# קי
קי
Source: https://ajew.org/reader/alim-litrufa/2/110
## Segment 1
בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, יוֹם א' מַטּוֹת וּמַסְעֵי תקצ"ג.
To: My beloved son, my dear one — peace to you and to your household.
May Hashem command the blessing to be with you
[יְצַו ה' אִתְּךָ אֶת הַבְּרָכָה
## Segment 2
אֲהוּבִי בְּנִי חֲבִיבִי שָׁלוֹם לְךָ וּלְבֵיתְךָ, יְצַו ה' אִתְּךָ אֶת הַבְּרָכָה חַיִּים וְשָׁלוֹם וְכָל טוּב בָּזֶה וּבַבָּא לָנֶצַח אָמֵן, כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן.
— D'vorim 28:8: y'tzav Hashem itcha es hab'rachah ba'asamecha — "Hashem
will command the blessing to be with you in your storehouses." From the blessings
of D'vorim 28 — the counterpart of the Tochachah's curses. In Letter 107 Reb
Nussun invoked *timhon levav* from the curses (D'vorim 28:28); here he opens with
the blessing-verse from the same chapter. The *y'tzav* — Hashem commands — makes
## Segment 3
מִכְתָּבְךָ קִבַּלְתִּי הַיּוֹם עִם חֲצִי רוּבָּל־חָדָשׁ וְהָיָה לִי לְנַחַת, הֱטִיבוֹתָ אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַחְתָּ הַיּוֹם כִּי הִגִּיעַ בְּמוֹעֲדוֹ וּבִזְמַנּוֹ בְּעֵת שֶׁהָיָה מֻכְרָח לִי מְאֹד. יְשַׁלֵּם ה' פָּעָלְךָ וּתְהִי מַשְׂכֻּרְתְּךָ שְׁלֵמָה מֵאֵת ה' שֶׁתִּזְכֶּה לִשְׁקֹד עַל דַּלְתֵי הַתּוֹרָה וְהָעֲבוֹדָה יוֹם יוֹם עַד שֶׁתַּגִּיעַ לְתַכְלִית הַטּוֹב שֶׁל אִישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי שֶׁנִּבְרָא בִּשְׁבִילוֹ, שֶׁהוּא לְהַכִּיר אוֹתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ.
this not a wish but a divine decree: He commands the blessing itself to accompany
you]
— life and peace and all good in this world and the next — forever. Omain.
[Yitzchok]
Your letter I received today — together with half a new ruble — and it was a
comfort to me. You did well — what you sent today — for it arrived at its proper
time and its appointed moment — when I was very much in need of it. May Hashem
repay your act — and may your reward be complete from Hashem — that you merit
to be diligent at the doors of Torah and service day by day — until you arrive
at the ultimate good of the Jewish person for which he was created — which is
to recognise Him, Yisborach.
And what you are distressed and longing about — not being regularly with me
for Shabbos Kodesh — I too long for this greatly. But I have already written
you that it is better when one breaks through obstacles and comes periodically
— than to come every time without obstacles — for
the main purpose for which a person comes into the world
## Segment 4
וּמַה שֶּׁאַתָּה מִצְטַעֵר וּמִתְגַּעְגֵּעַ לִהְיוֹת רָגִיל אֶצְלִי עַל שַׁבַּת קֹדֶשׁ גַּם אֲנִי נִכְסָף מְאֹד לָזֶה. אַךְ כְּבָר כָּתַבְתִּי לְךָ שֶׁטּוֹב יוֹתֵר כְּשֶׁמְּשַׁבְּרִים מְנִיעוֹת וּבָאִים לִפְרָקִים מִלָּבֹא בְּכָל יוֹם בְּלִי מְנִיעוֹת, כִּי עִקַּר הָאָדָם בָּא לָעוֹלָם לְשַׁבֵּר מְנִיעוֹת לַעֲמֹד כְּנֶגֶד דַּלְתוֹת נְחֹשֶׁת וּבְרִיחֵי בַּרְזֶל, וְהַכֹּל אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְשַׁבֵּר כִּי אִם עַל יְדֵי הָרָצוֹן וְהַכִּסּוּפִין וְהַחֵשֶׁק הַנִּמְרָץ כַּמּוּבָא אֶצְלֵנוּ הַרְבֵּה מִזֶּה.
