# עט

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Source: https://ajew.org/reader/alim-litrufa/2/79


## Segment 1

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בָּרוּךְ הַשֵּׁם, יוֹם ו' עֶרֶב שַׁבַּת קֹדֶשׁ בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ תקצ"ב.

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My beloved son, my dear one. [Yitzchok] Your letter I received — and it caused me great distress regarding your
 business.


## Segment 2

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אֲהוּבִי בְּנִי חֲבִיבִי, מִכְתָּבְךָ קִבַּלְתִּי עַל יְדֵי מוֹסֵר כְּתָב זֶה וְעַל יְדֵי רַבִּי אֵלִיָּהוּ, גַּם חֲצִי רוּבָּל־חָדָשׁ עַל פִּדְיוֹן, וְהוֹמֶה עָלַי לִבִּי עַל צַעַרְךָ, אַךְ אַתָּה מַרְעִישׁ עַל הַדָּבָר יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי. כִּי כְּבָר הִקְדַּמְתִּי לְהוֹדִיעֲךָ שֶׁעַל הָאָדָם עוֹבְרִין בְּהֶכְרֵחַ תְּהוֹמוֹת הַרְבֵּה וְכוּ'. בְּוַדַּאי מַה שֶּׁשָּׁלַחְתָּ לְהִתְפַּלֵּל וְלַעֲשׂוֹת פִּדְיוֹן הֱטִיבוֹתָ אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ, כִּי אֵין לָנוּ בַּמֶּה לְהִמָּלֵט כִּי אִם בִּתְפִלָּה וּצְדָקָה וְכוּ', אַךְ בְּמִכְתָּבְךָ אַתָּה מַרְעִישׁ עַל הַדָּבָר יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי. הָאֱמֶת יָדַעְתִּי מַכְאוֹבֵי לִבְּךָ אַף עַל פִּי כֵן הַהֶכְרֵחַ לְהַחֲיוֹת אֶת עַצְמְךָ בְּכָל עֵת, וּלְהָסִיחַ דַּעְתְּךָ מִצַּעַרְךָ וְלִבְלִי לִהְיוֹת כָּרוּךְ אַחַר הַצַּעַר כָּל כָּךְ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, וְהָעִקָּר לְבַל תַּחֲשֹׁב וְתִדְאַג כְּלָל מִיּוֹם לַחֲבֵרוֹ. וְאַל יִהְיֶה בְּלִבְּךָ כִּי אִם צַעַר אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם בִּלְבַד, וְזֶה בְּקַל יְכוֹלִין לִסְבֹּל, גַּם יְכוֹלִין לְהָסִיחַ דַּעְתּוֹ לְגַמְרֵי מִצַּעַר אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם, וְכֵן בַּיּוֹם שֶׁלְּאַחֲרָיו לֹא תַּחֲשֹׁב רַק אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם, וּבְתוֹךְ כָּךְ יְרַחֵם הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ וְיוֹשִׁיעַ לְךָ מְהֵרָה כִּי לֹא לְעוֹלָם יָרִיב וְכוּ'.

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And more than this my mind is not settled — in that I have still not
 received any letter from you as to whether the matter has already been resolved.
 Therefore write to me immediately through the bearer of this letter — how the
 matter stands now. And may Hashem Yisborach help you to be
 a truly free person — and not enslaved to anything
 — for there is no free person except one who engages in
 Torah
 [אֵין לְךָ בֶּן חוֹרִין אֶלָּא מִי שֶׁעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה
 — Avos 6:2: "do not read charut (engraved) but cheirut
 (freedom) — for there is no free person except one who engages in Torah."
 Torah is the source of genuine human freedom — freedom from enslavement to
 anxiety, the yetzer hara, and the pressures of the material world].
 For the sake of Hashem — for the sake of Hashem — be careful and be careful
 not to forget yourself. And
 snatch and eat, snatch and eat
 [חֲטֹף וֶאֱכֹל חֲטֹף וֶאֱכֹל — the Talmudic idiom
 from Eruvin 54a in the name of Rav: "snatch and eat, snatch and drink — for
 this world from which we must depart is like a wedding feast." Grab what you
 can of eternal life before the feast ends]
 — Torah and prayer each day — all that is possible. And as you yourself wrote
 — that you see with your own eyes what our sages of blessed memory said:
 it is forbidden to say: when I am free I will study
 [אָסוּר לוֹמַר לִכְשֶׁאֶפְנֶה אֶשְׁנֶה — Avos 2:4:
 "do not say: when I am free I will study — perhaps you will never be free."
 The quiet moment never comes; Yitzchok has confirmed this from his own
 experience].
 Remember — do not forget — what we spoke about last Shabbos and what we spoke
 about at Shavuos and what you have heard from before. And do not let your
 thoughts rule over you. Fight them — and flee from them
 
 [לְחֹם עִמָּהֶם וּבְרַח מֵהֶם — the dual Talmudic
 strategy against the evil inclination: sometimes one must engage the thought
 head-on (l'chom — combat) and sometimes the only correct response
 is flight (v'rach — flee). These are two distinct and opposite
 approaches that the sages prescribe according to circumstance — not a single
 method but a complete tactical doctrine.


