Segment 1
שֶׁנָּסַעְתִּי עִמּוֹ מִפּה בְּרֶסְלַב לְאוּמֶין לְהִסְתַּלֵּק שָׁם, עָנָה וְאָמַר הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ גָּדוֹל מְאד וְאֵין יוֹדְעִים כְּלָל וְכוּ'. וְאָמַר (בִּלְשׁוֹן אַשְׁכְּנַז בְּזוֹ הַלָּשׁוֹן: גָּאט אִיז גְּרוֹיס
(18.) Pertaining to the New Aleph-Beis that he composed in his youth: through diligence one can easily become the leader of the generation in material or spiritual [matters]. And the sign of the matter [is the verse Proverbs 6:6]: "Go to the ant, O sluggard" — about this it is written [Genesis 49:24]: "Mi'sham ro'eh even Yisrael" — "from there the shepherd, the stone of Israel" — namely, a leader [parnas] — that is, to merit to be appointed as the leader of the generation — this depends on diligence, which is learned from the ant. For "from there the shepherd, the stone of Israel." And this matter is already printed in the New Aleph-Beis in different language, but in this particular formulation I heard this matter from his holy mouth.