# עג
עג
Source: https://ajew.org/reader/alim-litrufa/2/73
## Segment 1
בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, יוֹם ה' אַחֲרֵי תקצ"ב.
My beloved son, my dear one, the veteran — our Teacher the Rabbi
Yitzchok — may his light shine.
[הַוָּתִיק — "the veteran": a term of honour for one who
has been tested through many years of challenge and perseverance]
## Segment 2
שָׁלוֹם לַאֲהוּבִי בְּנִי חֲבִיבִי מוֹרֵנוּ הָרַב יִצְחָק נֵרוֹ יָאִיר.
Your letter I received on Sunday — and it was a great comfort to me to hear
that, praise be to G-d, Hashem has begun to show His kindness — may Hashem
complete it on your behalf that she have a complete healing speedily, Omain.
And know, my son, that I intend — if Hashem wills — to travel on Monday to Uman
for the matter of the building. Therefore if it is easily possible for him to
come here after Shabbos — how good — and if not — for the sake of Hashem, let
him see to send me the sum he promised me without excuses and justifications
whatsoever — for it is impossible to estimate the greatness of the urgent need
for money now — as almost the entire building depends on this. For everything
is already laid ready — only needing to be raised up — and we must be quick on
account of various reasons and fears as is known. May Hashem Yisborach guard us
and help us to raise it and to complete it speedily.
## Segment 3
מִכְתָּבְךָ קִבַּלְתִּי עִם הַיַּיִן גֶּפֶן, יְשַׁלֵּם ה' פָּעָלְךָ וּתְהִי מַשְׂכֻּרְתְּךָ שְׁלֵמָה מֵאֵת ה', וְתִזְכֶּה לִשְׂמֹחַ בְּשִׂמְחַת הֶחָג וּלְהִזָּהֵר מִמַּשֶּׁהוּ חָמֵץ בְּגַשְׁמִיּוּת וְרוּחָנִיּוּת. וּמֵחֲמַת הַטִּרְדָּא אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהַאֲרִיךְ יוֹתֵר, וְעוֹד חָזוֹן לְהַרְחִיב הַדִּבּוּר אִם יִרְצֶה הַשֵּׁם. וְשָׁלוֹם וְחַיִּים וְשִׂמְחָה, וְתִזְכֹּר הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁכָּתַבְתִּי כְּבָר וְיֶעֱרַב לְךָ לָעַד.
And from yourself you will understand how much I need to hasten now — and
may Hashem the G-d help me — for the matter is very, very heavy upon me now
— as almost the strength of the porter has given out
[כִּמְעַט כָּשַׁל כֹּחַ הַסַּבָּל — Nechemiah 4:4:
"the strength of the porter has given out and there is too much rubble —
and we are not able to build the wall." The verse of Nechemiah's builders
exhausted under persecution. Reb Nussun applies it precisely: he too builds
under opposition and exhaustion, at the same breaking point].
But Hashem Yisborach helps me and will help me — and on this alone
I have staked my pegs
[תָּמַכְתִּי יְתֵדוֹתַי — "I have staked my tent-pegs":
from Yeshayah 54:2 — "lengthen your cords and strengthen your pegs." Reb
Nussun plants his stake in Hashem's help alone as the sole ground of
his perseverance]
— to continue engaging in this until Hashem Yisborach in His mercies completes
it and brings the holy building from potential into
actuality
[מִכֹּחַ אֶל הַפֹּעַל — from potential to actuality:
the Aristotelian philosophical term adopted into medieval Jewish thought. All
the elements are present — materials, will, Torah teachings — only the final
act of realisation is needed]
with the help of Hashem Yisborach.
## Segment 4
דִּבְרֵי אָבִיךָ הַמְצַפֶּה לִישׁוּעָה.
And praise be to G-d — Hashem Yisborach has helped us that we have renewed,
in the matter of bringing from potential into actuality,
beautiful new teachings that are needed for the work.
And the essential thing is the will and the desire
— as is well explained in the Torah — and
may my spirit now be double upon you
[וִיהִי נָא פִּי שְׁנַיִם בְּרוּחֲךָ — Melochim II
2:9: Elisha's request from Eliyahu at the moment of parting — the paradigmatic
request for a double portion of the teacher's spirit to pass to the disciple.
Applied here to the community's inheritance of the Rebbe's spirit of will
and desire]
and so forth. And we have already spoken of this on last Shabbos Kodesh — and
the matter has already been written, in His kindness and His great and wondrous
salvation.
## Segment 5
נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב
Nussun of Breslov.
## Segment 6
וְשָׁלוֹם לְכָל אַנְשֵׁי שְׁלוֹמֵנוּ בְּאַהֲבָה, וְשָׁלוֹם לְהָאַבְרֵךְ מוֹרֵנוּ הָרַב יַעֲקֹב, מִכְתָּבוֹ קִבַּלְתִּי. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכּוֹתֵב מְרִירוּת לִבּוֹ, עִם כָּל זֶה נֶהֱנֵיתִי מִמִּכְתָּבוֹ, אֲשֶׁר תְּהִלָּה לָאֵל כְּבָר נִכְנַס בְּלִבּוֹ כַּמָּה דִּבּוּרִים מִסִּפְרֵי אֲדוֹנֵנוּ מוֹרֵנוּ וְרַבֵּנוּ זַ"ל, אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁבִיל זֶה לְבַד כְּדַאי לִסְבֹּל שְׁבִירַת מְנִיעוֹת אֲלָפִים מִשֶּׁהָיָה. קִוִּיתִי לַה' שֶׁסּוֹף כָּל סוֹף יִפְעֲלוּ דְּבָרָיו הַקְּדוֹשִׁים אֶצְלְכֶם, מַה שֶּׁהֵם צְרִיכִים לִפְעֹל, רַק חִזְקוּ וְאִמְצוּ מְאֹד מְאֹד בְּכָל יוֹם מֵחָדָשׁ וְאַל יְבַהֲלוּ אֶתְכֶם רַעְיוֹנֵיכֶם וְכוּ' כִּי בְּרֹב חֲלוֹמוֹת וַהֲבָלִים וּדְבָרִים הַרְבֵּה כִּי אֶת הָאֱלֹֹקִים יְרָא (קֹהֶלֶת ה), עַיֵּן בְּפֵרוּשׁ רַשִּׁ"י שָׁם, דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁכָּל הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת רָעוֹת וְרַעְיוֹנִים רָעִים הַמַּבְהִילִים אֶת הָאָדָם עַל כֻּלָּם צְרִיכִים לִזְכֹּר בּוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ וּלְהִתְיָרֵא מִמֶּנּוּ יִתְבָּרַךְ, כִּי סוֹף כָּל סוֹף מַה יִּהְיֶה מִמֶּנּוּ. וּבְוַדַּאי כָּל מַה שֶּׁיַּחֲטֹף מִזֶּה הָעוֹלָם אֵיזֶה טוֹב יִהְיֶה לוֹ לְשָׁלָל גָּדוֹל בַּסּוֹף כִּי יָבוֹא עִתּוֹ. בִּפְרָט שֶׁתְּהִלָּה לָאֵל יֵשׁ לָנוּ כְּתֵפַיִם רְחָבִים עַל מִי לִסְמֹךְ, יֵשׁ וָיֵשׁ בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, רַק לֶאֱחֹז עַצְמוֹ בִּשְׁתֵּי יָדַיִם וּבְכָל כֹּחוֹ בִּנְקֻדַּת הָאֱמֶת, וְדַי בָּזֶה כָּעֵת.
And I have already told you that every time I speak or write some new teaching
I yearn greatly that you should see that teaching and that
it should reach you — but what can we do — for the obstacles to this
have multiplied. But I have already informed you, my dear son, that
all is for good — for it is precious in the eyes of
Hashem Yisborach the once in several weeks that you come to us through such
obstacles — more than if you had come twice every week without obstacles.
## Segment 7
וְשָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה יַשִּׂיגוּ וְלַהֲפֹךְ כָּל הַיָּגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה לְשִׂמְחָה, אֲשֶׁר זָכִינוּ בַּדּוֹרוֹת הָאֵלֶּה לְהִתְגַּלּוּת נוֹרָאוֹת כָּאֵלֶּה, שֶׁהַצַּדִּיק הָאֱמֶת יָכוֹל לְכַפֵּר עֲווֹנוֹת עַל יְדֵי שְׁתִיַּת יַיִן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (בַּמִדְבָּר י"ד) וַיֹּאמֶר ה' סָלַחְתִּי כִּדְבָרֶיךָ וְכוּ' (לִקּוּטֵי מוֹהֲרַ"ן קעז); וּבְוַדַּאי מִצְוַת שְׁתִיַּת יַיִן שֶׁל אַרְבַּע כּוֹסוֹת בְּפֶסַח נוֹגֵעַ לְעִנְיָן זֶה. יִמָּלֵא פִי תְּהִלַּת ה' אֲשֶׁר זָכִיתִי לִשְׁמֹעַ זֹאת וּלְהַדְפִּיסוֹ עַד שֶׁחָזַר הָאוֹר אֶצְלִי לַחֲזֹר וּלְקַבֵּל מִתַּלְמִידַי, שֶׁיַּזְכִּירוּנִי נִפְלְאוֹת ה' בְּכָל פַּעַם אֲשֶׁר שָׁמְעָה אָזְנִי וַתָּבֵן לָהּ, כִּי לֹא דָּבָר רֵיק הוּא כָּל דִּבּוּר וְדִבּוּר שֶׁזָּכִינוּ לִשְׁמֹעַ מִמֶּנּוּ זַ"ל הַנֶּאֱמָרִים בִּסְפָרָיו הַקְּדוֹשִׁים. אַשְׁרֵי הַשָּׂם לִבּוֹ עֲלֵיהֶם, שִׂימוּ לִבְּכֶם הֵיטֵב לִדְבָרָיו הַקְּדוֹשִׁים הַנִּפְלָאִים וְהַנּוֹרָאִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא נִשְׁמַע כָּזֹאת וְכוּ'.
And behold — now it is after midday on Erev Shabbos and it is impossible to
extend at all. And may Hashem Yisborach have mercy upon us and may we merit to
receive Shabbos Kodesh with joy and good heart as is fitting — and
to draw the holiness and joy of Shabbos over the six weekdays
[לְהַמְשִׁיךְ קְדֻשַּׁת וְשִׂמְחַת שַׁבָּת עַל שֵׁשֶׁת
יְמֵי הַחוֹל — the Chassidic teaching that Shabbos's spiritual light is drawn
down into the weekdays through how one lives within Shabbos. The six days are
sustained by the holiness of the one]
— until we merit to the day that is entirely Shabbos and so forth.
## Segment 8
דִּבְרֵי אוֹהַבְכֶם בֶּאֱמֶת לָנֶצַח.
The words of your father — who yearns for your welfare and your eternal
success — writing in tears
[כּוֹתֵב בְּדִמְעָה — one of the most arresting moments
of personal disclosure in the entire collection: Reb Nussun says directly that
he is writing through tears — from the greatness of his longing that all the
toil not be in vain]
— from the greatness of the longing that your toil and effort and my toil
and effort not be in vain, G-d forbid — but we have hoped in Hashem —
for He knows the hidden things
[הוּא יוֹדֵעַ תַּעֲלוּמוֹת — a phrase from the daily
liturgy: the Sh'moneh Esray's blessing of forgiveness (*Selach lanu*)
includes ki Atah yodea ta'alumot — "for You know the hidden things."
This is also the closing of the blessing over Torah study. Reb Nussun invokes
it as the theological ground of his certainty: since Hashem knows the hidden
things — and therefore knows that both Reb Nussun's intention and the
community's intention are genuinely for good — there is certainty that the
toil will not have been in vain. The hidden knowledge of Hashem is the
guarantee]
— that my entire intention is for good in truth — and your intention is also
for good in truth. And certainly
we will not have laboured in vain, G-d forbid.
But would that the will of our holy and awesome Rebbe, of blessed and holy
memory, be fulfilled — that we merit to reach the good end to which he wants
to bring us — and to Hashem belongs the salvation.
Nussun of Breslov.
And abundant peace to all our anshei sh'lomaynu
— with great love and precious affection. Be strong and let your hearts be
courageous — all who hope in Hashem.
Your eyes which see that all that a person wants he can
accomplish
— as you have already seen and understood much — and through this you will
strengthen yourselves all your days to desire and yearn always to Hashem
Yisborach and to true men of truth — until you merit to break all the remaining
obstacles — until you merit
to behold the pleasantness of Hashem
[לַחֲזוֹת בְּנֹעַם ה' — Tehillim 27:4: "one thing I
asked of Hashem — to dwell in the house of Hashem all the days of my life —
to behold the pleasantness of Hashem and to visit in His sanctuary." The
ultimate aspiration: to behold the pleasantness of Hashem Himself — cited here
as the good end to which all the obstacles and struggle are leading]
and so forth. And then you will know what all this commotion was about —
what they were trying to prevent you from, G-d forbid — then
our mouths will be filled with laughter
[אָז יִמָּלֵא שְׂחוֹק פִּינוּ — Tehillim 126:2: "then
our mouths were filled with laughter and our tongues with joyous song — then
they said among the nations: Hashem has done great things with these." The
eschatological laughter of the return from exile — when the community finally
understands what the opposition sought to prevent]
and so forth — and our enemies shall see and be ashamed — with the help of
Hashem Yisborach.
## Segment 9
נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב
Nussun of Breslov.