רכא

Nussun of Breslov.

I received his letter on Monday this week.

Peace and life and blessing — to the honor of my beloved son — the rabbinical scholar — our Teacher the Rabbi our Teacher the Rabbi Yitzchok — may his light shine forever — and to all those joined to us — peace and great salvation.

I received your letter yesterday. And even though time is insufficient to reply to you — and still I do not know what to reply to you — even so the immensity of your yearning compelled me to interrupt the learning after the morning prayer and to shorten it for your sake — perhaps Hashem Yisborach will help to arrange words under my pen that will restore your souls — and be in the category of *talmud Torah d'rabbim* — the Torah study of the many — which surpasses everything [תַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָה דְּרַבִּים — from the Talmud: Torah study that benefits many simultaneously surpasses in merit all other forms of Torah study. A letter of this kind — one that strengthens many souls — constitutes such study] — and especially such great *talmud* that flows from the flowing stream — which leads to action — which is above everything.

And behold — I have already written you much — both what is engraved in the printed holy books — and in the written booklets that Hashem Yisborach helped me to innovate in them — and to bring out something from within something — and are they not in your hand — both the multitude of the letters I have already written you — and especially the multitude of words that we spoke face to face from then until now. And what can I add to innovate — for you know that for all your crying you can receive an answer from what you already know and heard. But even so I was compelled to fulfil your desire to reply — for this very reason — to remind you and urge you to remember well every day and at every time all the holy true wholesome words — and even so they are very very deep — filled with true deep wisdom — depth within depth without end and without limit — upon which nothing can be added and from which nothing can be subtracted — only to examine them and to pay attention to them. You will find every time all kinds of delicacies that restore the soul — and true counsels to strengthen your soul — and the soul of those like you — and those worse than you — and those better than you — each one according to his level — the wealthy and the poor and the middle — young and old — healthy and weak — G-d forbid — in all kinds of times that pass over a person — all as one — everyone can find in them good taste and true knowledge — in a way that each one remains in his place at every time — to leap upon all those who stand against him every day to disturb him from both worlds — G-d forbid.

For not one alone stands against every person every day to destroy him entirely — G-d forbid — but very many — very many — from every side — as it is written in Koheles: *"a small city and few people in it — and a great king came to it and surrounded it and built great siegeworks against it"* [Koheles 9:14] . And we have already spoken of this — but you still need to pay attention to all the words of this verse — how the king who is the *yetzer hara* — the old and foolish king — surrounds a person from every side and builds great siegeworks against him until it would be impossible to stand against him — were it not that Hashem helps us every day. And as our Sages said [Sukkah 52b] : every day a person's *yetzer hara* overpowers him — and were it not that the Holy One — blessed be He — helps him. And even so there is some aspect of free choice for a person. But this we have known for a long time — that nowhere are there to be found such wonderful true counsels as in his holy books — and as the words spoken between us that flow from his holy words that we received in writing and by mouth.

Remember this well — and rouse yourselves and strengthen yourselves and be men — and do not be what they call *shleimaz'lnikes* — schlemiels [שְׁלֵימַזְלְנִיקֶס — Yiddish: "unlucky wretches" — those who have completely given up and consider themselves hopeless cases] . Look and see that the entire world is full of pains more than you — and all that passes over you and all of you — has already passed over everyone who wanted to enter to draw close to Him — whether in this generation or in the previous generations. *"Zekor y'mos olam binu sh'nos dor v'dor"* — "Remember the days of old — understand the years of generation after generation" [Devarim 32:7] — Moshe Rabbeinu — upon him be peace — warned us — and it is a *mitzvah* and an obligation upon every person. For whoever is not foolish can understand from what he heard and saw in the books — all the events that happened under the sun with each one in every generation — that very many were disturbed through these circlings and confusions and so forth — may the Merciful One save us — and fortunate are those who remained standing in their service.

And the essential foundation of those who remained is through true strengthening — that they understood what was happening in the world and did not allow themselves to fall in any way. But still — there was never found anyone who strengthens so much with such wonderful counsels as our master — our teacher and our rabbi — of blessed memory — who strengthens and sustains and restores all the souls — even the very very fallen — in many kinds of deep and wholesome languages — and all of them taken from the place from which they are taken — where no thought can grasp there. And to begin to speak of them one would need to return and explain all his holy books. Therefore consider your ways and return your foot to His testimonies — which are the holy Torah novellae that he revealed to us. *Hafoch bahem v'hafoch bahem — v'siv u'v'lei bahem — u'meihem lo tazu'a* — turn them over and turn them over — grow old and worn out in them — and from them do not move [הֲפֹךְ בָּהֶם וַהֲפֹךְ בָּהֶם וְסִיב וּבְלֵהּ בָּהֶם — from Avos 5:22 — applied here to the holy books and teachings of the Rebbe himself] [Avos 5:22] — for there is no finer attribute than them. More than this there is no need to extend.

And peace to all our *anshei sh'lomaynu* with great love. To all of them were these words said — to all who desire the truth in truth. *Chizku v'ya'ametz l'vavchem kol ham'yachalim laHashem* — be strong and let your heart take courage — all you who hope to Hashem. [Tehillim 31:25]

And all the harsh and immense sufferings he had — and all the opposition of the immense *machloket* against him and against those attached to him — is only because of this — that he wants to subdue all foreign views and heresy from Israel — and to instill complete faith in the world — as is known to whoever merited to stand before him. But the truth is revealed to one who desires the truth — for on the contrary — this itself is the force of the miracle done for Daniel: that Hashem in His mercies had compassion on him — through the multitude of his prayers — that he merited to stand on the matter — to attain then the greatness of the knowledge of the nature of the lion in its supernal root — up to the very highest — until the lions were subdued before him and did not harm him at all. For this is known — that all the miracles that Hashem Yisborach did for all the *tzaddikim* — all of them were through prayer — but even so — at the time of the miracle — Hashem Yisborach arranged some cause for good — through which the miracle came.

