# קמו
קמו
Source: https://ajew.org/reader/alim-litrufa/2/146
## Segment 1
קמו
And peace to my friend Rabbi Mordechai — what shall I say to you to console you? From yourself you will understand that all the things I write to my son who shall live are said to you as well — and to all of you. And keep my letters well — for to me myself they are very precious words — renewed each time from Him Yisborach in His great kindness. And they are your consolation for all the troubles — for the essential consolation is the true knowledge — through which we can draw true counsel to remain steadfast in His service, Yisborach, forever.
## Segment 2
בָּרוּךְ הַשֵּׁם, יוֹם ב' רֹאשׁ חוֹדֶשׁ מְנַחֵם אָב תקצ"ד לפ"ק.
Nussun as above.
## Segment 3
אֲהוּבִי בְּנִי חֲבִיבִי, הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ יִשְׁלַח לְךָ רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה קַל מְהֵרָה וִישִׁיבְךָ לְאֵיתָנְךָ בִּשְׁלֵמוּת.
To: My beloved son, my dear one — may Hashem Yisborach send you a
complete healing swiftly and speedily — and restore you fully to your former
## Segment 4
בְּזֶה הַשָּׁעָה קִבַּלְתִּי מִכְתָּבְךָ עִם הַסַּךָ מָאתַיִם וְאַרְבָּעִים קָּאפִּיקֶעס. וְחוּץ מִזֶּה כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה פְּרוּטוֹת שֶׁל בְּלֶעךְ וְאֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ מִסְפָּרָם וְלֹא נִזְכְּרוּ בְּמִכְתָּבְךָ כְּלָל, וְאֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ לְמִי הֵם שַׁיָּכִים. וְהִנֵּה מֵאֵלֶיךָ תָּבִין גֹּדֶל צַעֲרִי מִצַּעַרְךָ וְאֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ מַה לַּהֲשִׁיבְךָ עַתָּה בְּחִפָּזוֹן. כִּי מוֹסֵר כְּתָב זֶה נָחוּץ, וְהַיּוֹם פָּנָה, וְהוּא סָמוּךְ לְמִנְחָה. וְהַמִּכְתָּב מִיּוֹם (חָסֵר) עֲדַיִן לֹא בָּא לְיָדִי וְאֶרְאֶה לַחֲקֹר אַחֲרָיו. וְנִפְלֵאתִי עָלֶיךָ בְּנִי חֲבִיבִי עַל אֲשֶׁר עֲדַיִן אֵינְךָ יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁבְּכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם מִתְחַדֵּשׁ עַל כָּל אֶחָד כַּמָּה מְנִיעוֹת וּבִלְבּוּלִים שׁוֹנִים אֲשֶׁר אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְבָאֵר. וְכָל זֶה בִּכְלַל מַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זַ"ל (סֻכָּה נב) בְּכָל יוֹם יִצְרוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם מִתְחַדֵּשׁ עָלָיו, וְאִלְמָלֵא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עוֹזְרוֹ וְכוּ'. וְגַם אִיתָא בְּדִבְרֵי אֲדוֹנֵנוּ מוֹרֵנוּ וְרַבֵּנוּ זַ"ל שֶׁכָּל אָדָם בְּהֶכְרֵחַ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ צַעַר בְּכָל יוֹם וְכוּ' וּצְרִיכִין הַמְתָּקָה גְּדוֹלָה שֶׁלֹּא יִתְגַּבֵּר הַצַּעַר בְּיוֹתֵר חַס וְשָׁלוֹם. וּמַה זֶה חִדּוּשׁ אֶצְלְךָ מַה שֶּׁעוֹבֵר עָלֶיךָ וְהַהֶכְרֵחַ לֵילֵךְ עַל פִּי הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁשָּׁמַעְנוּ מִמֶּנּוּ זַ"ל, אַז מֶע הָאט גָאר נִיט צוּא טָאן [אֵין שׁוּם דָּבָר מַה לַעֲשׂוֹת] וְכוּ'.
strength. [Yitzchok]
At this hour I received your letter — together with the sum of two hundred
and forty kopecks. And besides this — several unspecified small coins —
and I do not know their number and they were not mentioned in your letter
at all — and I do not know to whom they belong.
