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Correspondence

June 21, 1955

Letter to R. Lessin about Parents Who Wish to Prevent Their Son from Learning Torah (1955)

Torah Study Parenting Jewish Education
Background Information

Rabbi Yaakov Moshe HaKohen Lessin (1889-1975) was a distinguished Orthodox rabbi who served as mashgiach ruchani at Yeshiva University’s affiliated RIETS seminary from 1942. This letter discusses a student who wished to study Torah full-time over his parents’ objections.

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Talk to Parents of Semicha I Students (1993)

The Talmud (Shab., chap. II) teaches us that הויין ליה בנין תלמידי חכמים. In other words, only teachers and the yeshiva environment have a key role in the development of their sons as ת״ח. But why did the Sages specify נר חנוכה, and not, for instance, tallit or tefillin? I suggest: because Hanukkah comprehends two complementary principles: (a) the spiritual. As Zechariah proclaims in the haftorah for Hanukkah, כי לא בחיל ולא בכח כי אם ברוחי אמר ה׳ צבאות. This ברוחי element is expressed in ת״ת. b) Leadership. The victory of the Hasmoneans over the Hellenists... The נם מלחמה (as in על הנסים ובהפסיקתא) and not only in the נם שמן (as in גמרא במה מדליקי ן).Your sons are getting both here—talmudic scholarship as budding ת״ח, and training as future leaders of the Jewish community. Thus, when parents understand and practice נ"ח, they are blessed with children who are ת״ח in the broadest sense—leaders as well as scholars.This requires parents to be role models, if possible—"learners" and "doers" or leaders; failing that, but equally effective in creating the environment for our future scholar-leaders, is the sense of values you implant in them: respecting and reverencing ת״ח, and admiring and following authentic leaders of the community.
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Letter to R. Soloveitchik about Opening a Pre-School (1953)

כבוד מורי ורבי הרה"ג וכו' שליט"א, שוכט"ס, הנני מעיז להיות בין חומסי עתותיו בשאלת הלכה למעשה, אך זכותי לעשות כן מצאתי בדבריו המלהיבים שדבר אלינו רק אתמול לרגלי חג הסמיכה, באמרו עלינו, תלמידיו ומעריציו, להגיש אליו כל השאלות החמורות ולהביא לפניו את כל דבר קשה. השאלה איננה מן השאלות אשר תשובותיהן נמצאות בש"ע, אלא מסוג הבעיות של public relations, ובכן פתרונה נעלם ממני עוד יותר.
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Letter to Meyer Levin about Providing His Son with a Jewish High School Education (1967)

Dear Mr. Levin: It has come to my attention that you have moved into the neighborhood. As the Rabbi of a nearby Synagogue, and having met you privately, permit me to extend to you the hand of welcome and to wish you and your family a very pleasant and fruitful stay. I have been told that you have a 14 year old son whose Jewish education you will probably want to provider for while in New York. May I therefore inform you that Manhattan Hebrew High School meets in The Jewish Center building and provides quite advanced classes for young men and women of high school age. If you are interested, as I suppose you will be, please do be kind enough to contact me at the above number, or please call the principal, Rabbi P. Oratz, at SC 4-2700 between 4:00-5:00 P.M. any day.Sincerely yours,RABBI NORMAN LAMM
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