קז

To: My beloved son, my dear one. [Yitzchok] Your letter I received today — and it was a comfort to me — especially what

you wrote that you are strengthening yourself through the little good that you snatch each day. May Hashem be with you and strengthen your heart to add each day light of holiness and knowledge — for outside of this everything is vanity. And what you write in each letter that much happens with you each day — although I have suffering from it on one side — yet this is my consolation: I know that with every person it is inevitable that all of this will pass over him. And I am glad on the side of good — what I see from within the walls of your words [מַה שֶּׁאֲנִי רוֹאֶה מִכָּתְלֵי דְּבָרֶיךָ — literally: "from the walls of your words" — an architectural image more precise than "reading between the lines." One reads the interior space enclosed within the walls of the language — what the words enclose but do not directly say. Reb Nussun can see, from within the structure of Yitzchok's very complaints, that he is in fact strengthening himself through the Rebbe's holy counsels. The walls of the words reveal their interior to the attentive reader] — that you are strengthening yourself through his words and holy counsels. Be strong, my son — be strong. And be careful to remember at every time that the essential thing is this present hour — and that we have broad shoulders with the help of Hashem Yisborach to rely upon. And from yourself — see and understand what you would have done if you did not have such a power and such counsels — how it would have been impossible to bear the bitterness of the world. And remember well the holy language that he — of blessed memory — revealed in his holy tongue [Likutay Moharan I:23]: the desire for money is the bitterness of the world — bitter more than death — and it is drawn from the flaw of the covenant — and it cannot be sweetened except through the eternal salt-covenant — which is the true tzaddik [חֶמְדַּת הַמָּמוֹן הוּא מְרִירוּתָא דְּעָלְמָא, מַר מִמָּוֶת — the full teaching of Likutay Moharan I:23: the desire for money is the world's bitterness, bitter more than death (an echo of Koheles 7:26), stemming from the flaw of the holy covenant, sweetened only by the true tzaddik who is himself the eternal salt-covenant — the bris melach olam. The image of salt sweetening bitterness from Letter 100 here receives its full theological ground]. Know and believe that the whole world is filled with more bitterness than what passes over you. What shall we return to Hashem — that we merit to know from the true tzaddik — the foundation of the world — who sweetens the bitterness of the entire world. And certainly those who shelter in his shade and draw near to him — the bitterness is sweetened for them far more — and all the more so those who merit each day to snatch good and counsel according to his holy ways. How fortunate are we — how good is our portion — that we merited to this. And through this you will exult and rejoice each day and at every time. And flee from all the anxious thought and confusion of heart [תִמְהוֹן לֵבָב — a direct echo of D'vorim 28:28, from the Tochachah: v'hikcha Hashem b'shiga'on uv'ivaron uv'simhon levav — "and Hashem will smite you with madness and blindness and confusion of heart." One of the most fearful verses in the Torah — from the curses of D'vorim 28 — applied here with unsettling precision to ordinary spiritual confusion and anxiety. The implication: the bewilderment of heart that every person experiences in the world's bitterness is itself the timhon levav of the Tochachah — but the true tzaddik, the eternal

salt-covenant, sweetens even this] that passes over you — toward thoughts of Torah and prayer and joy and trust and strengthening in the kindnesses of Hashem and His great compassion forever. And behold — the bearer of this letter is in urgent need — it is impossible to extend further. And I wait at every time for His great salvation — that we merit to pray in our house of study on the coming holy Rosh Hashana — let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation. And convey peace to my longstanding friend our Teacher the Rabbi Nachman — may his light shine — grandson of our Master, our Teacher and Rebbe — of blessed memory — and speak much with him as his desire — which is His desire, Yisborach.

The words of your father — who waits for your salvation at every time. Nussun of Breslov. [Translator's Note: Overview: Parshas B'midbar. *Mikisley devarecha*: now identified as the architectural image of reading the interior space enclosed within the walls of the words — more precise than "between the lines." The full Likutay Moharan I:23 teaching. *Timhon levav*: now identified as D'vorim 28:28 from the Tochachah — the bewilderment of heart from the most fearful curses of the Torah applied to ordinary spiritual anxiety: the true tzaddik sweetens even this. *Ashrenu mah tov chelkenu*. Son-in-law finding favour — Mishlai 3:4. One Misnaged acknowledges the power of prayer. Key Themes Mikisley Devarecha — Walls of Words "From within the walls of your words" — the architectural image of reading the interior space enclosed by the structure of the language. Reb Nussun sees in the structure of Yitzchok's very complaints that he is in fact

strengthening himself. The walls of the words reveal their interior.]

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]