By the Grace of G-d 3rd Light of Chanukah, 5722 Brooklyn, N. Y.

Greeting and Blessing:

I received your letter, in which you try to explain the difficulties in connection with your learning at your Yeshiva at present.

I trust that I do not have to emphasize to you at length that such problems are, generally speaking, the result of temptations and trials stemming from the Yetzer Hora. When the Yetzer Hora sees a boy learning Torah, especially in a way which leads to the observance of the Mitzvoth with Hiddur, he attempts to distract him from it in all sorts of ways. Obviously, if the Yetzer Hora came to a Yeshiva boy and said to him "Stop learning the Torah," the boy would not listen to him. Therefore, the Yetzer Hora devises cunning ways to disguise his real intention by planting in the boy's mind thoughts and ideas which are supposed to be for the benefit of better study, etc., but which really are nothing but ways and means of misleading the unsuspecting victim.

Since you are learning in a Yeshiva which has many students and which has existed for many years, students who lived in the dormitory and yet did not experience such problems as you seem to think you have; students, moreover, who have graduated and have been successful, etc., I am inclined to think that your problems are more imaginary than real and are nothing but the persuasions of the Yetzer Hora. In such a case, the Torah commands one not to listen to him and to disregard all things that interfere with the study of the Torah, and the observance of the Mitzvoth. Where there is a real determination to overcome the difficulties, it soon becomes apparent that the difficulties either had no basis at all, or were much less important than they appeared at first.

I trust that this will be so in your case, and that you will consider the difficulties, whether fully or only partly imaginary, as challenges to be overcome, and that you will apply yourself with devotion and diligence to your Torah studies and to the observance of the Mitzvoth with Hiddur, so that you will be a credit and a pride to the Yeshiva.

This is also the essential lesson of Chanukah, which we are now celebrating, as you surely know.

Wishing you a happy and inspiring Chanukah,

By Nissan Mindel