## Segment 3

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וְהִנֵּה גַּם דַּעְתִּי אֵינָהּ צְלוּלָה עַתָּה מֵרֹב טִרְדוֹתַי, בִּפְרָט בְּעִנְיַן הַבִּנְיָן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בְּאוּמַאן שֶׁמֻּנָּח עַל רֹאשִׁי וְקָשֶׁה לִי לְהָסִיחַ דַּעְתִּי מִזֶּה, עַל כֵּן אִי אֶפְשָׁר עַתָּה לְהַאֲרִיךְ כְּלָל. וְתִרְאֶה לְמַעַן הַשֵּׁם לִשְׁלֹחַ לִי בַּשָּׁבוּעַ הַבָּא עָלֵינוּ לְטוֹבָה הַסַּךְ שֶׁהִבְטַחְתָּ עַל הַבִּנְיָן.

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The pairing reflects the recognition
 that different temptations require different responses: some must be wrestled
 with, others must simply be abandoned without engagement]
 — through sitting still and not acting
 [בְּשֵׁב וְאַל תַּעֲשֶׂה — the Halachic principle
 of passive non-performance: sometimes the correct response to a destructive
 impulse is simply to refrain — to sit still rather than actively engage]
 
 — and through all the ways and counsels you have heard and understood. And
 the essential thing — that at any rate you fix regular times for Torah —
 several hours each day — and during the time of distraction at least a few


## Segment 4

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וַחֲזַק וֶאֱמַץ בְּנִי חֲבִיבִי וּתְפָרֵשׁ שִׂיחָתְךָ לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּכָל יוֹם, וְלֹא תַּחֲשֹׁב מִיּוֹם לַחֲבֵרוֹ כְּלָל. וּתְחַיֶּה אֶת עַצְמְךָ בְּכָל הַדִּבּוּרִים וְהַשִּׂיחוֹת הַקְּדוֹשׁוֹת שֶׁשָּׁמַעְתָּ מִמֶּנִּי בֶּחַג הַקָּדוֹשׁ הֶעָבַר וְכָל מַה שֶּׁשָּׁמַעְתָּ מִקֹּדֶם, כִּי יֵשׁ בָּהֶם בַּמֶּה לְהַחֲיוֹת אֶת עַצְמְךָ בְּכָל עֵת בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ. וְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ יִשְׁלַח מְהֵרָה רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם לְזוּגָתְךָ, וְיַצְלִיחַ אֶתְכֶם בְּפַרְנָסַתְכֶם וְיִהְיֶה שָׁלוֹם וְשַׁלְוָה בְּבֵיתְכֶם, וְתִזְכֶּה לִהְיוֹת אִישׁ כָּשֵׁר בֶּאֱמֶת כִּרְצוֹנוֹ הַטּוֹב אָמֵן.

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small hours. And from yourself you will understand how to
 steal and seize days and hours from the midst of the tumult
 and distraction of vanity — to snatch from them: Eternal life — everlasting life.
 [חַיֵּי עוֹלָם חַיֵּי נֶצַח — the first pair: two
 names for the same dimension of endless existence — life of the world (without
 end) and life of eternity. They belong together as a single rhythmic unit] True life.
 [חַיֵּי אֱמֶת — standing alone as a separate category:
 not merely life that is long but life that is genuine and real — in contrast
 to the *chayyei sha'ah*, the life of the fleeting moment, which is illusory] Good and long life.
 [חַיִּים טוֹבִים וַאֲרֻכִּים — the third and most
 concrete formulation, echoing the liturgical blessing of the Shacharis prayer
 (chayyim tovim) and Moshe's blessing to Yehoshua. Together the three
 categories form a complete vision: endless existence, genuine reality, and
 qualitative goodness — all to be snatched from the stolen hours of Torah and
 prayer in the midst of worldly distraction]

The words of your father — who awaits salvation — and to hear good from you


## Segment 5

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דִּבְרֵי אָבִיךָ הַמְצַפֶּה לִישׁוּעָתְךָ.

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speedily.

Nussun of Breslov.


## Segment 6

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נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב

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Nussun of Breslov.