# עז
עז
Source: https://ajew.org/reader/alim-litrufa/2/77
## Segment 1
בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, יוֹם ו' עֶרֶב שַׁבַּת קֹדֶשׁ אַחַר חֲצוֹת בְּמִדְבַּר תקצ"ב.
My beloved son, my dear one. [Yitzchok] Your letter I received last Friday Erev Shabbos Kodesh through Rabbi Nachman
of Haysin — together with one new ruble — as well as a letter from Rabbi Yaakov.
And I am filled with wonder at you that you did not send your letter today through
those who carry the post — especially to inform me of news from Rabbi Nachman —
the grandson of our Rebbe, of blessed memory — as I warned you. And behold —
## Segment 2
אֲהוּבִי בְּנִי חֲבִיבִי, מִכְתָּבְךָ קִבַּלְתִּי פַּעֲמַיִם וְאֵין זְמַן לַהֲשִׁיבוֹ עַתָּה סָמוּךְ לְשַׁבַּת קֹדֶשׁ, בִּפְרָט כִּי בְּקָרוֹב תִּהְיֶה פֹּה בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ. וְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ יְשַׂמַּח נַפְשֵׁיכֶם מְהֵרָה, וְיִרְאוּ שׂוֹנְאֵינוּ וְיֵבוֹשׁוּ. וְקִוִּיתִי לַה', שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מַפָּלָה גְּדוֹלָה מְהֵרָה לְכָל שׂוֹנְאֵיכֶם וְרוֹדְפֵיכֶם, כִּי לֹא יַחֲרִישׁ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ עַל בִּזְיוֹנוֹת וּרְדִיפוֹת כָּאֵלֶּה שֶׁרָדְפוּ אֶתְכֶם חִנָּם, בִּפְרָט כִּי שָׁלְחוּ יָד בִּסְפָרָיו הַקְּדוֹשִׁים בְּבִזְיוֹנוֹת כָּאֵלֶּה.
regarding the matter of the place in the kloyz
— although I had some distress from this as well — I did not magnify the
suffering — for you already know that
we are far from the honour of this world
as I heard from him, of blessed memory — and as we see with our own eyes at
every time. And we already spoke much of this at the last Shavuos — how much
one must bear humiliations and bloodshed in order to draw near to the supernal
point — and so too it is clarified in several places in his words, of blessed
memory, that now honour is in exile — and all the honour belongs to the
brazen-faced of the generation and so forth. And if you are small in your own eyes and it seems to you that you are very
far from him, of blessed memory, because of your deeds — on the contrary — all
the more so — one must bear humiliations and bloodshed when one wants to be
called by his holy name.
## Segment 3
וְאִם דַּרְכֵי טוּבוֹ שֶׁל אֲדוֹנֵנוּ מוֹרֵנוּ וְרַבֵּנוּ הַנּוֹרָא וְהַנִּשְׂגָּב זֵכֶר צַדִּיק וְקָדוֹשׁ לִבְרָכָה הֵם עַד אֵין סוֹף, וַאֲרִיכוּת אַפּוֹ בְּלִי שִׁעוּר, וּמֵחֲמַת זֶה עַל פִּי רֹב אֵין רוֹאִין נְקָמָה תֵּכֶף בְּרוֹדְפָיו וְכוּ', אַף עַל פִּי כֵן בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁיֵּשׁ חִלּוּל הַשֵּׁם וּבִזָּיוֹן כָּזֶה הַנּוֹגֵעַ עַד הַנֶּפֶשׁ, אֵין דַּרְכּוֹ לְהַחֲרִישׁ. וּמֻבְטְחַנִי בְּחַסְדּוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ שֶׁיְּקֻיַּם מְהֵרָה מִשֹּׁד עֲנִיִּים מֵאֶנְקַת אֶבְיוֹנִים עַתָּה אָקוּם יֹאמַר ה' וְכוּ', יֵבוֹשׁוּ וְיַחְפְּרוּ יַחַד כָּל שׂוֹנְאֵינוּ יִפְּלוּ וְלֹא יָקוּמוּ. וּזְכוּת אֲבוֹתָם יַעֲמֹד לָהֶם שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לָהֶם מַפָּלָה גְּדוֹלָה מִיָּד, כִּי אִם לָאו חַס וְשָׁלוֹם יִהְיוּ נֶאֱבָדִין וְנֶעֱקָרִין לְגַמְרֵי מִשְּׁנֵי הָעוֹלָמוֹת, כִּי לֹא דָּבָר רֵיק הוּא מַה שֶּׁעָשׂוּ, שַׁתּוּ בַשָּׁמַיִם פִּיהֶם וְכוּ', ה' יָרִיב רִיבוֹ, ה' יִלָּחֵם לָכֶם וְאַתֶּם תַּחֲרִישׁוּן; וְאִם יִרְצֶה הַשֵּׁם בְּחַג הַשָּׁבוּעוֹת הַקָּדוֹשׁ הַבָּא עָלֵינוּ לְטוֹבָה יַשְׁפִּיעַ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ עֵצוֹת נְכוֹנוֹת אֵיךְ לְהִתְנַהֵג בָּזֶה, שִׂמְחוּ בַּה' אֲשֶׁר עֲזָרָנוּ לִהְיוֹת בְּחֶלְקוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ, אַשְׁרֵינוּ מַה טּוֹב חֶלְקֵנוּ וְכוּ'.
