קפא

Overview: Sunday, Parshas Shemini — Breslov — the day of *bedikas chametz* before Pesach 5595. Healing belongs to Hashem alone (LM I:14). The *harchavos gedolos* in Yitzchok's winter letters that revived Reb Nussun's soul — *kibud av* fulfilled through pleasant letters. Three Shabbases home; daily *mikveh* without incident. The first sprouting of the horn of salvation: Yitzchok permitted to pray in the beis midrash. Reb Nussun danced on Shabbas morning — *tzemichas keren yeshuah gedolah*. *Biur chametz* as spiritual prayer: may Hashem burn out the evil inclination — or burn the *chametz* from within the opponents and bring them to truth. News from Uman: the *kloyz* stands; Rabbi Moshe Fishel removed the soldier; legal case sent to Kiev. Violence in Tirahovitz — written after *bedikas chametz*. The closing to Rabbi Yaakov: *bechira chafshis* — and the profound difference between tearing and reading the holy books.

[Hebrew: אֲהוּבִי בְּנִי....]

His letter I received at this hour. And thanks be to G-d — Rabbi Chaim and his companions have already left the prison — approximately four hours ago.

Abundant peace to my beloved son — our Teacher the Rabbi Yitzchok — may he live. 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. May Hashem Yisborach send a complete healing to his daughter — and so may He send a complete healing to your daughter — may she live. Hashem is good to all [Tehillim 145:9] — for all blows and all pains and ailments — as is known to you [כַּיָּדוּעַ לָכֶם — reference to Likutay Moharan I:14: the Rebbe's teaching that all healing comes only from Hashem — the *tzaddik* is the true healer — physical remedies more often harm than help] [LM I:14] — for we have no one to lean on in any matter except our Father in Heaven. Especially in the matter of healings — it is already an established rule in our hands — not to do anything at all — for almost everything that one does comes close to causing harm and damage rather than good. Therefore one must rely only on Hashem Yisborach — the Healer freely — the true and faithful and merciful Healer. And He has already helped us greatly greatly in this matter — that He sent to us and to our children — may they live — many kinds of healings for many kinds of ailments — without any action or involvement whatsoever — as is known to you. And if we merited from our Rebbe — the holy one — of blessed memory — nothing but this alone — it would have been enough for us — for it is the life of souls. And there is no need to extend on this now. And behold — my beloved son — in all the letters that you wrote to me this winter to Uman and to Kremenchug — from the multitude of the bitter distresses that passed over us this winter — in all of them I always found great expansions — with which I revived my soul [הַרְחָבוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת אֲשֶׁר הֶחֱיֵיתִי אֶת נַפְשִׁי — the *harchavos* within the *tzaros*: the great theme of the winter arc. But now the miracle: within Yitzchok's own descriptions of suffering and persecution — Reb Nussun found *harchavos* that revived his own soul in exile] . And it is fitting for you to rejoice in this during the holy festival days that come upon us for good — for you revived my soul with your pleasant letters — and fulfilled through them very greatly the commandment of honouring one's father . May Hashem Yisborach do good to you forever — and lengthen your days and years — and give long life to all who come forth from you — a life of fear of Heaven — that they merit to walk in the ways of Hashem in truth forever — and all the more so now you have revived me with your words. And although indeed now our distresses and humiliations are still very very great and severe — yet at every time we see His salvation and His wonders — Yisborach — that He has not abandoned us entirely. And I knew all this from before — and now I see it every day. 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 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 — for 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] What I forgot to write within the letter: In Uman — the *kloyz* stands firm on its place — and they have not added any further breach to it — G-d forbid — for a fear has fallen upon them. But even so — as yet no legal judgment has been rendered against any of them. And Rabbi Avraham and Rabbi Naftali — may their lights shine — according to what is heard from their letter — have already sent the matter to Kiev. The above-mentioned Rabbi Avraham Weinberg sent me on Erev Shabbas three rubles of silver — and he is a great lover of ours. And also the *nagid* Rabbi Moshe Fishel sent word to the beis midrash there — that they should not continue to cause any more damage — and certainly not harm the *kloyz* — G-d forbid — for their end will not be good from this. And they also called the officer — the one appointed to station soldiers in householders' homes — and he scolded him to remove the soldier that he had stationed in the home of Rabbi Avraham Yitzchok of our *anshei sh'lomaynu* to provoke — and they wanted to add even more and it caused us great sorrow because he is very poor — and the above-mentioned *nagid* scolded them until they were compelled against their will to remove the soldier from his home. Blessed be Hashem Who helped us until here. 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. And peace to all our *anshei sh'lomaynu* with great love — and especially to my dear distinguished friend — our Teacher the Rabbi Yaakov — may his light shine. I have received the two gold coins — and I have already blessed you that you merit a complete healing. And I was astonished at you — my dear friend — that you were so slow to show me the mark of your hand in a letter. The truth is — you do not know where to begin — but even so — to depart with nothing at all is impossible. In Hashem I trust — for the covenant of our love will never be broken for all eternity and forever and ever. Many waters cannot quench and so forth. [Shir Hashirim 8:7] Be strong — my son — and steady yourself well — and consider your paths — and look and place your heart well — on what is happening in the world — on all the evil work done under the sun — especially in these generations in the *ikvesa d'meshicha* [עִקְבוֹת מְשִׁיחָא — "the footsteps of Mashiach": the pre-messianic generation characterized by spiritual upheaval — *hutzpah yisgeh* — brazenness will multiply (Sotah 49b). Reb Nussun situates the entire *machloket* within this eschatological framework: these are the characteristic sorrows of the generation before the ultimate redemption] — where the enemies of Hashem have shown contempt and so forth. And if it is not in your hand to repair the world — but yourself you can certainly rescue. For free choice is free [הַבְּחִירָה חָפְשִׁית — one of the Rebbe's fundamental teachings: *bechira chafshis* — free choice is truly free. No external pressure, persecution, or circumstance removes the inner freedom to choose truth. Applied here: however bad the surrounding world — the individual can always save himself] — and there is no obstacle in the world that we cannot break. Do not give sleep to your eyes [Mishlai 6:4] and so forth — save yourself like a deer from the hand — and consider your paths carefully — how you can save your soul from the flooding of the insolent waters of this world. Whether through the tearing of our holy prayers and holy books — G-d forbid — or through the reading of them. Remember and settle yourself well — the distinction and the difference between these two paths — even if these were two equal persons — the one who tears and the one who reads. How much more so and so much more so — that we know already a little of the distinction between them — and beyond this it is fitting to believe even more — for no one tears even one page of them except after first committing a great transgression — G-d have mercy. And no one reads and recites any prayer or peruses the book without having some wondrous stirring of repentance — as you know somewhat of this — and the more you will know afterwards — if you merit to gather with us again and hold on to the cords of our strong love — in this world and the next forever . Nussun the above-mentioned. The words of your father who intercedes for you. Nussun of Breslov.

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]