Segment 1
זֶה הָאִגֶּרֶת שֶׁכָּתַב רַבֵּנוּ זַצַּ"ל, לְחוֹתְנוֹ מִזּוּוּג שֵׁנִי מִקְּהִלָּה קְדוֹשָׁה בְּרָאד
This letter was written by our Master, of blessed and holy memory, to his
father-in-law from his second marriage — from the holy
community of Brad.
Segment 2
העתק מכתבים שנעתקו מכת"י רביז"ל ע"י ר' שמואל הורוויץ מירושלים עיה"ק
With the help of G-d, may He be blessed
Segment 3
בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, הַיּוֹם יוֹם אֲשֶׁר נִכְפַּל בּוֹ כִּי טוֹב [כ"ח אב], סוֹף חֹדֶשׁ מְנַחֵם־אָב תקס"ז.
The honor of my brother, my mechutan
(co-parent-in-law), the beloved of my soul — he who is the head and the
exalted one, the prince, the leader and the commander, the distinguished and
honored nobleman, the venerable and precious one — the glory of whose name is
his splendor — our Teacher the Rabbi
Yechezkel Trachtenberg.
Segment 4
אֶל כְּבוֹד אָחִי מְחֻתָּנִי אוֹהֵב נַפְשִׁי הֲלוֹא הוּא הָרֹאשׁ וְהַמְרֻמָּם שַׂר נָגִיד וְטַפְסָר הַגְּבִיר הַנַּעֲלֶה וְהַנִּכְבָּד הַיָּשִׁישׁ וְהַיָּקָר כְּבוֹד שְׁמוֹ תִּפְאַרְתּוֹ מוֹרֵנוּ הָרַב יְחֶזְקֵאל טְרַאכְטִינְבֶּערְג.
I hereby inform you of my welfare and the welfare of all the members of my
household — that, blessed be Hashem, we are here on the line of life and
peace. So may Hashem grant, and so may He continue to grant, that I see all
the members of my household in life and in peace. I hereby inform you of my
arrival home on the above-mentioned day, and that there reached me from his
illustrious eminence a letter of greeting, in which it is stated and
restated that she is unable to come on account of the
pasport (passport / travel documents),
and that the border too is closed and sealed. And it is further stated and
restated that I myself should come to Kressilov.
Segment 5
מְהוֹדַעְנָא מִשְּׁלוֹמִי וּמִשְּׁלוֹם כָּל בְּנֵי בֵיתִי שֶׁבָּרוּךְ הַשֵּׁם אִתָּנוּ פֹּה קַו הַחַיִּים וְהַשָּׁלוֹם, כֹּה יִתֵּן ה' וְכֹה יוֹסִיף לִרְאוֹת כָּל בְּנֵי בֵיתִי בְּחַיִּים וְשָׁלוֹם, וּמְהוֹדַעְנָא מִבּוֹאִי לְבֵיתִי בַּיּוֹם הַנַּ"ל, וְהִגַּעְתִּי מֵרוּם פְּאֵרוֹ אִגֶּרֶת שְׁלוֹמִים וְשָׁם נֶאֱמַר וְנִשְׁנִין שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לָהּ לָבוֹא מֵחֲמַת הַפַּאשְׂפָּארְטִין [דַּרְכּוֹנִים], וְגַם הַסְּפָר [גְבוּל] סָגוּר וּמְסֻגָּר, וְגַם נֶאֶמְרָה וְנִשְׁנִין שֶׁאָבוֹא אֲנִי בְּעַצְמִי לִקְרֶעסִילוֹב, עַל כֵּן מְהוֹדַעְנָא לָשׁוּב עַל רִאשׁוֹן וְכוּ', כִּי מַה שֶּׁעָבַר אַיִן כִּי כְּבָר עָבַר זְמַן הַחֲתֻנָּה, וּלְהַבָּא בַּקָּשָׁתִי אִם בִּרְצוֹן מַעֲלָתוֹ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַקֶּשֶׁר שֶׁנִּתְקַשַּׁרְנוּ [בֵּינֵינוּ] בְּקֶשֶׁר שֶׁל קַיָּמָא יִרְאֶה הַפְּאֵר מַעֲלָתוֹ לִמְחֹל עַל כְּבוֹדוֹ הָרָמָה וְהַנִּשָּׂאָה. וְלִקְרֹא עַל הַחֲתֻנָּה סָמוּךְ לְפֹה קְהִלָּתֵנוּ, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה סָמוּךְ וְנִרְאֶה לִקְהִלַּת קֹדֶשׁ בְּרֶסְלֶב, וְלֹא יְאַחֵר מֵחֲצִי חֹדֶשׁ אֱלוּל הַבָּא עָלֵינוּ לְטוֹבָה, כִּי אִי אֶפְשָׁר לָזוּז מִמְּקוֹמִי אֲפִלּוּ עַל פַּרְסָה אַחַת, וְאִם לָאו חַס וְשָׁלוֹם גָּבַהּ טוּרָא בֵּינָנָא, וְדַי לַמֵּבִין. הֻכְפַּל הַבַּקָּשָׁה לְהִתְאַמֵּץ לִשְׁלֹחַ לִי בִּתּוֹ עִם צָרְכֵי כַּלָּה