# קמא
קמא
Source: https://ajew.org/reader/alim-litrufa/2/141
## Segment 1
קמא
And convey peace to all our *anshei sh'lomaynu* with great love.
## Segment 2
בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, מוֹצָאֵי שַׁבַּת קֹדֶשׁ אוֹר לְיוֹם א' שְׁלַח תקצ"ד לפ"ק.
Overview: Monday, Parshas Re'eh. Two letters received — one yesterday through Rabbi Yitzchak Yehoshua, one yesterday — both a comfort. Now certainly Yitzchok will hear what is being heard here: the response has come — G-d forbid — that Reb Nussun must leave to Nemirov. More lies being fabricated. Walking in fears. But in Hashem's kindnesses he strengthens himself — the matter is not dangerous. Trusts he will return home in peace. The *inuy hadin* — the anguish of waiting for the verdict — is hardest — tomorrow or Wednesday the judgment will come out. *El Shadai yitein lanu rachamim — v'ha'omeir l'olamo dai yomar l'tzarosenu dai.* *Hashem chaneinu ki rav savanu vuz* (Tehillim 123:3). Then urgent instruction: do not fear — only pray — pour out all that is in your heart. No advice or device except prayer and supplication and crying out. All that passes over us — especially now in this year — all are great hints compelling each one to draw close. The essential: do not slacken in pouring out supplication every day — whoever you are. The holy way of *azammrah l'Elokai b'odi* — must be renewed with each person every day — through this path every person can give himself life at every time in every place. *Hisyatzvu ur'u es yeshu'as Hashem.*
## Segment 3
שָׁלוֹם רַב לַאֲהוּבִי בְּנִי חֲבִיבִי הָרַבָּנִי מוֹרֵנוּ הָרַב יִצְחָק נֵרוֹ יָאִיר.
To: Abundant peace to my beloved son, my dear one — the scholarly one — our Teacher
the Rabbi Yitzchok — may his light shine. [Yitzchok]
Your letter I received on the eve of Thursday — and
my kidneys exult in your salvation
## Segment 4
מִכְתָּבְךָ קִבַּלְתִּי אוֹר לְיוֹם ה', וְתַעֲלֹזְנָה כִלְיוֹתַי בִּישׁוּעָתְךָ אֲשֶׁר תְּהִלָּה לָאֵל קָנִיתָ בְּחַסְדּוֹ בַּיִת נָאֶה לְמַזָּל־טוֹב. אִם אָמְנָם יָדַעְתִּי כִּי כָּבֵד עָלֶיךָ הַדָּבָר קְצָת, עִם כָּל זֶה עָשִׂיתָ יָפֶה שֶׁלֹּא עָזַבְתָּ בַּיִת כָּזֶה, כְּפִי אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְתִּי וְהֵבַנְתִּי מֵרָחוֹק, כִּי לֹא בְּכָל יוֹמָא מִתְרַחֵשׁ דִּירָה נָאָה וּרְחָבָה כָּזֹאת בְּמִקָּח כָּזֶה. וְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ יַעְזֹר לְךָ שֶׁתּוּכַל לְסַלֵּק בְּרֶוַח, וּבְרַחֲמָיו יַשְׁפִּיעַ לְךָ בְּכִפְלַיִם שֶׁפַע טוֹבָה וּבְרָכָה וְהַרְחָבָה גְּדוֹלָה לְתוֹךְ בֵּיתְךָ. וְתִרְאֶה לִגְמֹר כָּל הַתּוֹרָה כֻּלָּהּ קֹדֶם שֶׁתִּכְנֹס לְשָׁם כַּיָּדוּעַ לְךָ. וְגַם תַּעֲשֶׂה מַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב בְּסֵפֶר הָאָלֶף־בֵּית לְהַכְנִיס לְשָׁם תְּחִלָּה חֶרֶב אוֹ סַכִּין וְכוּ'. וְתִזְכֶּה לַעֲסֹק בַּתּוֹרָה בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתְךָ עִם כָּל יוֹצְאֵי חֲלָצֶיךָ לְאֹרֶךְ יָמִים וְשָׁנִים טוֹבוֹת אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן.
