And although, naturally, I endorse only the content that passed before my eyes, my hand is extended with abundant blessing and deep appreciation for your devotion to bringing the hearts of Israel closer to their Father in Heaven, out of pure faith in Hashem and in the tzaddikim, with sincerity and simplicity.

I say of this good work: well done. Your deeds are very precious in this generation of ours, which so needs every good word of strengthening and encouragement for weary hands, and the raising up of the lamp of Hashem in the souls of the holy people, who yearn and long to truly return to their root and to cling to the good.

“From the remaining flasks a miracle was wrought for the roses,” and may we soon merit the setting up of the lamp of the son of Yishai, our Mashiach, speedily in our days, Amen.

With blessing, Avraham Tzvi Kluger

The words strengthen and encourage, and bring the hearts of Israel closer to their Father in Heaven.

Therefore I say of this good work: well done, and it is fitting to print it and spread it among Israel. May they merit all the blessings promised to those who bring merit to the many, and may we soon merit the salvation of Israel with the coming of our righteous redeemer, speedily in our days, Amen.

Shmuel, son of the righteous gaon, our teacher Rabbi M. Brandsdorfer, of blessed memory

Added beneath it in his own hand: “I, too, join the words of my friend, and I see the great importance of printing the book HaMafte’ach Le’Or HaChanukah.” Rabbi Nissan Dovid Kivak, Yeshivat Me’irat Einayim, the holy city of Jerusalem, may it be rebuilt speedily in our days.

Since it is known and clear how one should seek the ways of the Torah through the accepted channels, through the scholars of the yeshivot and the halachic authorities, through walking in the ways of the tzaddikim and the light of understanding found in every home when the head of the family draws close to guides whose words are upright, from our teachers of blessed memory, it is understood that one must make vessels and find a way for the words of our teachers, may their merit shield us, to lead to Torah, to the service of the Creator, and to an awakening of the heart to fear of Heaven, to a spirit of strengthening on which the ways of serving Hashem stand. It is known that in these generations of ours it is “a time to act for Hashem,” and there is a need to expand on and explain every matter until it can be grasped in the heart and mind of the listeners. Therefore, once it is clear what falls within the definition of Torah and of revealing Torah insights, and what is the definition of explanation, and once one is careful not to enter into approaches that contain what does not come from the tzaddikim, there is then a defined place for ways of explanation and elucidation that the broad public greatly needs. This is the work of gathering together the insights and ideas brought in the holy books, with the aim of explaining them so as to find what will be understood and accessible to all, to help according to the capacities and ways of understanding of the many shades of the tribes of Jewish souls who receive them. How good and how necessary it is for the many to collect and arrange passages and sayings, and to go on to bring prayers and supplications, adding simple and upright understanding and also sound reasoning, so that from all of it a way of life emerges: to understand the ways of truth through which the light of the Torah can be shone upon all the souls who thirst and hunger, for whom a word of truth is the food and water their eyes are lifted up to receive.

For this we must thank Hashem that there are those who are awakened with a true desire not to ignore this need, and who do what they can to help, to show a welcoming face and to explain ways of reason and understanding that are of benefit. In our generation it is clear that this is the great charity and the greatest kindness, needed more than anything; even a small word and a little help that illuminate and are extended to another accomplish a great deal. All the more so when people devote themselves to establishing classes and also to writing and printing, with words of truth in them, arranged in an order that brings the soul, in practice, to succeed in finding a way of straight and correct thinking. This is the blessing for illuminating the light of understanding. Therefore I count it a merit for myself to add my blessing, the blessing of an ordinary person, to the book brought before me by Rabbi Shmilovitch, shlit"a, which was written by his wife, to help all who turn to it to be helped by the light of the Torah.

May it be Hashem’s will that the book, which was written for the sake of Heaven and whose words are directed at helping the many find the right path and settledness of mind in the light of faith, succeed in accomplishing its work, a complete work of redemption of the soul, which will bring about an awakening of hearts to complete repentance and bring the complete redemption, speedily, Amen.

With blessing, Nissan Dovid Kivak

Therefore my heart rejoiced when I saw this wonderful work, leaves for healing: words of strengthening and awakening for the House of Jacob, the women, on matters of faith, trust and joy in the service of Hashem, and other matters that are as necessary as cold water for a weary soul, to awaken from the slumber of the times and from the materialism that keeps our souls from drawing close and from joy, and to pass in peace through the trials and the crises without any harm, and with good sense and understanding. And all of it is founded on faithful foundations, from the light of the seven days, the Baal Shem Tov, zy"a, and his disciples, may their merit shield us. It is great in quantity and in quality, and each and every one, whatever her situation, can find in it what she seeks, things that touch her very self.

Through this, may their eyes be enlightened and their hearts rejoice, “and he shall return and be healed.” And may it be Hashem’s will that you merit many more years of magnifying the Torah for the honor of Heaven, out of joy, song and gladness. “Israel is redeemed only in the merit of repentance,” and in the merit of righteous women our fathers were redeemed from Egypt, and “I shall redeem you at the end as at the beginning.” Amen, may it be His will.

As the prayer of your friend, who writes for the sake of the mitzvah. Signed and stamped: Yaakov Menachem Rabinowitz, son of my father and teacher the Rebbe, zy"a, of Biala