קצב

Overview: Friday, Erev Shabbas Parshas Balak — Breslov. A wedding letter. Addressed with *sason v'simchah yassigu* (Yeshayahu 35:10). The wedding of Reb Nussun's son is TODAY — *eis hazamir higi'a* (Shir Hashirim 2:12). Sending a wagon for Yitzchok and his son; if his wife can come — wonderful; if another of the *ohavim* wishes to come — wonderful. About the garment — has not spoken with Rabbi Shachna yet — his letter arrived at night. Do as you see fit. Then the extraordinary personal passage: surrounded by bundles of preoccupations — such a day has never passed over him in his life — compelled to make his son's wedding in poverty, pressure, *machloket*, and doubts — besides what is in his heart which cannot be expressed. But the *ribui haharchavos haniflaos* in all of this also cannot be expressed — *midah tovah merubah* — and above all: that we merited to hear about every individual detail — *v'af al pi kein ashreinu ashreinu.*

[Hebrew: אֲהוּבִי בְּנִי חֲבִיבִי....]

I received your letter — and there is nothing to inform you. After your departure the joy did not linger a long time — only about two hours — and praised be G-d everyone was very joyful.

Joy and gladness shall overtake [שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה יַשִּׂיגוּ — Yeshayahu 35:10 / 51:11: the verse of the ultimate redemption — *v'sasón v'simchah yassígu v'nassu yagon v'anachah* — joy and gladness will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee. Chosen as the greeting-verse for this letter in honour of the wedding day] [Yeshayahu 35:10] — to the honor of my beloved son — the distinguished veteran — our Teacher the Rabbi Yitzchok — may his light shine. 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] . And regarding the garment for my son — may he live — I have not yet spoken with my son Rabbi Shachna [רַבִּי שַׁכְנָא — Reb Nussun's son Rabbi Shachna — presumably involved in arranging matters for the wedding of his brother, Reb Nussun's younger son] — for his letter arrived at night and now I am ready to pray. Therefore do as you see fit — and may the Good Hashem complete everything for us for good — according to His will and the will of those who fear Him — of blessed memory. And I am surrounded by bundles of preoccupations and confusions — a great many — and certainly such a day as this has never passed over me in all my life — that I am compelled to make the wedding of my son — may he live — in such a manner and in such an uproar — in poverty and pressure like this — in *machloket* like this — in doubts like these — besides what is in my heart — which is impossible to express. But also the multitude of the wondrous expansions in all of this is impossible to express [רִבּוּי הַהַרְחָבוֹת הַנִּפְלָאוֹת שֶׁבְּכָל זֶה — even in this day of poverty and upheaval and *machloket* — Reb Nussun sees wondrous *harchavos* — expansions of divine grace — hidden within every detail. The *midah tovah* — the attribute of good — is greater than the *midah* of punishment] — and the attribute of good is abundant [מִדָּה טוֹבָה מְרֻבָּה — the Talmudic principle (Sotah 11a): the *midah tovah* — the measure of divine good — is greater than the *midas ha'pur'anus* — the measure of punishment. Even when difficulties abound — the good is always greater and more abundant] — and above all of them — that we merited to hear about every individual detail of all the above — and even so — how fortunate are we — how fortunate are we [אַשְׁרֵינוּ אַשְׁרֵינוּ — the double *ashreinu* of the wedding letter: said twice — once for the joy of this world — once for the world to come. Even on this most difficult of wedding days — even in poverty and *machloket* and confusion — *ashreinu* — how fortunate are we that we know what we know] . The words of your father — who awaits to see you with joy quickly. Nussun of Breslov.

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]