קפו

To my beloved son — the dear one — our Teacher the Rabbi Yitzchok — may his light shine. Peace and life and all good — in this world and the next forever. His letter I received — and you already know that I do not go outside — therefore I had no one through whom to reply to you. May Hashem Yisborach have mercy that everything turn to great good for all of us — and may those who magnify themselves against us be clothed in shame and disgrace — and those who desire my righteousness rejoice and be glad — and say always: May Hashem be magnified [Tehillim 35:27] . And thanks be to G-d — Hashem helps me — that I am for the most part in joy — over the immensity of the wonders of His eternal kindness — that I merited to hear all that I heard — and to write them in a book — to make them known to the children of men and so forth. And in truth all of you also need to rejoice in this every day — for it is not an empty thing from you — for it is your life forever [כִּי הוּא חַיֵּיכֶם לָנֶצַח — Devarim 32:47: ki lo davar reik hu mikem ki hu chayeichem — "for it is not an empty thing from you — for it is your life." The verse Moshe says at the end of his life about the Torah: it is your very life. Applied here to the Rebbe's words and teachings] [Devarim 32:47] . And G-d forbid that any word should be old in your eyes — for these are words that flow — each and every word is a well of living waters [כָּל דִּבּוּר וְדִבּוּר הוּא בְּאֵר מַיִם חַיִּים — the metaphor of the *be'er mayim chayyim* — the well of living waters — for each individual word of the Rebbe's teaching. Every word flows with life and depth. The image recalls the *nahal novea* — the flowing stream — that is one of the Rebbe's central metaphors for his own Torah] — cool water upon a weary soul [Mishlai 25:25] — renewing itself every day and every time — reviving every soul that desires life — restoring with seven restorers of taste [מֵשִׁיב בְּשִׁבְעָה מְשִׁיבֵי טַעַם — a Talmudic phrase (Avos 5:7) on the quality of the scholar who knows how to answer: applied here to the Rebbe's words as having seven dimensions of restorative flavour] — revealing the greatness of the Creator and the flashing of His G-dliness — Yisborach — in a way that the mouth cannot speak — for each one according to what he estimates in his heart — and beyond them they ascend to the infinite and so forth. Many things You have done — Hashem our G-d — Your wonders and Your thoughts toward us [Tehillim 40:6] and so forth. And the Master of wonders Who has helped me so greatly until here — may He not forsake me even now — and may He help me and save me quickly — and fell and humble our enemies beneath us . You — the G-d Who performs wonders — for Your sake and for the sake of the true *tzaddik* — humble them to the very dust — and to Hashem belongs the salvation. And behold — the immensity of your longing for the holiness of the Shavuos of our Master our Teacher and Rebbe — the awesome and very exalted one — of blessed memory — whose truth and holiness hover over us all day — and especially at the time of our holy gathering — your longing and your crying out makes an impression — with the help of Hashem Yisborach [תְּשׁוּקָתְךָ וְצַעֲקָתְךָ עוֹשֶׂה רֹשֶׁם — Reb Nussun tells Yitzchok: your *teshukah* — yearning — and your cry of prayer and longing — makes an *roshem* — a spiritual impression — an imprint — in the upper worlds. Even from a distance — the longing of the person who cannot be present reaches and touches and effects change] . And if we merit — I will tell you — if Hashem wills it — face to face on the holy Shavuos that comes upon us for good. But still — you and all of you need to long and yearn greatly for the true holiness of Shavuos — that we merit to gather together — all of us — and to pray greatly to Hashem Yisborach that it be in peace and tranquility — and from the fear of the enemy may He guard my life and the life of all of us [מִפַּחַד אוֹיֵב תִּצֹּר חַיַּי — Tehillim 64:2: the prayer for protection from the enemy's threat. Applied to the Shavuos gathering: that the holy assembly be in peace — protected from the fear of the opponents] [Tehillim 64:2] — and we merit to speak with joy the words of truth that give life to the soul forever — flowing from the holy and awesome flowing stream [הַנַּחַל נוֹבֵעַ — the *nahal novea makor chochma* — the flowing stream that is the source of wisdom: the Rebbe's central metaphor for the *tzaddik* whose Torah flows like a never-ceasing stream. This is both a reference to the Rebbe's famous *Torah* of that name and to the entire quality of the Rebbe's teaching] . And may the One Who hears the prayer of every mouth hear our prayer and save us for the sake of His Name. The words of your father who awaits salvation quickly. Nussun of Breslov.