# קטו
קטו
Source: https://ajew.org/reader/alim-litrufa/2/115
## Segment 1
קטו
Overview: Parshas Eikev, Wednesday — pure joy in a brief form. *Tzmichas yeshuasecha* — the budding image from Letter 106 applied personally. *Yisaif Hashem chasdo ligmor yeshuascha bish'leimus*. *T'valeh yamecha*: now identified as the Talmudic ideal of *valey yomoi b'Torah* — the complete exhaustion of one's days in true goodness, leaving nothing unspent. *L'orech yamim v'shanim tovim*.
## Segment 2
בָּרוּךְ הַשֵּׁם, יוֹם א' שׁוֹפְטִים תקצ"ג.
The bearer of this letter is in urgent need — and I too am preoccupied now with several matters — and I have no word on my tongue to write you. Although I have great sorrow from the cry of your pain in your letter — but this is my consolation — that praised be G-d in His great kindness, Yisborach, his holy words — of blessed memory — have borne fruit in your heart [דְּבָרָיו הַקְּדוֹשִׁים זַ\"ל עָשׂוּ פֵּרוֹת בְּלִבְּךָ — organic spiritual growth: the teachings have taken root and produced fruit. The standard of genuine reception: not merely heard but grown into the person, transforming the interior life from within] — to the point that even the melody is fixed in your heart. And so it is fitting for you — for in truth it is not an empty thing to strengthen oneself — however one is, however one is — for this is the essential thing — and upon this all of Judaism depends.
## Segment 3
אֲהוּבִי בְּנִי חֲבִיבִי נֵרוֹ יָאִיר.
To: My beloved son, my dear one — may his light shine. [Yitzchok]
Your letter I received today — and I am ready now to travel in peace — and I
have no time to reply to you anything.
## Segment 4
מִכְתָּבְךָ קִבַּלְתִּי הַיּוֹם, וַאֲנִי מוּכָן עַתָּה לִנְסֹעַ לְשָׁלוֹם, וְאֵין פְּנַאי לַהֲשִׁיבְךָ דָּבָר, טוֹב לְהוֹדוֹת לַה' אֲשֶׁר תְּשׁוּקָתְךָ וְנֶחָמָתְךָ הוּא אוֹר הָאֱמֶת הַמֵּאִיר לַכֹּל, אֲשֶׁר זֹאת הִיא הַנֶּחָמָה שֶׁל הַכֹּל. כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (בְּרֵאשִׁית ה) זֶה יְנַחֲמֵנוּ וְכוּ', וְלַה' הַיְשׁוּעָה שֶׁיָּחוּס עָלֶיךָ וְיַעֲזֹר וְיוֹשִׁיעַ וְיָגֵן עָלֶיךָ שֶׁתִּזְכֶּה לָבוֹא אֶל הַתַּכְלִית הַטּוֹב, וְאַתָּה בְּנִי חֲזַק וֶאֱמַץ וְתַתְחִיל מֵעַתָּה בְּכָל מַה שֶּׁתּוּכַל. וְתָשִׂישׂ כְּגִבּוֹר לָרוּץ אֹרַח, כִּי הַבְּחִירָה חָפְשִׁית תָּמִיד, וְהַבָּא לִטָּהֵר מְסַיְּעִין לוֹ וְכוּ', וְתִזְכֶּה לִהְיוֹת בָּקִי בַּהֲלָכָה וְכוּ' שֶׁזֶּהוּ סוֹד כַּוָּנַת אֱלוּל כַּיָּדוּעַ לְךָ. אַשְׁרֵינוּ שֶׁאָנוּ זוֹכִים לֵידַע מִסּוֹדוֹת כָּאֵלֶּה שֶׁהֵם דְּרָכִים נִפְלָאִים לְכָל אֶחָד לַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ. אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי וְדוֹדִי לִי יְזַכֵּנוּ לָלֶכֶת בָּהֶם בֶּאֱמֶת. וְזֶהוּ בְּעַצְמוֹ הַכַּוָּנָה – שֶׁאֲנִי צָרִיךְ לְהִתְעוֹרֵר וּלְהִשְׁתּוֹקֵק וּלְהִתְיַגֵּעַ וּלְהִתְקָרֵב לְדוֹדִי יִתְבָּרַךְ וְלִהְיוֹת בָּקִי בָּזֶה, וְדוֹדִי לִי יְזַכֵּנוּ וְיַעַזְרֵנוּ לְקָרְבֵנוּ אֵלָיו בְּחֶמְלָתוֹ וְכוּ'. וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהַאֲרִיךְ יוֹתֵר עַתָּה, וּמֵהַסְּתָם לֹא אֶשְׁכַּח אוֹתְךָ גַּם שָׁם עַל צִיּוּן הַקָּדוֹשׁ. בַּעַל הַחֶמְלָה יָכִין לִבֵּנוּ וְיַקְשִׁיב שַׁוְעָתֵנוּ.
It is good to give thanks to Hashem —
that your longing and your consolation is the light of truth that illuminates
all — for
this is the consolation of all
## Segment 5
נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב
Nussun of Breslov.
