קסח

Overview: Thursday night, Parshas Vayeishev — immediately following Letter 166. Yitzchok suffered a public humiliation at the beis midrash. *Bizyonos k'kaparas misa* — humiliation as atonement equivalent to death. *Gam oyevav yashlim ito* (Mishlai 16:7). *Anachnu lo neda / ki alecha eineinu* (II Divrei Hayamim 20:12). *V'lo diber Hashem limchos shem Yisrael*: now identified as drawing from Moshe's argument in Bamidbar 14:15 and the principle of Shmuel II 14:14 — Hashem does not desire the erasure of Israel. *U'vatzar hirchiv lanu*: now identified as Tehillim 4:2 / LM I:195 — the verse of the Chanukah *inyan* appearing one letter before Letter 168 where it is explicitly cited.

[Hebrew: בְּנִי חֲבִיבִי....]

You have already heard our sorrow — and your sorrow certainly you yourselves are hearing — but also to tell you of the wonders of the

[ Yitzchok ]

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]

Your letter I received just now — and from yourself you will understand my sorrow — but I did not magnify the sorrow — for I knew beforehand that it would be so. And because of this it was my opinion that you should not have begun going there on the past Shabbos — and then you would not have reached this humiliation — but this too is for the good. And remember — my beloved son — the great *chesed* that Hashem Yisborach did with you — that He left you alive and restored you to your former strength — and they exchanged the danger of death for the punishment of this humiliation — which atones like actual death [הַבִּזָּיוֹן הַזֶּה שֶׁמְּכַפֵּר כְּמִיתָה מַמָּשׁ — a foundational Breslov teaching in Reb Nussun's *Likutay Halacahos*: *bizyonos* — public humiliations — have the power of *kaparah* equivalent to death itself. The humiliation's sting carries the full cleansing power of the most serious *kaparah*; it is not punishment but divine gift] . And certainly it is a great *chesed* from Hashem Yisborach. And you should also speak with your wife — what does she want — is it possible G-d forbid that you would not be my son — or that you would not travel to me G-d forbid — surely she knew beforehand that you are my son and so forth. And if it is impossible that you should not have sufferings from this — all is for good — for you already know that the world is full of sufferings — and how fortunate is the one whose sufferings come on account of words of Torah — for most people endure sufferings from their difficult wives over mundane matters. And I have placed hope in Hashem that through the strength of your heart in the truth — with the help of Hashem Yisborach — you will overcome her and she will return to you — and there will be fulfilled in you: even his enemies He makes at peace with him [גַּם אוֹיְבָיו יַשְׁלִים אִתּוֹ — Mishlai 16:7: *birtzos Hashem darkei ish gam oyevav yashlim ito* — "when Hashem is pleased with the ways of a man — even his enemies He makes at peace with him." Now applied specifically to Yitzchok's wife: when he truly walks in Hashem's path — even she will be turned to his side] [Mishlai 16:7] . And we know not what to do — for our eyes are on You [אֲנַחְנוּ לֹא נֵדַע מַה נַּעֲשֶׂה כִּי עָלֶיךָ עֵינֵינוּ — II Divrei Hayamim 20:12: Yehoshafat's prayer before the vast armies of Moav and Ammon — total helplessness before an overwhelming force and total surrender to Hashem's guidance. No answers, no strategies — only eyes turned toward Heaven] [II Divrei Hayamim 20:12] — for we have no one to lean on but our Father in Heaven. And as for what you wrote — that even in the beis midrash of the Ir Chadash they say G-d forbid they will obey him when he commands them — this is not in their power — for in my estimation our *anshei sh'lomaynu* are strong there. And because of this very thing they will understand from themselves and will not begin this at all — for they will know it is not in their power. And Hashem has not spoken to erase the name of Israel [וְלֹא דִּבֵּר ה' לִמְחוֹת שֵׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל — drawing on the principle Moshe invokes before Hashem in Bamidbar 14:15 — *v'amru haGoyim... v'hishmidam* — arguing that Hashem's Name would be desecrated if Israel were destroyed. And from Shmuel II 14:14 — the wise woman of Tekoa: Hashem *chashav machashavos l'vilti yidach mimenu nidach* — "devises plans so that the banished one should not remain banished from Him." The principle: Hashem does not desire the permanent erasure or destruction of Israel — and therefore however intense the opposition — the community will not be wiped out. A place for prayer will remain] — and in the constriction He has expanded for us [וּבַצָּר הִרְחִיב לָנוּ — Tehillim 4:2: *b'tzar hirchavta li* — "in the constriction You expanded me." The same verse that will be cited in Letter 168 as LM I:195 and the entire *inyan* of Chanukah: the expansion found specifically within the constriction — not after it or beside it but inside the distress itself. Here it appears as Reb Nussun's confident assertion: even within this constriction — expansion is already present and working] [Tehillim 4:2; Likutay Moharan I:195] — and certainly there will remain a place for you where you will be able to pray — with the help of Hashem Yisborach. For Hashem Yisborach has already helped us — and so He will help and save us from now on more and more. And everything will turn to great good — that we will merit through this to be awakened from our sleep — to begin afresh to walk in His holy ways and draw near to Him Yisborach from wherever one is. And behold — a short while before this hour — it was settled in my mind to send the letter to the Rav — and I immediately sealed it and addressed it — and now you will receive it enclosed here — and see to send it. And I have done my part to save my soul — and may Hashem the Good do what He does and send it into his heart — to look at the truth as it truly is. And Hashem G-d the True One — who has helped us until now in His great mercies — in Him alone we trust — that even now He will not abandon us or forsake us — for His wonders and His thoughts toward us and so forth. Nussun of Breslov. The words of your father — who awaits salvation.