Your pleasant words reached me twice. The first arrived on Simchas Torah — at the time when we were rejoicing with a joy that has no end — the joy of Israel, that we merited to be the people of His treasure, and that He gave us His precious instrument, and drew us close to His service, and so forth. Then, in the midst of our rejoicing, your letter reached me. I saw it and rejoiced. I exult in your words — and especially in the second letter, which I received last week, in which you informed me of what my soul had hoped for: that, thank G-d, the perfect Torah of Hashem is in your hands.
Please, my son, my beloved as my own soul — be strong and courageous with all your strength to be constant and unwavering in your learning — for it is your portion in life. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth [Eichah 3:27]. And also exert yourself greatly to pray with great kavanah (devotion and intention). That you pour all your thoughts into every single word of the prayer. That you concentrate on the meaning of the words throughout the entire prayer. And hold your thought constantly so that it does not wander here and there as has been your way until now. Now, my son — turn away from this path. Be vigilant and vigilant — and strengthen and fortify yourself with every manner of strength and strategies to turn away from this path. Only seize your thoughts in your hand so as not to think anything extraneous — for the thought is in a person's hand to direct it as he wishes. And it is impossible for two thoughts to exist together at the same time in any manner — as all this is well explained in the books of our Master, of blessed memory [Likutay Moharan 72, 233] — for one who entertains foreign thoughts is one of the things that obstructs repentance (Rambam, Hilchos Teshuvah, chapter 4, halacha 5).
And beyond what is written here, my son — be vigilant, most exceedingly vigilant — and examine carefully in the books of our Master, of blessed memory, and you will find counsel and strategies to be saved from this. And the essential point is what I wrote above — that you should know and believe in what our Master, of blessed memory, said there: that the thought is in a person's hand to direct it wherever he wishes.
And he said that even if the thought strays, G-d forbid, sometimes to the side — it is within a person's power to seize it and return it to its proper place:
Also urge yourself greatly to choose for yourself an hour each day to pour out your speech before your Creator — as you know how much we have spoken at length about this in the name of our Master, of blessed memory [see the book Hishtapchus HaNefesh] — and that it is a general counsel for every single person to merit the holiness of Israel.
And beyond this it is impossible to elaborate in writing — for a multitude of sheets would fall short. Only set your eyes and your heart in the books of our Master, of blessed memory — and you will find rest for your soul, which will be good for you forever and for eternity.
On the Order of Halachic StudyAlso, my beloved son — it is not good in my eyes that you wrote to me that you have fixed for yourself two separate study sessions in the Poskim (legal codes): in Orach Chayyim — the laws of Shabbos — and in Yoreh De'ah — the laws of salting. Surely you should have understood that I did not want this approach — to scatter one's mind across such distant and unrelated topics. What has the law of salting to do with the laws of Shabbos? Surely you know that my intention regarding the order of study is to learn in sequence precisely (see Sichos HaRan, 76) — that is, to complete Orach Chayyim all the way through to its end, and then afterward to begin, with the help of Hashem Yisborach, to study Yoreh De'ah from the laws of slaughter, from beginning to end in exact sequence — and likewise Choshen Mishpat and Even HaEzer.
Not as young people customarily do — snatching at all times some particular law: sometimes the laws of meat and milk, sometimes the laws of claims and counter-claims, and suddenly jumping to the laws of family purity and the like — and remaining bald on this side and bald on that side, with neither this nor that achieved. And they carry away nothing from their toil — for when they grow up they do not know any law or ruling even in a single area.
Therefore my wish is that you study only the laws of Shabbos and also tractate Shabbos as you wrote — and set your eyes and heart to understand the matters well, without pressuring yourself excessively. And also do not be overly exacting for no reason, as we have already spoken of this. But if it is impossible to change your study-partner's view — do not separate from him on account of this, and fulfill his wish to study also the laws of salting. But if you are able to speak to his heart that he should study in the correct sequence as above — how good — and he will certainly be grateful to me with the help of Hashem Yisborach if he fulfills my words as I have instructed you above.
Also exert yourself greatly to always be in joy. And how greatly I took pleasure in what you wrote to me — that you are in joy, thank G-d. Would that this truly be so always — that you should only be joyful always. And look at the beginning of this letter, where I aroused you on the matter of Simchas Torah — and I deliberately elaborated my words there, in order to always remember Simchas Yisroel (the joy of Israel).
The words of your father, who waits and hopes and yearns to see your true and eternal wellbeing and success — that there be fulfilled in us: My son is wise and gladdens my heart, and so forth [Mishlei 27:11].
The lowly Nussun, son of our Teacher the Rabbi Naftali Hirtz — may his light shine and radiate — of Breslov.
Overview: Written less than two months after Letter 13 — from Rosh Hashana to Parshas Chayay Sarah — this letter to Yitzchok in Tcherkass is one of the most complete statements of Reb Nussun's educational programme. It opens with a burst of joy at the news of his son's Torah study arriving on Simchas Torah itself, then moves through three major teachings: the mastery of thought during prayer, the correct sequential approach to halachic study, and the obligation of unending joy. Each section is precise, practical, and rooted in specific sources.
Reb Nussun cites five specific sources in a single letter — Likutay Moharan 72 and 233 (on thought), the Rambam's Hilchos Teshuvah 4:5 (on foreign thought as an obstacle to repentance), Likutay Moharan 30 (on confusions during prayer), Hishtapchus HaNefesh (on daily personal prayer), and Sichos HaRan 76 (on studying halacha in sequence). This density of cross-referencing is characteristic of Reb Nussun as teacher: he does not merely assert — he directs his student to the primary sources so the student can deepen independently.