# מא

<div dir="rtl">מא</div>

Source: https://ajew.org/reader/alim-litrufa/2/41


## Segment 1

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יוֹם ב' יִתְרוֹ [י"ז שבט] תקצ"א.

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My beloved son. [Yitzchok]


## Segment 2

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אֲהוּבִי בְּנִי חֲבִיבִי וְכוּ'.

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The time of the Shacharis prayer has arrived — but
 from my love for you I am writing to you now: that I received your letter — and I
 have great anguish from your anguish and the black melancholy which you write me
 every time. And have I not already written you very much, very much — enough to
 console and gladden yourself at every time in all that passes over you? And was it
 for nothing that I spoke with you thousands of times —
 that every person is full of suffering — as it is written:
 man is born to toil
 [Iyov 5:7] and so forth — and there is no
 consolation and joy and vitality except in every single good point that we merit
 to seize each day — for we put on
 tallis and
 t'fillin and learn a little or much, and we pray,
 and we perform many mitzvos and so forth — and in
 particular that we know of such a light and so forth.


## Segment 3

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דַּע בְּנִי כִּי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ גָּדוֹל מְאֹד, וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְדַבֵּר בָּזֶה כְּלָל אֲפִלּוּ מַה שֶׁמִּתְנוֹצֵץ בְּלִבִּי. וְקִוִּינוּ לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ שֶׁהַכֹּל יִתְהַפֵּךְ לְטוֹבָה כָּל מַה שֶּׁעוֹבֵר עַל כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד, רַק חֲזַק וֶאֱמַץ וּזְכֹר הֵיטֵב הֵיטֵב מַה שֶּׁאָמַר רַבֵּנוּ זַ"ל (לִקּוּטֵי תִנְיָנָא מח) שֶׁצְּרִיכִין לִהְיוֹת עַקְשָׁן גָּדוֹל בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה'. זְכֹר זֹאת הֵיטֵב עַתָּה בְּכָל יוֹם, וּבִפְרָט בַּזְּמַנִּים הַבָּאִים לְשָׁלוֹם, כִּי יִצְטָרֵךְ לְךָ מְאֹד מְאֹד, כִּי עֲדַיִן אֵין אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ מַה שֶּׁיָּכוֹל לַעֲבֹר עַל הָאָדָם. וַאֲפִלּוּ אַתֶּם צְרִיכִים לִהְיוֹת עַקְשָׁנִים גְּדוֹלִים בִּמְעַט מְעַט עֲבוֹדַתְכֶם, וְגַם בְּהָרָצוֹן וְהַהִשְׁתּוֹקְקוּת וְהַכִּסּוּפִין צְרִיכִין לִהְיוֹת עַקְשָׁן גָּדוֹל, לַחְפֹּץ וּלְהִשְׁתּוֹקֵק בְּרָצוֹן חָזָק תָּמִיד לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ וּלְתוֹרָתוֹ יִהְיֶה אֵיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה, כַּמְבֹאָר אֶצְלִי בַּאֲרִיכוּת. וְיַעֲבֹר עָלַי מָה אֲנִי חָפֵץ אַף עַל פִּי כֵן הָאֱמֶת לַאֲמִתּוֹ שֶׁהוּא הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ וְתוֹרָתוֹ שֶׁהוּא עֶצֶם הָאֱמֶת. וְזֶהוּ "מַה תָּעִירוּ וּמַה תְּעֹרְרוּ אֶת הָאַהֲבָה עַד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּץ", כַּאֲשֶׁר כְּבָר דִּבַּרְנוּ בָּזֶה. יָתֵר מִזֶּה אֵין לְהַאֲרִיךְ כִּי מֵהַסְּתָם תִּהְיֶה בְּקָרוֹב פֹּה בְּחַיִּים וְשָׁלוֹם.

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Please, my beloved son — remember, do not forget all of this —
 remember and remember at every time all the great and awesome
 acts of lovingkindness which Hashem Yisborach did with us — that He drew
 us near to such a light, whose name is proclaimed over us — thanks be to G-d.
 And accustom yourself greatly to walk in the path I have already spoken with you
 — to be at every time grateful for the past and crying out
 for the future to come — and pour out your speech before Hashem Yisborach
 every single day — a fixed practice, not to be transgressed.


## Segment 4

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דִּבְרֵי אָבִיךָ הַמְצַפֶּה לִרְאוֹת בְּטוּבְךָ הָאֲמִתִּי לָנֶצַח.

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For the sake of Hashem — for the sake of Hashem —
 snatch and eat, snatch and eat
 [חֲטֹף וֶאֱכֹל חֲטֹף וֶאֱכֹל — a Talmudic expression
 of urgency (cf. Eruvin 54a): snatch what you can while you can, as one who knows
 the opportunity is fleeting. Reb Nussun applies it to Torah, prayer, and good
 deeds: grab every moment of service before it passes]
 — Torah and prayer, and hisbodidus
 [personal outpouring to Hashem] and good deeds. And pay no heed at all, at all,
 to anything that passes over you.

And in this the quality of forgetting is very good
 [מִדַּת הַשִּׁכְחָה — the midah
 of forgetting: not a failure but a faculty. Reb Nussun speaks of forgetting as a
 positive spiritual tool to be cultivated, not resisted] —
 to forget from one's mind entirely, at every time, all that has passed until now.
 And what will be — you do not know at all. And in particular
 at the time of prayer let yourself be in your own eyes as
 entirely new — as if you have only this single hour and no other — and
 do not look at the past or the future at all — not even in matters that touch
 upon the soul — and all the more so, and ever more so, in matters of the body
 and money.

And if you accustom yourself to this — then it will be good for you — and you
 will be able to pray through this and to seize much good every day.

For the sake of Hashem — be strong and resolute and gladden
 your soul in all the ways you have heard from him [Rebbe Nachman] — hope
 in Hashem and He will save you — for Hashem will not abandon forever —
 the lovingkindnesses of Hashem have not been exhausted
 [חַסְדֵי ה' כִּי לֹא תָמְנוּ — ki
 lo somnu: from the root תמם — not merely "have not ended" but have not
 been consumed or exhausted. The lovingkindnesses of Hashem cannot be
 used up; they are inexhaustible by nature. This is the ground of hope: not that
 bad times will end, but that the source of good can never run dry]
 [Aicha 3:22] and so forth.

The words of your father.

Nussun of Breslov.


## Segment 5

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נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב

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Nussun of Breslov.