What the Rebbe Wrote on Gimmel Tammuz 5751

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

Today we are entering the month of Tammuz. Even though Tammuz and Av are called months of mourning — since this is when the Three Weeks begin, ending with Tisha B'Av — nevertheless, Gimmel Tammuz became a day that is called [a day of Redemption], and as it says in a place that I saw — I didn't hear it, but I saw it — that it will be [a preparation], and in the middle it's like [unclear] — so the Three Weeks will be, and [Moshiach] is born. So Gimmel Tammuz became, before [the Three Weeks], a preparation for Moshiach.

Meaning, just like the Arizal says that on Friday it's a segulah to taste something of Shabbos out of Shabbos — it's almost Shabbos, so we taste something that we're going to eat on Shabbos — the same thing is true now: since it's almost the time of Moshiach, Gimmel Tammuz became what it is because we're tasting something which is going to be very, very soon.

And of course that's why it's called the Three Weeks, not 21 days. Twenty-one days is [a negative count]; "three weeks" is [positive], because the Torah was given in the third month, and Sivan is also the third month. So, by this, it's already now called a month of Redemption. So here we see that Gimmel Tammuz is connected to the Redemption, and also we see that it is in the month of Geulah.

So since now it's before Gimmel Tammuz, I decided — yesterday I went through all the English letters, and the Hebrew letters that are not printed yet, and Russian letters — hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of letters — I took letters that were written in the month of Tammuz dated Gimmel Tammuz, and I wanted to see what the Rebbe writes, even though these are private letters, answers to individuals — but many times the Rebbe mentions things that have to do with the day.

There are a lot of letters, throughout the fifty years that the Rebbe wrote, dated Gimmel Tammuz, and I think I'll do a fuller review of those another time. But since it's before Gimmel Tammuz today, I want to share with you some of the things that were written on Gimmel Tammuz. Many, many letters — and the Rebbe, not all, but most of the letters, have to do with one thing: he writes about Shalom Bayis. Not all letters, but most of the letters. So I'm going to share with you — soon — a letter, the last letter that was written before the stroke, in the Rebbe's own handwriting. That's not a printed letter — it wasn't printed — but the Rebbe wrote it to somebody, and that was, I think, the last [letter in his handwriting].

But before that, I want to read to you another letter written on Gimmel Tammuz. Gimmel Tammuz is before the summer, and the summer is a time that we have to be careful, and that will bring Shalom Bayis. So this is a letter of Gimmel Tammuz. The Rebbe writes:

"The laws of Jewish Family Purity have been a great factor in cementing the relationship between husband and wife and preserving the unity of the family. Similarly, children born into such a family are blessed with both physical and mental health — not to mention the spiritual and religious aspect of the observance of the Divine Commandments, which means so much to a Jew."

This is one letter of Gimmel Tammuz.

Now I want to share with you the last letter that the Rebbe wrote. It's in Hebrew, but I translated it into English the best I can. The last letter that the Rebbe wrote was dated Gimmel Tammuz. This is an answer to somebody who told the Rebbe that she does not want to keep [Taharas Hamishpacha]. I'm not going to go into the question that she asked, but the answer, on Gimmel Tammuz — the last thing that I have:

"At least it is totally not understood [how], when it comes to the health of a minor limb of the body, or a tooth, she asks the opinion of a doctor, because he has learned for many years about these matters — yet when those who have learned the matters of Torah say that this is primarily related to, and affects, Shalom Bayis, the peace in the house, at home, and the health of her entire body, and the health of her husband, and so on — she says it is not so. Even though she well knows that she has learned nothing regarding Taharas Hamishpacha — it is known," the Rebbe says, "that there are women who do not observe Family Purity, and it is also known, the result over a period of time, that they are shy to admit the problems" — and he underlined — "they have brought upon themselves, or that they have become so confused, to the extent that they do not recognize what is happening to them, and the reason for it — the reason for it — God forbid."

This is the answer of the Rebbe, and this is — I have here — the last answer written on Gimmel Tammuz.

There is another letter here, of Gimmel Tammuz, that the Rebbe answered — this also was on Gimmel Tammuz. He put a paragraph here, on Gimmel Tammuz — I don't know why — where it is well known that the Rebbe, in his dedicated life for strengthening and spreading Yiddishkeit, devoted particular attention to Jewish women and daughters, emphasizing the special role which Jewish women have had in Jewish life historically, and perhaps even more so in this day and age. He therefore urged all Jewish women to do their share, particularly in the area of Taharas Hamishpacha. This most basic and vital province of Yiddishkeit has been completely entrusted into the hands of the Akeres Habayis, inasmuch as she is decisive in this area, which affects the purity and sanctity, and the very future, of our people. There is surely no need to elaborate to you on this.

And this was also written — also written there — on Gimmel Tammuz.

So we see here that before the summer the Rebbe wanted [to address this] — I guess because these letters are dated Gimmel Tammuz. There's another letter here, on Gimmel Tammuz, where the Rebbe speaks about marriage. It's a whole letter — I don't know if we have time for this — so this is also a letter of Gimmel Tammuz.

Now one more thing — a letter written on Gimmel Tammuz. It was written in English, nothing to do with Taharas Hamishpacha. Somebody writes to the Rebbe that, since it's [near summer] and he's getting ready to find a teaching job for the coming year, he wants to teach older students — he doesn't want to teach younger children. He writes, "It's below me to teach little children" — unbelievable, that's how he wrote to the Rebbe.

The Rebbe answered him a very, very sharp letter. I will not go into the whole answer, but I'll just say this one point: the Rebbe says, "If you feel it's below you to teach little children, you should not be [a melamed]" — and that was it, the Rebbe didn't give him [his approval].

This reminds me — it just reminds me — of a story, I think it was in the time of the [Baal Shem Tov?], about a melamed who came to him. He asked him, "How do you teach the children, the little children, the Rashi that says that when Eisav came [to his father, after the blessings were taken], it says 'he saw, he felt' — how would you teach your children this?" He says, "This I don't teach, I skip that." So the [Baal Shem Tov?] told him, "I know [what you are] — you should go out of here," and he really told him so.

So here the Rebbe gave a very, very sharp answer, [showing] that we should know what to teach little children. He [the teacher] can only teach Gemara and Tosafos, so he doesn't belong being a melamed [for young children].

This is another letter that was written on Gimmel Tammuz.

So, since today is before Gimmel Tammuz, I just wanted to share with you these few letters. Next week we'll continue our weekly program. Thank you.