קב

To: My beloved son, my dear one. [Yitzchok] There is no word on my tongue to write you now — for today I am leaving my home — and it had not entered my mind to write you now.

My beloved son, my dear one.

But while writing a few words to my sister's son Rabbi Ayzik — may his light shine — I was reminded

of the great intensity of your longing to see my letters — and I said I would write you a greeting of peace. And behold — my sorrow is very great that you were not in joy when you were at my home — and your heart was more broken than usual — which was hard for me to bear. But even so — I know and believe that Hashem Yisborach still has mercy upon me and upon you and upon all of us — and certainly He will never abandon you forever. And however it is — however it is — your end will be good through His great kindness — for we have someone to rely upon — upon the strength of the elder of holiness — the Ancient of Ancients — the Elder of Elders [עַתִּיק דְּעַתִּיק סָבָא דְּסָבִין — Zoharic Aramaic: kabbalistic epithets for the highest divine attributes, applied here to the Rebbe's holy strength rooted in the highest kabbalistic sources]. And now, my son — hear my voice in what I command you [לַאֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מְצַוֶּה אוֹתְךָ — the word m'tzaveh — to command — is the language of divine obligation, the same root as mitzvah. Reb Nussun is not advising but commanding: joy in Adar is a tzivui, an obligation, as binding as a mitzvah. Indeed Purim joy is Halachically mandated — the Talmud in Megillah 7b rules: chayav inish l'besumei b'Puraya — a person is obligated to become intoxicated on Purim. The chova — obligation — that follows in the letter's next sentence echoes this precisely] — and gladden yourself in whatever is possible. Especially since the days of Adar are entering — which require an increase in joy [יְמֵי אֲדָר נִכְנָסִין שֶׁצְּרִיכִין לְהַרְבּוֹת בְּשִׂמְחָה — from Taanis 29a: "when Adar enters — increase in joy." Not merely a calendar note but a Talmudic decree — an obligation. The month of v'nahafoch hu — reversal — requires joy as its spiritual vehicle and practical fulfilment]. And begin from now to make an Achashveirosh play, and a pauper play, and a riches play — and a summer play and a winter play — and all other kinds of plays and laughter [אַחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ שְׁפִּיל וְקַבְּצָן שְׁפִּיל וְעוֹשֶׁר שְׁפִּיל וְקַיִץ וְחוֹרֵף שְׁפִּיל — Yiddish shpil: play, performance. The Purimshpil tradition elevated to Breslov spiritual strategy: to play Achashveirosh is to take comic distance from the ego; to play the pauper is to embrace the lowest rung with lightness; to play summer and winter is to make all of life's variations material for joyful performance. The plays are milei d'shtusa — words of foolishness — the Breslov strategy for breaking the grip of depression through levity that bypasses the yetzer hara's hold]. And also the bearer of this letter Rabbi Nachman and all our community — all of them have an obligation resting upon them [חוֹבָה מֻטֶּלֶת עֲלֵיהֶם — the same language of obligation: a chova — a binding debt — rests upon them. Reb Nussun is consistent: this is not encouragement but Halachic requirement. The language of m'tzaveh and chova together confirm that joy in Adar is framed throughout this letter as obligation, not option] to accustom themselves to joy through all kinds of words of foolishness — and especially on Purim itself — be only glad. And — and still — only joy. Still and still and still. [אוּן טַאקֶי פָארְט הָאפּ. פָארְט אוּן פָארְט אוּן פָארְט — Yiddish, tripled. The exclamation from Letter 91 is here tripled for Adar. The parenthetical Hebrew confirms: uvkhol zos rak simchah, b'chol zos b'chol zos — "and with all of that — only joy — with all of that, with all of that." Three-fold, because three times life will push back, and three times the answer is the same] The words of your father. Nussun of Breslov. [Translator's Note: Overview: 28 Sh'vat, the night before Rosh Chodesh Adar. *M'tzaveh*: the language of commandment — rejoicing in Adar is a *tzivui*, an obligation as binding as a mitzvah, grounded in Megillah 7b (*chayav inish l'besumei*) and Taanis 29a (*mishenichnas Adar*). The *chova* — obligation — that follows confirms the register. The Purimshpil catalogue. *Milei d'shtusa* as spiritual strategy. The *oyf tak pur hop* of Letter 91 tripled for Adar — *fart un fart un fart* — the three-fold insistence of the month of ultimate reversal. Key Themes M'tzaveh / Chova — Joy as Obligation *M'tzaveh* — command — and *chova* — obligation: Reb Nussun uses the language of Halachic obligation throughout. Joy in Adar is not advice but a *tzivui* — as binding as a mitzvah. Grounded in Megillah 7b (*chayav inish l'besumei*) and Taanis 29a (*mishenichnas Adar marbin b'simcha*).]

The words of your father.

Nussun of Breslov.