# קו
קו
Source: https://ajew.org/reader/alim-litrufa/2/106
## Segment 1
בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, מוֹצָאֵי שַׁבָּת ל"א לְמִסְפַּר בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל תקצ"ג.
To: My beloved son, my dear one. [Yitzchok]
Your letter I received on Wednesday at evening — and it was to me a sorrow and
a gladness — and I longed immediately to reply — but I was not presented with
a traveller until now. And even now I am very hurried — and at this very hour
## Segment 2
אֲהוּבִי בְּנִי חֲבִיבִי.
My beloved son, my dear one.
## Segment 3
מִכְתָּבְךָ קִבַּלְתִּי בְּיוֹם ד' לְעֵת עֶרֶב, וְהָיָה לִי צַעַר וְחֶדְוָה וְנִכְסַפְתִּי מִיָּד לַהֲשִׁיבְךָ וְלֹא נִזְדַּמֵּן לִי עוֹבֵר וָשָׁב עַד הֵנָּה, וְגַם עַתָּה אֲנִי טָרוּד מְאֹד, וּבְזֹאת הַשָּׁעָה הָלַכְתִּי מֵהַשֻּׁלְחָן שֶׁל סְעֻדָּה שְׁלִישִׁית, וְזֵרַזְתִּי עַצְמִי כְּדֵי לְמַלְּאוֹת רְצוֹנְךָ לַהֲשִׁיבְךָ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבְּקָרוֹב תִּהְיֶה פֹּה בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ. וְהִנֵּה כָּעֵת אֵין עִמִּי דְּבָרִים כִּי טָרִידְנָא טוּבָא בְּעִנְיַן הַחֲתֻנָּה וּבִשְׁאָרֵי דְּבָרִים, וּבִפְרָט בְּעִנְיַן בִּנְיַן הַקְּלוֹיז בְּאוּמַאן שֶׁאֲנִי נִכְסָף וּמִשְׁתּוֹקֵק מְאֹד מְאֹד שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה עַל כָּל פָּנִים לְהִתְפַּלֵּל בּוֹ בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה הַסָּמוּךְ הַבָּא עָלֵינוּ לְטוֹבָה. וּמַה מְּאֹד עָצְמוּ נִפְלְאוֹתָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ שֶׁדַּיְקָא עַתָּה בְּרִבּוּי טִרְדוֹתַי נִרְאֶה לִי צְמִיחַת קֶרֶן יְשׁוּעָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ תִּקְוָה בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ עַל זֶה, וַאֲנִי חָזָק עַתָּה בְּהָרָצוֹן וְהִשְׁתּוֹקְקוּת, וְקִוִּיתִי לַה' שֶׁבְּעֹצֶם נִפְלְאוֹתָיו יַעַזְרֵנוּ לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ לְהוֹצִיא מִכֹּחַ אֶל הַפֹּעַל מְהֵרָה. יִרְאוּ יְשָׁרִים וְיִשְׂמָחוּ, וַחֲסִידִים בְּרִנָּה יָגִילוּ. וּלְדַעְתִּי בְּזֶה בְּעַצְמוֹ רָאוּי לְךָ לְשַׂמֵּחַ נַפְשְׁךָ עַתָּה, כִּי לֹא דָּבָר קָטָן הוּא מַה שֶּׁכָּתַבְתִּי לְךָ עַתָּה, כִּי הוּא נוֹרְאוֹת נִפְלְאוֹת תְּמִים דֵּעִים. וְאִם יִרְצֶה הַשֵּׁם כַּאֲשֶׁר תִּהְיֶה פֹּה בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ אֲסַפֵּר לְךָ מְעַט נִפְלְאוֹת ה' בְּעִנְיָן זֶה, וְהָיָה כִּי יְבַצַּע ה' אֶת כָּל מַעֲשֵׂהוּ נְסַפֵּר תְּהִלּוֹת ה' וֶעֱזוּזוֹ וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה עִמָּנוּ לְחַיּוֹתֵנוּ לָנֶצַח לֹא לְמַעֲנֵנוּ כִּי אִם לְמַעֲנוֹ.
I arose from the table of the third Shabbos meal — and I rushed to fulfil your
## Segment 4
וְהִנֵּה עֵינַי מְצַפּוֹת עַתָּה בְּכָל עֵת לִרְאוֹתְךָ מְהֵרָה בְּחַיִּים וְשָׁלוֹם, וּפֶה אֶל פֶה אֲדַבֵּר בְּךָ. אִם אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁתָּבוֹא מִיָּד מַה טּוֹב. יָתֵר מִזֶּה מֵהַנִּמְנָע עַתָּה לְהַאֲרִיךְ בִּדְבָרִים, חֲזַק וֶאֱמַץ וְשַׂמַּח נַפְשְׁךָ בְּכָל עֵת, וּבְטַח בַּה', כִּי לֹא יַעֲזֹב אוֹתְךָ, כִּי הַכֹּל לְטוֹבָתְךָ, בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ.
wish to reply — even though you will be here soon with the help of Hashem
Yisborach. And behold — now I have no words
for I am greatly occupied
[כִּי טָרִידְנָא טוּבָא — Talmudic Aramaic: literally
"for I am greatly occupied/pressed" — a phrase found across the Babylonian
Talmud (Bava Basra and elsewhere) for the state of being heavily burdened with
matters. The natural slip into Aramaic — the language of the Talmud and of
the Zohar — flows spontaneously into the intimate correspondence without
ceremony, as when the Zoharic phrases enter. The scholar's tongue reaches for
the scholarly register in a moment of genuine press]
with the matter of the wedding and other affairs — and especially with the
matter of
the building of the Kloyz in Uman
[בִּנְיַן הַקְּלוֹיז בְּאוּמַאן — the holy house of
study at the Rebbe's resting place in Uman, whose construction has been a
recurring preoccupation throughout the collection. Reb Nussun is very, very
longing and yearning that they merit at least to pray in it on the coming
Rosh Hashana]
— which I am very, very longing and yearning that we merit at least to pray
in it on the coming Rosh Hashana.
