נב.

My dearest, Mr. Z. Shazar — who burrows and tunnels to find the deep waters from which faith grows, and one is saved from the floodwaters and darkness that are the false faiths of the hypocrites and the liars, the false leaders, and the heresies of the natural scientists — peace and abundant salvation! Fortunate is his portion and his lot.

Day goes and day comes, and we have already come into our days, and the time runs and flies and does not stand still even for a single moment — and every day and every day one goes and draws closer to the final day. And if not now, when? Gevald, Bruder {Oh, my brother} — where are we in the world? What are we silent about, and what are we doing in this world? Behold, Hashem Yisburach is with us and stands over us every single moment, and sees our deeds — and who will not feel ashamed, and will not fear and tremble before Him? We have no counsel, no consolation, no hope and no salvation — only to run and to flee to the select true Tzadik, who is worthy of belief, and to cleave and to bind oneself to him — who draws down and reveals new counsels, wonder of wonders without limit, flowing from the aspect of Moshiach, that cannot be refuted in any way whatsoever. Through them he reveals faith in its wholeness for all eyes to see, and he will return and bring close all of Israel to Hashem Yisburach, and fill the earth with knowledge to know Hashem — to fulfill the Torah that has been transmitted to us from the mouth of Moshe Rabbainu, peace be upon him. Fortunate is he who merits to find such a Tzadik and to be included within the holy gathering that is called by his name and walks in his ways!

A person must observe his ways very carefully, and enlarge his mind and his intellect to look and to contemplate carefully all the causes and circumstances that Hashem Yisburach arranges for him and conducts with him every day — to understand from them the hints that Hashem Yisburach hints to him through them, to draw close to Him at every moment from wherever he may be, through the Tzadik who strives for his repair! Hashem Yisburach has mercy upon us and illuminates for us, even within the very depth of the darkness, the illumination of the deep and awesome counsels — to rescue our souls from destruction. But great discernment is needed for this, not to be led astray from the truth by the inciters and seducers with their false counsels and their fabricated words, which destroy a person from both worlds. And one who truly desires truth merits to distinguish between day and night — that is, between good counsels and their opposite!

Great merit is needed for this — that he merit to seat himself for one hour a day, and to have regret over what one must regret. For not every person merits composure of mind (yishuv hada'as). Therefore one must overcome himself greatly, to see to it that he seats himself well regarding all his deeds and his conduct — whether it is fitting for him to spend his days in such deeds!

To speak with one's fellow and to bring him close to the truth of truth — and let them receive judgment from one another — this business is very precious and important before Hashem Yisburach, more than all forms of service. For this is the essential greatness and the honor of Him blessed He — when those who are most distant draw close to Him Yisburach!

The essential glory and delight of Hashem Yisburach is specifically through novelties (chidushim) — meaning when a new glory ascends Above through the drawing close of the distant ones. And all the glory with which Hashem Yisburach is glorified through Israel does not compare at all to the light of the new glory that ascends Above when one of the distant ones freshly draws close to Him Yisburach and wishes to serve Him in truth. For this is the essential greatness and glory of Him blessed He — when the distant ones draw close to Him Yisburach. For the King does not glory in royal garments He has already possessed — even if they are exceedingly precious and valuable — as He glories in a new garment and a new hue that ascends Above through a distant one drawing close to Hashem Yisburach. For this is the essential delight and glory and honor and greatness of Him blessed He! The essential perfection of counsel is when it is in the aspect of "entirely a seed of truth" [Jeremiah 2:21] — that it be completely and clearly true from beginning to end, with no crookedness and no perversity whatsoever.

The essential walking of a person in the ways of Torah is through good counsels — but one needs great vigilance not to stub one's foot against a stone, not to stumble in the evil counsels of leaders who pursue money and honor and the other desires of this world. For most of their counsels are corrupt, and many people have been trapped by them like birds caught in a snare, Heaven have mercy. For just as through counsels of holiness faith is made to grow — so too in the opposite direction, through evil counsels, Heaven forbid, the holy faith is weakened, and false faiths are drawn in, and heresy and apostasy follow, Heaven have mercy.

The Tzadik subdues and nullifies the wisdom of nature and reveals that everything is conducted solely by His will Yisburach — and through this all kinds of anger and vexation and dispute are nullified, and the aspect of will, love, and peace in the world is multiplied. The transcriber, who seeks his wellbeing and his salvation with all his heart. Yisroel Odesser

The essential walking of a person in the ways of Torah is through good counsels — but one needs great vigilance not to stub one's foot against a stone, not to stumble in the evil counsels of leaders who pursue money and honor and the other desires of this world. For most of their counsels are corrupt, and many people have been trapped by them like birds caught in a snare, Heaven have mercy. For just as through counsels of holiness faith is made to grow — so too in the opposite direction, through evil counsels, Heaven forbid, the holy faith is weakened, and false faiths are drawn in, and heresy and apostasy follow, Heaven have mercy.