The Chinuch Office of Oholei Torah has released the fifth video in its seven-week series exploring the Rebbe’s letters to Oholei Torah, produced in honor of seventy years of Chinuch al Taharas Hakodesh.

This installment focuses on a letter written by the Rebbe in 5739 to Oholei Torah for the participants of its annual dinner. The letter is shared by Rabbi Osher Broh, a rebbi and mechanech in Oholei Torah, who uncovers their timeless vision for chinuch today.

Written by the Rebbe in both Hebrew and English, the letter emphasizes the need for strong commitment to chinuch through serious, structured education – not something casual or automatic. The Rebbe presents chinuch as preparing children to be active participants in Hashem’s “army,” meaning lives dedicated to Torah, mitzvos, and responsibility.

Rabbi Broh masterfully explores the Rebbe’s precise wording, including subtle details such as even how the Rebbe formulates the date of the letter. He also highlights the Rebbe’s personal edits, showing how small changes in wording reveal major principles.

One example is the Rebbe’s deliberate shift – in both Yiddish and English – from implying that a Yid is ready to serve Hashem, to stating that he “becomes ready.” Readiness, the Rebbe teaches, is not automatic; rather, it requires effort. Just as in a real army, a good soldier is not born but formed through discipline, structure, and serious preparation.

The Rebbe teaches that while a child may be surrounded by love, without firm boundaries and consistent discipline, that child is not truly prepared to fulfill his mission. Real love and care mean providing structure and demanding growth.

Rabbi Broh explains how this idea lies at the heart of Tzivos Hashem, which the Rebbe formally established just two years later. As the Rebbe clearly articulated, the use of the army model reflects that in chinuch, children thrive when they are given clear expectations and responsibilities, enabling them to grow into committed Yidden.

VIDEO:

Read the full text of the Rebbe’s letter: