Letter in the Sefer Torah campaign

The Letter in the Sefer Torah campaign is one of the Mitzvah campaigns initiated by the seventh Rebbe of Chabad, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, in which he called upon all Jews to influence all Jews--men, women and children--regardless of their level of religious observance, to sign up for a letter in a Sefer Torah.

Fostering Jewish unity

Rabbi Schneerson taught that recruiting all Jews to sign up in a Sefer Torah is a way of fostering Jewish unity, for:
*A Sefer Torah is only whole when each individual letter is perfect and together with the other letters. [http://www.sichosinenglish.org/books/sichos-in-english/11/08.htm Public Address of 13th Tishrei, 5742] ]
*This Sefer Torah encompasses all Jews, as the Hebrew word for Jew, "Yisrael", is an acrostic for “There are 600,000 letters in the Torah,” since every Jew (there are 600,000 all encompassing souls from which all Jewish souls derive) has a letter in the (Sefer) Torah." [http://sichos-in-english.org/books/sichos-in-english/12/07.htm Public Address of 24 Kislev, 5742] ]

Moreover, he taught that this activity reveals the "inherent" unity of the Jewish people:

Rabbi Schneerson clarified that since there are different customs as to the exact configuration of the letters — Ashkenazic, Sefardic, Lurianic, etc. — each person should buy a letter in the Sefer Torah written according to the custom he follows. He explained that indeed, Moses wrote twelve Sefer Torahs, one for each of the twelve tribes. Simultaneously however, he wrote a thirteenth Sefer Torah, from which all the other 12 were checked. Hence, although there may be differing customs, “these and these are the words of the living G-d,” and each person can purchase a letter in the Sefer Torah being written according to his custom.

Rabbi Schneerson instructed that since the these Sefer Torahs are for the purpose of uniting all Jews, before starting to write new Sefer Torahs for this purpose one should ensure that all the letters in the Sefer Torahs already being written (304,805 letters in each Sefer Torah) have been purchased.

Rabbi Schneerson taught that the theme of Jewish unity that underlies this campaign also implies that it is proper that even someone who has fulfilled the mitzvah of writing a Sefer Torah himself or has hired someone to write one for him should purchase a letter in one of these Torah scrolls. [ [http://www.sichosinenglish.org/books/sichos-in-english/16/12.htm Sicha of Rosh Chodesh Shevat, 5743] ]

chool Sefer Torahs

A further suggestion was that the students of Tomchei Temimim (the Lubavitcher Yeshivah) should write a Sefer Torah to unite all those who are learning or who had learned in Tomchei Temimim, and their families. Likewise, all those who support Tomchei Temimim (i.e. financially) should also participate in this Sefer Torah (together with their families). In similar fashion, he instructed that a special Sefer Torah for the students (past and present) and supporters of Bais Rivka (Lubavitcher School for girls) should also be written. He said that the child need only contribute one dollar — no more and no less.

Tzivos Hashem

He connected the campaign with his children's organization, Tzivos Hashem:

Use of funds raised

Rabbi Schneerson noted that participants who are not children but working adults may purchase a letter for any amount his heart desires to give. Furthermore, he said that although the purpose of such Sefer Torahs is not to make money, but to unite all Jews, the money that is received for the letters can be put to good and holy uses in the various Yeshivahs. On the other hand, he said that no one is to be forced to give an amount he doesn’t want to give, and each person should give according to what his heart desires.

Response to ominous current events

Rabbi Schneerson connected the campaign with world events, saying, "The urgency of this campaign is underscored by the alarming instability rampant in the world. Everyone knows the frightening situation, and in the times of exile, Jews are 'a single sheep among seventy wolves.' But when Jews are united, nothing can hurt them! Unity doesn’t mean physical unity, all Jews in one place, but spiritual unity — through Torah. Therefore one should ignore all obstacles and scoffers, and should do one’s utmost to inscribe a Jew wherever he may be found."

Confidence and joy

He urged his followers to "invest all efforts possible in this campaign, and carry it out with joy and a good heart." Moreover, he assured that "when a true effort is made, then success is assured — over and above that which normally could be expected. Especially when it concerns such a holy thing as buying a letter in the Sefer Torah — even those who one would not expect to participate will gladly purchase a letter."

Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu

Former Chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu declared of this campaign:

External links

* [http://www.tzivos-hashem.org/Article.asp?dept=1035&Article=30 Letter in the Sefer Torah under Tzivos Hashem]
* [http://www.otbatorah.com/English Another letter in the Torah project]

Footnotes