רכב

I received your letter yesterday — and I was pleased hearing of your good welfare.

And behold — the postman is still standing in my house — and I do not know at all when he will leave. More than this there is nothing new to inform you.

Abundant peace — to the honor of my dear friend — as my own soul — the distinguished rabbinical scholar — the *nagid* — our Teacher the Rabbi Shmuel Weinberg — may his light shine. I received his letter on Monday this week. And behold — the noise about the false accusation regarding the matter of what they are twisting from the words of the living G-d in the *Aleph-Beis* book [סֵפֶר הָאָ"ב — the *Sefer Aleph-Beis* of Rebbe Nachman — a collection of alphabetically-arranged aphorisms and teachings. The opponents had seized upon a passage — apparently in *Da'as* Part 2 — which they claimed supported a rationalist or naturalistic interpretation of reality. Reb Nussun here responds with a sustained and brilliant defense] — I already heard this before Pesach and it was not a new thing to me. For I had already heard this several years ago — that the opponents found here a place to err and to hold onto their *machloket.* For in the way that a person wants to go — they lead him. And the Torah has two powers: if one merited — it becomes for him a medicine of life — if one did not merit — it becomes for him a medicine of death [זָכָה נַעֲשֶׂה לוֹ סַם חַיִּים לֹא זָכָה נַעֲשֶׂה לוֹ סַם הַמָּוֶת — from Yoma 72b. The Torah itself is neutral — its effect depends entirely on the intention and the inner state of the one who approaches it. Those who approach with argumentativeness and pride will find a pretext for opposition; those who approach with humility and yearning will find life] — and each one can find in the Torah what he wants. As we have seen that the heretics interpret the very essence of our holy Torah — the Torah of Moshe — according to their evil view — all the more so other holy books. And especially in the previous generations — regarding the books that spread from the Baal Shem Tov and his holy students — that the opposing scholars found in them — even though some of them were righteous and great in Torah — even so they dug and found according to their view — as if G-d forbid the students of the Baal Shem Tov — of blessed memory — called *Chassidim* — were writing things against the Torah — G-d forbid. And if the crying of those who oppose us were only about this matter alone — certainly I would have to respond to them. But is it not known and publicized that even before — they opposed greatly — and arrogant words came out of their mouths — in insults and mockery and scoffing without measure — for nothing — over nothing. Only because all those who are attached to him and to his holy name — in his lifetime and after his passing — their heart burns with the flames of fire — the divine flame — for Hashem and His holy Torah — and to pray with intention — and they pay attention well that the world is vanity of vanities with no substance — and they accustom themselves to walk in his holy counsels which are comprised of the 613 ways of Torah that straighten a person to walk in the path of truth — in the path of our holy forefathers from time immemorial. What shall we say — what shall we speak — *ashreinu* that we merited to be saved from their error — and that our portion was placed in life — to draw close to such a holy and true light. And know — my friend — that here — when the noise arose from the matter of what is written in the *Aleph-Beis* [see *Da'as* Part 2] — there were found people of understanding who are not from our *anshei sh'lomaynu* at all — only that they inclined their mind to look at the truth — and they laughed at this — and said: even if there were no answer to this — how could it enter one's mind to oppose such a famous *tzaddik* because of some difficulty and wonder they found in his books — for we have already heard many wonders greater than these about all the famous *tzaddikim.* On the contrary — there is no famous *tzaddik* who does not have great wonders and astonishments about him. And they also cited the Sages' teaching: *"if one merited — it becomes for him a medicine of life — if one did not merit"* and so forth. And one of them said a beautiful parable about this. And it is impossible to express all their words in writing. And all the more so — according to the truth — they see with their own eyes the holy intention of our master — our teacher and our rabbi — of blessed memory — that his intention is not — G-d forbid — to know the nature of the world according to the wisdom of the investigators like Aristotle and Plato — may the name of the wicked rot. Rather his intention is to know the secret of nature — from where its root is — in the letters of the Torah and their combinations [הַכַּוָּנָה לָדַעַת סוֹד הַטֶּבַע מֵהֵיכָן שָׁרְשָׁהּ בְּאוֹתִיּוֹת הַתּוֹרָה — this is the Rebbe's central teaching on nature and Torah: that the natural world is conducted through the letters of the Torah and their combinations — nature itself has no independent existence but is an expression of the letters of Torah] — as is understood and explained in the letter preceding this one — see there. And whoever pays attention to what is written in the letter preceding this one — can have illuminated for him there a little of the greatness of our holy and awesome Rebbe — *zacher tzaddik v'kadosh livrachah.* See there every single word — for all of them are counted and enumerated with great precision — and especially what is written there at the end: *"and one who merits to understand the Torah can understand the hint of all the distinctions between all the created beings. And also know their unity — namely their beginning and their end. For in the beginning and in the end they are in unity without distinction"* — be appalled O heavens at this. Awake — arise — Hashem — to His judgment and His cause — who has heard — who has seen — such awesome things! And if the opponent were to pay attention to the truth — to nullify his evil argumentativeness against the truth — he would see there the greatness of the Creator Yisborach and the greatness of our holy Torah and the greatness of our Rebbe. And it is impossible to extend here — but at any rate from this we understand: when he wrote immediately — *"know according to the greatness of the knowledge of the nature of the world"* — his intention is: according to the greatness of the knowledge of nature — how it is rooted in the letters of the Torah — according to which nature is conducted. And as written afterwards: *"for Daniel was a great sage — and v'kol raz la aneis lei* — and he knew the nature of the lion"* and so forth. And certainly what is written *"v'kol raz la aneis lei"* [וְכָל רָז לָא אָנֵס לֵהּ — Aramaic from Daniel 4:6: "and no secret is hidden from him." The opponents interpreted this as referring to the rational investigations of Aristotle. Reb Nussun vigorously disputes this: the *razin* — secrets — are supernal secrets hidden in the Torah — not the natural philosophy of the Greeks] — his intention is not — G-d forbid — on the wisdom of the investigators — according to the view of those who err who say — G-d forbid — that Aristotle was as wise as Daniel or more — may the Merciful One save us from such evil views. But we are believers — children of believers — that what is said about Daniel *"v'kol raz la aneis lei"* — the intention is on supernal secrets — hidden and sealed secrets. And whoever knows nature according to such hidden sealed secrets — certainly nature is subjugated beneath him. And this itself is the force of the miracle that Hashem did for Daniel. 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. 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. 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. And peace to all our *anshei sh'lomaynu* with great love — and especially to my dear friend — as my own soul — my brother and my veteran pious friend — our Teacher the Rabbi Naftali — and to all his household and all those attached to him — peace and great salvation. Please — my dear brother — write me immediately a letter in his own handwriting — in order to restore my soul at such a time — and *eis tzarah hi l'Yaakov u'mimennah yivvashe'a* — it is a time of trouble for Yaakov — and from it he will be saved. [Yirmiyahu 30:7] The words of one who loves him in truth forever. Nussun of Breslov.

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]