Segment 1
בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, יוֹם א' מָחֳרַת יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים שֵׁם ה' תקצ"ב.
My beloved son — may he live. Peace to you and to your household and to those who
come forth from you — may Hashem grant them life and length of days and years in
abundance of true and eternal good. Omain, so may it be His will.
Segment 2
שֵׁם ה' יָגֵן עָלֶיךָ וְיוֹשִׁיעֲךָ וְיַעַזְרְךָ שֶׁתִּזְכֶּה לָבוֹא מְהֵרָה לְכָל מַה שֶּׁבִּקַּשְׁתָּ מֵעוֹדְךָ וְיוֹתֵר וְיוֹתֵר.
Your letter I received twice — and it was a great comfort to me. And I have no
time at all now to reply to you — for I need urgently to travel today, with the
help of Hashem Yisborach, to Tshehin. And I was already ready to travel on
Wednesday, Parshas Bishalach, as I wrote to you — but
from Heaven it is that I was delayed until now
[מֵאֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם הוּא דְּעִכְּבוּנִי — a Talmudic
idiom: me'eis hashamayim hu — "it is from Heaven" — expressing the
recognition that circumstances beyond one's control are divinely arranged rather
than accidental (cf. Brochos 58a, Yoma 38b). Reb Nussun does not say merely
"I was delayed" but signals that the delay itself was ordained from above.
Given that he is writing from Kromintshaig — the town of the Rebbe's family —
the divine delay that brought him there is itself meaningful and not
coincidental].
At this time I do not know what to write to you — but your love and your strong
yearning to hear true words from my letters forced and pressed me to write
whatever Hashem will set under my pen.
Segment 3
וְהִנֵּה מַה מְּאֹד שִׂמַּחְתָּ נַפְשִׁי בְּמִכְתָּבְךָ אֲשֶׁר קִבַּלְתִּי בְּשָׁעָה זֹאת, הֶחֱיִיתַנִי בִּדְבָרֶיךָ בִּרְאוֹתִי שֶׁתּוֹדָה לָאֵל כְּבָר הִתְחַלְתָּ לִרְאוֹת יְשׁוּעַת ה', אֵיךְ הוּא יִתְבָּרַךְ שׁוֹמֵעַ תְּפִלַּת כָּל פֶּה תָּמִיד. אַךְ אַף עַל פִּי כֵן אַתָּה צָרִיךְ הִתְחַזְּקוּת גָּדוֹל וְנִפְלָא, בִּפְרָט בְּעִנְיַן הַשִּׂיחָה בֵּינְךָ לְבֵין קוֹנְךָ, גַּם צְרִיכִין לִזְכֹּר מַה שֶּׁאָמַר הוּא זַ"ל (שִׂיחוֹת הָרַ"ן ע) בְּזֶה הַלָּשׁוֹן: מֶען טָאר נִיט דֶעם אוֹיְבֶּערְשְׁטִין נָאךְ גִיבֶּען [אָסוּר לְוַתֵּר לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ]. דְּהַיְנוּ כְּשֶׁהוּא יִתְבָּרַךְ מַרְחִיב קְצָת, אָסוּר לְהִסְתַּפֵּק בָּזֶה, רַק לְהִתְחַנֵּן וּלְהִתְגַּעְגֵּעַ בְּכָל פַּעַם עַל הַשְּׁאָר, מַה שֶּׁחָסֵר לוֹ עֲדַיִן בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה'. בִּפְרָט שֶׁעֲדַיִן חָסֵר לָנוּ הַרְבֵּה הַרְבֵּה, אַךְ אָמַר שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי כֵן אָסוּר לִהְיוֹת בְּעַצְבוּת וּמָרָה שְׁחוֹרָה, רַק לִשְׂמֹחַ מְאֹד בִּישׁוּעַת ה', בִּפְרָט בְּעֵת שֶׁמַּרְחִיב קְצָת בְּחַסְדּוֹ. וּמַשְׂכִּיל עַל דָּבָר יוּכַל לְהָבִין מְעַט, אֵיךְ לְהִתְנַהֵג בָּזֶה, לֵידַע תָּמִיד שֶׁעֲדַיִן חָסֵר לוֹ הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד מְאֹד, כִּמְעַט בְּלִי שִׁעוּר, וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן יִהְיֶה בְּשִׂמְחָה תָּמִיד. כִּי גַּם בְּעֵת שֶׁצַּר לָאָדָם חַס וְשָׁלוֹם וְנִדְמֶה לוֹ שֶׁאֵין הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ פּוֹנֶה אֵלָיו כְּלָל, אַף עַל פִּי כֵן צְרִיכִין לִהְיוֹת בְּשִׂמְחָה תָּמִיד וְלִמְצֹא תָּמִיד אֵיזֶה הַרְחָבָה אֲפִלּוּ אָז, בִּבְחִינַת "בַּצָּר הִרְחַבְתָּ לִי" וְכוּ'. וּמִכָּל שֶׁכֵּן בְּעֵת שֶׁהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ מֵאִיר פָּנָיו קְצָת. וְכִמְדֻמֶּה לִי שֶׁכְּבָר שָׁמַעְתָּ מִמֶּנִּי שִׂיחָה זֹאת, וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְבָאֲרָהּ בִּכְתָב הֵיטֵב, אַךְ בָּאתִי כְּמַזְכִּיר, וְאִם תִּזְכֶּה תִּשְׁמַע עוֹד מִמֶּנִּי בָּזֶה, וְגַם שְׁאָרֵי שִׂיחוֹת קְדוֹשׁוֹת הַנּוֹבְעִים מִדְּבָרָיו הַנּוֹרָאִים זַ"ל, שֶׁהֵם כְּמַעְיָן הַנּוֹבֵעַ שֶׁאֵינוֹ פּוֹסֵק, מַיִם חַיִּים דְּלָא פָּסְקִין הַמְטַהֲרִין מִכָּל הַטֻּמְאוֹת שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם, הַמֻּזְכָּרִים בַּמַּאֲמָר הַקָּדוֹשׁ קָם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן שֶׁאוֹמְרִים קֹדֶם כָּל נִדְרֵי, כִּי מְבָאֵר שָׁם שֶׁהֵם מַיִין דְּאוֹרַיְתָא וְכוּ' עַיֵּן שָׁם. יוֹתֵר מִזֶּה אֵין פְּנַאי לְהַאֲרִיךְ.