And how very great are His wonders, Yisborach — that precisely now amid
the abundance of my burdens — I see
the budding of a horn of salvation
[צְמִיחַת קֶרֶן יְשׁוּעָה — from the Sh'moneh Esray:
the thirteenth blessing — es tzemach David avd'cha m'heirah tatzmia'ach
v'karno tarum bishuasecha — "the shoot of David Your servant speedily
cause to sprout — and raise his horn through Your salvation." The image of
the horn sprouting — new growth emerging from what appeared barren — as the
sign of imminent salvation. The pressure of burdens is itself the soil of
the sprouting]
— that there is hope with the help of Hashem Yisborach regarding this — and
I am strong now in the will and the yearning — and I hoped in Hashem that in
the great power of His wonders He will help us for the sake of His Name —
to bring it from potential to actual speedily.
The upright shall see and rejoice — and the devout shall
exult in song
[יִרְאוּ יְשָׁרִים וְיִשְׂמָחוּ, וַחֲסִידִים
בְּרִנָּה יָגִילוּ — Tehillim 107:42 and the High Holy Day liturgy. The
verse of the righteous who see Hashem's salvation and exult. Reb Nussun
already sees the budding and already anticipates the communal joy of the
upright who will witness the completion].
And in my estimation — through this very thing it is fitting for you to
gladden your soul now — for it is not a small thing what I have written you
now — for it is
wondrous matters — perfect in knowledge
[נוֹרְאוֹת נִפְלְאוֹת תְּמִים דֵּעִים — Iyov
37:16: miflaos temim dei'im — "the wondrous works of the One who
is perfect in knowledge." Elihu's declaration about Hashem's wonders: the
One who knows all perfectly is the One who performs them. Applied to the
unfolding of the Uman Kloyz story: the budding of salvation in the midst
of burdens is the hallmark of divine perfect knowledge]
[Iyov 37:16].
And if Hashem wills — when you are here — I will tell you a little of the
wonders of Hashem in this matter. And
when Hashem executes all His work
[וְהָיָה כִּי יְבַצַּע ה' אֶת כָּל מַעֲשֵׂהוּ —
Yeshayahu 10:12: v'hayah ki y'vatzea Hashem es kol ma'aseihu al Har
Tziyon v'al Yerushalayim — "and it shall come to pass when the Lord
has completed all His work on Mount Zion and on Yerushalayim." The verse of
divine completion: when Hashem finishes all He is doing for Zion and
Yerushalayim — the vindication of Israel and the punishment of her enemies
— then His glory will be made known. Reb Nussun applies it to the Uman
Kloyz: when Hashem completes His work — when the building stands — then we
will tell His praises]
— we will recount the praises of Hashem and His might and His wonders that
He performed with us — to give us life forever —
not for our sake but for His sake
[לֹא לְמַעֲנֵנוּ כִּי אִם לְמַעֲנוֹ — Tehillim
115:1: lo lanu Hashem lo lanu ki l'shimcha ten kavod — "not to us,
Hashem, not to us — but to Your Name give glory." All Hashem's actions are
for His Name's honour, not for our merit.
The entire Uman building project
and all its wonders are framed within this ultimate declaration: it is His
Name He acts for].
And behold — my eyes now wait at every moment to see you speedily in life
and in peace — and
face to face I will speak with you
[פֶּה אֶל פֶּה אֲדַבֵּר בְּךָ — Bamidbar 12:8:
Hashem's declaration about Moshe — "face to face I speak with him." The
language of the most intimate divine communication applied to the longing of
a father for his son: Reb Nussun yearns for the direct, face-to-face
transmission that letters cannot replace].
If it is possible that you come immediately — how good. Beyond this it is
impossible now to extend. Be strong and resolute — and gladden your soul at
every time — and trust in Hashem — for He will not abandon you — for everything is for your good — with the help of Hashem Yisborach.
Nussun of Breslov.
[Translator's Note: Overview: Motzoei Shabbos, the 31st day of the Omer. *Taridan
tuba*: now identified as Talmudic Aramaic — the scholar's tongue reaching
naturally for the language of the Talmud under genuine pressure. The Uman
Kloyz burning preoccupation. *Tzmichas keren yeshuah* (the Sh'moneh Esray).
*Yiru y'sharim v'yismachu* (Tehillim 107:42). *Niflaos temim dei'im* (Iyov
37:16). *V'hayah ki y'vatzea Hashem*: now identified as Yeshayahu 10:12 —
the promise of divine completion when Hashem finishes all His work for Zion
and Yerushalayim. *Lo l'ma'aneinu ki im l'ma'ano* (Tehillim 115:1). *Peh el
peh adaber* (Bamidbar 12:8).
Key Themes
Taridan Tuba — Talmudic Aramaic
"I am greatly occupied" — a phrase from the Babylonian Talmud (Bava Basra
and elsewhere). The scholar's tongue reaches naturally for the register of
Talmudic Aramaic under genuine pressure — the same spontaneous crossing as
when Zoharic phrases enter the personal correspondence without ceremony.]
## Segment 5
נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב
Nussun of Breslov.