קפ

His letter I received just now together with vessels of wine — and two gold coins from my dear friend Rabbi Yaakov — may his light shine.

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

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] .

What shall I say to you — my beloved son — the delight of my soul? I have already multiplied speaking of this greatly — and also at this very hour I spoke of this with Rabbi Leibli the son-in-law of Rabbi Reuven. But we still need to speak of this and to remember it every day — for although certainly everyone with a mind in his head knows of this — and especially the sages — even the sages of the nations — speak of this greatly — that the world is full of griefs and pains — and all his days are pain and vexation — but since they have no true consolation with which to console themselves — therefore after they speak of this they return to their folly and pursue only money and the vanities of this world. But blessed is our G-d Who created us for His glory and gave us the Torah of truth [בָּרוּךְ אֱלֹקֵינוּ שֶׁבָּרָאָנוּ לִכְבוֹדוֹ וְנָתַן לָנוּ תּוֹרַת אֱמֶת — from the blessing recited after completing a Torah reading: "Blessed is our G-d Who created us for His glory and separated us from those who go astray — and gave us the Torah of truth — and planted eternal life in our midst." The blessing of the one who possesses the truth against all the world's futile searching. The nations' sages speak of the world's suffering but have no answer; we have the Torah of truth as our answer and consolation] — in this there is to console and gladden ourselves.

And if we do not merit to fulfil the Torah as is fitting — Hashem Yisborach has already preceded the cure to our blows — that we merited to know of the true sanctity and greatness of our Master our Teacher and Rebbe — may the memory of the righteous one be for a blessing — who revives and gladdens us in all levels and in all matters that are in the world — as is known to you my son. And about him it is said: were it not for the salt — the world would not be able to endure the bitterness [אִלְמָלֵא מִלְחָא — Zohar / Likutay Moharan I:10: the salt that preserves the world from being overwhelmed by its essential bitterness is the light of the true *tzaddik*. Without him — the world's *meirirus* — its bitterness — would be unbearable. The *tzaddik* is the cosmic sweetener of existence. First cited in Letter 172 — returned here in the context of the world's universal suffering: the nations' sages see the suffering but have no answer. The *tzaddik* is the answer — he sweetens the bitterness that the sages of the nations can only name but cannot cure] [Zohar; LM I:10] and so forth. This one will comfort us from our work and from the toil of our hands [זֶה יְנַחֲמֵנוּ מִמַּעֲשֵׂינוּ — Bereishis 5:29: the verse spoken by Lemech at the birth of Noach — zeh yenachamenu mimma'aseinu umei'itzavon yadeinu min ha'adamah asher eiratah Hashem — "this one will comfort us from our work and from the toil of our hands — from the ground which Hashem has cursed." The first use of the word *nechamah* — comfort/consolation — in the Torah. Said about Noach — but applied by Reb Nussun to the Rebbe: *zeh* — this one — the *tzaddik* — is the one who brings true *nechamah* — the consolation from the toil and pain of existence. Where the nations' sages offer no real comfort — the *tzaddik* gives us *zeh yenachamenu*] [Bereishis 5:29] and so forth. And from the great urgency of the bearer of this letter — it is impossible to extend as I wish — and it is enough.

And from yourself — remember all that pertains to this — and let it be fresh in your eyes — and give thanks for what has passed — that He saved your soul and the soul of your household. And certainly all is for great good — and from now on may Hashem guard you from all evil — may He guard your soul.

And I have already promised you that soon you would be able to pray in any place you wished — and now — praised be G-d — the sprouting of the horn of salvation has begun [צְמִיחַת קֶרֶן יְשׁוּעָה — the metaphor of the horn sprouting from the ground: the first tender growth of a long-awaited redemption. Applied specifically: they have explicitly agreed to let Yitzchok enter the beis midrash to pray] — for they have explicitly agreed to let you enter the beis midrash. Although it is harsh and bitter to hear all this — that we needed their agreement — after all the wicked and transgressors are not prevented from praying with them and so forth — even so on the contrary: these are His great powers and awesome deeds — Yisborach [הֵן הֵן גְּבוּרוֹתָיו — the Talmudic formulation (Yoma 69b): it is precisely in the place of apparent humiliation and weakness that divine greatness is revealed.

The words of your father.

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]

Nussun of Breslov.

In the town of Tirahovitz — the *machloket* is burning very very fiercely now — and the Rav Rabbi Itzik the son-in-law of the Maggid — may the memory of the righteous be for a blessing — fled from his home. And one of our *anshei sh'lomaynu* was beaten a near-fatal blow — and a doctor has been sent there to conduct a legal investigation. And in the kindness of Hashem — they will have a great downfall through this. But at present we need great mercy — and to Hashem belongs the salvation. All of this I am writing after *bedikas chametz*. May Hashem Yisborach burn out the evil from within us — and burn all the enemies and opponents of the point of the truth.

The very fact that a person needs permission to pray reveals both the depth of the persecution and the greatness of the rescue] — after the incitement and the accusation against the point of truth have been so great — until they wish every day to expel us — G-d forbid — and to expel each and every one — G-d forbid. Now — how great are Your works, Hashem — who can express His powers and wonders and salvation [Tehillim 92:6; 106:2]. And praised be G-d — I have already sat three Shabbases here — and gone to the *mikveh* every day — praised be G-d — and no person has confronted me. And also they allow you to pray in the beis midrash. And to Hashem belongs the salvation and the hope — that everything will turn to good — and they will become secondary and nullified before you and before me — they will be ashamed and we will not be ashamed — fo

r the truth of Hashem endures forever [Tehillim 117:2]. And from the greatness of the urgency and busyness it is impossible to extend — for the day has declined — and one must think about the *minchah* and *maariv* prayers — and especially about the commandment of *biur chametz* — the burning of the leaven [מִצְוַת בִּעוּר חָמֵץ — written on the eve of Pesach — the moment of *bedikas chametz* and *biur chametz*. Reb Nussun turns the physical *mitzvah* into a spiritual prayer]. So may Hashem Yisborach burn out the evil inclination and the leaven in the dough from within us — and so may He burn and destroy and incinerate and uproot all our enemies and pursuers without cause — or may we merit to burn out the *chametz* from within them — and may they all return to the truth. And in this I desire more — as Hashem Yisborach knows my heart. And behold — here there are no news — only every day they think evil plans against themselves. And on the past Shabbas — a certain Chaim Fayak — may his name be blotted — came and cried out in a loud voice against himself — to uproot and expel himself from the world — and may Hashem frustrate his counsel and ruin his plan and turn everything to good quickly. And know this — that through His immense wonders — Yisborach — I merited yesterday at the morning Shabbas meal on the above-mentioned Shabbas to dance with joy [לְרַקֵּד בְּשִׂמְחָה — after the entire winter of exile, hiding, and persecution: dancing at the Shabbas table. Reb Nussun's own barometer of spiritual health and divine grace] — and this I count for myself as the sprouting of a great horn of salvation. So may Hashem Yisborach grant us merit — here and among you and in all the places of our *anshei sh'lomaynu* — that we all merit to rejoice with great joy in this holy Pesach that comes upon us for good — and give thanks for what has passed — with great joy — that in His mercies until here He helped us to be sustained among such wild beasts as these. So may He add His kindness and wonders — that we merit to be sustained forever — and to walk in the ways of Hashem Yisborach in truth as our Master our Teacher and Rebbe — of blessed memory — taught us — and also until old age and grey hair may He not forsake us — until we tell Your arm to a generation and so forth. [Tehillim 71:18]

[Hebrew: נָתָן הַנַּ"ל...]