# קמד
קמד
Source: https://ajew.org/reader/alim-litrufa/2/144
## Segment 1
קמד
Please, my beloved son — remember, do not forget all of this — remember and remember at every time all the great and awesome acts of lovingkindness which Hashem Yisborach did with us — that He drew us near to such a light, whose name is proclaimed over us — thanks be to G-d. And accustom yourself greatly to walk in the path I have already spoken with you — to be at every time grateful for the past and crying out for the future to come — and pour out your speech before Hashem Yisborach every single day — a fixed practice, not to be transgressed.
## Segment 2
בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, יוֹם א' פִּנְחָס תקצ"ד לפ"ק.
For the sake of Hashem — for the sake of Hashem — snatch and eat, snatch and eat [חֲטֹף וֶאֱכֹל חֲטֹף וֶאֱכֹל — a Talmudic expression of urgency (cf. Eruvin 54a): snatch what you can while you can, as one who knows the opportunity is fleeting. Reb Nussun applies it to Torah, prayer, and good deeds: grab every moment of service before it passes] — Torah and prayer, and hisbodidus [personal outpouring to Hashem] and good deeds. And pay no heed at all, at all, to anything that passes over you.
## Segment 3
רַב שָׁלוֹם לַאֲהוּבִי בְּנִי חֲבִיבִי, הָרַבָּנִי הַמֻּפְלָג מוֹרֵנוּ הָרַב יִצְחָק שֶׁיִּחְיֶה.
To: Abundant peace to my beloved son, my dear one — the eminent scholarly one —
our Teacher the Rabbi Yitzchok — may he live. [Yitzchok]
Your letters I received — this being the third time — and I had no one
## Segment 4
מִכְתָּבֶיךָ קִבַּלְתִּי זֶה שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים, וְלֹא הָיָה לִי עִם מִי לַהֲשִׁיבְךָ עַד הַיּוֹם. וּמַה מְּאֹד הִגְדַּלְתִּי הַשִּׂמְחָה עַל הַמִּכְתָּב מִלְּבוֹב, אִם אָמְנָם עֲדַיִן צְרִיכִין יְשׁוּעָה וְרַחֲמִים רַבִּים שֶׁיִּהְיֶה נִצְמָח מִזֶּה הַפֵּרוֹת הַטּוֹבִים שֶׁאָנוּ מְחַכִּים לָהֶם, עִם כָּל זֶה טוֹב לְהוֹדוֹת לַה' עַל הַתְחָלַת הִתְנוֹצְצוּת צְמִיחַת קֶרֶן יְשׁוּעָה בְּעֵסֶק כָּזֶה. כִּי אֵיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בְּחַסְדּוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּוַדַּאי אֵין זֶה דָּבָר רֵיק מַה שֶּׁהוֹלְכִים לְעֵת עַתָּה מִכְתָּבִים מִשָּׁם בְּעִנְיָן זֶה, וַה' יָחוּס עַל עַמּוֹ וְיִגְמֹר בַּעֲדֵנוּ כִּרְצוֹנוֹ וְכִרְצוֹן יְרֵאָיו הָאֲמִתִּיִּים וְכוּ'. ה' יִגְמֹר בַּעֲדִי וְכוּ'. וּבְעִנְיַן בֵּיתְךָ שֶׁקָּנִיתָ לְמַזָּל טוֹב גַּם כֵּן נָתַתָּ שִׂמְחָה בְּלִבִּי מַה שֶּׁפָּטַרְתָּ אֶת הַשָּׁכֵן. וּכְפִי מִכְתָּבְךָ, הַשֵּׁנִי נֹחַ לְךָ מִן הָרִאשׁוֹן. וְגַם בָּרוּךְ הַשֵּׁם שֶׁכְּבָר בָּאתָ עִמּוֹ אֶל עֵמֶק הַשָּׁוֶה, וְזָכִיתָ בְּחֶלְקְךָ אֲשֶׁר חָפַצְתָּ. וְעַל הַכֹּל טוֹב לְהוֹדוֹת לַה' עַל הֶעָבָר וּלְבַקֵּשׁ עַל הֶעָתִיד. וְגַם כַּפַּי פְּרוּשׂוֹת לַשָּׁמַיִם שֶׁתִּזְכֶּה לִכְנֹס לְבֵיתְךָ לְחַיִּים טוֹבִים אֲרֻכִּים וּלְשָׁלוֹם, וְתִזְכֶּה לַעֲסֹק שָׁם בְּתוֹרָה וּתְפִלָּה וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים אַתָּה וְזַרְעֲךָ לְאֹרֶךְ יָמִים וְשָׁנִים טוֹבוֹת לְדוֹרוֹת עוֹלָם. וְיִהְיֶה שָׁלוֹם בְּבֵיתְךָ וְרַעֲנָן בְּהֵיכָלְךָ. עוֹד תָּנוּב בְּשֵׂיבָה טוֹבָה וּתְהִי כְּגַן רָוֶה אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן.
