ריח

His letter reached me yesterday with toil and effort.

Just now there is nothing new to inform him. And regarding your crying about your sufferings — I was astonished at you — my beloved son.

My beloved son — my dear one — and my friend.

I received your letter on *Ta'anis Esther* [תַּעֲנִית אֶסְתֵּר — the Fast of Esther — the day before Purim] — when several guests gathered to me from our *anshei sh'lomaynu.* The preoccupation of Purim was upon me — and also the fear of the enemies — as is known to you — may Hashem Yisborach have mercy — and may He guard my life from the dread of the enemy. And even so I read your letter well. And I had great pain then — to the very soul. But through the ways of true and wonderful and deep counsel of the true Master of Counsel [בַּעַל הָעֵצָה הָאֲמִתִּי — the true Master of Counsel — the Rebbe himself — for the Rebbe is the *ba'al ha'eitzah ha'amitis* — the one who possesses the truly deep and wonderful counsel that can give life in every situation. His counsel is the antidote to every suffering and every darkness] — they strengthened and fortified me to overcome with the joy of Purim over all the above. And praised be G-d — we rejoiced a little on Purim and on the Shabbas following it — and we spoke words of truth flowing from the wellsprings of salvation [cf. Yeshayahu 12:3] . And a little of them you will hear from the bearer of this letter.

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]

The words of your father who awaits hearing good news from you. Nussun of Breslov. 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? From this every person can understand — regarding what passes over him — whether in the matter of bodily needs and livelihood — whether in the matter of character traits and deeds and so forth. Were you born before Adam Harishon — that you should know what passes over everyone? For a person came into the world for the very purpose of enduring whatever will pass over him — and he must be strong as a rock to endure everything — and in all that passes over him — to hope and await and yearn to Hashem Yisborach — and never to despair from mercy in any way. And we have already spoken much of this — and at present time does not allow extending. My son — overcome and cast away from yourself all the fears and the *marah shechorah* — whether from the past and whether from the future. Only strengthen yourself to snatch what you can at every time — some word of Torah or prayer or *mitzvah.* And trust in the great power of the holy elder — who has the power to repair everything. And rejoice your soul at every time that you merited not to be an opponent of him — and of those attached to him who are called by his holy name. And we have already spoken much of this. But every day you need to remember this — and especially at the time of pressure and straits — G-d forbid. For in truth — also I myself — in my poverty — in all that passes over me — all my vitality and my hope and my strengthening — all of it is through this — as you know a little of this.