רטז

Overview: Tuesday, Parshas Terumah — very brief. The bearer is pressed. Doesn't know what to write. What has happened here — Rabbi Nachman of Tulchin will tell a little. *Chazak* — rejoice your soul in all that you can — remove from yourself the multitude of thoughts and worries and preoccupations. All is vanity — there is no time at all — even if what is being done with you is being done — we have an old Father — confident in His great power for it is great. Return to this well in one's heart every time. Since Yitzchok is preparing to come here for some upcoming Shabbas — no need to extend. Please retrieve the little wheel from his clock that is with Yitzchok — see to have it repaired and brought here — if it can't be repaired before arrival — bring it as it is. May Hashem make him successful — and may he merit to spend his days in Torah and the service of Hashem.

Yesterday I received your letter via someone from here — and it was a great comfort to me and to all of us.

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

The bearer of this letter is very pressed just now. And I do not know what to write to you. What has happened here — Rabbi Nachman of Tulchin will tell you a little. Be strong — my son — and be strong — and rejoice your soul in all that you can — and remove from yourself the multitude of thoughts and worries and preoccupations. Remember that all is vanity — and there is no time at all — and even if even so what is being done with you is being done — we have an old Father — and we are confident in His great power — for it is great [יֵשׁ לָנוּ אָב זָקֵן — "we have an old Father" — a Talmudic phrase of trust in the Heavenly Father — here applied to both Hashem and to the Rebbe himself — the "old Father" whose immense spiritual power continues to sustain and support those who lean on him even after his passing] . And one must return to this well in one's heart every time. And since I know that you are preparing to be here for some upcoming Shabbas Kodesh — therefore there is no need to extend more. And please retrieve the little wheel [רֶעדֶילֶי — Yiddish: the small wheel or gear — from the clock mechanism] from my clock [זֵייגֶירִיל — Yiddish: clock or watch — from the German *Zeiger*] that is with you — and see to have it repaired and brought here. And if it cannot be repaired before your arrival — bring it here as it is — for I need it very greatly. And may Hashem make you successful — in this and in the next — and may you merit to spend your days in Torah and the service of Hashem.

ehrin [טְשֶׁעהרִין — Shchehrin / Tshehrin — a town in the region — a wealthy and prominent man from the Breslov circle] — who will come there with his daughter — may she live — and there the bond between them will be concluded for good fortune — and the *chuppah* will take place for good fortune soon. And the above-mentioned Rabbi Beer himself had been in Breslov personally for this — and he prostrated himself with mighty supplications before them that they should make the *shidduch* with him — and he is disbursing more than two thousand *kerblech* [קֶערְבְּלִיךְ — Russian *rublei* — rubles — a substantial sum as a dowry] for the dowry. Blessed is Hashem Who helped us until now. And the wicked expelled one [הַמִּרְשַׁעַת הַמְגֹרֶשֶׁת — "the wicked expelled one" — a reference to a woman whose efforts to oppose this match or Reb Nussun's affairs have come to nothing. The language is bitter and triumphant] — and her father and her mother — the two wicked ones — their teeth gnash and they melt — and it is as if swords pierce their belly [cf. Tehillim 37:12; 112:10]. So may Hashem in His mercies continue to cast them down — fall after fall — until they recognize the truth and tear out the hair on their heads and tear their faces over all the evil they did to themselves — that they lost with their own hands such precious wealth.

And also Moshe the Overturned [מֹשֶׁה הַמְהֻפָּךְ — "Moshe the Overturned" — a specific individual known to Reb Nussun's correspondents who had opposed the *shidduch* or taken the side of the opponents — and is now the object of the scorn of those who opposed it] — against him too they hurl words — over the fact that he is lost forever from such a good.

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]

And peace to your father — my dear friend — as my own soul — the distinguished veteran rabbinical scholar — our Teacher the Rabbi Shlomo — may his light shine — together with all his household. Be strong and resolute — my dear friend — and trust in Hashem — for He will not abandon you. The G-d Who has tended you from your beginning — even to old age and grey hair — may He not forsake you. [Bereishis 48:15; Tehillim 71:18] Arise — call out to Him — He will hasten to strengthen you. For He — Yisborach — hears the prayer of every mouth — for we have no strength except in the mouth. [כִּי אֵין כֹּחֵנוּ אֶלָּא בַּפֶּה — "for we have no strength except in the mouth" — the Talmudic teaching (Yoma 20b) applied here as the ultimate ground of hope. Speech is the one power that remains to every Jew — prayer and crying out — in any circumstance whatsoever. This is the essential message to his father-in-law Rabbi Shlomo in the time of difficulty].

Nussun of Breslov. And it is impossible to extend in this further. May Hashem Yisborach have mercy and save us quickly — through the strength and merit of the holy days of Purim that are approaching and coming to greet us in peace — that we merit to be saved from all our enemies and pursuers without cause — and they should be ashamed and greatly terrified — all our enemies and so forth. The words of your father who awaits salvation and intercedes for you all. And regarding your crying — what shall I answer you — my beloved son — have I not already written you much — and you have already heard much? And our books are in your hand — *hafoch bahem v'hafoch bahem.* You will find therein strengthening and salvations and consolations for all that passes over you and over all of us — to be among the *asirei hatikva* — the prisoners of hope [אֲסִירֵי הַתִּקְוָה — from Zecharya 9:12: "return to the stronghold — O prisoners of hope!" The phrase of ultimate hope in hopelessness: even the prisoner — even the one who is utterly confined — is still a prisoner of hope — still chained to a future of salvation] [Zecharya 9:12]. And already I spoke here with one person and asked him: *"Harishon adam tivaleid"* — "Were you born before the first man?" [הֲרִאשׁוֹן אָדָם תִּוָּלֵד — from Iyov 15:7: one of the challenges posed to Iyov by his companions. Iyov was crying bitterly about what passed over him — and his friends asked him: "Were you born before the first man — that you should know all that passes over every person in the world?" Applied here as a gentle rebuke to Yitzchok: do you expect to escape what every human being must endure?] [Iyov 15:7] — which is what Iyov's companions asked Iyov about his bitter crying — and they said to him: were you born before the first man? And Rashi explains: did you come before Adam Harishon — that you should know all that passes over every person in the world?

[Hebrew: נָתָן הַנַּ"ל...]