through whom to reply to you until today. And how greatly I magnified the
joy over the letter from Lvov — although we still need salvation and great
mercy that the good fruits we hope for will sprout from this — even so —
it is good to give thanks to Hashem for
the beginning of the flickering — the sprouting of the
## Segment 5
וְהִנֵּה תְּהִלָּה לָאֵל יֵשׁ לִי עַתָּה שִׂיחָה נָאָה בְּעִנְיַן בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל הַנּוֹגֵעַ אֶל הַתַּכְלִית הָאֲמִתִּי הַנִּצְחִי, אַךְ אֵין פְּנַאי לְבָאֲרָהּ בִּפְרָט בִּכְתָב עַל פְּנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה. וּכְבוֹד יְדִידֵנוּ רַבִּי נַפְתָּלִי נֵרוֹ יָאִיר הוּא עַתָּה פֹּה, וְהַיּוֹם אוֹ מָחָר יִסַּע מִפֹּה, וַאֲנִי צָרִיךְ לְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ, עַל כֵּן אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהַאֲרִיךְ כְּלָל. וּבַעַל הַיְשׁוּעוֹת יוֹשִׁיעֲךָ וְיַצְלִיחֲךָ בְּכָל אֲשֶׁר תִּפְנֶה, וְכָל הַקָּמִים עָלֶיךָ לְרָעָה מְהֵרָה תּוּפַר עֲצָתָם וְכוּ'. וְתִזְכֶּה תָּמִיד לְאַדְבָּקָא מַחֲשַׁבְתְּךָ בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, מִכָּל הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה דִּבּוּר וּמַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁעוֹבֵר עָלֶיךָ בְּכָל יוֹם.
horn of salvation
[הַתְחָלַת הִתְנוֹצְצוּת צְמִיחַת קֶרֶן יְשׁוּעָה
— a precise compound: *hischalat* — beginning; *hitnotzetzus* — the first
sparkling or flickering; *tzmichas keren yeshuah* — the sprouting of the
horn of salvation. Even the earliest possible sign warrants gratitude]
in such a matter. For however it will be — certainly this is not an empty
thing — that letters are now going from there regarding this matter. And may
Hashem have compassion on His people and complete on our behalf as He wills
and as the will of His true God-fearers. May Hashem complete on my behalf.
And regarding your house which you purchased — for a good omen — you also
gave joy to my heart — that you settled the matter of the neighbor. And
according to your letter — the second tenant is more suitable for you than
the first. And blessed is Hashem that you have already reached an agreement
with him — and you have acquired your portion as you wished. And for all
of this — it is good to give thanks to Hashem for the past and to request
for the future. And
my hands too are spread to the heavens
[כַּפַּי פְּרוּשׂוֹת לַשָּׁמַיִם — the classic
biblical posture of pure supplication: Moshe spreads his hands toward the
heavens (Shemos 9:29); Shlomo spreads his hands at the Temple dedication
(I Melachim 8:22); Eichah 1:17 — parsah Tziyon yadehah — "Tziyon
spread forth her hands — there is none to comfort her." The gesture of
the person who has no practical means but prayer alone — and offers that
prayer with the full extension of the hands skyward. Reb Nussun cannot
help with money; but he can spread his hands to the heavens on Yitzchok's
behalf — and this is itself a form of genuine help]
— that you merit to enter your home for good and long life and peace —
and may you merit to engage there in Torah and prayer and good deeds —
you and your offspring — for length of good days and years — for the
generations of the world. And may there be
peace in your home and freshness in your palace
[שָׁלוֹם בְּבֵיתְךָ וְרַעֲנָן בְּהֵיכָלְךָ —
drawing from Tehillim 92:13–14: tzaddik katamar yifrach k'erez
bal'vanon yisgeh. Sh'sulim b'veis Hashem b'chatzros Elokeinu yafrichu.
