Letter No. 13
To my dear ... may his candle burn forever:
I received your words with a heart full of longing, for you hide yourself from me. Still, you could speak to me in writing.
What you wrote, letting me know the exile in Egypt, I wonder; it is common knowledge. “They cried, and their cry went up to God from the work.” Then “And God knew.” If there is no knowledge of the Creator in the exile, redemption is impossible. And knowing the exile is itself the reason for redemption, so why do you let me know at the time of redemption?
Truth will show its way, that one who regrets makes his regret known. He cannot withhold himself or hide. Indeed, I feel all of you together, that today has been replaced for you with tomorrow, and instead of “now,” you say “later.” There is no cure for that but to exert to understand that mistake and distortion—that one who is saved by the Creator is saved only if he needs the salvation today. One who can wait for tomorrow will obtain his salvation after his years, God forbid.
This happened to you due to negligence in my request to exert in love of friends, as I have explained to you in every possible way that this cure is enough to recompense for all your faults. And if you cannot rise to heaven, then I have given you moves on earth. So why haven’t you added anything in that work?
Besides the great cure that lies within it, which I cannot interpret, you should now that there are many sparks of holiness in each one in the group. When you assemble all the sparks of holiness into one place, as brothers, with love and friendship, you will certainly have a very high level of holiness for a while, from the light of life, and I have already elaborated on that in all my letters to the friends.
I also ask that each one will show his letter to his friend, and so should you. Test me from this day forth to understand and to hear me, at least with what you can do, for then “The Lord will open to you His good treasure.”
To ... say that he should think for himself. What would he lose by corresponding with me? Why is he hiding himself from me? I do ask of him to strain to see the merits of the friends and not their faults at all, and connect in true love, together, until “love covers all transgressions.” Have him look in all the letters I am sending to the friends, so as to learn, “And let him eat no more the bread of idleness.”
Where are ... and ... ? I haven’t heard a word from them so far. Do tell them to nevertheless hold on to their friends’ gowns and read their letters as much as they need, and to not forget that the first question is, “Did you expect salvation?”
If they expect salvation, can it be that they will say, “Is this the work that the Creator desires of them?” And if I had to save the lives of one of them, of the friends, I would certainly toil and labor more than you, much less the life of the King, so to speak.
Therefore, give much dowry and gifts to the King of the world, and you will be rewarded with the King’s daughter, and the salvation of the Lord is as the blink of an eye.
Yehuda