Please, my son —
remember and do not forget at every time the immensity of
the kindness and compassion that Hashem Yisborach had mercy on us — to be
called by his holy name — for which all our days would not suffice to
give thanks and praise. In particular since even so Hashem Yisborach does not
abandon us — and certainly He will help you that you will have a place to pray
without humiliation, with the help of Hashem Yisborach. From now on strengthen
yourself not to pull upon yourself extraneous thoughts — and seek and search in
every matter for some positive angle — and if you cannot find it — believe in
the kindness of Hashem that certainly
all is for good — for a person is obligated to say:
all that the Merciful One does, He does for good
[כָּל דְּעָבֵד רַחֲמָנָא לְטָב עָבֵד — Brochos 60b,
in the name of Nachum of Gamzu: one of the most foundational Talmudic
affirmations of providential goodness — the baseline of faith when no
positive angle can be found]. And behold — I have already informed you through Rabbi Nachman about the matter
of the money that Rabbi Moshe — may his light shine — gave in Uman for the
building — and that because of this I intend to travel this week to Uman.
Therefore do not do otherwise — only send me this week — on Wednesday at the
latest — at least four or three new rubles — this will be your donation. And
the remainder give to Rabbi Shimshon — so that I may gather some money to add
to the aforementioned sum and work on the building. For I am already in debt
for forty new rubles — therefore I cannot work on the building unless I add
some further sum — as you will understand yourself — and do not do otherwise.
And may Hashem Yisborach be with me and guide me in peace — and help us to complete the building in perfection speedily. The words of your father — who awaits your salvation and prays on your behalf.
Nussun of Breslov.
Letter to Rabbi Yaakov
And peace to my dear, outstanding young man our Teacher the Rabbi
Yaakov — may his light shine.
Your letter I received — and I have heard your cry — and
I know your pain
[מִכְתָּבְךָ קִבַּלְתִּי וְשָׁמַעְתִּי זַעֲקָתְךָ
וְיָדַעְתִּי אֶת מַכְאוֹבֶיךָ — a near-direct quotation of Sh'mos 3:7,
where Hashem speaks to Moshe at the burning bush: "I have surely seen the
affliction of My people... and have heard their cry... and I know their pain"
— v'shama'ti es tza'akasam... v'yada'ti es makhovav. Reb Nussun
addresses Rabbi Yaakov in the very words Hashem spoke to Moshe. The pastoral
act of receiving this letter and responding is framed in the language of the
burning bush — the greatest moment of divine hearing in the entire Torah]
— but I do not have words now adequate to write you. And certainly it would be
good for you to be regularly here — but the obstacles are many — and this week
I travel, if Hashem wills, to Uman. And by the looks of it you will not be
able to be here until Shabbos Nachamu
[שַׁבַּת נַחֲמוּ — the Shabbos after Tisha B'Av,
named for its Haftorah: Nachamu, nachamu ami — "comfort, comfort My
people" (Yeshayah 40) — the first of the seven weeks of consolation]
coming upon us for good — and presumably you will be here then, if Hashem
wills. And what Hashem sends to my mouth I will speak with you with the help
of Hashem Yisborach.
For now — be strong and resolute, my son — for you already know and understood
that all that passes over you necessarily passes over a person:
man is born to toil
[אָדָם לְעָמָל יוּלָד — Iyov 5:7, expounded in
Sanhedrin 99b as born specifically to the toil of Torah. Without toil it is
impossible to receive the holiness of the Torah]
[Iyov 5 — Sanhedrin 99b]
— for I found and did not toil — do not believe
[מָצָאתִי וְלֹא יָגַעְתִּי אַל תַּאֲמִין — Megillah
6b, the inverse of the principle applied in Letter 71 to the search for lost
holy sparks; here applied to the acquisition of Torah holiness. The two uses
are mirror images of the same Talmudic axiom].
