קעט

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.

Peace to my beloved son — the dear one — our Teacher the Rabbi Yitzchok — may his light shine.

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. What has passed is gone — at present there is nothing new to inform you of. But this I inform you — and let it be fresh in your eyes every day: that praised be G-d — in His great kindness and His wondrous salvation — I arrived at my home in peace — and thanks be to G-d — I have already settled here in Breslov. Who can express the mighty acts of Hashem [Tehillim 106:2] — who would have believed our report [מִי יַאֲמִין לִשְׁמוּעָתֵנוּ — Yeshayahu 53:1: the inconceivable divine act. Many of the community had given up hope of Reb Nussun's return to Breslov — and here he is] [Yeshayahu 53:1] . Remember well all the immense fears with which the partisans terrified me — until many of our beloved *anshei sh'lomaynu* despaired — as if it were impossible in any way that I could return to my home. And now — go see the wondrous works of Hashem — the wonders of the Perfect One of knowledge — for truly it is not an empty thing — for this is one of the awesome mighty acts of our Master our Teacher and Rebbe — the very exalted one — may the memory of the righteous and holy one be for a blessing. Who has worked and done it — Who calls the generations from the beginning [Yeshayahu 41:4] and so forth. And although they still gnash their teeth against us — and wish to find some false accusation against me — but in Hashem I trust — I shall not fear what flesh can do to me [Tehillim 56:12] — He is the One Who girds me with strength and fortified me in *azus dikedushah* drawn from the Torah of Hashem and the prayer of Hashem — to return to my home in peace. Praised be my G-d — He will be my help and will complete for me for good — and rescue us from the sword of their mouth. And we hope in Hashem that we will see in them what they wished to see in us — and there will be fulfilled: one who digs a pit shall fall into it [Mishlai 26:27] — for Hashem will not forsake His people for the sake of His great Name — for Hashem Yisborach knows the truth — and the truth is one.

And thanks be to G-d — from the day of my arrival until here — Hashem Yisborach has helped us — that we have spoken greatly of the Torahs and holy conversations of our Rebbe — and especially regarding this Torah that speaks of how the truth is one — which is the Torah: Rabbi Akiva said — when you arrive at the stones of pure marble [אָמַר רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא כְּשֶׁתַּגִּיעוּ לְאַבְנֵי שַׁיִּשׁ טָהוֹר — Likutay Moharan I:51: the Torah of the oneness of truth — *ha'emes hu echad* — and from this oneness flows the entire guidance of the true *tzaddik*] [LM I:51] and so forth — as in chapter 51 of Likutay Moharan part one. And praised be G-d — we spoke greatly of this the past week. Happy is the ear that heard this.

How fortunate are we that we merited what we merited — to know from such a true and holy Rebbe — a Rebbe in this world — who teaches us such Torahs — such divine apprehensions and knowledge of G-dliness — such wonders — and a Rebbe in the World to Come [רַבִּי בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין... רַבִּי בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי — the *tzaddik* is Rebbe in both worlds. In this world — teaching Torah; in the World to Come — each will know according to how much he gave of himself for the Rebbe's name and holy Torah] — for the essential knowing there — each one according to how much he endured sufferings and gave his soul for the sake of drawing close to his name and his holy Torah — which guides us in the true path — which instills in our hearts to truly fulfil the Torah of Moshe — to walk in the paths of our true righteous ancestors. Lots have fallen to me in pleasant places [Tehillim 16:6] and so forth.

