and dresses should be long enough to reach below the knees at least, and sleeve length should reach below the elbow at least; the neckline has to be appropriate too."

Here it was very careful to write that, first of all, a Lubavitcher wears a beard — we don't trim beards, otherwise... I mean, that's part of it, a beard is important. I remember talking about a beard — my father, alav hashalom, in Russia, wore a towel [scarf] when he went out. In those days it was dangerous, and he didn't want to take off his beard, so he wore a towel. So when they stopped him, they didn't see the beard, and when they asked, "Why are you wearing a towel?" he said he had a toothache. So this is "selam aleichem" — people did what they had to do.

Now, we know that when Hitler wanted to show off what he did to the Jews, two of the things they wanted to take pictures of were: a picture of the way they cut off a Jew's payos, and a picture of the way they cut off a Jew's beard. You know the famous picture — this was done by them. So a beard is very, very important, and especially one should not trim his beard.

This reminds me — in 1970 I picked up my uncle. Those days it was also very dangerous in Russia; he couldn't wear a beard — that was a mesirus nefesh level, he just couldn't. So he didn't have a beard. I picked him up from Kennedy Airport, and before I took him to his family, the first thing he wanted was to see the Rebbe. So I took him to 770 — this was before the Rebbe came out to go to Miami — and he was standing in the front, going into 770, waiting for the Rebbe to come out, just to look at the Rebbe — he never saw that before. And before the Rebbe came out, he took his hand like this and covered his face, and he was shaking. So I said, "Tatty, why are you shaking?" So he said to me, "I don't have a beard — how can I show my face to the Rebbe without a beard?" I mean, this shows how important a beard is.

Also, it says "head covering" — you wear a yarmulke, you always wear a yarmulke. The reason we call it "yarmulke" is that it comes from "yirah malka" — to know that there is Someone above you. And it says also that a woman has to cover her hair, and unfortunately there are many women whose hair is not covered. Somebody once asked — should women shave off their hair? It says no, because when you shave off the hair, you lose your womanhood — the Rebbe used the words, "you lose your womanhood" — but you could cover the head with a sheitel, a tichel, or whatever it is.

And also modesty — women shouldn't, chas v'shalom, look like [the nations — unclear]. If a woman is not modest, and she doesn't cover properly — the knees, or the neckline, or whatever — the way [she dresses] — it's possible that she wants to look [a certain way], I guess. So a woman has more [responsibility] that these things have to be [observed], and this shows — I guess — that this was even written to the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Can you imagine — these are such basic, simple things.

"Number Three: Shabbos and Festivals. Absolutely no work can be done on Shabbos throughout the year." If they want to hire [a Lubavitcher chossid], they have to know that he can't work on Shabbos. "And there are thirteen festival days in the year when work is likewise strictly forbidden: the two days of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, the first days and last days of Sukkos, and Pesach. The prohibition to do work on Shabbos and Festivals is in effect from the time of candle-lighting — at least eighteen minutes before sunset — on the evening before, and until seventy-two minutes after sunset at the termination of the Shabbos or Festival day. Needless to say, the employee must be given ample time to get home well before candle-lighting. In addition, there are days called Chol Hamoed — five days of Sukkos and four days of Pesach — when the no-work rule applies, though less strictly."

Hence, in case of hardship, one is to speak to a rabbi, to determine if he's allowed to work on Chol Hamoed. It seems here that in such a case it's permitted.

"Number Four: Dietary Laws. No special problems are involved as to the number or frequency of work breaks, but if the lunch period is a relatively short one, the employee may require a little extra time to enable him or her to wash the hands ritually before the meal, if bread is eaten, and to say grace after the meal. While on the subject of work breaks — if the employee works through the entire afternoon, he should be allowed a break of at least ten minutes for the afternoon prayer, Mincha."

"Number Five" — and that's the last one — "Mourning. Shiva is observed for seven days — actually six days and part of the seventh. It applies to mourning for the following relatives: father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, and spouse — husband or wife. During Shiva, the mourner is forbidden to leave the house and to engage in work or business. During the first eleven months from the day of passing, the mourner is not permitted to attend any joyful gathering, to listen to music, or to put on new clothes. During this period, the mourner is required to attend synagogue services daily — in the morning for Shacharis, before sunset for Mincha, and afterward for Maariv — in order to recite the Kaddish for the soul of the departed. Also, on the anniversary of the day — the Yahrzeit — synagogue attendance and Kaddish are required, as above, in accordance with this Jewish custom."

So in other words, this was for the employers — so that they should know what to expect — and he signs his name. These are the people that [needed] to know these things.

Anyway, since we are now before Pesach, and we know that the reason we were redeemed [from Egypt] is because the Jews didn't change their names, they kept their Jewish names, they didn't change their clothes, they didn't change their language — they did what a Jew is supposed to do, and that's why they were redeemed from golus. "B'chein nizkeh" — in this merit we were redeemed, and so too in Israel we will be redeemed. So I want to wish everybody — this is what I wanted to share with you today.

But there's no time for the Rambam — this is a pekel of the Rambam that the Rebbe gave Rabbi Mindel. I mean, not the whole thing, but it was a correspondence between Rabbi Mindel and the Rebbe, back and forth, about [a letter connected with] the King of Spain [?] — whatever came out of it regarding learning the Rambam. This is the whole packet — we probably have to spend maybe four or five sessions on that. Anyway, the reason I'm mentioning the Rambam is because it's near the Rebbe's birthday, and it's also the birthday of the Rambam, but we have no time for that now.

Anyway — so that's it. I want to wish everybody a kosher Pesach. Why do we say "kosher"? Because as much as we clean, we still need a brocha, a blessing, as it pertains to Pesach. So if you have a question about Pesach, right now, [feel free to ask] — may Moshiach come speedily in our days. If you have a question, [please write in]. Thank you.