To my friend, my heart, and my point, the glory of his name is my glory, may his candle burn and shine for all eternity, Amen, may it be so:
Since the ninth of Elul [Hebrew month in the summer] to the second day of Hanukah, some four months, I have been anticipating the joy of your written word. But in the end, a long letter is laying before me, full of poetic phrases and intimations, like the dust that a fox raises when stepping in a tilled field. What fault have you found in me to make me unworthy of knowing anything about your situations, although you know how much I care about them?
I am also surprised that you did not pay attention to what we said, that you would not write me anything that is covered with poetic phrases, in which I flee endlessly, so much so that I cannot find you in even one of them.
I ask of you, for God’s sake, that from now on you will write me some information, and make certain that you interpret it simply, as a person speaks to his friend, who is not a prophet, making certain he will not stray or even contemplate, nor note the eloquence, but rather the ease of explanation. And most important, to not mix in his words poetic phrases or intimations, for there is no fear of any foreign eyes ... and in my house there is no entrance to foreigners.
When you write me innovations in the Torah, clarify them to me without any names or Partzufim that are common in the books, but in ordinary people’s language. For myself, I also take notice to explain my points in ordinary style, and it falls under my senses in complete simplicity, through and through, for it is a near and true way to clarify something to the fullest.
While I clothe the matters in the names of the books, at that time appears in me the desire to know the thoughts of the books, so my mind strays from the goal of my way, and this I have tried and tested. Moreover, when I obtain some direction in the poetic phrases in the books for my way, the joy even increases, to mingle falsehood with truth.
Therefore, when I come to scrutinize something that I must, I keep myself carefully from looking into books, before and after. And it is likewise in writing; I don’t use poetic phrases with them, so as to always in ready in purity to find a word of truth with admixtures or assistance from something external to it. Only then does the palate taste...
Yehuda Leib