is to break through obstacles — to stand against gates of bronze and iron
bars
[לַעֲמֹד כְּנֶגֶד דַּלְתוֹת נְחֹשֶׁת וּבְרִיחֵי
בַּרְזֶל — Tehillim 107:16: ki shavar dalsot n'choshes u'v'richei
barzel gideia — "for He broke the gates of bronze and cut through the
iron bars." The verse of Hashem's deliverance of the imprisoned who sat in
darkness and the shadow of death. Reb Nussun applies this image to the person
who overcomes the obstacles between himself and his teacher: the
obstacle-breaking is itself the essential spiritual work]
[Tehillim 107:16]
— and all of it is impossible to break except through
intense will and yearning and burning desire
[הָרָצוֹן וְהַכִּסּוּפִין וְהַחֵשֶׁק הַנִּמְרָץ —
the Breslov triad: *ratzon* — will; *kisufin* — longing (Aramaic of intense
spiritual desire); and *cheshek hanímratz* — burning desire. These three
together are the only power that breaks through what seems impassable]
— as is cited much among us about this.
And behold — you will hear from the bearer of this letter the greatness of
the suffering I have had at these times — and the greatness of the mental
## Segment 5
וְהִנֵּה תִּשְׁמַע מִפִּי מוֹסֵר כְּתָב זֶה גֹּדֶל הַצַּעַר שֶׁהָיָה לִי בָּעִתִּים הַלָּלוּ; וְגֹדֶל בִּלְבּוּל הַדַּעַת שֶׁהָיָה לִי מִזֶּה, אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְבָאֵר; וּמְעַט תּוּכַל לְהָבִין בְּעַצְמְךָ, וְלֹא הָיָה לִי מָקוֹם לְהֵחָבֵא עַצְמִי מִגֹּדֶל הַצַּעַר, וּבְתוֹךְ כָּךְ בָּאוּ אֵלַי עַל שַׁבָּת זֶה דַּיְקָא יְדִיד נַפְשִׁי רַבִּי נַחְמָן נֵרוֹ יָאִיר נֶכֶד נֵזֶר רֹאשֵׁנוּ זֵכֶר צַדִּיק לִבְרָכָה עִם עוֹד אוֹרְחִים חֲשׁוּבִים מִקְּהִלַּתְכֶם וּמִנֶּעמְרוֹב, וְרָאִיתִי נִפְלְאוֹת ה'. וּבַה' בָּטַחְתִּי שֶׁבְּנִפְלְאוֹתָיו הָעֲצוּמִים יַעְזֹר עַתָּה דַּיְקָא לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ הַגָּדוֹל לְכַבֵּד אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת כָּרָאוּי, בְּדִבְרֵי אֱמֶת הַנּוֹבְעִים מִמַּעְיְנֵי הַיְשׁוּעָה וְכוּ'. וַה' עָזַר לָנוּ הַרְבֵּה בְּנוֹרְאוֹתָיו הַגְּדוֹלִים כַּאֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁמַע מְעַט מִפִּי מוֹסֵר כְּתָב זֶה, וְיֶתֶר מִזֶּה אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְבָאֵר כָּל מַה שֶּׁעָבַר בָּזֶה, וְאֵיךְ אָנוּ מְחֻיָּבִים לְהוֹדוֹת לוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ עַל נִסֶּיךָ שֶׁבְּכָל יוֹם עִמָּנוּ וְעַל נִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ וְטוֹבוֹתֶיךָ שֶׁבְּכָל עֵת וְכוּ', וְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ יְרַחֵם עָלֵינוּ בִּכְלָל וּבִפְרָט עַל כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד, וְיִרְאֶה בְּעָנְיֵנוּ וַעֲמָלֵנוּ וִיבַקֵּשׁ נִרְדָּפִים כָּמוֹנוּ בְּחִנָּם. וְיַצִּילֵנוּ מִיַּד כָּל אוֹיְבֵינוּ וְרוֹדְפֵינוּ בְּגַשְׁמִיּוּת וּבְרוּחָנִיּוּת. וְהָעִקָּר שֶׁיְּהֵא בְּעֶזְרֵנוּ שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה מֵעַתָּה עַל כָּל פָּנִים לִהְיוֹת כִּרְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ בֶּאֱמֶת וּמִגֹּדֶל הַטִּרְדָּא אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהַאֲרִיךְ יוֹתֵר.
