צא

To: My beloved son, my dear one. [Yitzchok] Your letter I received on Erev Yom Kippur after midnight — and I greatly increased the joy at what I revived you through my words.

For it was from Hashem that the letter was sent then — and afterwards Rabbi Berish — the son-in-law of R'Sh — was delayed and did not travel as the bearer of this letter will tell you — and I said in my heart: what is this? Perhaps the letter needs to be sent after Yom Kippur. Afterwards before the morning prayer they suddenly informed me in haste that they were sending to Tultshin from the community leaders — and I hurried to send you the gift in its proper time. Blessed is Hashem who has helped us until now. At present there is no time at all — for I am still wrapped in tallis and the tefillin of Rabbeinu Tam [תְּפִלִּין דְּרַבֵּינוּ תָּם — the second pair of tefillin worn by those who follow the custom of wearing both Rashi's and Rabbeinu Tam's arrangement of the scriptural passages. Reb Nussun writes this letter still in full prayer garb the morning after Yom Kippur, on Erev Shabbos — a moment of extraordinary spiritual density]. Only see to inquire carefully regarding the esrogim of the Karpirer variety [אֶתְרוֹגִים קַרְפִירֶר — Carpentras esrogim: a prized variety originally from Carpentras in Provence, France, highly regarded for halachic reliability and purity of species. Reb Nussun makes urgent preparations for Sukkos, days away] — whether many are found among you — and at what price — and whether they are kosher and beautiful and mehudar. Inform me of all this today if possible — and in any case by Sunday morning — and then I will inform you how to conduct yourself. For the rav here has already purchased a kosher and fine esrog before Yom Kippur — and I have not yet seen it — and I do not know what to write you until I see it and speak with the rav about this. For now — from yourself you will understand to inquire carefully — so that you will know what to write to me — and then I will reply, if Hashem wills. And from now on — rejoice and be glad in the salvation of Hashem who has performed wonders of His kindness with us — such as have not been from days of old. From Hashem has this come — it is wondrous in our eyes [מֵאֵת ה' הָיְתָה זֹּאת הִיא נִפְלָאת בְּעֵינֵינוּ — Tehillim 118:23: "from Hashem has this come — it is wondrous in our eyes." The verse of the rejected stone become cornerstone — applied here to the wondrous revelation: that people such as us, in a generation such as this, should merit to know such awesome secrets is as wondrous as the rejected stone becoming the cornerstone] — that people such as these in such generations should merit to know such

awesome and wondrous matters — such very deep awesome secrets — drawn from a most exalted, awesome, and holy source — and they are very sweet and pleasant to the ear that truly discerns [לְאֹזֶן מִלִּין תִּבְחַן — a direct quotation of Iyov 12:11: "does not the ear test words — as the palate tastes its food?" The verse of spiritual discernment through hearing: just as the palate tests food and recognises its true taste, the ear of one who truly listens tests words and recognises their truth. Reb Nussun is saying the Rebbe's teachings are the food — the ear that truly hears will discern and taste their sweetness correctly. The verse completes the image of the mat'amim and meshivei ta'am — the delicacies and restorers of taste — from Letter 90] — and above all of these they revive and restore and elevate and raise all the sick — all the souls in the world — all who are willing to incline their ear toward them in truth and sincerity. What shall we say, what shall we speak? Be strong, my son — and resolute — turn in his holy awesome words — turn in them and turn in them — and grow old and worn in them — and do not move from them — for there is no better quality than them [הֲפֹךְ בָּהֶם וַהֲפֹךְ בָּהֶם, וְסִיב וּבְלֵה

