רכג

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]

[Hebrew: אֲהוּבִי בְּנִי חֲבִיבִי....]

I received all your letters — and there is nothing on

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]

Abundant peace — to the honor of my beloved son-in-law — as my own son — my dear one and my friend — the distinguished rabbinical scholar — our Teacher the Rabbi Baruch — may his light shine. 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. And the bearer of this letter is very pressed — and it is impossible to extend. May Hashem Yisborach have mercy on your father and on all of you — and expand His hand and fill all your deficiencies. Nussun of Breslov. And the essential: may Hashem Yisborach strengthen your heart to strengthen yourself in the Torah of Hashem and in prayer — and to trust in Hashem — for He will not abandon you. For there is no advice for any person in the world except *bitachon* — trust [בִּטָּחוֹן — *bitachon* — trust in Hashem — the single comprehensive counsel that encompasses all other counsel. No strategy, no plan, no human resource can substitute for the foundational act of placing one's full reliance upon Hashem] . And the essential strengthening of *bitachon* is through strengthening in Torah and prayer all day — for the world is a passing shadow — and however things will be — we will spend our days equally — and nothing accompanies a person and so forth [וְאֵין מְלַוִּין לוֹ לָאָדָם — "and nothing accompanies a person" — from Pirkei Avos 6:9: in the hour of his departure from the world — neither silver nor gold nor precious stones accompany him — but only Torah and good deeds. Referenced here as the ultimate ground for investing all one's energy in Torah and prayer rather than in the anxious pursuit of material security] . And even if everyone knows this — one must return and remember this every single day. And it was not for nothing that the Tanna reminded us of this — even though it is known to all — but only to remind a person so that he not forget at any time his eternal purpose. [תַּכְלִיתוֹ הַנִּצְחִי — his eternal purpose — the *tachlis* — the ultimate reason for which a person was placed in this world. Everything else in life — wealth — status — comfort — is temporary and accompanies no one beyond the grave. Only his eternal purpose remains] And may Hashem Yisborach prolong your days and years in goodness and pleasantness.