And I have already written you in the previous letter that
the world is full of cries and groans without measure
— and all of them cry out for money — and each and every person cries in strange
voices as if his own lack is greater than all the world — until almost their very
souls depart from the depth of their bitterness. And their vitality is by miracle
— through vitality drawn in wondrous ways from
the eternal covenant of salt
[בְּרִית מֶלַח עוֹלָם — the eternal covenant of salt,
from Bamidbar 18:19. Salt symbolises the eternal and incorruptible covenant.
Reb Nussun identifies the Tzadik's vitality as this salt: the incorruptible
life-force that preserves the world against its own bitterness, drawing on
Brochos 5a and Rebbe Nachman's Likutay Moharan 23]
— for were it not for the salt the world could not endure.
Segment 4
דִּבְרֵי אָבִיךָ הַשָּׂמֵחַ בִּדְבָרֶיךָ וּמְצַפֶּה לִישׁוּעָה שְׁלֵמָה מְהֵרָה.
And one needs to remember this well — for the more one remembers this:
that the essential vitality is from the Tzadik yesod olam
who sweetens the world's bitterness at every time
[צַדִּיק יְסוֹד עוֹלָם — the Tzadik who is the
foundation of the world [Mishlai 10:25]: the channel through which divine
vitality flows into creation. Proximity to him and faith in him draws that
sweetening power personally]
— through this one draws upon oneself more holy vitality — and sweetens from
oneself the bitterness with greater sweetening. For
certainly each person according to his closeness to the
Tzadik and his faith in him — so his bitterness is sweetened more.
And in this we need to gladden ourselves at every time — and cast our burdens
upon Hashem — and trust in Him — for
all that the Merciful One does He does for good
[כָּל מַה דְּעָבֵד רַחֲמָנָא לְטָב עָבֵד —
Talmudic Aramaic from Brochos 60b: Nahum of Gamzu's declaration — "all that
the Merciful One does, He does for good" — one of the foundational statements
of Talmudic theology on divine providence, quoted here in its original Aramaic]
— and all is for good. Be strong in Torah and prayer at
every time — and gladden yourself in all the ways and counsels you
heard —
turn them over and turn them over
[הֲפֹךְ בָּהֶם וַהֲפֹךְ בָּהֶם — Ben Bag-Bag in
Avos 5:22: "turn it over and turn it over, for everything is in it" — applied
here to the counsels of serving Hashem: examine them from every angle, return
to them endlessly]
and so forth.
And from the greatness of my distraction my mind is not clear at all to extend
the speech further. And may Hashem have mercy upon you —
sweeten and nullify from you and your house all the harsh
judgments — and broaden for you at every time — in a manner that you
can serve Him, Yisborach, with expansiveness of heart, in
joy and good-heartedness, from abundance of everything.
The words of your father — who desires and yearns for your eternal success.
Nussun of Breslov.
And peace to all our anshei sh'lomaynu — with
great love.
Segment 5
נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב
Nussun of Breslov.