Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman's Letter Forbidding His Students From Accepting Visas Offered By YU & Skokie Yeshiva

"What is the gain in achieving physical salvation if you lose your spiritual life?"

Please click to enlarge.

[Hat Tip: A Kind Reader.]

Shmuel's translation of the letter is posted after the jump in the extended post:

The opening paragraph obviously was written after Rabbi Wasserman's death and is not part of the letter per se.

"Daas Torah regarding Yeshiva University in New York and regarding Bet Midrash L'Torah [Hebrew Theological College] in Skokie, Illinois from Hagaon Hatzadik Rabbi Elchonon Bunim Wasserman of blessed memory, may God avenge his blood:

[The actual letter begins here.]

"Baruch Hashem, Erev Shabbos Kodesh Naso

I received your [literally "his"; the letter is written in the respectful third person] letters but I have no ability to do anything with this, thus I did not respond.

The yeshivos in America which are able to bring over students are the yeshivas of Dr. Revel (named Yeshiva University) in New York and Beis Midrash L'Torah in Chicago and they both are places of danger in terms of spirituality because they conduct themselves in a spirit of freedom, and what benefit is there to flee from a physical danger to a spiritual danger, but I sent your [literally, "his"] letter to the revered Gaon, Rabbi Moshe Heiman, Dean of Mesivtha Torah V'Daas in Brooklyn and I suggested that he request of the revered Dean of the Mirrer Yeshiva that he should also write to Brooklyn to the address below:

Rabbi Shlomo Heiman
92 Martin Street
America

Blessing you [literally, "him"] with life and peace and all good things forever,
Elchanan Bunim Wasserman"