BH (Blessed/with the help of Hashem), midnight of Tuesday 25 Tishray (5)720. Tel Aviv. [Tuesday, October 27, 1959] My heart and my soul, Mr. Z. Shazar, who refines and polishes his soul radiantly in the supernal brilliant light which are completely new which have been revealed in our generations, Shalom, and life, and all (that is) good.
Even someone who merits to find for himself a true friend, who received from the true Tzadik words of truth which truly help his soul, nevertheless he still needs great effort and copious searching until he can find and attain the pleasantness of the truth of his holy aitzoas (advice/remedies/pointers), upon which his fundamental Jewishness is contingent; because for a person with bicheera (-free choice) it is extremely difficult to help, just with the very extremely wondrous kindnesses of Hashem which the true Tzadik draws at all times, but for this it is necessary at the very least some sort of "issaroosa dilissata" (-awakening/initiative from below), and therefore this enterprise, to work with people to draw them close to the real truth, is very extremely deep, 'deep, deep who can find it (Koheles 7:24), and this necessitates abundant searching and seeking, be it from the friend or from the student, and then if he searches truly, certainly he will find (it)!
The Rav R. Yudel o.b.m. from Medvidevka, at the beginning of his drawing close, Rabbainu za.tza.l. (memory of the Tzadik for blessing) said to him: When one's desire is to draw close to the truth, then the falsehood ("shehkehr") intensifies, and when one surmounts the impediments and breaks them, then from the falsehoon – SheKeR is made (the anagram -) KeSheR – knot/connection – (Yiddish:) vestoo shoyn zayen mikoosher tzoo meer kul yimay chayechu [You will already be connected/tied with me all the days of your life].
The Rav (-rabbi) the tzadik R. Yikuesiel, the Magid (-one who gives over lectures and discoursed, but often just another title for rabbi) of Tirhovitza o.b.m., he is (the one) who merited (inordinately) more than all the renowned (rabbis) of his generation, to humble himself under Rabbainu za.tza.l. (memory of the Tzadik for blessing), and to stand before the glory of his holiness, in fear and fright, and also the men of his persuasion and his progeny drew close through him to Rabbainu o.b.m.!
The Tzadik R. Yitzchok Isaac, he too was from the men of the aforementioned magid, and he was engaged in commerce, in the business of coin (currency?) exchange; and when he came to Rabbainu za.tza.l. he fired up his heart for the devotion of Hashem, like flame of fire mamash (-really, actually), and he (Rabbainu) instructed him to accept upon himself special practices according to the root of his soul. And one of the practices that he instructed to accept upon himself, which was heavier and harder than all of them, that is – one whole year he was not to speak with any person even one word, and afterwards he (R.Y.I.) travelled to his home.
And immediately upon arriving at his home, he divested himself completely from engagements of this world, and he did not speak with anyone, as was instructed of him, and from when he rose until he went to bed, his lips did not cease from Torah and prayer. And immediately there arose on him quarrels, and very great antagonism from his whole family, and especially from his father-in-law and his wife, and they copiously spoke and called him names, like stabbings from a sword mamash (-really), and they called him insane, and other similar epithets.
And Rabbainu o.b.m. saw with ruach hakodesh (-Divine inspiration) the enormity of his bitter heart from their evil words, and he (Rabbainu) feared very much lest he (R.Y.I.) falls from his devotion Heaven forbid, through this. And immediately he (Rabbainu) called with alacrity to one of his men, and instructed him to rent for him immediately a wagon to Tirhovitza, and he sped there quickly, and he arrived there at night, and he put himself up with the wagon by the house of the father-in-law of R. Yitzchok Isaac o.b.m. who lived with him together. And he knocked on the dorr for them to open for him, and he entered there. And his father-in-law raised his eyes, and he saw, and behold Rabbainu za.tza.l. had come to his home, and he was very astonished and amazed over this.
And R. Yitzchok Isaac o.b.m. was in his room, and he was reciting then Kreyas Shema (-Hear Oh Israel) before sleeping, with great strength, with very enormous and wondrous divaikus (-clinging/binding to HY, rapture); And Rabbainu za.tza.l. heard, and he didn't want to enter his room and show himself before him, so as not to disturb him and interrupt him in middle of his recitation. So in the interim Rabbainu o.b.m. began to rebuke his (-the) father-in-law regarding his bad way, for tormenting his son-in-law with such harsh oppression.
Also (-this included), Rabbainu o.b.m. asked him: "Behold in the morning when you don tefillin, and on your hand you wind yourself with straps of animal hide, and with your mouth you are silent and mute, and you don't want to say any utterance then – if there would stand before you then some uncircumcised one (-a gentile), who never saw or heard of such a thing ever, would he not say of you that you are insane. Similar are these words of you mouth as well, that you say about your son-in-law that he went out of his mind over what he does the will of the Creator blessed He, according to His hidden ways which He lets us know through His loyal servants." And more similar words such as these he spoke and rebuked him, until his (-the) father-in-law was very regretful over this, and accepted upon his not to continue anymore to torment him from that day on. And after R. Yitzchok Isaac o.b.m. finished his recital of Shema, (Rabbainu) appeared before him, and his (R.Y.I.'s) heart was extremely filled with joy and happiness, so that (Rabbainu) mamash (-really) revitalized him. And in the morning, Rabbainu o.b.m. rose early, and returned to his house, and from then on Rabbi Yitzchok Isaac o.b.m. engaged in his devotion without dissent or opposition!
R. Yitzchok Yehuda o.b.m of Teplik, before his drawing close to Rabbainu za.tza.l., he was a big famous [rabbi] in many cities, and they would give (him) "pidyoanoas" [redemptions – donations to redeem themselves]. And afterwards, when he recognized the truth of Rabbainu o.b.m., he left and distanced from upon himself the practices of his fame, and he accepted upon himself the yoke of His devotion blessed He with wholeheartedness and simplicity, and he didn't turn away his face either from all the degradations and the shaming that he had because of this, and he returned to Hashem with all his heart and soul, like the rest of the men of Rabbainu o.b.m..
Faith alone, that one believes in the tzadik, and draws himself to him, even if he does not receive from him anything – this of itself is extremely good, because through the faith and the drawing close itself, his bad is consumed and he is turned around into the essence ("mahus") of the Tzadik, just (necessary) that his intentions are for Heaven.
Rabbainu o.b.m. chastised someone who had been close and became alienated, and afterwards he returned and came to him. He (Rabbainu) spoke up and said: " Even if many years transpire and one does not budge and rise from his level, just, he stands on his original level like at the beginning, and even if he is worse than at the beginning – if he is close to the true Tzadik, the drawing close itself is extremely good without beyond measure or calculation. Behold there are men by me, that I do not know if the depth of hell would be sufficient before them, for if they would be able to dig under the depth of hell they would dig, and through me they drew close to Hashem Yisburach etc.!
Rabbi Nussun o.b.m. on the day of his passing said to his men these words (Yiddish): "afeeloo even if, men zul zayen dehr ehrgisitehr one is the worst, bal avayra sinner, ubee but, men halt zich in rebbin he holds himself in/by the Rebbe, vet men then, bivadaye certainly, teshuva tun he will repent, oon men vet hubin and he will have, a tikkun a rectification!"
The transcriber and arranger, who wishes his (your – third person) wellbeing and success, with fierce love, with all (my) heart and soul.
Yisroel Dov Odesser
נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן