רח

I already sent you a letter on *Motzai Shabbas*. And on Sunday my letter from you arrived through the post — and it was a comfort to me.

[Hebrew: בְּנִי חֲבִיבִי....]

Peace — to my beloved son — my dear one — the rabbinical scholar — and so forth — our Teacher the Rabbi Yitzchok — may his light shine.

I received your letter on last Thursday — and it was a great comfort to me. But I have some pain from the fact that you did not mention in your letter whether you received the letter that I sent from here on the eve of Tuesday of last week's Parshas Toldos — through Rabbi Chaim Natan Tzesis [צֶעסִיס — Rabbi Chaim Natan Tzesis: a traveller passing through who agreed to carry letters — he was travelling to Odessa via Tulchin] who was traveling to Odessa via Tulchin — and I entrusted to his hand a letter for you. And within it was enclosed a letter that you should send to Kromintchak [קְרוּמִינְטְשַׁאק — Kremenets or a similar Ukrainian town — where Rabbi Efraim lives] to Rabbi Efraim — may his light shine. And it would have been fitting that these letters reach your hand on Tuesday — and you did not inform me of them — and my pain is great from this — at any rate see immediately to inform me of this. Only I was astonished by what you wrote in your letter — to burn it — and I do not know what secret is written in it — on the contrary everything in it is words of truth — and I read it twice. And you gave me life with your words that come from your heart in truth. Would that Hashem Yisborach fulfil the desires of your heart for good quickly — that you merit to be a truly worthy person in truth — as you have been longing for this many days. But in truth the yearnings and the longings themselves are also very precious [גַּם הַכִּסּוּפִין וְהַגַּעְגּוּעִים יְקָרִים מְאֹד — one of the most cherished teachings of the Rebbe: the longing for Hashem — even when unfulfilled — is itself of immense spiritual value. The very reaching toward the good — even when one cannot attain it — is a great service] — as is explained in the holy books — the greatness of the will and the holy yearnings — and especially when one merits to give them expression with the mouth every day.

[Hebrew: דִּבְרֵי אָבִיךָ....]

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]

Be strong — my son — and be strong to walk in this path — to speak the holy yearnings with the mouth every day. And compel yourself greatly to accustom yourself to this. And believe that somehow even your words are very precious in the eyes of Hashem Yisborach — for He — Yisborach — in His mercies also desires your prayer. For all the worlds — with all their great service before Him in awe and reverence always — none of it rises before Him at all compared to a single conversation and a single prayer of this lowly human being in this world [אֵין עוֹלֶה אֶצְלוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ כְּנֶגֶד שִׂיחָה אַחַת וּתְפִלָּה אַחַת שֶׁל בֶּן אָדָם הַשָּׁפָל הַזֶּה — one of the most startling teachings: that the simple prayer of a lowly human being in this world surpasses the service of all the heavenly worlds together. Explained in the Rebbe's Torah *Ki M'rachamam Y'nahagem*] [cf. LM I — Ki M'rachamam] . And if a person is very low through his deeds that have not turned out well — on the contrary — when he pours out his speech before Him — Yisborach — and performs some service — it is more and more precious in His eyes — for this is the essence of His honor — Yisborach — when those who are very distant are drawn to His service — as is explained in the holy books. And believe that everything said in the holy books regarding the great glory with which Hashem Yisborach glories even in the least of Israel — is said also about you . And more than anything — compel yourself with all your strength to rejoice with all your might every day — that we merited: that He did not make us a gentile — and separated us from those who go astray [שֶׁלֹּא עָשַׂנִי גּוֹי וְהִבְדִּילָנוּ מִן הַתּוֹעִים — from the morning blessings: *she'lo asani goy* — that He did not make me a gentile — and from *v'hivdilanu min hato'im* — He separated us from those who go astray. The daily blessings of Jewish identity are themselves a source of joy] and so forth — and even so — *un taki fort* — how fortunate are we — *ashreinu*! Beyond this it is impossible to extend just now in the open field — for I do not know with whom this letter of mine will be sent. The words of your father who intercedes for you and awaits salvation. Nussun of Breslov. And regarding my health — know that last week I was not in good health — but everything was from the pain in the intestines [הַמֵּחוּשׁ בַּמֵּעַיִם — the *mekhush bame'ayim* — Reb Nussun suffered from an intestinal condition that he had carried for a long time — as noted below in the copyist's note — it would eventually be the cause of his death in 5605 (1844–45)] — may the Merciful One save us — which I have had for a long time — as is known to you — but never before did it last as long as it did last week. May Hashem Yisborach have mercy on me and protect me from now on from this illness and from all the illnesses and pains in the world. And at every time and hour one sees that it is impossible to traverse this world except through the holy ways — the ways of Torah in truth — that we received from our master our teacher and our rabbi — of blessed memory. On every single word it is fitting for us to say: *ilmale lo asina l'alma ela l'mishma da dai* — if we had come into the world only to hear this — it would be enough . What shall we say and what shall we speak — His *chesed* has overpowered us — and the truth of Hashem is forever [Tehillim 117:2] and so forth. And peace to all our *anshei sh'lomaynu* with great love. Said the copyist: Know that from the above-mentioned illness — may the Merciful One save us — he departed in the year 5605 [תר\"ה — 5605 — corresponding to 1844–45. Reb Nussun of Breslov departed from this world on 10 Teves 5605] . And the illness he had from before he was forty years old — and in his old age it intensified until he departed through it. Woe to us for our brokenness — we are sick of our wounds [Yirmiyahu 10:19] . *Chaval al de'avdin v'la mishtakchin* — alas for those who are lost and cannot be found [חֲבָל עַל דְּאַבְדִּין וְלָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחִין — the Aramaic lament from the Talmud (Sanhedrin 111a): applied here to Reb Nussun himself by the copyist — he was one who was lost to the world and cannot be found again] . And only this is our consolation — praised be the Living G-d — upon the remnant that remains to us as an eternal remembrance — namely his holy letters and his holy books — praised be the Living G-d.