עט

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

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.

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

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

speedily. Nussun of Breslov.

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]