קסה

Overview: Thursday night, Parshas Vayishlach. The formal letter to the Rav of Savran — with the editor's note that it did not help. *Brit krutha l'lashon hara*. *David kibbel lashon hara* (Shabbas 56a). *Adoni chacham k'chochmas malach haElokim* (II Shmuel 14:20). *Afafu mayim ad nefesh* (Yonah 2:6). The extraordinary biographical testimony: age over fifty, thirty-two years, *haskamos*, spread throughout Israel. *Kol mishbarecha v'galecha* (Tehillim 42:8). *HaShomea yishma v'hechadel yechdal*: now identified as Yechezkel 3:27 — the prophet's acceptance of free choice in response to the word. *Itcharyas rucha go nedanah*: now identified as Daniel 7:15 — Daniel's spirit grieved within its sheath after the terrifying vision. *HaElokim yevakesh es hanirdaf* (Koheles 3:15). *Ein adam nitpas al tzaaro* (Bava Basra 16b).

[Hebrew: אֲהוּבִי בְּנִי חֲבִיבִי....]

Your letter I received through the bearer of this letter — our dear friend Rabbi Nachman from Tulchin — along with one silver ruble from our friend Rabbi Shimshon — may his light shine — and also the iron quills.

From afar I call for peace — from the hyssop on the wall to the cedar of Lebanon [מִן הָאֵזוֹב אֲשֶׁר בַּקִּיר לָאֶרֶז אֲשֶׁר בַּלְּבָנוֹן — I Melachim 5:13: Shlomo's breadth of knowledge. Reb Nussun uses this as a humble address formula: I am the hyssop on the wall — small, lowly — addressing the cedar of Lebanon — great, elevated] — is he not the holy and renowned Rav — known in Yehudah and in Israel — his name shines — the strong pillar — the strong hammer — a man of G-d — holy shall he be called — to him befits silent praise — the honor of the holiness of his name — our Teacher the Rabbi Moshe Tzvi — may his light shine.

