Mr. Zalman Shazar, who became President of Israel, had a unique relationship with the Rebbe. As a descendant of chassidim, despite not being observant, he had a spark in his heart for Yiddishkeit and Chassidus, which was fanned to a flame as the Rebbe continuously drew him close.

Knowing the Rebbe’s love for seforim, Mr. Shazar sent the Rebbe a precious item, a collection of tefillos printed in Amsterdam in the year 5447.

When the Rebbe received the gift, he responded in a letter by pointing out that the pamphlet was printed for the Anusim, the Spanish Marranos, who were forced to convert. It is even possible that it was published by the Marranos themselves, when they came to Amsterdam.

The Rebbe concluded with a poignant message:

“From time to time when I look at this booklet, I ponder the idea that everyone is, to an extent, coerced (“anus”), and does numerous things as an outcome, directly or indirectly, of the pressure of his environment. Like the words of the Rambam, that one is under the compulsion of his yetzer hara and ‘He really wishes to be a part of Yisroel: to preform all the mitzvos and distance himself from aveiros…’”

(Igros Kodesh, Vol. 10, p. 100)