GENERAL
TR24
KISSINGER, HENRY A.

January 20, 1972

Dear Mr. Randall:

Mr. Kissinger asked me to write to you in
response to your letter of January 6 and your
gift to him of the McRand International Date
Book. He appreciated your thoughtfulness
and intends to put it to good use.

Mr. Hugh L. Randall
Managing Director
McRand Enterprises, Inc.
20 North Wacker Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60606

Tel.: HYachinth 3-9251
President 8-4270

TZEIREI AGUDAS CHABAD
LUBAVITCH YOUTH ORGANIZATION

Under the Auspices of
The Lubavitcher Rabbi

כ"ה
צעירי אגורת חב"ר
תחת נשיאות
כ"ק אדמ"ר שליט"א מליובאָוויטש

Central Office לשכה הרכביית
770 EASTERN PARKWAY • BROOKLYN 13, N. Y.

Dr. Kiesinger
Assistant to the President
White House Office
Washington, D.C.

4 Nissan, 5/29

March 23, 1969

Greetings and Blessings:

With the approach of the Passover festival, we are pleased to present to you and your family a package of Shmurah Matzoh. These Matzoh will enable you to fulfill the requirements of the Seder Plate on the first two nights of the festival.

We at the Lubavitch Youth Organization are cognizant of the relative unavailability of Shmurah Matzoh to the general public, and we deem it a privilege to be of service to you. As with all Lubavitch activities, there is no charge and no remittance is required.

To further explain this message, we are enclosing an excerpt from an address by Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe Shelita. In this message, the Rebbe explains the custom, meaning and tradition of Shmurah Matzoh, and we are sure it will be of interest to you.

Our sincere best wishes for a kosher and freilichen Pesach to you and your family.

DR/rmk

Tel: HYacintth 3-9250

Cables: LUBAVITCH NEWYORK

מזכירות
כ"ק אדמ"ר מנחם מענגל שליט"א שניאורסאהן
ליובאווייפש

SECRETARIAT of RABBI MENACHEM M. SCHNEERSON
the Lubavitcher Rabbi

770 EASTERN PARKWAY, BROOKLYN 13, N. Y.

By the Grace of G-d
2nd of Nissan, 5727
Brooklyn, N.Y.

Greeting and Blessing:

The following message is an excerpt from an address by the Lubavitcher Rabbi.

Secretariat

The month of Nissan entails many special religious precepts. Some are scriptural, some Rabbinic, and some have the sanctity of time-honored custom. The festival of Pesach, which occurs on the 15th of the month, is particularly rich in these precepts, and the mitzvah of Matzah Shmurah relates to all three; Scripture, Rabbinic Law and Custom.

It used to be customary for the Rav to send to members of his community six Shmurah Matzoth for the requirements of the Kaarah (Seder Plate) on the two Sedorim, or, at least, two Matzoth for the purpose of the "Kazayith Matzah" (i.e. the Middle Matzah of the Kaarah which serves for the Kazayith and Afikomen).

At first glance, the basis for this custom appears as a source of
income for the Rav. However, there is a more profound consideration
underlying this practice. The preparation of Matzah for the fulfill-
ment of the sacred Mitzvah is regulated by a variety of laws which the
average layman is unaware of, or personally unable to fulfill. The
custom of the Rav's sending Shmurah Matzah to members of his community
thus insured that they would have Matzah for the Sedorim to fulfill the
detailed requirements of the law.

Regrettably, the custom has been discontinued in many areas. It is not
my purpose, however, to examine the reasons for this. What I wish to
say is that I would like to see this custom restored and widely
practiced.

-2-

This custom need not be confined to the Rav. Any leader in the community - Rav, Shochet, Reverend, or Shamash - if he feels reasonably sure that the gesture would be well taken and the Matzah would be used at the Seder, would do well to send to his friends Matzoth in accordance with the said custom, i.e. 1) round, 2) hand-made, 3) Shmurah Matzoth. In this way additional hundreds, even thousands, of fellow Jews would be sure to observe the Mitzvah of eating Matzah at a Seder table which has been prepared according to the fullest requirements of the Torah. This custom should similarly be observed in communal Sedorim (in Hotels, etc.)

Matzah, according to the holy Zohar 4), is "Mechla d'asvosso" and "Mechla di'mhemnusso" - the "Food of Health" and the "Food of Faith." It is evidence of the absolute trust of our ancestors in Divine Providence, and similarly of our trust. Additionally, it has the quality of strengthening this faith. Observing this holy Mitzvah in its true spirit, the Zohar states, increases the inner faith in G-d which is in the heart of every Jew.

Nowadays, it is more than ever necessary to foster this faith which serves as the basis of all the Mitzvoth and of true Jewish life in general. Fulfilling the Mitzvah of Shmurah Matzah according to the best and fullest requirements of the Torah will surely bring increased vitality in the observance of the Torah and Mitzvoth all year round. Thus, a healthy year spiritually will also bring with it a healthy year physically and materially.

1) Cf. Responsa MaHaRi Asad, Orach Chayyim, 157.

2) Cf. sources quoted in Sedei Chemed, Asifas Dinim, under Chometz uMatzah, 13. Hagadas Hamvaer (Petrikow, 1914).

3) Cf. *Pri-Chodosh* on Shulchon Oruch, Orach Chayyim, 453. Rav's *Shulchon Oruch*, ibid, 19.

4) *Zohar*, part II, 183b, also 41a. *Kimei Tzeischo*, 5708, by my father-in-law of sainted memory, (Kuntres 56), end of ch. 12.

DAVID MCKAY COMPANY, INC.

publishers

750 Third Avenue, New York, N. Y. 10017

Telephone: MO 1-1700

Cable: DAVMACAY NEW YORK

Kennett L. Rawson
President

I am sending you a copy of a book called "Cure for Chaos," which David McKay has just published. Its author is a distinguished scientist and industrialist, Dr. Simon Ramo, and its subject is a new and effective approach to many of the social problems such as urban decay, environmental pollution and transportation gluts that beset our society.

I believe you will find this book to be of interest and value.

KISSINGER, HENRY

Dear Happy and Nelson:

Thank you sincerely for your beautiful gift.
My abstract tastes are the subject of some
comment among my traditionalist colleagues
here, but you are good friends to know what
I like and keep giving it to me. You have
provided me with a new objet d'art and my
co-workers with a new topic of conversation.
I appreciate your thoughtfulness more than
I can say.

With my very best wishes to you and your
family for the holidays and the New Year.

Honorable and Mrs. Nelson Rockefeller
812 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York

jlp:12/24/70

KISSINGER, HENRY A.

DEC 2 1 1971

Dear Happy and Nelson:

Thank you for your thoughtful Christmas gift.
The books on Chinese art are certainly the
most handsome on the subject I have ever seen
and I have already enjoyed looking through
them. I am looking forward to having more
time to spend with them and appreciate your
great thoughtfulness.

With my best wishes to you for the holiday
season and for the coming year,

Honorable and Mrs. Nelson A. Rockefeller
812 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York

jlp:12/21/71

RECEIVED
DEC 22 1971

CENTRAL FILES