I am happy once again to include a most beautiful letter I received from the Rebbe while I was in Israel attending the wedding of a nephew. The letter is dated “Erev Lag B’omer, 5734” [May 9, 1974]:

I just received your letter of Iyar 9 [May 1] from Yerusholayim Ir-hakodesh [Jerusalem the Holy City]….

The reason for my prompt reply to your letter, despite the great pressures, [as] you can guess, for as usual, I come to you with a new “assignment.” But a prefatory word will explain why. For, after reading your entire letter, it leaves the unmistakable impression that you consider yourself no more than Schneur Zalmon Jaffe, hence you write only about family matters and relatives, etc. Do not misunderstand. Every Jew is a “whole world,” as we are especially reminded on Lag B’omer, which is connected with pnimius hatorah [inner aspect of Torah] (RaShBY),1 with deeper insights into the concept of ahavas Yisroel [love of fellow Jews], as well known to those who are born and bred in chassidic families.

However, there is the well known saying by our saintly Rebbes – az gut iz gut, iz beser nit beser? (What is good is good, but isn’t better, better?)

I have in mind the fact that in addition to being Mr. SZJ, you are

“MR. MANCHESTER,” and surely you have heard about this appellation in reference to your good self. Consequently, you being now in the Holy Land, in addition to the great mitzvah of sharing and increasing the joy of the choson-kallah [groom-bride] and all the family, etc., there is surely a further reason (not necessarily in that order) - [namely] to arouse all Mancunians [people from Manchester, UK] in the Holy Land, and those who have family ties with Manchester, and inspire them with the spirit of RaShBY, without measure or limit, since such activity should be inspired by unbounded ahavas Yisroel, and, moreover, you have seen hatzlocho [success] in your activities in this direction. And furthermore, since Mrs. Jaffe is your helpmate, and generous in her cooperation.

You will surely also not overlook the fact that one of the Mancunians living in Eretz Yisroel is a “certain” Dr. Moshe Jaffe [my brother], and will include him, too, in this, your campaign – and likewise on the principle “Good is good, but better is better.” Particularly in view of the fact of his dominating position in the Federation of Synagogues in Eretz Yisroel, which gives him the great zechus [merit], hence also great responsibility for all shuls [synagogues] in the Holy Land, including the unaffiliated, since he would surely like to see them join – and, again, to apply to each of them the principle, “Good is good, but better is better.”

I believe I had occasion to mention to you once a word of the father of my father-in-law, to the effect that what is expected of every chossid is that when he is engaged in a job, he should do it with pnimius [inner feeling], so that no other thing should distract him at that time, however important it is. I therefore hope and trust that if you accept my said suggestion about your “job” during your stay in Eretz Yisroel, you will consider it as though this is the only shlichus [mission] which Supreme Providence has given you in Eretz Yisroel.

Because time is of the essence, and because of the importance of the matter, I am having this letter sent to you by Special Delivery-Express. And for better measure still, I will request the office to contact you by long distance phone, so that you can make the most of Lag B’omer and Shabbos and subsequent days.

I believe it is quite significant that the Rebbe repeats three times in this one letter the proverb “Good is good, but better, is better.”

The Rebbe also refers to me as “Mr. Manchester.” When I am in Israel, especially in Jerusalem, certain Israeli Cabinet Ministers call me – I think, spitefully – Mr. Lubavitch. They take me to task because the Rebbe is vigorously leading the campaign to amend the law of “Who is a Jew,” so that this law includes three important words: “According to Halacha.” They allege that the Rebbe’s efforts split the religious party into two, which is in any case nonsense.

I retort and emphasize that while they are in this for their own sakes (i.e. kovod (honor), or their positions), considerations that are immaterial to the continued existence of the Jewish people, the Rebbe’s sole (and soul!) concerns are Hashem, Am Yisroel and Eretz Yisroel [G‑d, the Jewish people, and the land of Israel]!