## Segment 5
וְתַאֲמִין לִי בְּנִי חֲבִיבִי שֶׁזֶּה אֵיזֶה זְמַן שֶׁאַתָּה בְּעַצְמְךָ כָּתַבְתָּ לִי וְהִזְכַּרְתָּ אוֹתִי דִּבּוּרִים אֵלּוּ הַנַּ"ל בְּמִכְתָּבְךָ שֶׁאֵין צְרִיכִין לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּלָל וְכוּ' וְהֶחֱיֵיתָ אוֹתִי בָּהֶם מְאֹד. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבֶּאֱמֶת מִפִּי שָׁמַעְתָּ אוֹתָם, אַף עַל פִּי כֵן בְּאוֹתוֹ הַזְּמַן נִשְׁכְּחוּ קְצָת מִלִּבִּי וְאַתָּה הִזְכַּרְתַּנִי. וְרָאִיתִי אָז גֹּדֶל מַעֲלַת שִׂיחָתֵנוּ שֶׁמְּקַבְּלִין דֵּין מִן דֵּין. וּכְבָר יָדַעְתָּ שֶׁהָעִקָּר הוּא הָרָצוֹן, וּתְהִלָּה לָאֵל יֵשׁ לְךָ רְצוֹנוֹת טוֹבִים וַחֲזָקִים מְאֹד וְאַתָּה פּוֹעֵל בָּהֶם הַרְבֵּה לְטוֹבָה בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ. וּבְתוֹךְ כָּךְ אַתָּה חוֹטֵף גַּם כֵּן כַּמָּה דְּבָרִים שֶׁבִּקְדֻשָּׁה. וְלַה' הַיְשׁוּעָה שֶׁתּוּכַל בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ לִלְמֹד יוֹתֵר וְלַעֲסֹק בִּתְפִלָּה יוֹתֵר, כִּי הַבָּא לִטָּהֵר מְסַיְּעִין לוֹ אוֹמְרִים לוֹ הַמְתֵּן. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁצְּרִיכִין זְרִיזוּת גָּדוֹל צְרִיכִין גַּם לְהַמְתִּין הַרְבֵּה. וּבְוַדַּאי כְּבָר שָׁמַעְתָּ מִמֶּנִּי הַרְבֵּה בְּכָל זֶה. וְעַל כָּל אֵלֶּה הָעִקָּר דְּעִקָּר הוּא גֹּדֶל כֹּחַ שֶׁל זָקֵן דִּקְדֻשָּׁה סָבָא דְּסָבִין שֶׁאָנוּ נִשְׁעָנִים עָלָיו. תְּהִלָּה לָאֵל יֵשׁ לָנוּ עַל מִי לִסְמֹךְ יֵשׁ וָיֵשׁ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וּבָעוֹלָם הַבָּא.
And behold — from yourself
you will understand the greatness of my sorrow from your sorrow — and I
do not know what to reply to you now in haste. For the bearer of this letter
is urgent — and the day has passed — and it is close to Minchah. And the
letter from the day (missing) has still not come to my hand — and I will
see to inquire after it. And I was surprised at you — my beloved son — that
you still do not know that each and every day — new obstacles and various
confusions are renewed for each person — which cannot be explained. And all
of this is included in what our sages of blessed memory said:
each day a person's evil inclination renews itself against
him — and were it not that the Holy One Blessed be He helps him
[יִצְרוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם מִתְחַדֵּשׁ עָלָיו בְּכָל יוֹם,
וְאִלְמָלֵא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עוֹזְרוֹ — Sukkah 52b, cited also
in Letters 133 and 137]
[Sukkah 52b]
and so forth. And it is also stated in the words of our Master, our Teacher
and Rebbe — of blessed memory — that every person must necessarily have
sorrow each day and so forth — and one needs
great sweetening
[הַמְתָּקָה גְּדוֹלָה — a specific Kabbalistic-Breslov
term: *hamtakas hadinim* — the sweetening of the divine judgments at their
root. Not merely psychological comfort but a spiritual act — the same
*hamtakah* performed by the *tzaddik* who is the *bris melach olam*
(Letter 133): the sweetening of the world's bitterness through holiness.