And therefore in most miracles Hashem commanded to do some thing for the sake of the miracle — as Hashem sent the locusts — it is written [Shemos 10:12]: *"stretch out your hand over the locusts"* and so forth. And so with the boils it is written: *"take for yourselves handfuls of furnace soot"*. And so with Elisha it is written [Melachim II 4:41]: *"and they took flour and threw it into the pot — and there was no death in the pot"* and so forth. And is there not much room and salvation before Him — Yisborach — to do the miracle without any doing of some thing — but this is His way — Yisborach — and who can understand the immensity of His works. So too in the matter of Daniel — the miracle was wondrous through his prayer — but this was the essential cause of the miracle — what Hashem Yisborach strengthened his mind then — at the time he was thrown into the lions' den — that his mind should be cleaved and bound to Hashem and His holy Torah — until he knew and attained the secret of nature — how it is conducted through knowledge — namely through the knowledge of the letters of the Torah and their combinations — and through this he was saved from them. For this every person can understand — that it is a wondrous miracle that his mind should be strong at such a time of distress — when the lions are roaring with their awesome voice and throwing him among them — and even so he stands in his mind to attain and know their nature in their supernal root — according to the supernal secrets hidden in the Torah that are comprised in Him — until he is saved through this certainly — there is no one now who can stand in this. And is it not that *"v'kol raz la aneis lei"

* for Daniel — this itself is a wondrous miracle — and he merited to this through prayer — as is explicit there in Daniel — that he prayed about this and commanded his companions Chananya Mishael and Azarya to pray to Hashem Yisborach about this — *"v'edayin b'chezvan leilya raza gali"* — "and then in a night vision the secret was revealed" [Daniel 2:19]. And so too when they wanted to throw him into the lions' den — he prayed to Hashem — until Hashem Yisborach opened the eyes of his mind — that he attained the secrets and mysteries from which all the power of the nature of the lion — and through this the lions were subdued before him and he was saved from them.

And is this not the essential completeness of faith — to believe that nature is conducted by Him — and that nature itself is providence. And whoever has this faith in completeness — he can change nature — for he knows the truth that there is no nature at all — only Hashem conducts His world in this order — that the dry land should be dry land and the sea should be sea — which is called by the world nature — but in His will He changes this order — and overturns the sea into dry land. And as our Sages said [Ta'anis 25a]: *"He Who said to the oil and it burned — He will say to the vinegar and it will burn."* The principle is that all miracles are only through this — through believing that all the order of nature is conducted by Him — Who conducts and sustains His world through the letters of the Torah and their combinations. And whoever knows all this can do wondrous miracles and change nature — for he knows that everything is in His will — but all through prayer. For this knowledge cannot be attained every time — except through prayer. And the Examiner of hearts knows the truth — that we cry out in truth more than the opponents. He Who answered Daniel in the lions' den — He will answer us — especially now that we are between their teeth more than in the mouth of lions — as our Sages said: better that a person throw himself into a lions' den and so forth.

And we have no one to lean on except our Father in Heaven. He Who answered Daniel and so forth — and all the *tzaddikim* and the pious and the upright and the wholesome — He will answer us — and save us from the sword from their mouths — and those who seek our soul will be ashamed and humiliated — they will be ashamed and greatly terrified — all our enemies — they will return and be ashamed in an instant. Amen — so may it be His will. And I was very very astonished at you — my dear one — that your mind began to be confused from this difficulty. For even if there were some difficulty and wonder — is it not already publicized that upon the *tzaddik* — there must inevitably be difficulties and wonders — for he resembles his Creator and so forth — as explained in his holy books. And all this is to remind you and your friends to begin anew to cry out to Hashem Yisborach — to draw close to Him — Yisborach — in truth — since you see that they are still digging against you and so forth.

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]

May the Master of Mercy have compassion on me and on you — that we merit to walk in His true ways — so that we not be ashamed forever. *Nagila v'nismecha bishu'aso.* More than this it is impossible to extend in the open field. Nussun of Breslov. The words of your father and your lover in truth forever — who seeks your good and your success — in this world and the next — forever and for all the worlds of worlds. For the opponents want to overturn the bowl — and all their gnashing of teeth is that they want to fabricate and deny — for if so they are denying — G-d forbid — the force of the miracle. And may their mouths be filled with gravel for such foolish vanity — that they want to hang empty fabrications on such a true holy and awesome *tzaddik* — who is known and publicized — that all his days he engaged with immense efforts to instill faith in Israel in simplicity and wholeheartedness without any wisdoms — and he revealed many wonderful and awesome Torahs about this as is publicized — and bring the book and see it. And all the harsh and immense sufferings he had — and all the opposition of the immense *machloket* against him and against those attached to him — is only because of this — that he wants to subdue all foreign views and heresy from Israel — and to instill complete faith in the world — as is known to whoever merited to stand before him.

[Hebrew: נָתָן הַנַּ"ל...]