A Segula for “All possible good from soul to body…”.
Sacred Letter by the Admor Hazakein Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi
Circa 1808
Sacred letter completely written in the holy hands of the venerable Admor and progenitor of Chabad Chassidus Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, author of Tanya and Shulchan Aruch Harav, with his full signature.
A Segula for “All possible good from soul to body…”.
In 1928 on the 14th of Kislev the Lubavitcher rebbe Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schnerson married rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneirson daughter of the Rayyatz the Friediger Rebbe in the Tomchai Timimim yeshiva in Warsaw.
In honor of the wedding the Admor HaRayyatz gave out a treasured souvenir to those who participated. The souvenir was a printed photocopy of the Baal HaTanyas writing which is considered a sacred Segula. (See below)
The Admor wrote the following: in honor of the wedding day of my daughter and son I take the honor in presnting this gift to all those who are taking part in my simcha, this copy of a letter which was written by the Baal HaTanya – the Admor HaRishon-, the first Lubavitcher Rebbe.
This will give the chassid ”
כל מילי דמיטב מנפש עד בשר
kol milai demaitav mi’nefesh ad bassar”
All possible good from soul to body…”.
This is very powerful!!! that even a copy of the Baal Hatanya writing is a great Segula.
Presently the Genazym auction house is offering A most sacred and fascinating treasure, an original letter written by the alter rebbe the holy Baal HaTanya himself.
Now you can just imagine If the Rebbe wished to gift his Chassidim a photocopy of the Baal Hatanyas writings as a Segula to “receive all possible good from soul to body”,
How much more magnitude and Segula could one be Zoche to have and cherish an original letter written entirely in the holy hands of the Baal HaTanya..
Historic Background:
In 1804, the Czar Alexander I, who cruelly oppressed the Jewish people, issued a statute restricting Jewish life, expelling all Jews from Russian villages, and banning them from doing most businesses. The decree did not go into effect immediately, however in 1807, thousands of Jewish families were uprooted from their homes, penniless and without a roof over their heads. One of the only resorts of income allowed by the government was to relocate to southern Russia where they would cultivate the land as farmers. Desperately seeking refuge, many poverty-stricken Jews made the long voyage in an attempt to find a livelihood at farming.
This letter, the Admor Hazakein sent out in order to raise money for the destitute Jewish families. As is apparent from the letter, funds were raised from the community through allocating part of the proceeds gained from selling esrogim to the above cause. In the letter, the Admo”r calls on his fellow Jews to increase their purchase of esrogim which will benefit the Jews expelled from their homes and to support the founding of farming settlements for those Jews.
Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi describes the tragedy in a different letter: “I could not bear the pain and trials of the village Jews who were exiled from their land to the towns, [where] they were cast into the open to perish from hunger.”
He concludes with his heartfelt blessing of “Kol milei d’meitav (all good words)” to those who heed his call and support the needy.
This extraordinary historic letter is a poignant glimpse into his efforts to improve the lives of suffering Russian Jews.
Note: All original manuscripts from the Baal HaTanya are held by institutional archives primarily the Chaba”d library in Brooklyn, the letter presented here is one of the only 2 letters in the world that are known to be kept in private collection.
Provenance This sacred letter was preserved among the valuables of the Admor Rabbi Shmaryahu Noach of Babruysk,
son of Rabbi Yehuda Leib of Kapost,
son of the Tzemach Tzedek – Grandson of the Baal Hatanya.and 3rd Admor in the Lubavitch Dynasty
The Admor bequeathed this letter to his grandson Rabbi Moshe Dovid Shneurson, as inscribed in Section 7 of his will: “The letters and bicher shall be divided between my grandson Yisrael Moshe n”y and my grandson Moshe Dovid n”y”.
This letter was first printed in Ginzei Nistaros Jerusalem, 1924 (Ohr Rav Ch. 1) and in 1953 it was reprinted in Iggros Baal Hatanya Ch. 112, along with the following inscription: “I copied from the original letter written by the holy hand of Rabbeinu that is in the possession of Rabbi Moshe Dovid Shneurson n”y which he inherited from his grandfather the Admor Rabbi Shmaryahu Noach zt”l of Babruysk.”
In December 1980, the Lubavitcher Rebbe instructed Rabbi Levin to compile all letters written by the Baal Hatanya into a single work. This letter was printed in Iggros Kodesh Ch. 52 andagain in Iggros Kodesh 2012 Edition, letter 93.
Free translation of the letter from Hebrew:
