קפג

Overview: Friday, Erev Shabbas Parshas Metzora — Breslov. A major communal letter of urgent appeal — to Rabbi Dov Ber and Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh (location not specified — possibly Kremenchug). Five weeks home and Reb Nussun cannot go outside. Youths curse him. A window broken on *Chol HaMoed* Pesach. On Shabbas Parshas Shemini — four *anshei sh'lomaynu* arrested and jailed; soldiers sent with orders to arrest Reb Nussun himself; a mob surrounding his house; the wicked Miriam Raitze (wife of Rabbi Avraham Ber) publicly humiliating him in the street and before the governor; the Weinberg household pushing through to intercede. The opponents bribed officials to accuse Reb Nussun of being a false prophet (*sanigag*) and holding illegal assemblies; *libi yachil b'kirbi* (Tehillim 55:5). *Baruch hanoten laya'ef koach* (Yeshayahu 40:29). An urgent appeal for financial support. *Sus mukhan l'yom hamilchamah v'laHashem hatshuyah* (Mishlai 21:31). News from Uman: an investigator arrived and opponents arrested. Closing to Rabbi Yudl — and to Marat Adil.

[Hebrew: אֲהוּבִי בְּנִי חֲבִיבִי...]

His letter I received the past week. Rabbi Ephraim son of Rabbi Naftali and Rabbi Simchah Baruch came here on the past Erev Shabbas.

Abundant peace — to lovers of Your Torah — and for them there is no stumbling [שָׁלוֹם רַב לְאוֹהֲבֵי תוֹרָתֶךָ וְאֵין לָמוֹ מִכְשׁוֹל — Tehillim 119:165: the verse of abundant peace for those who love the Torah, with no stumbling in their path. A greeting-verse chosen with deep irony and faith: addressed to those who love Hashem's Torah — despite all the stumbling blocks placed before them] [Tehillim 119:165] — to the honor of my beloved dear one — like my own soul — the distinguished *nagid* — the veteran — our Teacher the Rabbi Dov Ber — may his light shine — with the honor of his dear sons and all who come forth from him — may they live. And to the honor of my beloved dear one — the distinguished *nagid* — the veteran — our Teacher the Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh — may his light shine — and the honor of his dear sons and all who come forth from them — may they live. May all of them stand upon the blessing — life and peace and all good — forever — Amen — so may it be His will.

We have already sent you two letters about the greatness of our distresses — and I was astonished — very very greatly — that you are as if hiding your face from us and you do not reply a word. And know — my brothers and companions — that the *machloket* has not quieted at all — and they gnash their teeth every day and at every time — and think thoughts and scheme evil schemes against each and every one — and especially against me — to expel me — G-d forbid — from here and from all the towns — G-d forbid. May Hashem expel and uproot them. Were it not that Hashem helped us — Who does miracles and wonders with us every day and at every time [לוּלֵא ה' עֶזְרָתָה לָנוּ — Tehillim 124:1–2: the Psalm of Dovid — "had it not been Hashem Who was for us... when men rose up against us." Applied here as the essential confession of faith: the only reason the community still stands is Hashem's direct miraculous intervention in the face of the legal and physical attacks] [Tehillim 124:1] — and the essential reason is through the judges of the province — for even though they take many bribes and we have no money — even so Hashem Yisborach has mercy and helps us to accomplish a little — more than they accomplish with a great deal. And especially since all of them know that the truth and justice are with us. But even so — even for this small amount — we need to spend great expenses as they will understand from themselves. For on the legal complaints alone — already a great sum has been exhausted with us — and sometimes we need to spend additional expenses — for to depart with nothing at all is impossible. And behold — I came to my home five weeks ago — and I cannot go outside — for youths go out and curse and humiliate me with every kind of humiliation — and also once they broke a window in my home on *Chol HaMoed* Pesach — and I was compelled to send to the governor and he seized the youth and put him in jail — and afterwards the household of Moshe the Overturned [מֹשֶׁה הַמְהֻפָּךְ לְשַׁמָּה וּמְשׁוֹאָה — a severe epithet applied to the ringleader Moshe: the one overturned into desolation and ruin — a deliberate inversion of his name into its worst meaning] — together with the rest of the opponents — exerted themselves and got the youth out — and he came back and humiliated greatly. And on the Shabbas of Parshas Shemini that has passed — there was a great uproar here — for worthless youth went into our beis midrash and damaged the door and humiliated our *anshei sh'lomaynu* — and they had already done so many many times — entering our beis midrash and tearing and humiliating our holy books before our *anshei sh'lomaynu*. And on the above-mentioned Shabbas — some of our *anshei sh'lomaynu* stood up against them — until blows were exchanged between them. And one youth ran to his father — and his father came with another person — and beat our *anshei sh'lomaynu* with wounding blows — and they also went to the governor and seized four of our *anshei sh'lomaynu* — worthy and precious men — and they sat all Shabbas and Sunday. And there was a great uproar — and they also searched my house for Rabbi Mordechai from Teplik — whether perhaps he had no travel permit. And afterwards they were not satisfied with this — and they informed against me before the above-mentioned governor — until he sent the officer with soldiers after me — and wanted to seize me in custody — G-d forbid. In the meanwhile people and women and children surrounded my house until the entire street around my house was filled — and it was a great humiliation for me of which one would not believe if told.

And Hashem Yisborach performed miracles and wonders! For no one was found to go to the governor on my behalf — for all the wealthy men and householders are on their side — and some hold in their heart with me — but the fear of the oppressor and of the wealthy men of this place is upon them — and they are afraid to intervene to save me. Were it not for certain poor people — and the wife of Rabbi Shmuel Weinberg — who went to him and he shut the door and did not want to let them enter. But in the mercy of Hashem — they pushed themselves in — and argued with him greatly — until his anger cooled somewhat. And even so I was compelled to go — and I had no path to walk — from the multitude of the mob that surrounded me — and the soldiers were compelled to drive away the mob with sticks and beat them so that there would be a path for me. And in the midst of my walking in such great humiliation — the worthless woman Miriam Raitze the daughter of Elka — may her name be blotted — who is the wife of our dear friend Rabbi Avraham Ber — may he live — and who has turned into a very very great opponent — more than all of them — came out and humiliated me publicly with great insults. And afterwards I entered the governor — and since they had already somewhat appeased him — he spoke with me a little and dismissed me in peace. And the above-mentioned wicked woman entered also to the above-mentioned governor and humiliated me even before him — and this was for me somewhat for good — for the above-mentioned governor and his wife shamed her and rebuked her for being so impudent as to humiliate an elder like this — and she left from them in disgrace. And now — from yourselves you will understand the greatness of the distress and the uproar and the humiliation that we all had — and especially the righteous woman Marat Adil — may she live. And also for this we were compelled to spend expenses — to delay the officer somewhat — so that meanwhile they could appease the above-mentioned governor so that he would not seize me in custody as he said at first. And afterwards on Motzei Shabbas — we were compelled to write a legal complaint — and on Sunday they released all our imprisoned ones — and there were wounds among them — and he ordered them to receive medical attention from the doctor — and for this too we were compelled to spend expenses as they will understand from themselves. And afterwards the opponents beat yet another of our *anshei sh'lomaynu* — a poor and destitute man — and we were compelled to submit yet another complaint. And as yet there has been no investigation and no judgment on any complaint. But even so — the complaints are effective — for through this a fear falls upon them — and were it not for this they would be killing us openly — G-d forbid — for our blood has already been declared permitted — as is well known. And afterwards the opponents gathered on Sunday — and collected a large wicked collection from all the wealthy ones — and took counsel what to do to me — and their evil counsel was settled — and they bribed the officials: that the officer would give a complaint against me — that it had become known to him that I am a false prophet — which they call among them *sanigag* [סַאנִיגָאג — a false prophet or sectarian leader in the language of the Russian authorities — the accusation used against Jewish sectarians to bring them before state authorities. Applied to Reb Nussun: the opponents told the authorities he was a *sanigag* — a false prophet leading an illegal movement — in order to have him arrested on religious-criminal charges] — and also that there are illegal assemblies in my possession — and further accusations. And the officer has already submitted such a document to the police — and they wanted the governor and the district governor to sign on it as well. And from yourselves you will understand the greatness of the uproar and the fear and the distress that we had — until no spirit was left in any person of our *anshei sh'lomaynu*. And in the mercy of Hashem — He placed words in the mouth of our dear friend Rabbi Shmuel Weinberg and his wife — and they spoke greatly with the governor — until he held back his hand from signing immediately. And they also spoke somewhat with the district governor — and he too held back. And according to what is heard — they did not send the matter to Kamenitz. But we still do not know the matter clearly in its truth. And our heart — and especially my heart trembles within me [לִבִּי יָחִיל בְּקִרְבִּי — Tehillim 55:5: libi yachil b'kirbi v'eiimos mavet naflu alai — "my heart trembles within me and the terrors of death have fallen upon me." The Psalm of Dovid in the time of mortal danger from those who once were close — the verse of existential fear] [Tehillim 55:5] and so forth. Alas — my brothers and companions — O heavens — look and see — is there a pain like our pain — and is there a humiliation and fears like our humiliation? [אֲהָהּ אַחַי וְרֵעַי אִי שָׁמַיִם הַבִּיטוּ וּרְאוּ אִם יֵשׁ מַכְאוֹב כְּמַכְאוֹבֵנוּ — an allusion to Eichah 1:12: havi'u v'reu im yesh mach'ov k'mach'ovi — "look and see if there is any pain like my pain." The language of the destruction of the Temple — applied to the ongoing