צב

To: Peace to my beloved son, my dear one, our Teacher the Rabbi Yitzchok — may he live.

Your letter I received at this hour — along with the old small tallis katan — and it was a great comfort to me to hear of your Torah learning. Would that Hashem strengthen your heart — that

you establish yourself firmly upon Torah and upon the service of prayer — for this is the whole of a person [זֶה כָּל הָאָדָם — Koheles 12:13: "fear G-d and keep His commandments — for this is the whole of a person." The final verse of Koheles — after all the exploration of vanity, the entire human being is summed up here] — and beyond this — one is worse than vanity. And there is no language in the world adequate to name the vanity of this world that blossoms and runs and floats — faster than a passing shadow [יוֹתֵר מִצֵּל עוֹבֵר — "faster than a passing shadow": the biblical measure of the most fleeting thing. Tehillim 144:4: "man is like a breath — his days are like a passing shadow"; Koheles 8:13: "his days are like a shadow that does not last." The passing shadow was already the Psalmist's and Koheles's image for human transience. Reb Nussun says the world moves even faster than that shadow — blossoming, running, and floating past in a speed that exceeds even the most fleeting biblical image of impermanence] — and even so one can snatch from it such precious treasures — such pleasantness — pleasantness of eternity — through which one can merit to

eternal pleasantness at His right hand [נְעִימוֹת נֶצַח / לִנְעִימוֹת בִּימִינוֹ נֶצַח — Tehillim 16:11: ne'imos bimino netzach — "pleasantness at His right hand forever." Every moment of Torah and prayer snatched from vanity leads toward this ultimate divine closeness]. And this remember — what we spoke about recently from the verse He tests him at every moment [לִרְגָעִים תִּבְחָנֶנּוּ — Iyov 7:18: "You inspect him every morning — You test him at every moment." Iyov's cry of relentless divine scrutiny reframed: every moment is a new testing and a new opportunity] [Iyov 7:18] — for it is true that a person is tested through trials at every moment — and no moment resembles its fellow. Therefore at every moment one can merit greatly — and snatch much good — and flee from much evil that grows stronger and awakens at every moment. For people of your calibre — the battle is at every time and moment literally — especially in the matter of the cast-down and the falls — may the Merciful One protect — which seeks to cast down and fell a person at every time. And one needs much strengthening and much awakening at every time and every hour — and sometimes at every moment. And know with certainty that at every moment many new things are renewed in the world — for Hashem Yisborach renews in His goodness each day always the works of creation [הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ מְחַדֵּשׁ בְּטוּבוֹ בְּכָל יוֹם תָּמִיד מַעֲשֶׂה בְרֵאשִׁית — the morning liturgy phrase from the Yotzer Or blessing. Reb Nussun deepens it through the Ari's teaching: the renewal is not merely daily but continuous at every single instant] — meaning throughout the entire day — for no hour resembles its fellow and no moment resembles its fellow — as I have received from the writings of the Holy Ari, of blessed memory [כַּאֲשֶׁר מָעְתָּק אֶצְלִי מִכִּתְבֵי הָאֲרִ\"י זַ\"ל — a rare disclosure: Reb Nussun has himself copied and studied this teaching directly from the Ari's writings. The Ari's kabbalistic system teaches that creation is renewed at every single moment — each instant is a new world] . And remember and do not forget at every time the wondrous kindnesses that the Master of Compassion has done with us — that we have such Torahs and such prayers — the like of which has never existed in the world — through them the world is saved [בָּהֶם עוֹלָם נוֹשָׁע — the world is sustained and saved through them: the Rebbe's teachings and prayers are not merely personal spiritual tools but the means by which the world itself is upheld. Without them the world would not stand]. Beyond this there is no need to extend — and this suffices for now.

The words of your father — who always awaits to hear true good from you — and who prays on your behalf. Nussun of Breslov. [Translator's Note: Overview: A letter of compact theological intensity.

Nussun of Breslov.

*Zeh kol ha'adam* (Koheles 12:13) — Torah and prayer are the whole of a person.

The world blossoms and runs faster than the biblical *tzel over* — the passing shadow of Tehillim 144:4 and Koheles 8:13. *Lirega'im tivchanu* (Iyov 7:18) — every moment is a new testing. The Ari's teaching (which Reb Nussun has himself copied) that no hour and no moment resembles its fellow. The world is sustained through the Rebbe's teachings. And the closing postscript cites Moshe's final words (D'vorim 32:47) — *ki lo davar reik hu mikem ki hu chayyeichem* — applied to the Rebbe's teachings as Moshe applied them to the Torah. Key Themes Tzel Over — Tehillim 144:4 / Koheles 8:13 "Faster than a passing shadow" — the biblical measure of the most fleeting thing. The world moves even faster than the shadow that is already the Psalmist's image for impermanence. Three verbs compressed together: blossoms, runs, floats — all faster than the passing shadow.]