חֵלֶק ד'-שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה

Petichah — Introduction

To Part IV, called Soson veSimcho — Joy and Gladness

Our awesome master [Admoyr z"l — Rebbe Nachman of Breslov] and his holy disciple Moharan"as z"l [Reb Nussun of Breslov] — in their concealed ways, through which Tzadikim make themselves similar to their Creator — left us room to distinguish ourselves: that we should need to seek and search for their holy spirit (see Likutay Halachos, Laws of Agents [Shelichin], Halacho 5, section 12, and also in other places) found in their holy books. And therefore I too — the poor one in mind, inferior to all pejorative designations — labored and sought what my soul loves in their holy books and in their awesome words that I heard orally. And with all that Hashem has graced me — to deepen my thoughts into the depth and explanation of their words one upon another — until I too, in the smallness and lowliness of my worth and my poor and humble situation, found and extracted from them all these words that I wrote in this section here in the language of prayer (and also

below in the mahadura [second edition]) — regarding the matter of joy in Hashem and His true Tzadikim.

For from the immensity of the sublimity and awesomeness of this commandment — which is the essential healing of souls from all manner of arrows and poisons in the world, (see Likutay Halachos, Laws of Procreation [Periyah u'Reviyah], Halacho 3) — and it is the rescue from the chief of desires: money and licentiousness (through which, automatically, it then becomes easier afterwards to break the remaining desires and evil traits as well — as understood from their words in several places — and see in the Torah Tzivisa Tzedek section 23, and in the Torah Ve'haya Ekev Tishme'un section 169, that joy is the opposite of the desire for money — and see also in the prayer that requests abundantly regarding joy, because upon it depends the safeguarding of the bris, through which one does not then fall into the desire for money — see there) — and it is what שָׂמ"חָה [the letters of simchah] — shamoh timcheh — shall utterly erase Amalek, the source of all the impurities in the world (see Likutay Halachos, Laws of Nefilas Apayim, Halacho 2) — and it is what through it the Righteous Redeemer will redeem us even from the physical exile, and from all manner of afflictions and distress even in the physical realm (see in the Torah Emtza'uta d'Alma section 24, and in the Torah Anochi Esmacha b'Hashem section 96, and see in Likutay Halachos what is written there in the name of the holy Ari z"l — that all the curses and rebukes are: "because you did not serve Hashem your G-d with joy" — and even though on the face of it the words surround what concludes there "from abundance of everything", yet the words of Torah are "like a hammer that shatters a rock" [Yirmeyahu 23]) — and it is what has the power to subdue and break all manner of kelipot that grow strong anew at each and every level (see in the Torah Achvei Lan Mana section 25) — and it is the yearned-for, compressed, and sealed treasure — whose immense height and splendor must be understood through the immensity of the hindrances to it. For the two kinds of hindrances brought in Chayay Moharan in the conversations called Avodas Hashem section 150 — both of them are present within it with very great force. For besides the heaviness of this thing that prevails over a person from the immensity of the tribulations that pass over each person in body and soul — and the struggle is so great and immense that one must strive in this with literal mesirat nefesh [self-sacrifice] — there is also the other: that the kalos [lightness] prevails very greatly over a person — that this matter seems very easy and slight in his eyes, until it does not seem to him to be a commandment at all. And from all these things I was greatly stirred to deepen myself in this matter — for we have nothing except the words of Ben Simcha [the Son of Joy — Rebbe Nachman ben Simcha] who is included in the source of joy, who labors to bind us through joy to Hashem and to His true Tzadikim — and in particular to the Head of all His Tzadikim, who is he himself: may the memory

of the holy and righteous one be for blessing.

And since it is known from the books of our master z"l that the counsel of prayer surpasses all counsels (as brought in Likutay Tinyono section 25) — and through it one can more greatly merit joy in Hashem (for this is the ultimate purpose of all ultimate purposes: to rejoice in Hashem and to cleave to Him — through which one is absorbed into Him to know and attain Him — which will be the World to Come of all the Tzadikim and the pious, as brought below in the mahadura, section 3) — therefore I composed all my words [besides the mahadura and the glosses] in the language of prayer. And I also wrote somewhat in the vernacular language spoken in our country — since the heart is more drawn after this, as brought in his words z"l. For in these words alone — for one who merits it — is condensed the supernal understanding

of joy: that which the mouth cannot speak and the heart cannot think.

Soson veSimcho — Joy and Gladness