Each day brings new sorrow and each day requires this active sweetening
— without it the sorrow gains dominance and intensifies]
— so that the sorrow does not intensify — G-d forbid. And what is surprising
for you — in what passes over you — and the necessity to go according to
the words we heard from him — of blessed memory:
there is nothing to do at all
[אַז מֶע הָאט גָאר נִיט צוּא טָאן — Yiddish: "there
is nothing at all to do." The Rebbe's formulation of complete *bitul* —
self-nullification and surrender before the divine will. When there is
nothing one can do, that is itself the teaching: cease the grasping
entirely, let the situation be in Hashem's hands]
and so forth.
And believe me — my beloved son — that it is now some time since you yourself
wrote to me and reminded me of these very words — in your letter — that one
need not do anything at all — and you greatly revived me with them. Although
in truth you heard them from my mouth — even so at that time they had been
somewhat forgotten from my heart — and you reminded me. And I saw then the
greatness of our conversations — that
we receive from one another
[מְקַבְּלִין דֵּין מִן דֵּין — Aramaic: the mutual
spiritual sustaining of the Breslov fellowship.
## Segment 6
חֲזַק בְּנִי חֲזַק. כִּי ה' אִתְּךָ וְעִמְּךָ אַל תִּירָא וְאַל תֵּחָת. וַה' יִסְעָדְךָ מְהֵרָה וְתָשׁוּב לְאֵיתָנְךָ וּתְחַדֵּשׁ כַּנֶּשֶׁר נְעוּרָיְכִי לְהַתְחִיל מֵחָדָשׁ מַה שֶּׁתּוּכַל לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּכֹחֲךָ. וְהִנֵּה עַתָּה שָׁכִיחַ מְאֹד גַּם פֹּה וּבִשְׁאָר עֲיָרוֹת מֵחוּשִׁים וְחוֹלַאַת כָּאֵלֶּה וְכָאֵלֶּה כַּאֲשֶׁר כָּתַבְתָּ. אַךְ מַה שֶּׁכָּתַבְתָּ שֶׁמֵּחֲמַת צַעַר וּדְאָגָה בָּא לְךָ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, אַתָּה צָרִיךְ לָשׁוּב עַל זֶה, כִּי לֹא כָּךְ הוּא הַמִּדָּה וְלֹא כָּךְ יָפֶה לְךָ לִהְיוֹת נִמְשָׁךְ אַחַר הַצַּעַר כָּל כָּךְ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, כִּי צְרִיכִין לְהַזְכִּיר אֶת עַצְמוֹ מִיָּד כְּשֶׁעוֹבֵר אֵיזֶה דָּבָר שֶׁכָּל מְאֹרְעוֹתָיו הֵם לְטוֹבָתוֹ וּלְקַיֵּם דִבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זַ"ל (בְּרָכוֹת ס:) לְעוֹלָם וְכוּ' דְּעָבֵד רַחֲמָנָא לְטָב עָבֵד. יָתֵר מִזֶּה אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהַאֲרִיךְ, וְכַפַּי פְּרוּשׂוֹת לַה'. אֵל שַׁדַּי יִתֵּן לָכֶם רַחֲמִים. רַחֲמִים גְּדוֹלִים רַחֲמִים פְּשׁוּטִים שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם תַּעֲרֹבֶת דִּין כְּלָל, וְיִהְיוּ הָרַחֲמִים בְּיֶדְכֶם שֶׁתִּזְכּוּ לְכָל טוּב בָּזֶה וּבַבָּא לָנֶצַח.
The teacher reminded by
the student of teachings the teacher transmitted — and revived by them.
A living circle of exchange].
And you already know that the essential thing is the will — and praised be
G-d you have very good and strong desires — and you act through them greatly
for the good — with the help of Hashem Yisborach. And in the meantime you
also snatch some things of holiness. And to Hashem is the salvation — that
you will be able — with the help of Hashem Yisborach — to learn more and
to engage in prayer more — for
one who comes to be purified — they assist him — they
say to him: wait
[הַבָּא לִטָּהֵר מְסַיְּעִין לוֹ אוֹמְרִים לוֹ
הַמְתֵּן — Yoma 38b: divine assistance follows the direction of the human
will — but with the qualification *omrim lo hamtein* — they say: wait.
Great diligence is needed — and patience equally]
[Yoma 38b].
