רלח

Nussun of Breslov.

[Hebrew: אֲהוּבִי בְּנִי חֲבִיבִי....]

And peace to all our anshei sh'lomaynu with great love. To all of them were all these things said: *"chizku v'ya'ametz l'vavchem"* — "be strong and let your hearts take courage" [Tehillim 31:25] and so forth.

Abundant peace — to my beloved son — my dear one — the rabbinical scholar — and so forth — our Teacher the Rabbi Yitzchok — may his light shine.

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]

I was standing and awaiting his letter until this very hour — and even so — from my knowledge of the immensity of his yearning for my letters — I had prepared myself to write him — when in the midst of this — I received his letter at this very moment — and it was a comfort to me. How great are the deeds of Hashem — Who conducts His world with chesed and wondrous providence which cannot be assessed by the mind — *"Hashem my G-d — You have become very great"* [Tehillim 104:1] . And the *tzimtzum* is immense [הַצִּמְצוּם — the divine contraction — for it is forbidden to breach the limits of human understanding and speak of the infinite directly — one must approach from afar] — for it is forbidden to breach in this matter — but *"from afar Hashem appeared to me"* [Yirmiyahu 31:2] and so forth. And behold — on Wednesday Parshas Vayakhel — he sent him his letter from Tshehrin — and informed him that he received his letter there too in its time and season. And on *Shabbas* Parshas Vayakhel he was in Tshehrin — and arrived here on Wednesday Rosh Chodesh Adar Beis. And Rabbi Ephraim was not in his house — and he was delayed here until now. And also next *Shabbas* he will spend here — in His *chesed* Yisborach — and after *Shabbas Kodesh* he will travel to Tshehrin. And his desire is to be on *Shabbas* Parshas Tzav in Tirhoovitz — but because of the days of Purim and also because the road is somewhat damaged — it is possible that he will be delayed also on *Shabbas* Parshas Tzav in Tshehrin — and then he will be in His *chesed* Yisborach in Uman on *Erev Rosh Chodesh* Nisan coming upon us for good. And he surrenders himself in truth to Hashem Yisborach in every single step and every single movement — and from Hashem the steps of a man are established — and Hashem the Good will do with him according to His will.

And regarding your cry — these many days and years — I know your pains — I know my son — I know — and I have already written and spoken with you greatly. And what shall I add to speak just now — after all your crying and your outcry — even so — the words of his holy Torah are true — that it is impossible for two thoughts to be together at once [אֵין לִשְׁנֵי מַחֲשָׁבוֹת שֶׁיִּהְיוּ בְּיַחַד — a fundamental Breslov teaching: the mind can contain only one thought at a time — and therefore, one has it within his power to displace a bad thought by inserting a good one. The thought follows the effort of the one who serves] — and the thought is in a person's hand to direct it as he wishes. And is it not so that you yourself wrote — that in the hour when you compel yourself to the necessary study — the confusions somewhat depart from you — and from yourself you understand — that if you compel yourself to study more — the confusions will depart from you even more. And if even so they dig and lurk and pursue at every moment — without this it is impossible. For on the contrary — is it not explained in his words — of blessed memory — that *"the thought follows only the one who serves"* — specifically daika [אֵין הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה הוֹלֶכֶת אֶלָּא אַחַר הָעוֹבֵד דַּיְקָא — "the thought follows only the one who serves — specifically." From Likutay Moharan. The teaching: it is the very act of serving — of Torah and prayer and effort — that draws the mind into its proper state. The good thoughts do not come first and then enable the service — rather the service itself is what draws the good thoughts] — and see the explanation there. And also one must return greatly to all the words we spoke in his holy name — that one must cry out to Hashem Yisborach greatly — and no cry is lost — even from where it is. And if you cannot cry out and express your speech as is fitting — even so — whatever your hand finds to do — do it with your strength. And according to the paths that I guided you — you can accustom yourself to express your speech — also like a son who tells his father his pain. Nussun of Breslov. And over all of this one must compel oneself to gladden oneself — according to all the paths that you heard from my mouth and from his holy books — both through *she'lo asani goy* — and *"va'azamra lelokai b'odi"* — and *"sason v'simchah yassig v'nasu yagon va'anachah"* — and that one must grab the grief and sigh daika into the joy. And as we spoke of this greatly — praised be G-d. And especially one must make oneself joyful — me zol zich machin freilich — one must make oneself joyful [מֶע זָאל זִיךְ מַאכִין פְרֵיילִיךְ — Yiddish: "one must make oneself joyful" — one of Reb Nussun's characteristic Yiddish expressions of counsel. Joy is not passive — it is an act of will — *one must make oneself* joyful — even through deliberate means] — and to gladden oneself through words of frivolity — as all Israel is accustomed during the days of Purim. And blessed be Hashem Who kept us alive until here — and the awesome days of Purim are approaching and coming — may Hashem Yisborach gladden us with His salvation. And I believe that certainly Hashem Yisborach will do wondrous miracles with us — also during these days of Purim — for *"they are remembered and enacted in every generation and every year."* [Esther 9:28] Gladden — gladden your soul — my dear friend — for we merited to wondrous and very awesome salvations — that we were saved from the snares of the fowler — from being an *opponent* against such a rabbi — against such holy learning — against such events that were done with us. Apply your hearts well to what is happening in the world. And in every generation there are wondrous and awesome things — and the essential is in the matter of drawing close to the true *tzaddik* of that generation — as was in the days of the Baal Shem Tov — *zacher tzaddik livrachah* — and after him in the days of the Maggid — *zacher tzaddik livrachah.* But a machloket such as this that fell upon us — such has almost never been in the world — that they arose against us to swallow us for nothing — G-d forbid. Were it not that Hashem was for us and so forth. *"How many great things You have done — Hashem my G-d — Your wonders and Your thoughts toward us"* [Tehillim 40:6] and so forth. And from this itself you can rejoice greatly in all that passes over you — for it is not an empty thing from you — what we merited to know from him and from his holy Torah — it is our life and the length of our days. Praised be G-d — we have and we have One to lean on. His power then is his power now — and even more and more — to save us from all our enemies and to save us in the physical and in the spiritual. Only be strong and resolute — and begin every day anew — to be "shev v'al ta'aseh" — to sit and refrain — at any rate [שֵׁב וְאַל תַּעֲשֶׂה — "sit and refrain from action" — a halachic category meaning: when in doubt, refrain. Reb Nussun applies this spiritually: begin each day by refraining from the internal transgressions of anxiety, despair, and confusion — even this minimum is a form of daily renewal] . And fulfil what we spoke about this — and believe every day and every time — that the *chasadim* of Hashem have not ended and His mercies have not ceased — *"chadashim labekarim rabbah emunasecha."* More than this it is impossible to speak in the open field — and the time of *Mincha* has arrived. May we merit to fulfil the verse: *"vayeitzei Yitzchok lasuach basadeh"* — to express our speech every day — until we merit to come into joy — *nagila v'nismecha bishu'aso.* And abundant peace to all our anshei sh'lomaynu with great love. The words of your father who awaits to see you in life and peace and joy. And regarding the livelihood — strengthen yourself in strong *bitachon* — for certainly He will not abandon you — and all is for your good. *Hashlech al Hashem y'hav'cha v'hu y'chalkel'cha* — Cast upon Hashem your burden and He will sustain you. [Tehillim 55:23]