קעח

Overview: Friday, Erev Shabbas Parshas Vayikra — Breslov. Written the day of his safe return home. To Rabbi Naftali of Uman. Nine days home — no one has confronted him to his face. The cobblers installed by opponents — from Thursday through Tuesday of Rosh Chodesh Nissan — then removed. *Baruch she'petarani*. The *kloyz* in Uman. *V'anachnu lo neda mah na'aseh ki alecha eineinu* (II Divrei Hayamim 20:12). *Yom shekulo Shabbas* — when the truth will be revealed to all. *Shikra la ka'ei* — falsehood has no standing.

Until now no traveler has come my way to send you my letter — and your letter of the past week I received through the bearer of this letter — Rabbi Leibli the son-in-law of Rabbi Reuven.

Abundant peace to the honor of my beloved dear one — like my own soul — the distinguished and renowned Chassid — our Teacher the Rabbi Naftali — may his light shine.

On the day of my arriving in peace to my home — I wrote immediately my letter to his honor through the wagon driver — and certainly it reached his hand. Also on Friday of Parshas Pekudei — Rabbi Shimon Weinberg sent him a letter. And from his honor — not even the shadow of a letter has yet reached me. Is it possible — please — my dear beloved brother — remember our love and write me immediately a letter — and inform me of everything clearly — all that has happened there. And especially in the matter of our *kloyz* [הַקְּלוֹיְז — the community's beis midrash in Uman — the site of the Rosh Hashanah gathering and the Purim night vandalism of Letter 175] — whether a legal judgment has already been rendered against any of them — or whether at any rate they have been frightened — and whether at any rate they have not added to make another breach in our holy *kloyz*. May Hashem Yisborach cause every breach-maker in the holy building to be breached with breach upon breach — may their arm wither — may they fall and not rise. And upon us — the poor ones — pursued so greatly — may Hashem Yisborach arouse His great mercies and rescue us from the sword of their mouth and from the hand of the powerful and destitute one.

And behold — to inform of what is happening here — it is impossible to explain in detail. From themselves they will understand how they gnash their teeth against us — and think evil at every time — to uproot us entirely from the world — and especially against me — the poor and destitute one — pursued endlessly — may the Omnipresent have mercy. But until now His mercies and His great wonders have helped me — to save the soul of a destitute one like me from the hand of evildoers. And praised be the living G-d — it is now approximately nine days that I have been sitting in my home — and no person has had the boldness — G-d forbid — to confront me to my face. Though behind my back they disdain greatly — and the wicked distinguished ones — and especially Moshe and [name suppressed] [מֹשֶׁה וּפ' — the ringleader's first name is Moshe; a second name is abbreviated to its first letter only — *pei*-apostrophe — the editor suppressing the full surname. A common practice in these letters when recording the names of opponents] — are thinking and scheming evil every day to inform against me — G-d forbid — through some false accusation. May Hashem frustrate their counsel and ruin their plan. And behold — immediately upon my arrival — they installed a workshop of cobblers in my house — and Moshe himself acted on this before the governor and gave him money for this — and they stood in my house from Thursday until Tuesday — Rosh Chodesh Nissan that has passed. And in the mercy of Hashem they were removed from my house after the above-mentioned Tuesday — blessed is He who exempted me from this as well [בָּרוּךְ שֶׁפְּטָרַנִי — the formula of liberation: blessed is the One Who has freed me from this particular trouble] — and I and all those who join us — our eyes are fixed on Hashem at every time and every hour — that He have mercy on us and quiet the dispute — and do a sign of good for us — and our enemies will see and be ashamed. Beyond this there is no free time to extend — but I have come to double and triple my request — to write me a letter immediately — and to explain everything clearly — and above all in the matter of the *kloyz*. May Hashem Yisborach have mercy that we merit to complete it in this coming summer — and may his honor dwell in it in quiet and tranquility — over Torah and service — and merit to hear *kaddish* and *kedushah* and *baruchu* and the reading of the Torah every day and every time as is fitting — without the sufferings and confusions he now endures.

And to Hashem belongs the salvation — as He helped us until here to establish it thus far — so may He add His kindness and wonders — to complete it quickly in completeness. And may Hashem complete for us. And we do not know what to do — for our eyes are upon You [וַאֲנַחְנוּ לֹא נֵדַע מַה נַּעֲשֶׂה כִּי עָלֶיךָ עֵינֵינוּ — II Divrei Hayamim 20:12: Yehoshafat's prayer before battle — "we have no strength... we do not know what to do — but our eyes are upon You." Complete helplessness accompanied by absolute trust] [II Divrei Hayamim 20:12] — and even so — praised be G-d — we rejoiced somewhat on the past Shabbas. Although there was some confusion from the cobblers who did their work in my house on the holy Shabbas day — even so the holiness of Shabbas stands in its place. May the Merciful One give us as an inheritance the day that is entirely Shabbas [יוֹם שֶׁכֻּלּוֹ שַׁבָּת — the closing blessing of Tractate Tamid: "the day that is entirely Shabbas and rest for eternal life" — the World to Come — when the truth will be openly revealed to all] — then the truth will be revealed to the eyes of all. And this is our entire hope and our life and our joy — in this world and the next forever.

