קצ

I received your letter just now — and my heart yearns over the greatness of your pain from your daughter — may she live [הוֹמֶה עָלַי לִבִּי — Yirmiyahu 4:19: the prophet's cry of physical-spiritual anguish.

[Hebrew: אֲהוּבִי בְּנִי חֲבִיבִי....]

My beloved son — my dear one.

I received your letter today — and before this Rabbi Ayzik — may his light shine — had already informed me of the trouble with your young daughter. And I am very pained by your pain and your sufferings — but I could not hold back from rebuking somewhat — about the fact that for some years now — every time — you cry out with bitter voices over everything that passes over you — as if — G-d forbid — the whole world has fallen upon you — and as if — G-d forbid — your sufferings are greater than all the people of the world. This is not right — my beloved son. For is this not the very thing that I have spoken with you thousands of times — that the world is full of pain and suffering — and as our Master our Teacher and Rebbe — of blessed memory — said — that here one can see that it is Gehinnom [שֶׁבְּכָאן נִרְאֶה שֶׁהוּא הַגֵּיהִנָּם — the Rebbe's teaching: this world — with all its pain and tribulation — is itself the purgatory. The purification happens here and now — in the experiences of life itself — not only in an afterlife dimension. Known to Yitzchok from the Rebbe's teachings] — as is known to you. And Dovid the King — peace be upon him — already cried out about it: for I am ready for limping [כִּי אֲנִי לְצֶלַע נָכוֹן — Tehillim 38:18: ki ani l'tzela nachon u'mach'ovi negdi tamid — "for I am ready for limping — and my pain is before me always." Dovid describes the human condition of perpetual vulnerability and pain — applied here as the universal norm, not a personal catastrophe] [Tehillim 38:18] and so forth — and likewise many others.

And although it is true that one certainly must cry out to Hashem Yisborach in the time of pain — and also to inform a Torah scholar of one's pain that he should pray for mercy for him — and especially to his father — for who has more compassion for you than I? Even so — every time your crying out is not as it should be — as if G-d forbid the whole world has fallen upon you — and as if your sufferings G-d forbid are greater than all the people of the world.

This is not right — my beloved son — for one must remember very much every time what is written on the verse *batzar hirchavta li* — in distress You gave me expansiveness [בַּצָּר הִרְחַבְתָּ לִי — Tehillim 4:2. The Rebbe's teaching on this verse is in Likutay Moharan I:195 — that within every constriction there is always an expansion — *hirchavta* — a widening — hidden and ready to emerge. This is the essential teaching for times of suffering] [LM I:195; Tehillim 4:2] . And especially to rejoice every time in what you were saved from — that you were saved from being an opponent — G-d forbid — against such truth — which is our support and our hope in this world and the next forever. And to consider what the opponents do when troubles greater than these pass over them — with what do they sustain themselves? With breaking windows and spilling blood and pursuing souls of Israel for nothing — so greatly.

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]

The words of your father who awaits salvation.

Nussun of Breslov. My beloved son — you must place your heart that all we speak of is not intended for mere words alone — G-d forbid — but to walk in this and to save one's soul through it — especially in a time of trouble — G-d forbid — when one must very much force oneself to find expansiveness within all the constriction and sufferings of the world [לִמְצֹא הַרְחָבָה בְּתוֹךְ כָּל הַדַּחֲקוּת וְהַיִּסּוּרִים — the practical application of the *batzar hirchavta* teaching: forcing oneself to find the *harchavah* — the spaciousness — within the *dachakus* — the pressure and constriction] — for *adam l'amal yulad* — a person is born for toil and so forth [Iyov 5:7] . And we have already spoken of this greatly — and I return to all sides every time — and I find no vitality and hope and escape and salvation in anything that passes over a person in this world — except the power of the true *tzaddik* — for were it not for the salt — the world could not endure the bitterness [כִּי אִלְמָלֵא מִלְחָא לָא הֲוֵי עָלְמָא יָכוֹל לְמִסְבַּל מְרִירוּתָא — the Zoharic Aramaic formula: salt is the symbol of the *tzaddik* whose teaching sweetens the bitterness of existence. Without the *tzaddik* — without the salt of truth — the world could not endure its own bitter suffering] and so forth. How great are the kindnesses of Hashem and His wonders upon us — that we merited to be saved from being an opponent against such a true good — who is the sweetener of all bitterness — and he is our support and our hope forever. And behold — from yourself you will understand — that according to our view we would certainly not have agreed now either to call a doctor. But in a matter like this it is hard to stand against the household members and prevent the calling of a doctor. But do not be distressed over this — for Hashem Yisborach can heal in His mercies — even though a doctor is called — for the ways of Hashem are very wondrous from our perspective. But strive with your wisdom to speak with the doctor that he minimize the medicines as much as possible. And if — G-d forbid — the doctor's opinion should be to cut there — G-d forbid — see to strive that he be negligent in this — for my mind does not agree to this at all — only to ask him perhaps he can strive to soften it through some medicines. And to Hashem belong the salvation and the mercies — to send your daughter a complete healing from Heaven quickly. And behold — I am very preoccupied — for I intend to travel tomorrow — if Hashem wills it — to Uman. May Hashem Yisborach lead me in peace. Beyond this there is no free time to extend. Be strong — my son — and be strong — and gladden your soul in all that is possible — and trust in Hashem — for He will not abandon us for the sake of His great Name. The time of song has arrived [עֵת הַזָּמִיר הִגִּיעַ — Shir Hashirim 2:12: hazamir nishma b'artzeinu — "the time of singing has come — and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land." The verse of springtime and arrival — the world awakening to its joy. Reb Nussun opens the wedding letter with this verse: the time of song has arrived. Today is the *chuppah* of his son] [Shir Hashirim 2:12] — and today will be the *chuppah* — to a good and auspicious sign — of my son — may he live. Therefore I am sending a wagon for you. And if it is possible that your wife — may she live — also comes — how wonderful. At any rate — you come with your son — may he live. And if yet another one of our beloved ones wishes to come — how wonderful. And may Hashem Yisborach shower joy and gladness and all good — let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation [Tehillim 118:24].

[Hebrew: נָתָן הַנַּ"ל...]