Segment 1
הַעְתָּקָה אוֹת בְּאוֹת מֵאִגֶּרֶת כְּתִיבַת יַד רַבֵּנוּ זַ"ל בְּעַצְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב לְאָחִיו הָרַב מו"ה יְחִיאֵל זַ"ל לִקְרִימֶנְטְשַׁאק. שֶׁהָיָה שָׁם מַחֲלֹקֶת עָלָיו מִמִּתְנַגְּדִים רְשָׁעִים וְצִעֲרוּ אוֹתוֹ מְאֹד. כַּמּוּבָן מִדִּבְרֵי רַבֵּנוּ זַ"ל בְּעַצְמוֹ בְּאִגֶּרֶת זֶה.
A verbatim, letter-for-letter copy of a letter in the handwriting of our
Master himself, of blessed memory, which he wrote to his brother the Rabbi,
our Teacher Yechiel, of blessed memory, of
Krementchuk. There was at that time a
machlokes (controversy and strife) against him
there, stirred up by wicked misnagdim (opponents
of Chassidus), who caused him very great distress — as is evident from our
Master's own words in this letter.
Segment 2
בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, יוֹם ב' פָּרָשַׁת בְּחֻקֹּתַי [י"ז אייר].
With the help of G-d, may He be blessed
Segment 3
לַאֲהוּבִי אָחִי חֲבִיבִי וִידִידִי הָרַבָּנִי הַמֻּפְלָא וּמֻפְלָג חָכָם הַשָּׁלֵם וְכוּ' מוֹרֵנוּ הָרַב יְחִיאֵל צְבִי נֵרוֹ יָאִיר וְיוֹפִיעַ.
My beloved brother, my dear and cherished friend — the extraordinary and
outstanding scholar, the complete and perfect sage, and so forth — our
Teacher the Rabbi Yechiel Tzvi — may his light shine
and radiate.
Segment 4
הִגִּיעַנִי מִכְתָּבוֹ פֹּה ק"ק זַאסְלַאב וְהָיָה לִי צַעַר גָּדוֹל מִזֶּה, אֵיךְ מָלְאוּ לִבָּם הָאֲנָשִׁים הָרְשָׁעִים הָאֵלּוּ וְהֵעֵזּוּ פְּנֵיהֶם כָּל כָּךְ נֶגְדְּךָ. וְתָמֵהַּ אֲנִי אֵיךְ לֹא נִמְצָא טוֹב לְעֻמַּת רַע לַעֲמֹד כְּנֶגְדָּם לְבַעֵר הָרַע.
Your letter reached me here in the holy community of Zaslav,
and it caused me very great grief — how could the hearts of
these wicked men have been so filled, and how could they have been so brazen
against you. And I marvel that no righteous person was found to stand
against the evil and to oppose them, to root out the wickedness.
Segment 5
אֲהוּבִי אָחִי נַפְשִׁי וּלְבָבִי, אַל תִּירָא וְאַל תֵּחַת מִפְּנֵיהֶם, רַק חֲזַק וֶאֱמַץ בַּתּוֹרָה וּבְיִרְאַת ה' כָּל הַיּוֹם, כַּמְדֻבָּר בֵּין שְׁנֵינוּ. וּזְכוּת אֲבוֹתֶיךָ מְסַיַּעְתְּךָ. כִּי כָּל זֶה לְגַדֵּל אוֹתְךָ וּלְהַרְבּוֹת כְּבוֹדְךָ וּלְגַדֵּל שִׂכְלְךָ. כִּי כְּמוֹ שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְכָל מִינֵי זֵרְעוֹנִים לָבוֹא לְתַכְלִית גִּדּוּלָם אֶלָּא עַד שֶׁנּוֹתְנִין מִתְּחִלָּה הַגַּרְעִין בֶּעָפָר, וְאַחַר כָּךְ הַגַּרְעִין נִתְבַּלֶּה וְאַחַר בְּלוֹתוֹ יִפְרַח וְיָצִיץ וְנַעֲשֶׂה אִילָן גָּדוֹל. כֵּן הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה שֶׁעַל יְדֵי זֶה שֶׁמַּשְׁפִּילִין אוֹתְךָ עַד עָפָר, עַל יְדֵי זֶה תִּתְגַּדֵּל וְתָצִיץ וְתִפְרַח בָּעוֹלָם. אִלּוּ הָיוּ יוֹדְעִין אֵלּוּ הָרְשָׁעִים מִזֶּה, בְּוַדַּאי לֹא הָיוּ מְבַזִּין אוֹתְךָ, כִּי כָּל כַּוָּנָתָם לְרַע.