לֹא יְאֻחַר מִזְּמַן הַנַּ"ל, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה עַל מִלּוּי הַלְּבָנָה הַחֻפָּה וְכוּ' וּבִנְסִיעָתָהּ לְכָאן כְּשֶׁתִּהְיֶה סָמוּךְ לְכָאן לְעֵרֶךְ שָׁלֹשׁ אוֹ אַרְבַּע פַּרְסָאוֹת תִּרְאֶה לְשָׁלְחָהּ שְׁלוּחָה וְאֶכְתֹּב לָהּ קְבִיעוּת מְקוֹם הַחֲתֻנָּה, וְאוֹדוֹת הַפַּאשְׂפָּארְט [דַּרְכּוֹן] תִּרְאֶה לִתֵּן עֵצוֹת בְּלֹא פַּאשְׂפָּארְט שֶׁלִּי. בִּפְרָט שֶׁבְּנָקֵל אֶפְשָׁר לָבוֹא לְכָאן בְּלֹא פַּאשְׂפָּארְט, וְתוּ לֹא מִידֵי רַק חַיִּים וְשָׁלוֹם.
Therefore I hereby inform him to revert to the original arrangement, and
so forth — for what has passed is gone, since the time of the wedding has
already passed. And as for the future, my request is
— if it is the wish of his eminence — that the bond which we have bound
between us should be a bond that endures. Let his splendid eminence
be so gracious as to forgo his lofty and exalted honor, and to hold the
wedding close to here, near our community — so that it should be close and
accessible to the holy community of Breslov. And let it
not be delayed past the middle of the coming month of Elul
— which comes upon us for good — for
I am unable to move from my place even a single
parsa (a measure of distance, approximately
four kilometers). And if not — G-d forbid, the mountain will have
grown high between us — and enough for the one who understands.
Segment 6
כֹּה דִּבְרֵי הַמְסַיֵּם, ה' יוֹסֵף לוֹ חַיִּים וַאֲרִיכַת יָמִים וְשָׁנִים טוֹבִים, וְכֹה דִּבְרֵי הַמְיֹעָד לִהְיוֹת חֲתָנוֹ, הַדּוֹרֵשׁ שְׁלוֹמוֹ תָּמִיד בְּאַהֲבָה רַבָּה וְעַזָּה וּמְצַפֶּה לִתְשׁוּבָתוֹ עַל יְדֵי מֻקְדָּם.
The request is doubled: to make
every effort to send me his daughter with the bridal needs — no later than
the above-mentioned time — so that the
chupah (wedding canopy) should take place at
the fullness of the moon, and so forth. And regarding her journey here —
when she is close to here, approximately three or four
parsa'os away — let him see to it to send her
with an escort, and I shall write to her the fixed location of the wedding.
And regarding the pasport (travel document) —
let him see to finding ways to come here
without my passport, particularly since it is easily
possible to come here without a passport. Nothing further for now — only
life and peace.
Segment 7
נַחְמָן בֶּן מוֹרֵנוּ הָרַב שִׂמְחָה (יצ"ו) [יִשְׁמְרֵהוּ צוּרוֹ וִיחַיֵּהוּ]
Thus speak the words of one who concludes — may Hashem add to him life
and length of days and good years — and thus speak the words of one who
is destined to be his son-in-law, who constantly seeks his welfare with
great and mighty love, and who awaits his reply by return.
Segment 8
וְאֹמַר שָׁלוֹם וְיֵשַׁע רַב לְזוּגָתוֹ הַצְּנוּעָה הַנְּגִידָה, מִנָּשִׁים בְּאֹהֶל תְּבֹרַךְ הַחַכְמָנִית הַגְּבִירָה מָרַת וְכוּ'.
Nachman, son of our Teacher the Rabbi Simcha
— may his Rock protect him and give him life.
Segment 9
מִכְתָּבִים דִּשְׁנַת ה' אֲלָפִים תקס"ח
And I say: peace and abundant salvation to his modest, distinguished wife —
blessed among women in the tent is she — the wise and noble
Marat [name not recorded in the manuscript] and so forth.