Is it not customary there that the small one does not inquire of the peace of the great one? — even so — for the sake of the greatness of peace — which our sages of blessed memory praised so extravagantly — and they said (Sukkah 53b) that Hashem Yisborach said His Name may be erased upon the water for the sake of making peace [יִמָּחֶה שְׁמִי עַל הַמַּיִם — Sotah 17a / Sukkah 53b: Hashem permitted His holy Name to be erased in the waters of the *sotah* for the sake of making peace between husband and wife. If Hashem's Name may be erased for the sake of peace — how much more must a person step beyond his normal limits to pursue it] — I said: I will go beyond my boundary. And indeed my heart goes back and forth in the writing of this letter — for who knows if my words will enter his pure heart — for a covenant is made with *lashon hara* [בְּרִית כְּרוּתָה לְלָשׁוֹן הָרָע — Moed Katan 18b: the Talmudic principle that *lashon hara* has a covenantal grip — once heard it tends to be believed regardless of truth] — until our sages of blessed memory said (Shabbas 56a): David received *lashon hara* [Shabbas 56a] — but I said: it is upon me to do my part. And come what may — I will run these words of mine — to save my soul and the souls of the worthy ones who depend upon me. And my lord is wise as the wisdom of a divine angel to know all that is in the land [אֲדוֹנִי חָכָם כְּחָכְמַת מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹקִים — II Shmuel 14:20: the words of the wise woman of Tekoa to David — a formula of elevated address] [II Shmuel 14:20] — and he will understand that these words come from my heart in truth and wholeness. And indeed my mind is not clear enough to arrange my words properly — from the greatness of the controversy and the sufferings from every side — the waters have surrounded me up to my soul [אֲפָפוּנִי מַיִם עַד נָפֶשׁ — Yonah 2:6: Yonah's prayer from within the fish — the waters of death closing around the soul. Used here for the sufferings closing in from every direction] [Yonah 2:6] — but who can restrain himself from speaking at a time like this? For as is heard in our region — from the words that came from the mouth of his honored Torah — it strengthened the hands of the partisans of the controversy — and most of the partisans of the controversy have also become divided in heart from my lord — as the wise man knows in his own soul. And now let my lord remember from the increase of the avenger of blood — and let innocent blood not be shed in Israel — for they are already shedding our blood in enormous humiliations that have not been heard in the world — pelting with stones and covering with dust — not sparing young or old. Were it not that Hashem helped us — they would have swallowed us alive. And now let my lord place upon his pure heart — after his good way is to mediate peace in Israel — how many times is he compelled to find against the innocent for the sake of making peace — *kal v'chomer* multiplied a thousandfold — how very greatly obligated is one who has it in his power to mediate peace in a controversy so immense as this — in which there is concern of danger to lives and desecration of Hashem's Name — for they are going and tearing the holy books and trampling them with their feet and throwing them to garbage heaps — has such a thing been heard or seen — and they do not set their hearts to look inside the book to see whether it deserves such contempt. And our *anshei sh'lomaynu* — whose compositions have already spread throughout most of Israel and to the ends of the earth — reprinted in distant provinces as has reached our hands — seeing this great impudence are compelled to be silent. And the partisans are not satisfied and add to open their mouths without measure — until they raise their hands against our poor persecuted *anshei sh'lomaynu* — and then they too cannot restrain themselves — for the men are bitter of soul. And because they are even more persecuted — until the strength of the bearer has collapsed — and they strengthen themselves all the more — as the saying: there is no one stronger than one who despairs. And through this the quarrels multiplied greatly in several towns. And now — is it possible to inflame this fire even more? Does my lord not know in his own soul that we are strong in the point of truth — that it is impossible to separate our hearts from him and from his holy books — after we know in our own souls the truth of his holy words founded on the foundations of truth — as all of the house of Israel have seen in his holy books — all who desire in truth to look with a truly true eye? And how is it possible to deny such true things? The one who hears will hear and the one who desists will desist [הַשּׁוֹמֵעַ יִשְׁמַע וְהֶחָדֵל יֶחְדַּל — Yechezkel 3:27: Hashem's instruction to the prophet — haShomea yishma v'hechadel yechdal ki beis merai heimah — "the one who hears will hear — and the one who desists will desist — for they are a house of rebellion." The verse of divine acceptance of human free choice in response to the prophetic word: the prophet speaks — those who are willing will hear — those who are not will not — and both outcomes are acknowledged. Applied here to the Rav's decision: I have spoken — you may hear or you may not — and either way the word has been delivered. The *navi* cannot compel — he can only speak; and Reb Nussun likewise: I have done my part] [Yechezkel 3:27] . But how was it permitted to ignite this fire that has been burning these many years? And this is known — that I the poor and destitute one have already cast my soul from before me — and surrendered my soul and my body and my money for the sake of the truth. And Hashem G-d the True One knows that I have spoken with the great holy ones of Israel — with all of them I spoke greatly — also after I merited to draw close to our Master, our Teacher and Rebbe, the distinctive holy Rabbi Nachman — may the memory of the righteous be a blessing. And all of them drew me close with great love and extra affection. And especially the holy and awesome Rav of Berditchev — and after him the holy Rav of Chmelnik — and the holy Rav — our Teacher the Rabbi Sholem of Paribisht — may the memory of the righteous be a blessing — and the other great ones of the world. Before all of them I was rolling in the dust of their feet — before I drew close to our Master, our Teacher and Rebbe — the distinctive one — and afterwards. And their love for me grew even greater afterwards — because they saw that I had changed for the better. And all of them sent their peace to him — of blessed memory — through me. And I am today many more than fifty years old — and already there has passed over me what has passed — all Your breakers and waves have passed over me [כָּל מִשְׁבָּרֶיךָ וְגַלֶּיךָ עָלַי עָבָרוּ — Tehillim 42:8: the verse of the overwhelmed soul acknowledging that all waves of trial have come from Hashem — used here as a summary of a lifetime of spiritual trials survived] [Tehillim 42:8] — and I have been engaged with his holy books for more than thirty-two years. And I have already merited to print them several times with *haskamos* from the great ones of Israel — renowned authors — *geonim* of the world. And they have spread throughout all Israel — particularly in the provinces of Lithuania and Russia and Greater Poland and in the Land of Israel. And all of them praise and say that they are wondrous and true words — and they open a gate for all who knock in *teshuvah* — and they guide the person in the straight path. Only in our province has the controversy multiplied — because of empty words that came from the mouth of the great opponent — from whom our hearts are entirely divided. And my lord too knows that it was not worthwhile to oppose him — and only he multiplied the controversy in Israel — until even if the greatest of the great would wish to repair the controversy — I do not know whether he has it in his power to repair it — for we know that he caused damage for generations — until the Teacher of Righteousness comes and reveals the truth. In any case — one must not multiply the controversy. Please — my lord — lover of Israel — forgive me if anything came from under my quill against his great honor — and judge me favorably — for from the abundance of my complaint and sorrow I have spoken until here — from the walls of the heart — with a broken and crushed and very greatly humbled heart — for my soul is very greatly terrified — and You, Hashem, until when [נַפְשִׁי נִבְהֲלָה מְאֹד וְאַתָּה ה' עַד מָתַי — Tehillim 6:4: "my soul is very greatly terrified — and You, Hashem — until when?" The verse of the limit of endurance] [Tehillim 6:4] . My spirit within its sheath is grieved [אִתְכַּרְיַת רוּחִי גוֹ נְדָנָה — Daniel 7:15: itkaryas rucha li Daniel b'go nidneih — "my spirit — Daniel's spirit — was grieved within its sheath." The verse of Daniel's inner disturbance after the terrifying vision of the four beasts — the anguish that comes from seeing a spiritual catastrophe unfolding. The *nadneih* — the sheath — refers to the physical body as the container of the soul. Applied here: Reb Nussun's soul, like Daniel's after his vision, is shaken within the body by the spiritual disaster he is witnessing] [Daniel 7:15] — what shall I say and what shall I speak — how shall I justify myself — the L-rd found our iniquity — for Hashem is righteous and I have been wicked [מָה נֹּאמַר מַה נְּדַבֵּר מַה נִּצְטַדֵּק — Bereishis 44:16: Yehudah's words to Yosef — "what shall we say — how shall we justify ourselves — the L-rd has found out our sin." The classical formula of speechlessness before judgment. And *ki tzaddik Hashem va'ani harshati* — "for Hashem is righteous and I have been wicked"] — but the L-rd will seek out the pursued — even a righteous person pursuing and so forth [הָאֱלֹקִים יְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת הַנִּרְדָּף — Koheles 3:15: "and G-d will seek out the pursued." Even if the pursuer is righteous and the pursued is wicked — G-d stands with the one who is pursued. We are the pursued, and Hashem stands with the pursued] [Koheles 3:15] — especially since in the matter of the controversy against us — their words have not been right at all. For it is revealed and known before the One who spoke and the world came into being — that our Master, our Teacher and Rebbe — of blessed memory — is guiding us in the straight path — in the path in which our fathers have walked from time immemorial. And now I bow and kneel and prostrate before my lord a thousand times — that he place his good heart toward all my words spoken in truth and righteousness — and not cast my words behind him — and not impute to me sin if something came out against his honor G-d forbid — for I have not spoken in rebellion and treachery G-d forbid — only from the greatness of our sorrow and persecutions unto death — and no person is held responsible for his pain [אֵין אָדָם נִתְפָּס עַל צַעֲרוֹ — Bava Basra 16b: applied to Iyov — the person in extreme pain is not in full possession of himself] [Bava Basra 16b] . And let him not listen to the voice of whispered *lashon hara*. Let the *tzaddik* hold firm to his good path — to rescue the oppressed from the hand of his oppressor — and to mediate peace in Israel. And the Examiner of Hearts knows that my desire is very strong to come to the tent of his holy home — and to speak with the high honor of his Torah face to face — but a great mountain stands between me the destitute one and his high honor — for I cannot even pass from my home to his place of holiness — for fear of the brazen ones among the partisans — for my blood has been permitted among them. All of these factors have increased the barrier separating me from his high honor. And even this letter — I was doubtful whether to send it — but I could not restrain myself. And I submit my mind and my heart to Hashem Yisborach in all my movements — and as His will I will do. And may his peace grow — as his soul and as the soul of the threshold that is trodden — who spreads his hands and seeks peace and truth. And in this too you will see the wonders of Hashem — that Hashem Yisborach arranged in my mind today to write this letter — and you will counsel me how to conduct yourself in this — and further details you will hear from the mouth of the bearer of this letter. Nussun son of our Teacher the Rabbi Naftali Hirtz of Breslov.

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]