And now — my son — be strong and of good courage — do not be broken and do not be shattered — for Hashem our G-d walks with us to save us. And the essential thing is — do not be ashamed in your own self before them — and let your forehead be strong against their foreheads — and do not speak with them of this at all — only divert them to another matter. Only from themselves they will understand that we laugh at them — with the help of Hashem Yisborach. They will be ashamed — and we will not be ashamed — for in the matter of our holy gathering — we have nothing to be ashamed of before them at all. 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] And abundant peace to all our *anshei sh'lomaynu* — with great love — and the love between us is very strong as always — for the covenant of our love will never be broken forever. Many waters cannot quench love — and rivers cannot drown it [מַיִם רַבִּים לֹא יוּכְלוּ לְכַבּוֹת אֶת הָאַהֲבָה — Shir Hashirim 8:7: "many waters cannot quench the love — and rivers cannot drown it." The rivers of persecution cannot quench the bond between the *anshei sh'lomaynu*] [Shir Hashirim 8:7] and so forth. And please write to me from each one — and from Rabbi Mordechai — may his light shine — what has become of him — and from Rabbi Yaakov the son-in-law of Rabbi Moshe Chayyim the *dayan* — and his brother Rabbi Henich — and from Rabbi Itzik son of Rabbi Avraham Dov — and also from Rabbi Levi Yaakov — and from the son of my sister Rabbi Ayzik — may their lights shine. And I know that even the *melamed* from Pinshovye has not broken from our love — and Rabbi Nachum is still held in the ropes of our strong love. Who will give that we merit to gather together again — not for honor G-d forbid — you see the honor I have from you — and how they disdain and curse themselves for this — but only for the honor of Hashem Yisborach and His holy Torah — that we merit to speak of the truth of the eternal purpose. And on Hashem Yisborach and on the power of the prayer of the elder of holiness I lean — that all the curses will turn to blessings [שֶׁכָּל הַקְּלָלוֹת יִתְהַפְּכוּ לִבְרָכוֹת — the turning of curses to blessings: a core Breslov teaching and also the deep structure of Purim itself — *v'nahafoch hu*. And the Psalms verse that follows this is the warrant] — and there will be fulfilled: a groundless curse will not come [קִלְלַת חִנָּם לֹא תָבֹא — Mishlai 26:2: "like a fluttering sparrow — like a flying swallow — so a groundless curse will not come." The groundless curses of the opponents will not land] [Mishlai 26:2] — they will curse — and You will bless — they have risen up and been ashamed — but Your servant will rejoice [יְקַלְלוּ הֵמָּה וְאַתָּה תְבָרֵךְ קָמוּ וַיֵּבוֹשׁוּ וְעַבְדְּךָ יִשְׂמָח — Tehillim 109:28: the Psalm of the one surrounded by those who curse him. "They will curse — and You will bless — they have risen up and been shamed — and Your servant will rejoice." The divine reversal: their curses become Hashem's blessings; their rising against me becomes their own shame; my joy is guaranteed by Hashem Himself] [Tehillim 109:28] . Blessed be Hashem Yisborach that we have something to rejoice over — truly there is and there is — for over every single word of his holy Torah — whoever has a true mind in his head should say: were it not that I had come into the world only to hear this one thing — it would have been enough [אִלְמָלֵא לָא אֲתֵינָא אֶלָּא לְמִשְׁמָע דָּא דַּי — the formula of the single transcendent justification: each individual teaching of the Rebbe is so complete that had one come into the world only to hear that one Torah — it would have been sufficient] . How much more so when two teachings come together — how much more so when the discourse expands further and further — growing and strengthening like a spring that grows stronger and like a river that never stops . Who has heard such a thing — who has seen the like [Yeshayahu 66:8] . And especially the awesome wonders of the *tzerufei osiyos* — the combinations of letters — the like of which has never been heard. And somewhat you yourselves feel some sweetness — and the rest — trust me — that Hashem has illuminated my eyes to feel some portion of the sweetness of the depth in his holy Torah — which ascends to the infinite and descends to beyond all limit. And also I myself see with the eyes of my mind — and I believe with complete faith — that I have not yet begun to know of his holy Torah even as a drop from the great sea — and it is impossible to speak of this at all — for it is for each one according to what he estimates in his heart . But from the multitude of obstacles and persecutions that strengthen to conceal the truth — G-d forbid — I could not restrain myself from mentioning to my beloved and companions a little of these words — and it is enough for those who truly desire the truth — to them my word will drip as cool water upon a weary soul [Mishlai 25:25] . Be strong and of good courage — be strong and of good courage — be strong and let your hearts be courageous — all who hope in Hashem [Tehillim 31:25] . Nussun of Breslov. The words of your father who awaits salvation. Nussun of Breslov.

[Hebrew: דִּבְרֵי אָבִיךָ...]

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]