Od yenuvu b'seivah d'shenim v'ra'ananim yihyu — "the righteous shall
flourish like a palm-tree — like a cedar in Lebanon they shall grow tall.
Transplanted in the house of Hashem — in the courts of our G-d they shall
flourish. They shall yet yield fruit in old age — they shall be full of
sap and ra'ananim — fresh and flourishing." *Ra'anan* — the quality
of freshness and green vitality — appears in this sequence of the Psalm of
Shabbos, directly preceding the *od yenuvu b'seivah* blessing already
given to the Lvov visitor in Letter 139. The entire arc of Tehillim 92
is being applied to Yitzchok's new home]
[Tehillim 92:13–15].
May you yet yield fruit in fine old age and be like a well-watered garden
— Omain, so may it be His will.
And behold — praised be G-d — I now have a fine and beautiful conversation
on the topic of
the house of Israel
— pertaining to the true eternal purpose — but there is no time to explain
it in detail in a letter out in the field. And our dear friend Rabbi Naftali
— may his light shine — is now here — and today or tomorrow he will travel
from here — and I need to speak with him — therefore it is impossible to
extend at all. And may the
Master of Salvations
save you and make you succeed in all that you turn to — and
all those who rise against you for evil — may their
counsel swiftly be broken
[כָּל הַקָּמִים עָלֶיךָ לְרָעָה מְהֵרָה תּוּפַר
עֲצָתָם — echoing Tehillim 33:10: Hashem hefer atzas goyim —
"Hashem has broken the counsel of the nations." And the Amidah blessing
*v'lamalshinim* — the blessing against those who would harm Israel —
## Segment 6
דִּבְרֵי אָבִיךָ הַמְצַפֶּה לִישׁוּעָתְךָ וּמַעְתִּיר בַּעַדְכֶם.
which asks that the counsel of the wicked be swiftly thwarted. The phrasing
*meheirah tufar atzatam* — may their counsel swiftly be broken — is the
classic formula of protection from those who plan evil against the righteous]
[Tehillim 33:10]
and so forth. And may you merit always to
cleave your thought to the World to Come — from every
thought, word, and deed that passes over you each day
[לְאַדְבָּקָא מַחֲשַׁבְתְּךָ בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי
— Aramaic: the instruction to *d'veikus* — cleave your thought to the
World to Come. From *every* thought, word, and deed that passes over you
each day — extract the thread that leads to the eternal and cleave your
thought there. No moment is too small or too mundane for this orientation]
.
The words of your father — who awaits your salvation and intercedes on
your behalf.
Nussun of Breslov.
[Translator's Note: Overview: Sunday, Parshas Pinchas. Three letters received
but no messenger until now. *Hischalat hitnotzetzus tzmichas keren yeshuah*.
House tenant settled. *Kapai perusos lashamayim*: now identified as the
classic biblical posture of pure supplication — Moshe (Shemos 9:29), Shlomo
(I Melachim 8:22), Eichah 1:17 — hands spread skyward when practical help
is impossible. *Ra'anan b'heichalcha*: now identified as Tehillim 92:14 —
from the same Psalm of Shabbos sequence as *od yenuvu b'seivah*, already
given to R' Chayyim in Letter 139. *Meheirah tufar atzatam*: now identified
as Tehillim 33:10 / the Amidah's protective blessing. *L'adbeika machshavtecha
b'alma d'ase*.
Key Themes
Kapai Perusos Lashamayim — Eichah 1:17 / Shemos 9:29
"My hands are spread to the heavens." The biblical posture of pure
supplication — Moshe at the plagues, Shlomo at the Temple, Tziyon in
desolation. When no practical help is possible, the hands spread skyward
— and this spreading is itself genuine help.]
## Segment 7
נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב
[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]