My beloved brother, my very soul and my heart —
fear them not, and be not broken before them.
Only be strong and courageous in Torah and in the fear of Hashem all day long —
as we have spoken between us. And the merit of your forebears will support you.
For all of this is in order to elevate you, to increase your
honor, and to enlarge your mind. For just as it is impossible for all
manner of seeds to reach the fullness of their growth — until the seed is first
placed in the earth, and then the seed decays, and only after its decay does it
sprout and blossom and become a great tree — so too is this very matter:
Segment 6
וּמְהוֹדַעְנָא לְמַעֲלָתוֹ כִּי בְּדַעְתִּי לֵישֵׁב בְּכָאן קְהִלָּה קְדוֹשָׁה זַאסְלַאב לְעֵרֶךְ שְׁלשָׁה חֳדָשִׁים. וְאַחַר כָּךְ אֵדְעָה אֵיךְ לִפְנוֹת.
I hereby inform your eminence that it is my intention to remain here in the
holy community of Zaslav for approximately three months — and
afterward I shall know which direction to turn.
Segment 7
וּמְהוֹדַעְנָא שֶׁזּוּגָתִי מִתְּחִלָּה הָיָה לָהּ שִׁנּוּי, וְעַכְשָׁיו נִתְהַפֵּךְ וְהוֹלֵךְ, וּמִתְמַעֵט כֹּחָהּ בְּכָל יוֹם, וְהַהוֹצָאָה בְּכָאן מְרֻבָּה. כִּי הָיָה לִי הוֹצָאוֹת בְּכָאן אַרְבָּעָה וַחֲמִשִּׁים אֲדֻמִּים. וְתוּ לֹא מִידֵי רַק חַיִּים וְשָׁלוֹם.
I hereby inform you that my wife — at first she had experienced a change for
the better, but now it has reversed and is going the other way, and
her strength diminishes each day. And the expenses
here are considerable — for I have had expenses here of fifty-four
adumim (red coins). Nothing further for now —
only life and peace.
Segment 8
מִנָּאִי אָחִיךָ אוֹהֵב נַפְשְׁךָ הַדּוֹרֵשׁ שְׁלוֹמוֹ תָּמִיד וּמְצַפֶּה לִשְׁמֹעַ מִמֶּנּוּ בְּשׂוֹרוֹת טוֹבוֹת וְלִרְאוֹתוֹ בְּחַיִּים וְשָׁלוֹם.
From me, your brother, who loves your soul, who constantly seeks your
welfare, and who longs to hear good tidings from you and to see you in
life and in peace.
Segment 9
נַחְמָן בֶּן מוֹרֵנוּ הָרַב שִׂמְחָה יִשְׁמְרֵהוּ צוּרוֹ וִיחַיֵּהוּ
Nachman, son of our Teacher the Rabbi Simcha —
may his Rock protect him and give him life.
Segment 10
זוּגָתִי פּוֹרֶסֶת בִּשְׁלוֹם זוּגָתוֹ. בִּתִּי מִרְיָם פּוֹרֶסֶת בִּשְׁלוֹם כֻּלְּכֶם. וְלִפְרֹס בִּשְׁלוֹם תּוֹמְכָיו הַנִּלְוִים אֵלָיו. חִזְקוּ וְאִמְצוּ כִּי יֵשׁ שָׂכָר לִפְעֻלַּתְכֶם בָּזֶה וּבַבָּא.
Postscript — From the Family; To His Followers
My wife extends greetings of peace to your wife. My daughter Miriam extends
greetings of peace to all of you. And extend greetings of peace to his supporters
and to all those attached to him.
Be strong and courageous — for there is reward for
your efforts, in this world and in the World to Come.
Nachman, as above.
Segment 11
נַחְמָן הַנַּ"ל
Nachman, as mentioned above