קיז

Remember that there is no time in the world at all — and everything flies and passes like a passing shadow and so forth. And in this passing shadow one can exhaust some time in Torah — some in prayer — some in speech and crying and pleading and sighing and lifting one's eyes to Hashem, Yisborach — and some in conversation with people in matters of heaven and matters of the world — and some in the affairs of commerce and livelihood — and some in the bodily necessities that sustain the body which are eating and drinking and sleep and so forth. And amidst all this the day passes and goes — and thus many days. And amidst all this Hashem, Yisborach, has compassion and saves and helps what is needed — for He will not strive forever [כִּי לֹא לָנֶצַח יָרִיב — Yeshayahu 57:16: "for He will not strive forever — nor will He be angry for all time." The verse of divine compassion that does not persist in strictness: there is a limit to the striving, a point at which Hashem's compassion overrides. The promise that the present difficulties are not permanent but will be relieved by divine mercy] [Yeshayahu 57:16] and so forth. And the essential thing is not to think from one day to the next — and let not your thoughts frighten you — neither from the past nor from the future — and the hour and the day in which you stand — you can jump and leap and flee from what you must flee through all the above — and above all of them — the salvation of Hashem and His mighty wonders that He, Yisborach, performs with each person every day and at every time — as we say: for Your miracles that are with us each day — and for Your wonders and goodnesses at every time — especially that we are leaning and relying upon the power and merit of such a power-possessor — who himself warned us to trust upon his very great power which surpasses all. Beyond this there is no time to extend — for praised be G-d I now have distinguished guests in my home — as the bearer of this letter will tell you.

And through the salvation of Hashem and His mighty wonders — we rejoiced — praised be G-d — at the third Shabbos meal yesterday. And my heart lifted my feet in that spirit that blew [וְלִבִּי נָשָׂא אֶת רַגְלַי בְּהַהוּא רוּחָא דְּנָשִׁיב — Aramaic: "and my heart lifted my feet in that spirit that was blowing." A rare Aramaic poetic phrase — possibly Reb Nussun's own coinage in the Zoharic style — describing the involuntary yet spirit-driven character of the dancing: the spirit that blew lifted the heart which in turn lifted the feet. The dancing was not willed from below but received from above] and so forth — and I danced greatly with the help of Hashem Yisborach — in a way that I did not merit on Simchas Torah — and all of it is through His wonders and great kindnesses. Who can recount the mighty acts of Hashem [מִי יְמַלֵּל גְּבוּרוֹת ה' — Tehillim 106:2: "who can recount the mighty acts of Hashem — who can make all His praise heard." The opening verse of the great Hallel-Psalm of Israel's history. Reb Nussun applies it to the wonders of the Rosh Hashana-season gathering — the might of what Hashem does with the Breslov community at Uman is in the register of the Psalmic *g'vuras Hashem* — beyond human recounting] [Tehillim 106:2] and so forth. The bearer of this letter — my friend — may his light shine — will tell you more. Be strong and resolute — and gladden your soul in the past Rosh Hashana — and in what we hope and await on the coming Rosh Hashana. And the joy of Hashem is your strength to engage in Torah several hours each day and in prayer and conversation and so forth. And may Hashem G-d help and save you in all that you need to be saved — quickly, lightly, speedily.

To: My beloved son, my dear one — may his light shine — peace to you. [Yitzchok] Your letter I received on Sunday — and today I received your second letter.

And blessed is Hashem — on Sunday I had some comfort — for you gladdened me a little with your salvation. And even then on Sunday I knew that certainly more salvation and great mercy is still needed — and today I saw this in your letter. But we have already spoken much about this — that one must at every time give thanks for the past and petition for the future. And I have already reflected on my ways and the ways of the world and seen well — that if a person wishes to look at deficiencies — he will always lack much — for even the great wealthy people still lack very much that seems to them essential. But the reverse — when one remembers that everything is free grace — for a person emerges naked from his mother's womb [חֶסֶד חִנָּם, כִּי עָרֹם יָצָא הָאָדָם מִבֶּטֶן אִמּוֹ — Iyov 1:21: "naked I came from my mother's womb — and naked I shall return." Everything one has above the nakedness of birth is divine grace. Even a torn shirt — even patched shoes — is pure gift] [Iyov 1:21] — and everything one has is great kindness — then one can revive oneself greatly through whatever one has — even a torn shirt and patched shoes — G-d forbid — all the more so when one has some old garment even of coarse linen and so forth. And even in matters of divine service — although there one must always look to ascend higher and higher — even so — when one sees that what is passing over him is passing — one must revive oneself each time through every good point and point that is in him. And similarly through all the sufferings and adventures that pass over a person — one must conduct oneself through all of this much. And the general principle: certainly according to the intensity of the bitterness of the exile — in body and in spirit — which now grows stronger — may the Merciful One protect — upon all of Israel in general and upon each and every individual — and according to the multitude of corruptions that each person knows in their own soul — certainly it is very, very bitter — almost impossible to live. But the essential existence and vitality is through a