destruction of the Breslov community. But Reb Nussun does not despair: he immediately turns to the divine gift that sustains him] Our lives — and especially my life — hang in the balance at every moment. Blessed is the One Who gives strength to the weary [בָּרוּךְ הַנּוֹתֵן לַיָּעֵף כֹּחַ — Yeshayahu 40:29: noten laye'ef koach ul'ein onim atzumah yarbeh — "He gives strength to the weary — and to the one with no strength He multiplies power." The verse of Reb Nussun's own exhaustion and the divine gift that sustains him — iron strength to bear all of this] [Yeshayahu 40:29] — Who gave me strength of iron to endure all of this. Therefore — for the sake of Hashem — do not delay further — and send immediately without fail — at any rate — the sum that we wrote to you twice — without any excuse. For you will understand from yourselves that it is a very small sum relative to the magnitude of this distress. And there is no one who will stand in our defense — for all the wealthy men are our opponents — and there remain with us only the poor and some householders — and even they are afraid of the oppressor and the wealthy ones to help us. And even so — they have already spent for this matter much more than one hundred rubles — besides the fact that they need to support my livelihood — for they have cut off my livelihood from all sides [קִפְּחוּ אֶת פַּרְנָסָתִי מִכָּל הַצְּדָדִים — the economic warfare running alongside the physical persecution: the opponents systematically cut off all sources of Reb Nussun's income from every direction] . And besides what they do not give to me and to all our *anshei sh'lomaynu* — neither flour nor wheat-money and so forth for Pesach — and on top of all this the above-mentioned Moshe the Overturned himself goes personally to ruin the livelihood and the sustenance of each and every one. Not enough parchment scrolls to describe what Moshe and all the opponents do to all our *anshei sh'lomaynu* every day in the matter of livelihood — but we do not look at this at all — only they are digging to denounce me — G-d forbid — with every kind of false accusation and denunciation — G-d forbid. May Hashem frustrate their counsel and ruin their plan. So that — G-d forbid G-d forbid — they should not need to send double and double — and who knows if it will help afterwards. For now there is still hope to rescue ourselves with small expenses — but to depart with nothing at all is impossible — for a horse is prepared for the day of battle — and to Hashem belongs the salvation [סוּס מוּכָן לְיוֹם הַמִּלְחָמָה וְלַה' הַתְּשׁוּעָה — Mishlai 21:31: "a horse is prepared for the day of battle — but salvation belongs to Hashem." The verse of the required human effort combined with the knowledge that the ultimate outcome is Hashem's alone. Applied here: we must do our part — prepare the horse — spend the money — take the legal steps — and then trust that Hashem will provide the salvation] [Mishlai 21:31] . And from the greatness of the sorrow and the busyness — it is impossible to extend further. And I am confident in the goodness of your hearts — that even though the matter is heavy upon you — you will fulfil my words without any delay — for it is forbidden to hesitate even a single day. For the opponents are not quiet — and the wicked are like the tossing sea. And it is impossible to express the greatness of the miracles and wonders that Hashem Yisborach does with us every day to rescue us from them — but even so — Hashem Yisborach arranges it through some light cause — and money answers everything — as they will understand all of this from themselves. And there is no need to extend further for the wise and the generous of heart such as them. For the sake of Hashem — do not be silent and do not be quiet — from praying for us and especially for me every day — to rescue us from them — for the matter touches all of us. And certainly you have heard what happened in Tirahovitz. And just now it is heard here — that an investigator has come to Uman regarding the matter of the breaches they made in our *kloyz* — and that several of the opponents have been seized in jail — and they were compelled to spend a great sum to bring them out on bail. But we still do not know the details of how it is — whether all the above is clearly true. And even so — we still need great salvation — that we succeed in the legal proceedings against them. May Hashem Yisborach have mercy. And peace to all our *anshei sh'lomaynu* with great love — and especially to our dear friend — our Teacher the Rabbi Yudl — may his light shine. There is no need to urge him to pray greatly for us — for I am confident that he certainly intercedes greatly for us — and may Hashem hear his prayers and our prayers. Adil — may she live — and all her children — and the Rav — may his light shine — and all our *anshei sh'lomaynu* — spread peace with great love. The words of your true lover forever — who awaits your reply and that you fulfil my above-mentioned words immediately — and who hopes and waits for the salvation of Hashem quickly. Nussun son of our Teacher the Rabbi Naftali Hirtz — of blessed memory — of Breslov.

[Hebrew: דִּבְרֵי אָבִיךָ...]

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]