5860 —לימוד בהתמדה בקבלת עול גם בלי חיות פנימי, ובזה יקוים "יגעת ומצאת"

B"H, 20th of Marcheshvan, 5718

Brooklyn.

Peace and blessing!

In reply to your letter of the 14th of Cheshvan, in which you write that you have entered the study sessions of the yeshivah, but do not feel any inner vitality, etc.

Now, the declaration of our Sages is well known: לא יגעת ומצאת אל תאמין "if you did not toil and found, do not believe it" (Megillah 6b). And it is understood that merely asking about something is not the toil spoken of there. Moreover, toil is essentially in matters of accepting the yoke, and not necessarily when there is inner vitality.

What emerges from the above is that you should learn with diligence and assiduity, as much as is required, during the times of the yeshivah sessions and also in the hours between the sessions, without searching about and demanding that first there must be vitality, and only after that will the learning begin; for the order is the reverse. And when you conduct yourself in the manner described, my hope is that the promise of our Sages, יגעת ומצאת "you toiled and found" (Megillah 6b), will be fulfilled in you.

You surely know and keep the three well-known study portions, equally suited to every soul, in Chumash, Tehillim and Tanya, and influence your friends, may they live, to do the same.

With blessing,

In the name of the Rebbe, may he live long and good days

Summary

This letter tells a yeshivah student who feels no inner vitality not to wait for it before learning: the toil of which our Sages said "you toiled and found" lies chiefly in accepting the yoke, so he should learn diligently in and between the sessions, and vitality and success will follow.