wondrous miracle from Him, Yisborach — through the enormity of His kindnesses, Yisborach — which He draws down each day and at every time. And all of this is included in his holy words of blessed memory [Likutay Moharan I:195] — in what he said regarding the verse in distress You expanded me [בַּצָּר הִרְחַבְתָּ לִי — Tehillim 4:2 / Likutay Moharan I:195: there is expansion even within the distress itself — the *tzar* contains *hirchav* within it] — that there is expansion even within the distress itself and so forth — apart from how He, Yisborach, takes one out of many distresses through His kindness. And I have already investigated for myself that the essential vitality regarding divine service is through I will sing to my G-d while I yet exist — and regarding worldly affairs and the burden of livelihood and suffering — through the above-mentioned in distress You expanded me. And remember well these things — for we have already spoken much about all this — and even so it is forbidden for them to seem old to us — for they are our life. And regarding all of this — King David — peace be upon him — said: were it not for Hashem's help to me — almost [לוּלֵא ה' עֶזְרָתָה לִּי כִּמְעַט — Tehillim 94:17. The horrifying nearness of annihilation that was averted by divine help] [Tehillim 94:17] and so forth. And thus: if I said — my foot slips — Your kindness, Hashem, supported me [אִם אָמַרְתִּי מָטָה רַגְלִי — Tehillim 94:18: the divine support arrives at the very moment of self-awareness of the near-fall] [Tehillim 94:18]. And thus: He watches — Hashem will not abandon him to his hand [Tehillim 37:32-33]. And our sages of blessed memory said: were it not that the Holy One Blessed be He helps him [אִלְמָלֵא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עוֹזְרוֹ — Sukkah 52b: the yetzer hara cannot be overcome without divine help — it is structurally required] [Sukkah 52b] — and many more like this. Know and remember well these things — for we have already spoken much and even so it is forbidden for them to seem old. And indeed I myself know — that from my earliest days until today — almost never was there a time when all that passes over you did not also pass over me — and each time it seemed to me that there was almost no hope — G-d forbid — were it not that Hashem helped me each day through His wondrous ways — that He preceded to revive us through the seven restorers of taste [בְּשִׁבְעָה מְשִׁיבֵי טַעַם — a specific Breslov teaching: Likutay Moharan I:54 — the seven spiritual sources of renewal and sweetening that restore vitality and meaning when they have been lost.

The phrase hikdim — He preceded — echoes the principle of refuah kodem la'makah (Letter 93): Hashem provides the cure before the wound, the shiva m'shivei ta'am before the bitterness arrives, so that one is never without a source of revival. The seven restorations are rooted in the seven divine attributes; they are the structural provision against spiritual dissolution] [Likutay Moharan I:54] — through the flowing stream that is the source of wisdom [עַל יְדֵי הַנַּחַל נוֹבֵעַ מְקוֹר חָכְמָה — Mishlai 18:4: mayim amukkim devarim b'lev ish, v'nachal novea m'kor chochmah — "deep waters are the words in a person's heart — and a flowing stream is the source of wisdom." This verse is the literary and spiritual source of the Rebbe's name: Nachal Novea — the flowing stream — echoing Nachman. The Rebbe is identified with the flowing stream of Mishlai: the inexhaustible, life-giving source of wisdom that revives those who drink from it. Reb Nussun thus identifies the Rebbe himself as the agent of the shiva m'shivei ta'am — through the Rebbe's teachings, the seven restorations reach us] and so forth. And the time of Minchah has arrived — and the messenger has also now come to my home — and the day is passing and going. And so the heart bids farewell to the spring — and the spring to the heart — with such songs and praises — and when the day finishes — the heart would — G-d forbid — depart. Meanwhile the great man arrives — the true man of kindness — and gives the heart a day as a gift [אוּן סֶע גִּיזֶעגִינְט זִיךְ דָאס הַארְץ מִיט דֶעם קְוַואל... דֶּעַר אֶמֶתֶּעַר אִישׁ חֶסֶד שֵׁיינְקְט אַ טָאג דֶּעם הַארְץ — Yiddish: the heart and the spring (kvall) bid farewell with songs and praises. When the day ends the heart would be extinguished — but the great man arrives — the true ish chesed, the Rebbe — and gifts the heart another day. The manuscript provides the Hebrew translation in brackets confirming the content] — so that happy are the ears that hear such things — even today — and there was very great joy there — and so we too are certainly required to rejoice through this — even in the mud — in body and spirit. Even so — amidst such mire and thick mud [רֶפֶשׁ וְטִיט הַיָּוֵן — Tehillim 40:3: "He drew me up from the roaring pit, from the thick mud." Even in the heaviest, most sinking mire — Hashem draws one up] — and such depths of sea that have spread now in the world because of our many sins — in the footsteps of the Mashiach [בְּעִקְבוֹת מְשִׁיחָא — Sotah 49b: the generation immediately before the Messianic arrival, characterized by unprecedented spiritual decline] — we merited to hear such awesome wonders — wonders of wonders. And if we were to say wonders of wonders ten thousand times — it would not suffice for a single word of this awesome matter the like of which has never been heard in the world. And still — how fortunate are we, how fortunate are we. The words of your father. Nussun of Breslov. [Translator's Note: Overview: Parshas Lech Lecha, Wednesday. *Arom yatza ha'adam* (Iyov 1:21). *Batzar hirchavta li* (Tehillim 4:2 / LM I:195). *Azamra* for spiritual service; *batzar* for material suffering. *Shiva m'shivei ta'am*: now identified as the Rebbe's specific teaching in Likutay Moharan I:54 — the seven spiritual restorations that Hashem provides in advance (the *hikdim* principle). *Nachal novea m'kor chochmah*: now identified as Mishlai 18:4 and the literary source of the Rebbe's own name — the Rebbe is the flowing stream, the inexhaustible source of wisdom, the agent through whom the seven restorations reach us. The Yiddish passage: the heart and the spring, the true *ish chesed*. *Reifes v'tit hayaven* (Tehillim 40:3). *Ikvy meshicha* (Sotah 49b). Key Themes Shiva M'shivei Ta'am — LM I:54 The seven restorers of taste — the seven spiritual sources of renewal that Hashem provides in advance (*hikdim*), before the bitterness arrives, as the *refuah kodem la'makah*. The structural provision against spiritual dissolution.]

The words of your father.

Nussun of Breslov.