[תַּעֲלֹזְנָה כִלְיוֹתַי בִּישׁוּעָתְךָ — Tehillim
16:7: af leilos yissruni chilyosai — the kidneys, the seat of the
deepest inner counsel, are also the seat of deepest joy. Ta'aloznah
chilyosai echoes Mishlai 23:16: v'ta'aloznah chilyosai b'daber
## Segment 5
וְהִנֵּה בְּוַדַּאי מֵהָרָאוּי הָיָה לִי לַעֲזֹר עַל עֵסֶק כָּזֶה, אַךְ יָדוּעַ לְךָ כִּי אֵין בְּיָדִי לַעֲזֹר לְךָ בְּמָמוֹן, אֲפִלּוּ פְּרוּטָה אַחַת, בִּפְרָט שֶׁאֲנִי צָרִיךְ עַתָּה לַעֲסֹק בִּגְמָר בִּנְיַן בֵּיתִי לְטוֹבָה, וְאֵין בְּיָדִי לַעֲזֹר לְךָ כִּי אִם בִּתְפִלָּה, כְּמַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (סַנְהֶדְּרִין צה.) שֶׁעָזְרוּ בִּתְפִלָּה. וְגַם יוֹתֵר מִזֶּה יִהְיֶה לְךָ לְעֵזֶר וְלִישׁוּעָה מַה שֶּׁאֲנִי מְחַזֶּקְךָ שֶׁאַתָּה תַּעֲסֹק בִּתְפִלָּה וְשִׂיחָה לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, שֶׁזֶּה עִקַּר הָעֵזֶר וְהַיְשׁוּעָה הַגְּדוֹלָה מֵהַכֹּל. וְהִנֵּה מֵחֲמַת אַפּוּקֵי שַׁבְּתָּא, וְאֵין דַּרְכִּי לִכְתֹּב בְּעֵת כָּזֹאת סָמוּךְ אַחַר הַהַבְדָּלָה, רַק אַהֲבָה מְקַלְקֶלֶת הַשּׁוּרָה וְכָתַבְתִּי לְךָ עַתָּה דְּבָרַי אֵלֶּה הַמֻּעָטִים הַמַּחֲזִיקִים הַרְבֵּה, וְיָתֵר מִזֶּה אֵין בְּכֹחִי עַתָּה לְהַאֲרִיךְ.
sfatecha meisharim — "and my kidneys will exult when your lips speak
what is right." The deepest inner organs responding with pure joy to
Yitzchok's good news — a physical metaphor for the most inward and
unreserved delight]
— that — praised be G-d — you have acquired a fine home — for a good omen —
in His kindness. Although I know that the matter weighs somewhat upon you —
even so — you did well not to forgo such a house — as I heard and understood
from afar — for not every day does there appear such a pleasant and spacious
dwelling at such a price. And may Hashem Yisborach help you to settle it
comfortably — and in His mercies may He shower upon you doubly — an abundance
of goodness and blessing and great expansion into your home. And see to
complete the entire Torah before you enter there — as you know. And also do
what is written in the
Sefer HaAlef-Beis
[סֵפֶר הָאָלֶף-בֵּית — the Sefer Alef Beis of Rebbe
Nachman: a collection of the Rebbe's concise teachings organized alphabetically.
The specific instruction mentioned here is the custom of bringing a sword
or knife into a new home first — a protective practice for entering a new
dwelling to establish holiness before all else. The sword represents
spiritual strength and the capacity for *teshuvah* — cutting away the
impure — at the threshold of the new space]
— to bring a sword or knife and so forth into it first. And may you merit
to engage in Torah within your home — with all your offspring — for length
of good days and years. Omain, so may it be His will.
And behold — certainly it would have been fitting for me to help in such a
matter — but you know that I am not in a position to help you financially —
not even a single small coin. Especially since I now need to deal with
completing the building of my home for the good — and I am not able to help
you except through prayer — as our sages of blessed memory said:
they helped through prayer
[עָזְרוּ בִּתְפִלָּה — Sanhedrin 95a: Hashem
helped Chizkiyahu against Sancherev not through human military effort but
through the angels' assistance — and the Talmud says: "they helped through
## Segment 6
דִּבְרֵי אָבִיךָ הַמַּעְתִּיר בַּעַדְכֶם.
prayer." The contribution of prayer as a genuine and primary form of practical
help — not a consolation for the inability to give financially but the
essential and most powerful form of help]
[Sanhedrin 95a].
And even more than this will be a help and salvation for you — that I
strengthen you to engage in prayer and private speech before Hashem Yisborach
— for this is the essential help and great salvation above all.
And behold — because of the going-out of Shabbos — and it is not my practice
to write at such a time close after Havdala — only
love disrupts the proper order
[אַהֲבָה מְקַלְקֶלֶת הַשּׁוּרָה — a Talmudic
principle (B'reishis Rabbah 55:8 and Rashi on B'reishis 22:3): love upsets
the proper arrangement and natural order. Applied by Reb Nussun to his own
practice: his love for Yitzchok compels him to write immediately after
Shabbos despite his usual practice of waiting — love itself is the disruption
that overrides all proper schedule]
— and I wrote you now these few words that sustain much. And beyond this I
have no strength now to extend.
The words of your father — who intercedes on your behalf.
Nussun of Breslov.
[Translator's Note: Overview: Motzei Shabbos, Parshas Shelach. Yitzchok has
acquired a fine house. *Ta'aloznah chilyosai bishusascha* (Tehillim 16:7 /
Mishlai 23:16) — the kidneys as the seat of deepest inner joy. Advice: complete
the entire Torah before entering; bring a sword first according to the Sefer
HaAlef-Beis. Financial inability but prayer as the essential help — *azru
v'tefilla* (Sanhedrin 95a). *Ahavah m'kalkeles hashurah* — love disrupts the
proper order — compelled to write on Motzei Shabbos despite his usual practice.
Key Themes
Ta'aloznah Chilyosai — Tehillim 16:7 / Mishlai 23:16
"My kidneys exult in your salvation." The kidneys — seat of deepest inner
counsel — responding with the most inward and unreserved delight to
Yitzchok's good news. The physical metaphor for joy that is deeper than
the surface.]
## Segment 7
נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב
[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]