SENT during her illness on the occasion of the last siyum in the Bais Yaakov Seminary [1935].

My beloved and dear children, long may you live

‘What can we say, how can we speak, and how can we justify ourselves?’ [Gen. 44: 16]. Since ‘many are the thoughts in the heart of a human being, but God's plan will prevail’ [Prov. 19: 21].

Yes, human thoughts are weak, very weak, but whatever God decides, ‘this, too, is for the best’ [BT Ta’an. 21a].

Praised be God for his abundant kindness.

Since this morning, I have not been able to stop crying. I, who always complained to you about how difficult it was for me to cry during prayer, suddenly feel for the first time the strength of the spiritual ties that bind me to my children.You undoubtedly remember how I always used to quote a Polish proverb, ‘Blood is not water, a soul is not a body.’ Yes, spiritual bonds are stronger, since they last forever!

And that is why I am so sure that just as I am weeping as I write these words to you, so too will you weep as you read them. May God help these mutual tears rise before his glorious throne and bring a full redemption, and in the meantime a complete healing.

And now, I turn to you, my dear children, who are leaving our home and going out in the world to become leaders and educators of Jewish daughters.

I am certain that, praise God, you understand your sacred mission. We have a good Creator, blessed be he, who helps a person along the way that he chooses, just as he always helped me during these years that have passed by sending me people who were loyal and honest helpers in my work.

I just want to point out that there are two dangers that await my children. And in our case they are more dangerous and more powerful than for others.

The first one is that receiving praise and adulation from people after a successful lecture can make someone proud, so that they start to believe that they are really something special, earning fame and glory by their own efforts.