Who May Read Missionary Literature?
Chabadinfo in collaboration with Beis Moshiach Magazine presents: From the Rebbe’s Pen, a new series featuring a weekly letter or ma’aneh (response) from the Rebbe MH”M • The Rebbe’s reply to an individual who asked two questions: 1) What are the unique garments a Jew must wear? 2) Concerning studying Christian books • Full Article
The Rebbe’s reply to an individual who asked two questions: 1) What are the unique garments a Jew must wear? 2) Concerning studying Christian books:
מבואר בדא”ח שלבושים זהו תומ”צ [=תורה ומצוות] (תניא ספ”ה ובכ”מ).
ומיוחדים – שמבדילים ומפסיקים בינו לבין העולם וכו’.
ועוד ועיקר – ע”פ [= על פי] דין אסור לקרוא (ועאכו”כ [= ועל אחת כמה וכמה] – להתבונן) בספרי נצרות, המסיון וכו’. וזהו – דין מהחמורים.
וצ”ל [= וצריך להיות] היתר מפורש ע”ז [= על זה] מרב מורה הוראה, לאחר שיכיר היטב את השואל (והמוכרחת עסקנותו בזה, באיזה אופן וכו’).
Translation:
1) Chassidus explains that “garments” of the soul are Torah and mitzvos (see Tanya, end of Chapter 5 and in many places elsewhere).
These “garments” are “unique,” because they divide and separate him from the world etc., thus making the Jew “unique” and outstanding.
2) This leads into the second question:
In addition, and fundamentally so, according to halacha it is forbidden to peruse (and how much more so, to study in depth) books of Christianity, missionaries and the like [in order to ensure this separation from the world]. This halacha is one of the more severe ones.
To permit this, one must receive an explicit heter from a practicing rabbi, given only after getting to know the requester well (as well as is his involvement in this field indispensable and in what way etc.)
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