confusion I have had from this — it is impossible to explain. A little you
can understand yourself — and I had no place to hide myself from the greatness
of the suffering. And amidst this — on this very Shabbos —
my dear friend Rabbi Nachman — may his light shine —
the grandson of
the crown of our head
[נֵזֶר רֹאשֵׁנוּ — the crown of our head: an echo of
Eichah 5:16 — nafal ateres rosheinu — "the crown of our head has
fallen." The verse of deepest mourning in Eichah — for the destroyed Temple
and for all that was lost. Calling the Rebbe *nezer rosheinu* — the crown
of our head — places him in direct correspondence with that lost crown: the
Rebbe is the crown that remains with us even in the exile of his absence.
His grandson carries that crown forward into the living generation]
— of blessed and holy memory
— came here together with other distinguished guests from your community
and from Nemrov — and I saw the wonders of Hashem. And I trusted in Hashem
that in His mighty wonders — precisely now — He will help for the sake of
His great Name — to honour the Shabbos as befitting — with words of truth
flowing from the springs of salvation. And Hashem helped us greatly through
His great wonders — as you will hear a little from the bearer of this letter.
And more than this it is impossible to explain — and how we are obligated to
thank Him, Yisborach — for His miracles with us each day — and for His
wonders and goodnesses at every time. And may Hashem Yisborach have mercy
upon us — in general and in particular — upon each and every one — and see
our affliction and our toil — and seek out
those who are pursued without cause — like us
[וִיבַקֵּשׁ נִרְדָּפִים כָּמוֹנוּ בְּחִנָּם — Koheles
3:15: v'ha'Elokim yivakesh es nirdaf — "and G-d seeks out the
pursued." Reb Nussun adds *chinám* — without cause — intensifying the
injustice: the community is wrongly pursued, and the divine promise to vindicate
the pursued is invoked]
[Koheles 3:15].
And save us from the hand of all our enemies and pursuers — in body and in
spirit. And the essential thing — that He be with us in our help that we merit
from now at least to be as His will, Yisborach, in truth. And because of the
great press it is impossible to extend further.
The words of your father — who waits for salvation at every time.
Nussun of Breslov.
[Translator's Note: Overview: Parshas Mattos-Mas'ei. The opening blessing *y'tzav
Hashem itcha es hab'rachah*: now identified as D'vorim 28:8 — from the blessings
section of the same chapter as Letter 107's *timhon levav*. *Nezer rosheinu*:
now identified as an echo of Eichah 5:16 — *nafal ateres rosheinu* — "the crown
of our head has fallen." The Rebbe is the crown that remains with us even in
the exile of his absence. *Dalsos n'choshes* (Tehillim 107:16). *Ratzon,
kisufin, cheshek hanímratz*. Reb Nussun's period of great suffering — the
Rebbe's grandson arriving precisely at the right moment. *Nirdefim chinám*
(Koheles 3:15).
Key Themes
Y'tzav Hashem Itcha — D'vorim 28:8
"Hashem will command the blessing to be with you." From the blessings of
D'vorim 28 — the counterpart of the same chapter's curses (*timhon levav*,
## Segment 6
דִּבְרֵי אָבִיךָ הַמְצַפֶּה לִישׁוּעָה בְּכָל עֵת.
Letter 107). The *y'tzav* — divine command — makes this not a wish but a
decree: Hashem commands the blessing to accompany you.]
## Segment 7
נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב
Nussun of Breslov.