And peace to all our *anshei sh'lomaynu* with great love — be strong and of good courage — for Hashem is with us — do not fear them.

And peace to the honor of my dear uncle — my dear one — the distinguished benefactor — may his light shine — and to all the distinguished ones from there who support us. May Hashem repay their work — and may their reward be complete — for they have saved many souls of Israel. So may Hashem add His kindness — to arrange through them to save us from them and to prevail over them — and may there be fulfilled regarding our enemies: one who digs a pit — shall fall into it [כּוֹרֶה שַׁחַת בָּהּ יִפֹּל — Mishlai 26:27: measure-for-measure divine justice] [Mishlai 26:27] and so forth. Only they boast that they will accuse me — G-d forbid — but falsehood has no standing [שִׁיקְרָא לָא קָאֵי — the Aramaic idiom: falsehood has no permanent ground under its feet. Truth is self-attesting — *ha'emes ed l'atzmo*] — and the truth is its own witness — and the counsel of Hashem will stand forever — and He will not forsake His pious ones.

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]

The words of one who loves — clinging closer than a brother — who always seeks his peace with love — and awaits his reply.

Nussun son of our Teacher the Rabbi Naftali Hirtz — of blessed memory — of Breslov. And as our Master our Teacher and Rebbe — of blessed memory — himself declared — and said in these words: "Vos hobin mir zich tzu shemen? Bishvilenu nivra ha'olam." [Chayei Moharan 215: "What do we have to be ashamed of? For us the world was created." The Rebbe's declaration of inner holy boldness — *azus dikedushah*] [Chayei Moharan 215] — and these holy and pure words one needs to remember greatly every day. Beyond this there is no free time to extend further. And write me well about the matter of Rabbi Shimshon — what did he see to first stand with *azus dikedushah* against them — and then to hand over to them all the books — and even the book that was written which they did not request from him. And why did he not spare himself — for this book is very necessary for him for his eternal purpose. Although after the fact — certainly everything will turn to good — even so he acted foolishly. And my soul knows very well that his soul is still bound to our soul — but from this one can see the nature of the general evil work done under the sun — and how they lie in wait for each person all his days. And even when one humbles himself before them — the evil force grows stronger and lies in wait to cause him to fall further each time. What shall we say — blessed is Hashem Who was our helper and rescued us from such errors and follies — what shall we return to Hashem for all His gifts to us — that we merited to be in his holy portion. I have held him and will not let him go [אֲחַזְתִּיו וְלֹא אַרְפֶּנּוּ — Shir Hashirim 3:4: the Shulamite's declaration. Applied to Reb Nussun's bond with the Rebbe's Torah: I have taken hold — and will not release] [Shir Hashirim 3:4] — and also until old age and grey hair — O G-d do not forsake us until we tell and so forth. [Tehillim 71:18] His letter I received today — and certainly I had great sorrow from the multitude of the adventures that pass over him. But praised be G-d — I have already anticipated speaking with you greatly about the matter of man is born to toil — short of days and full of agitation [אָדָם לְעָמָל יוּלָּד קְצַר יָמִים וּשְׂבַע רֹגֶז — Iyov 5:7 and 14:1: two Iyov verses cited together as in Letter 171 — "for man is born to toil" (Iyov 5:7) and "short of days and full of agitation" (Iyov 14:1). The two verses together define the essential human condition: existence is toil, and the days are brief and filled with turbulence] [Iyov 5:7; Iyov 14:1] — and how the entire world is full of sufferings and adventures of every kind — and no person has anything with which to console himself except the little good that he merits to snatch in these few bad days — for it was only for this that he was created — to endure toil for the sake of Torah and service. And if he does not merit this — he endures toil for Gehinnom — G-d forbid — about which the *Tanna* warned: I beg of you — do not inherit two Geihinnom [בְּמָטוּתָא מִינַיְיכוּ לָא תִּירְתוּ תַּרְתֵּי גֵּיהִנָּם — Yoma 72b: the Talmudic warning against the person who studies Torah but does not fulfil it — who inherits both the sufferings of this world (the toil of Torah without its reward) and the Gehinnom of the next. The *Tanna's* plea: do not collect the double inheritance of toil without Torah and Gehinnom without Torah] [Yoma 72b].

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]