Although great diligence is needed — patience too is greatly needed. And
certainly you have already heard from me much about all of this. And for
all of these — the essential thing of essentials is the greatness of the
power of the
holy elder — the most ancient of the elders
[זָקֵן דִּקְדֻשָּׁה סָבָא דְּסָבִין — Aramaic:
a Zoharic title of ultimate reverence applied to the supreme *tzaddik* —
the Rebbe — whose holiness is of an ancient and ultimate character]
— upon whom we lean. Praised be G-d — we have someone to lean upon — very
much indeed — in this world and in the World to Come.
Be strong, my son — be strong. For Hashem is with you — do not fear and
do not be dismayed. And may Hashem support you speedily and you will return
to your former strength — and
renew yourself like an eagle your youth
[תְּחַדֵּשׁ כַּנֶּשֶׁר נְעוּרָיְכִי — Tehillim
103:5: the eagle's renewal — the ancient image of radical spiritual and
physical renewal after depletion]
[Tehillim 103:5]
— to begin afresh all you can do with your strength. And behold — now too —
here and in other towns — various ailments and illnesses are very common —
as you wrote. But what you wrote — that it came upon you from sorrow and
worry — G-d forbid — you need to turn from this — for this is not the proper
way — and it is not right that you should be drawn so much after sorrow.
For one must immediately remind oneself when anything passes over one — that
all one's events are for one's good — and to fulfil the words of our sages:
always — and so forth — all that the Merciful One does
— He does for the good
[לְעוֹלָם וְכוּ' דְּעָבֵד רַחֲמָנָא לְטָב עָבֵד
— Brachos 60b: the full passage opens *l'olam yehei adam ratzui bidvei
## Segment 7
דִּבְרֵי אָבִיךָ הַמַּעְתִּיר בַּעַדְךָ וּמְצַפֶּה לִשְׁמֹעַ הַטּוֹב מֵאִתְּךָ מְהֵרָה.
shamayim* — "a person should always be content with divine dispositions"
— and the example of Nachum Ish Gamzu follows: *d'avad rachmana l'tav
avad* — "all that the Merciful One does He does for the good." The *l'olam*
— always — is the adverb of the entire principle: not only in specific
difficult moments but as a constant daily disposition. The ellipsis (*v'chu'*)
in Reb Nussun's text points to the full Talmudic context assumed known:
the teaching is a permanent orientation of the soul, not only a response
to crisis]
[Brachos 60b].
Beyond this it is impossible to extend — and my hands are spread to Hashem.
El Shaddai — may He give you great mercies — plain and
simple mercies in which there is no admixture of judgment at all — and
may the mercies be yours — that you merit to all good in this world and
the World to Come — forever
[אֵל שַׁדַּי יִתֵּן לָכֶם רַחֲמִים רַחֲמִים
פְּשׁוּטִים שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם תַּעֲרֹבֶת דִּין כְּלָל — the divine name
*El Shaddai* — the name of the patriarchal blessings and the *bris*.
*Rachamim peshutim* — plain simple mercies — undiluted by any aspect of
strict judgment — flowing purely from the divine compassion].
The words of your father — who intercedes on your behalf — and who awaits
hearing good news from you speedily.
Nussun of Breslov.
[Translator's Note: Overview: Monday, Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av. Yitzchok is ill.
*Yitzro mitchadesh b'chol yom* (Sukkah 52b). *Hamtakah gedolah*: now identified
as the specific Kabbalistic-Breslov term for the sweetening of divine judgments
at their root — not psychological comfort but a spiritual act required each day.
*Az me hot gar nit tzua ton* — complete *bitul*. *Mekablin dein min dein*.
*Haba litaher* (Yoma 38b). *Saba d'sabin*. *Ka'nesher n'uraiki* (Tehillim 103:5).
*L'olam v'chu' d'avad rachmana l'tav avad*: now identified with its opening
*l'olam yehei adam ratzui* — the *always* of a constant daily disposition,
not only a crisis response. *El Shaddai — rachamim peshutim*.
Key Themes
Hamtakah Gedolah — Sweetening of Judgments
*Hamtakas hadinim* — not mere psychological comfort but a spiritual act:
the sweetening of the world's bitterness at its root.
Each day brings new
sorrow; each day requires this active sweetening so that the sorrow does
not gain dominance.]
## Segment 8
נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב
Nussun of Breslov.