בָּהֶם, וּמֵהֶם לֹא תָּזוּעַ, שֶׁאֵין לְךָ מִדָּה טוֹבָה מֵהֶם — the exact words of Ben Bag Bag in Avos 5:22 — spoken of the Torah: "turn in it and turn in it — for all is in it — grow old and worn in it — and do not move from it — for there is no better measure for you than it." Reb Nussun applies Ben Bag Bag's dictum about the Torah directly and without alteration to the Rebbe's holy words — with only the pronoun shifted from singular to plural. For us, the Rebbe's words stand in the same relation as the Torah stood for Ben Bag Bag: the all-encompassing totality, inexhaustible, the single source of all wisdom] [Avos 5:22] — for they are comprised of the entire Torah — written and oral. And if you need to strengthen yourselves to express your personal speech each day and to cry out greatly and plead greatly before Hashem Yisborach — as each person knows the wounds of his own heart — but even more and more you must strengthen yourselves in joy and gladness — and turn all kinds of grief and sighing into joy — for everything that seeks to weaken you and cast you down — through the multitude of one's failings — one must turn all of it into joy. For behold — even so I myself do not oppose the truth — the flowing stream that is the source of wisdom [הַנַּחַל נוֹבֵעַ מְקוֹר חָכְמָה — Mishlai 18:4: "the words of a man's mouth are deep waters — the wellspring of wisdom is a flowing stream." Applied to the Rebbe's teachings as an ever-flowing and inexhaustible stream] — and I too know from his words and wonders many holy things — that for every single word one must say: had I come into the world for nothing but to hear this — it would have been enough for me [אִלְמָלֵא לֹא אָתֵינָא לְעָלְמָא אֶלָּא לְמַשְׁמַע דָּא דַּי — the Talmudic formula of maximum appreciation: "had I come into the world for nothing other than to hear this — it would have been sufficient." Reb Nussun applies it to every single word of the Rebbe's holy teachings] . And on the contrary — the more I know of my own failings — the greater and more exalted the joy — that one as deficient as this should know of such holiness — such pleasantness — such wonders. For it is not an empty thing — what Hashem Yisborach has performed wonders with us in these generations of ours. And through this I see His kindness and salvation also upon me in the depth of my smallness — since I still remember that Chanukah is hinted in the verse Selach Na — and that Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua are in the aspect of son and student. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? For given my deficiency — it could have

been — G-d forbid — that I too was engaged in tearing and degrading this holy book — and now I am engaged in learning it and knowing from such pleasantness that revives even me — in every place I may be. What shall I return to Hashem for all His acts of goodness toward me? Through this path one can revive oneself — gladden oneself at every time — even if whatever passes over one, G-d forbid. And one must also strengthen oneself to gladden oneself through words of foolishness [מִלֵּי דִּשְׁטוּתָא — simple lighthearted nonsense and playfulness as a legitimate spiritual tool: breaking the grip of depression through levity that bypasses the yetzer hara's hold]. And I have already said that one must dance each day — and certainly you have heard this — and now I repeat it — for given the intensity of the sufferings and confusions that pass over each person now — there is no counsel but to gladden oneself through all the above and to dance each day — whether through action, or through words — speaking with one's friends about it — or at minimum in thought. And then — and still — only joy [אוּן טַאקִי פָארְט הָאפּ — Yiddish, with the source text's own parenthetical clarification: u'v'chol zos rak simcha — "and with all of that — only joy." The Yiddish bursts through the Hebrew text with the spontaneity of lived speech: even after all that is said about suffering, confusions, and the need to fight — in the end there is one answer] — especially now as great kindnesses are being drawn down — and the days approach — the time of our joy — let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation [זְמַן שִׂמְחָתֵנוּ — the liturgical name for Sukkos: z'man simchaseinu — the time of our joy. And nagilah v'nism'chah b'yishuaso echoes Tehillim 118:24: "this is the day that Hashem has made — let us be glad and rejoice in it" — the verse of Hallel and Sukkos]. Omain. Nussun of Breslov. And show these letters to our community members who truly desire — and then put them away carefully — for they are precious things and need to be kept — for they will be needed, with the help of Hashem Yisborach, to revive many souls through His great kindness, Yisborach. [Translator's Note: Overview: Written on *Shem Hashem* — the Halachic name for the day after Yom Kippur, whose very calendar designation announces Hashem's Name. Still wrapped in tallis and Rabbeinu Tam tefillin. Urgent preparations for Sukkos. The theological arc: forgiveness → illumination → joy. Ben Bag Bag's *hafoch bahem* (Avos 5:22) applied to the Rebbe's words. *L'ozen milin tivchan* (Iyov 12:11) — the ear tests words as the palate tests food — completing the *mat'amim/meshivei ta'am* imagery of Letter 90.

Nussun of Breslov.

*Ilmalei lo asini l'olam*. The stunning personal disclosure. *Milei d'shtusa*. Dance each day. *Oyf tak pur hop* — and still, only joy — as *z'man simchaseinu* arrives. Key Themes Shem Hashem — The Day of the Name The Halachic designation for the day after Yom Kippur: the morning that follows the night of the greatest forgiveness, whose very calendar name announces Hashem's Name. Reb Nussun dates the letter from within this named moment.]