ריב

I r

eceived your letter through Rabbi Nach

Peace — to my beloved son — my dear one — the rabbinical scholar — our Teacher the Rabbi Yitzchok — may he live — to him and to his household — peace and all good.

I received your letter from yesterday at around midday — and it was a comfort to me. Although my heart yearns over his pain from what passes over him — yet I know that no person is clean of this. And although not all faces are alike — and not this sight is like that sight — even so they are all equal in this: that inevitably much much passes over each one every day. And in all likelihood — if in the future they will tell a person all that passed over him each day — as we have heard of this and so forth. Certainly much passes over each and every one every day — and whoever pays careful attention to the words of our Sages — of blessed memory — who expounded on the verse *vayiitzer* [וַיִּיצֶר — Bereishis 2:7: "And Hashem formed man" — the word is written with two *yuds* — unusual. The Sages in Berachos 61a derive from this that a person was created with two opposing forces — *yetzer* for creation (*yotzri*) and *yetzer* for inclination (*yitzri*) — and hence the dual cry] : *oy li miyotzri — oy li miyitzri* — woe to me from my Creator — woe to me from my evil inclination! [Berachos 61a] — it emerges that the very essence of a person's creation is to be compelled to endure this confusion and this battle every day — *oy li miyotzri — oy li miyitzri* — and so it passes over every person.

And on the contrary — one should give oneself life from the fact that one still feels both these cries — for there is someone who no longer feels it at all — and his heart does not ache at all from anything that passes over him. And as our Rebbe — of blessed memory — said explicitly — that one should give oneself life with this very thing — that at least one feels one's pain and so forth — as printed in *Likutay Tinyana* [לִקּוּטֵי תִּנְיָנָא — Likutay Moharan Part Two — the second collection of the Rebbe's Torah teachings. Reb Nussun is referring to a specific teaching where the Rebbe says that even the very fact that one feels one's spiritual pain is a sign of life — for there are those who have fallen so far that they no longer feel the pain of their distance from Hashem at all] . And praised be G-d — you gave me life with your words — when you wrote that you give yourself life through the words and the advice that you heard from me — so it is the right measure — and so it is good for you. Turn them over and turn them over and so forth. [Avos 5:22]

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]

The words of your father who awaits to rejoice in you — in this world and the next forever. Nussun of Breslov. At present there is nothing new to inform him — and he will hear everything from the mouth of Rabbi Nachman of Tulchin who traveled from here yesterday. And I was astonished that you did not mention in your letter the matter of the hat (*kovah*) of my son — which I entrusted to Rabbi Ze'ev here — and my whole previous letter was only about this. And through this you gave him some words of truth that he wrote there — and you did not pay attention to respond to me about this at all. Do you not know that all the desires of a person who wants to draw close to Hashem Yisborach — and especially my own desires — are all very precious and all touch very much on the service of Hashem — and it is impossible to extend in this — for from yourself you understand all of this. And the past is gone. Now see that the hat arrives to me quickly — and as I spoke with the above-mentioned Rabbi Nachman and urged him about this. And also urgently urge very very much to send me at once the *Choshen Mishpat Part Two* — for I need it very greatly — and for G-d's sake do not delay in this at all. The letter that I sent via Rabbi Chaim Natan — I already wrote to you that I had information it was opened in Bartznik. And the information came through Rabbi Yaakov Shtramosvaser who told this before Rabbi Shmuel Weinberg. And in my estimation you know and recognize the above-mentioned Rabbi Yaakov — therefore see to strive to meet with him — perhaps you can manage that he will tell you where the letter is. And if it is possible to recover them — certainly strive with all your strength to recover them and to inform me of this. And we believe in His individual providence — Yisborach — and certainly everything is for good — for I had great effort and toil before I sent the above-mentioned letters — but certainly everything came from Hashem — He wondroused His counsel — He magnified His wisdom [Yeshayahu 28:29] . Every day we see the wonders of Hashem in every matter — besides what we believe — for it is impossible for a person to understand anything — for His thoughts — Yisborach — are very deep. How fortunate are we — that we merited to see and to hear what we have seen and heard. And every time he said: we do not know at all — and his *ein yodei'a* — his not-knowing — is a greater novella than his knowing [הָאֵין יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁלּוֹ הוּא חִדּוּשׁ יוֹתֵר מֵהַיְדִיעָה שֶׁלּוֹ — one of the most profound statements in all of Reb Nussun's writings. The Rebbe's acknowledgment of not-knowing — his *ayin* — his *ein yodei'a* — is itself a greater teaching than anything he knew and could express. The infinite depth of what cannot be known surpasses even the profound teachings that were transmitted] — for it is for each one according to what he imagines in his heart. And through the immensity of His mercies — Yisborach — we merited that even this wonderful matter entered into us — to be necessary for each and every one — even in all the descents of the world. For he concluded afterwards: and even you — and so forth — that each one fell to where he fell — and so forth — but... [וַאֲפִלּוּ אַתֶּם וְכוּ' — this is a reference to a specific teaching of the Rebbe — in which he addressed his students directly: "even you — each one fell to where he fell — but..." — the ellipsis is deliberate — for His greatness has no investigation and no one knows at all — and THEREFORE there is hope for every person without exception. The very incomprehensibility of Hashem's greatness is the ground of infinite hope] — that is — that for His greatness there is no investigation and no one knows at all — therefore there is hope for our future — even for the worst of the worst — and the essential is not to despair from crying out and from supplication and so forth. Remember all this every day. And it was not even my intention to write this to you just now — but the immensity of your yearning and the burning of your good heart toward the truth compelled me to write all of this to you. And may Hashem illuminate your eyes and the eyes of all who desire truth — that our true words enter their hearts — for they are wonderful things — very very wonderful — beyond measure. And peace to all our *anshei sh'lomaynu* with great and fierce love — and especially to the dear friend of my soul — the rabbinical scholar and so forth — our Teacher the Rabbi Shimshon — may his light shine. To you also were all these things said. Be strong and resolute and so forth — for this world is vanity of vanities — and what remains for a person is only Torah and prayer and good deeds. And even if everyone knows this — even so it is complete and clear and pure truth without any doubt whatsoever. And one must remember this every single day. And today I studied in Yeshayahu chapter 40: *"a voice says: call"* and so forth — *"all flesh is grass"* — and Rashi explained: all who raise themselves high — their greatness will be overturned and become as grass — and another interpretation: all flesh is grass — in the end a person dies. And it was in my eyes as new things when I studied this. Would that you pay attention in truth to all these matters in truth and wholeheartedness — and do not fear because a man becomes rich and so forth. And today I saw: whoever pays attention to the truth sees at every time that all the books cry out and proclaim awesome proclamations to return to the truth. More than this I hold myself back with all my strength from writing further in the open field — especially in these times. And may Hashem give truth to Yaakov and so forth. For he concluded afterwards: and even you — and so forth — that each one fell to where he fell — and so forth — but... [וַאֲפִלּוּ אַתֶּם וְכוּ' — this is a reference to a specific teaching of the Rebbe — in which he addressed his students directly: "even you — each one fell to where he fell — but..." — the ellipsis is deliberate — for His greatness has no investigation and no one knows at all — and THEREFORE there is hope for every person without exception. The very incomprehensibility of Hashem's greatness is the ground of infinite hope] — that is — that for His greatness there is no investigation and no one knows at all — therefore there is hope for our future — even for the worst of the worst — and the essential is not to despair from crying out and from supplication and so forth. Remember all this every day. And it was not even my intention to write this to you just now — but the immensity of your yearning and the burning of your good heart toward the truth compelled me to write all of this to you. And may Hashem illuminate your eyes and the eyes of all who desire truth — that our true words enter their hearts — for they are wonderful things — very very wonderful — beyond measure.

[Hebrew: נָתָן הַנַּ"ל...]