צט

To: My beloved son, my dear one — may his light shine.

[Yitzchok] Your letter I received on Erev Shabbos Kodesh — and I read it — and I understood

from afar your cry — and I knew your pain. May Hashem have mercy — that you remember from now on to awaken — that you know from your own strength — and strengthen yourself against the thoughts. For this is a certain and enduring principle: that the thought is in a person's hand to turn it as he wishes — and it is imperative that you strengthen yourself through all the words of truth that you have known and heard from my mouth and from his holy books. And may Hashem save you. And know, my beloved son — that your letter made a great impression upon me — especially what you wrote at the end — how you never once made a good groan [אֵיךְ לֹא עָשִׂיתָ פַּעַם אַחַת אֵיזֶה גְּנִיחָה טוֹבָה — a g'nichah tovah: a good groan — a deep heartfelt sigh of longing before Hashem from the depths of one's distress. In Breslov teaching the groan is one of the most powerful forms of prayer — a wordless cry of the soul that reaches where words cannot] and so forth — and also from the bearer of this letter and those like him I heard something similar — from the greatness of the distress of their souls. Through all of this I was greatly awakened — and I was reminded anew of the Torah I will sing to my G-d while I yet exist [אֲזַמְּרָה לֵאלֹקַי בְּעוֹדִי — Likutay Moharan I:282, the azamra Torah of the nekudah shebalev — the good point within every soul. It is Yitzchok's honest confession of his own failure to groan that re-awakened this Torah in Reb Nussun at the third Shabbos meal] — and I said in my heart: how good it would be to renew it completely each day.

And praise be to G-d it made an impression for good — in that through this Hashem Yisborach helped me to renew much based on this Torah — and I have already spoken of this at the third Shabbos meal yesterday. In the mercies of Hashem — Hashem Yisborach arranged wonders and marvels for me — and the teaching itself — not the discourse — is the essential thing [וְלֹא הַמִּדְרָשׁ עִקַּר — Avos 1:17: Shimon ben Rabban Gamliel — "not the discourse but the deed is the essential thing." A sobering self-reminder at the very moment of beautiful renewal: the insight is precious only if it leads to action] and so forth. My son — my son. You and all who listen to the voice of truth — incline your ears and your hearts afresh at every time to the words of this holy Torah — hear and your hearts shall live [שִׁמְעוּ וּתְחִי לְבַבְכֶם — Yeshayahu 55:3: "incline your ear and come to Me — hear and your soul shall live." The very act of turning to hear revives the heart]. For Hashem Yisborach performed wonders with us — in that He sent us the flowing stream that is the source of wisdom — may his merit protect us — to cause me to hear all these — to restore me through seven such restorers of taste [לְהַשְׁמִיעֵנִי כָּל אֵלֶּה לַהֲשִׁיבֵנִי — two paired infinitives: l'hashmi'eni — to cause me to hear — and lahashiveni — to restore me. The structure makes explicit what is often implicit: the Rebbe's teachings restore precisely by virtue of being heard. The act of listening is itself the restoration — the hearing and the healing are the same motion. It is not that one first hears and then later is restored; the hearing is the restoration through the shiva meshivei ta'am]. And I had it in mind to extend the speech about this more — but many thoughts — for it is close to Minchah — and it is imperative to be brief. And it is enough in this to remind you — that you search within yourself each day for the good points that are in you — and gladden your soul through them with sincerity and simplicity — and

through this very thing you yourself will concentrate and draw your thoughts into genuine sincerity — not to go out at all beyond the boundary.

Nussun of Breslov.

And even what — because of great habit — the thought is accustomed to scatter and

slip — catch it immediately with alacrity — as one catches a horse by its bridle — to turn it to the straight path [כְּמוֹ שֶׁתּוֹפְסִים סוּס בְּאַפְסָר לְהַטּוֹתָהּ אֶל הַדֶּרֶךְ הַיָּשָׁר — swift practical action: the wandering thought is a horse that has strayed; one catches it by the bridle and turns it back. The bridle already exists; one simply turns the horse back to the path] — and all in sincerity and simplicity — and not to fall in one's mind in any way. And remember well what we spoke many times — for His greatness is beyond all searching — and everything is turned for good — especially through any small withdrawal at all toward holiness — which is very precious in His eyes — for the attribute of good is great. And may Hashem Yisborach have mercy that we merit to pray with intention at Minchah and Ma'ariv and Shacharis. And be strong — and apply your heart well to the words of the holy prayer. And although prayer is very hard service — even so you can snatch a little each day if you apply all your heart — for Hashem will help you. The words of your father — who writes true words that flow from the source of truth. Nussun of Breslov. [Translator's Note: Overview: Parshas Sh'mos. The *g'nichah tovah* re-awoke the *azamra* Torah at Seudah Sh'lishis. *L'hashmi'eni/lahashiveni*: the paired infinitives now identified — the act of hearing and the restoration are the same motion; listening is itself the healing. The horse and bridle. *Lo hamidraush ikar* (Avos 1:17) as the mid-insight self-reminder. The postscript: *hikvdamti lichtov* — the letter written before the news arrived — now identified as an enactment of *refuah kodem la'makah* from Letter 93: Hashem arranged the medicine to precede the disclosure of the wound. *Nodeh al he'avar*. The *Modim* prayer as the three-daily hidden miracle consciousness. Key Themes L'hashmi'eni / Lahashiveni — Hearing Is Healing The paired infinitives make explicit what is often implicit: the Rebbe's teachings restore precisely by virtue of being heard. The act of listening and the restoration through the seven restorers of taste are the same motion — not sequential but simultaneous.] Nussun as above. Overview: Parshas Sh'mos. The *g'nichah tovah* re-awoke the *azamra* Torah at Seudah Sh'lishis. *L'hashmi'eni/lahashiveni*: the paired infinitives now identified — the act of hearing and the restoration are the same motion; listening is itself the healing. The horse and bridle. *Lo hamidraush ikar* (Avos 1:17) as the mid-insight self-reminder. The postscript: *hikvdamti lichtov* — the letter written before the news arrived — now identified as an enactment of *refuah kodem la'makah* from Letter 93: Hashem arranged the medicine to precede the disclosure of the wound. *Nodeh al he'avar*. The *Modim* prayer as the three-daily hidden miracle consciousness.

The words of your father — who writes true words that flow from the source of truth.

[Hebrew: נָתָן הַנַּ"ל...]