## Segment 6
מִכְתָּבִים דִּשְׁנַת ה' אֲלָפִים תקצ"ד
[זֹאת הִיא הַנֶּחָמָה שֶׁל הַכֹּל — echoing B'reishis
5:29 — Lemech at the birth of Noach: zeh y'nachamenu mima'aseinu
— "this one will console us from our work and from the toil of our hands."
Lemech's naming of Noach as the consolation of the generation from the curse
of the land. Reb Nussun applies this to the Rebbe's light: as Noach was the
y'nachamenu of his generation — the one who consoles all — so the
Rebbe's light is the consolation of the entire generation]
[B'reishis 5:29].
And to Hashem is salvation — that He have pity on you and help and save and
protect you — that you merit to arrive at the true ultimate good. And you, my
son — be strong and resolute — and begin from now in whatever you can.
And exult like a hero to run the path
[וְתָשִׂישׂ כְּגִבּוֹר לָרוּץ אֹרַח — Tehillim 19:6:
"and it rejoices like a hero to run its path" — the sun going forth from its
chamber with joyful exultation. The image of heroic running applied to the
fresh beginning: not hesitant but joyfully striding forward from the very
first step]
[Tehillim 19:6]
— for the choice is always free — and
one who comes to be purified — they help him
[הַבָּא לִטָּהֵר מְסַיְּעִין לוֹ — Yoma 38b: the
moment one turns toward purity, divine assistance arrives]
and so forth. And you should merit to be well-versed in Halacha — for this
is the secret of the intention of Elul — as you already know. How fortunate
are we that we merit to know from such secrets as these — wondrous paths for
each person in his service of Him, Yisborach.
I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine
[אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי וְדוֹדִי לִי — Shir HaShirim 6:3:
the verse whose initials — aleph lamed vav dalet — spell Elul.
The month of mutual approach encoded in Shir HaShirim]
[Shir HaShirim 6:3]
— may He give us merit to walk in them in truth. And this itself is the
intention — that I must
awaken and yearn and labour and draw near
to my Beloved, Yisborach, and be well-versed in this
[שֶׁאֲנִי צָרִיךְ לְהִתְעוֹרֵר וּלְהִשְׁתּוֹקֵק
וּלְהִתְיַגֵּעַ וּלְהִתְקָרֵב — the complete four-step choreography of the
human half of the Elul movement. The third step — l'hisyagei'a —
to labour and toil — carries the precise weight of the Talmudic root
yaga: the exertion that produces genuine spiritual achievement.
Yagata u'matzasa — "you laboured and you found" (Megillah 6b) —
the only path to finding is through labouring. In the context of drawing near
to the Beloved, the toil of yearning is the specific price of approach.
The four steps together — awaken, yearn, labour, draw near — are not casual
but demanding, the full human investment required for *ani l'dodi*]
— and my Beloved will give me merit and help me and draw me near to Him in
His compassion and so forth. And it is impossible to extend further now. And
by implication — I will not forget you also there
at the holy grave
[עַל צִיּוּן הַקָּדוֹשׁ — the Rebbe's resting place
in Uman. Reb Nussun is traveling there for Rosh Hashana — the annual gathering
that the Rebbe himself called for. He promises Yitzchok: you will be remembered
at the holy grave].
May the Master of Compassion prepare our hearts and hearken
to our plea
[בַּעַל הַחֶמְלָה יָכִין לִבֵּנוּ וְיַקְשִׁיב
שַׁוְעָתֵנוּ — a direct echo of Tehillim 10:17: ta'avat anavim shamata
Hashem, tachin libam takshiv oznecha — "You have heard the longing of
the humble — Hashem — You prepare their heart — You incline Your ear." The
Psalm of Hashem hearing the humble before they fully articulate their plea —
tachin libam, He prepares their heart. Reb Nussun's closing prayer
before setting out for Uman: Hashem's own preparatory work in our hearts —
making us ready to receive the Rosh Hashana]
[Tehillim 10:17].
Nussun of Breslov.
[Translator's Note: Overview: Parshas Shoftim — the last letter of 5593. *Zeh
y'nachamenu* (B'reishis 5:29). *Tasis k'gibor larutz orach* (Tehillim 19:6).
*Habba litaheir m'sayyinin lo* (Yoma 38b). *Ani L'dodi V'dodi Li* (Shir
HaShirim 6:3). The four-step Elul choreography: *l'his'orair, l'hishtokek,
l'hisyagei'a, l'hitkareiv* — now identified with the Talmudic *yagata
u'matzasa* (Megillah 6b): the toil of yearning is the price of the approach.
The closing prayer: *ba'al hachemlah yakhin libeinu v'yakshiv shavaseinu* —
now identified as Tehillim 10:17 — Hashem preparing the hearts of the humble
before they fully articulate their plea.
Key Themes
L'hisyagei'a — Yagata U'matzasa — Megillah 6b
"You laboured and you found" — the Talmudic principle that the only path
to finding is through genuine toil. In the Elul context: the toil of yearning
is the specific price of drawing near to the Beloved.
The four-step
choreography — awaken, yearn, labour, draw near — demands full human
investment.]