But Hashem Yisborach does not send upon a person toil and effort that he
cannot stand.
And it is already known to us that prayer is very, very difficult because of
the multitude of extraneous thoughts — and there is much to say about this,
more than any page can contain — but the general principle is that this very
thing — that one exerts himself and compels himself to pray even when he cannot
pray properly — this itself is very, very precious in the
eyes of Hashem Yisborach — and is counted as sacrifices
[נֶחֱשָׁב כְּקָרְבָּנוֹת — from Sichot HaRan 12: the
daily struggle to pray is equivalent to bringing an offering]
— in the aspect of
for Your sake we are killed all the day
[כִּי עָלֶיךָ הֹרַגְנוּ כָל הַיּוֹם — Tehillim
44:23, cited in Sichot HaRan 12. The daily compulsion to pray despite the
constant assault of distracting thoughts is itself a form of martyrdom for
Hashem, counted as sacrificial service]
[Tehillim 44:23 — Sichot HaRan 12]
and so forth.
Also remember well that two thoughts cannot coexist at the
same time in any way
[שְׁנֵי מַחֲשָׁבוֹת אִי אֶפְשָׁר לִהְיוֹת בְּיַחַד
— a fundamental Breslov principle: the mind can hold only one thought at a
time. Whenever an extraneous thought enters, it can be displaced by filling
the mental space fully with the words of prayer].
And also remember well, well the Torah of
I will sing to my G-d while I yet exist
[אֲזַמְּרָה לֵאלֹקַי בְּעוֹדִי — Tehillim 146:2,
the opening of Likutay Moharan I:282. The essential teaching: sing
to Hashem from exactly whatever level you are at — b'odi, while I
am still in my present imperfect state — not waiting until one is worthy]
— and look at it carefully and well —
and do not let it seem old to you
[וְלֹא תִּהְיֶה בְּעֵינֶיךָ כִּישָׁנָה — "do not
let it be in your eyes like something old": a specific Breslov warning against
the spiritual danger of over-familiarity with Torah teachings. When what we
know becomes so habitual that we no longer truly hear it — when the teaching
becomes yeshanah, worn and stale — the inner life begins to die. The
instruction is not merely to treat the teaching as new, but to guard actively
against the deadening effect of familiarity: every encounter with the Rebbe's
words must be as if hearing them for the first time]
— and walk with it each day.
## Segment 4
דִּבְרֵי אָבִיךָ הַמְצַפֶּה לִישׁוּעָה מְהֵרָה בְּכָל הַבְּחִינוֹת וּבְכָל הַדְּבָרִים בְּגַשְׁמִיּוּת וּבְרוּחָנִיּוּת, וְשָׁלוֹם רַב לְכָל אַנְשֵׁי שְׁלוֹמֵנוּ בְּאַהֲבָה רַבָּה.
And also remember the Torah on the verse
make a window for the ark
[צֹהַר תַּעֲשֶׂה לַתֵּבָה — B'reishis 6:16, the
opening of Likutay Moharan I:2: make a window — a point of light —
for each word of prayer, so that the Divine Presence may dwell within the
words]
[B'reishis 6:16 — Likutay Moharan I:2]
— and look at it carefully there as well and walk with it also. And in
Hashem's kindness you will be able to sustain yourself through them and their
like.
And the trials and fears you have from your father who exaggerates against you
— trust in Hashem that He will save you from him — as He has already saved
many from such obstacles and fears and many more. And certainly if you remain
standing in your place to draw near to the point of truth at every time —
you will bring great satisfaction to your father in this
world and in the next — far more than if you obeyed him, G-d forbid. And knowledge of the discerning is easy to understand. Hope in
Hashem and He will save you. And from the greatness of my distraction it is
impossible to extend — and this suffices for now.
The words of one who loves you in truth forever — who desires and yearns for
your welfare in truth — for His sake alone — not for any ulterior motive or
honour of this world, G-d forbid — only for the sake of truth itself alone.
Nussun of Breslov.
Regarding your study: certainly it is good for you in every way that you begin
the order of the Orach Chayyim with the
Magen Eretz — and establish for yourself a fixed
portion — how many pages each day — until you complete, with the help of Hashem
Yisborach, all four sections of the Shulchan Aruch — and return and begin again
and so forth. And conduct yourself thus all the days of your life — and through
this it will be good for you forever.
## Segment 5
נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב
Nussun of Breslov.