רעד

Nussun of Breslov.

And peace to all his household with great love. And to all the anshei sh'lomaynu who are in Tultshin and Breslov and so forth — peace and great salvation.

Abundant peace — to the honor of my beloved — friend of my soul and heart — the veteran outstanding rabbinical scholar — fruit of a tzaddik — holy of holies — and so forth — our Teacher the Rabbi Avraham Ber — may his light shine.

This week we received your precious letter — that praised be G-d a daughter was born to you for good fortune — may she live. Tov l'hodos laHashem for His mercies until here. And may it be His will that it be for you and for us for good fortune and blessing — for life and peace. And may the fruit of the tzaddik flourish — may his shoots grow and his branches lengthen and so forth — and may his holy seed multiply like the sand of the sea — and may the faces of the world be illuminated — and may *"u'fri ha'aretz l'ga'on u'l'tifares"* be fulfilled quickly in our days — Amen. [וּפְרִי הָאָרֶץ לְגָאוֹן וּלְתִפְאֶרֶת — Yeshayahu 4:2 — "and the fruit of the earth shall be for glory and for beauty" — applied here as a blessing for the child and for the redemption of Israel which her birth heralds]

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]

The words of your lover — attached more than a brother — who desires your good and your success forever.

Nussun of Breslov. Also this week he received a letter from his friend — the outstanding rabbinical scholar — Rabbi Abelele — and from his wife — with ten silver ruble. And he did not know why the letters were delayed so long on the post — close to four weeks from when they were written. And behold he already wrote to him three weeks ago when he came from Uman — and he still received no reply — no voice and no money. In his opinion — certainly the money due to his son Rabbi Shachna has already gone out from him — and more. But if it still has not gone out — please do not delay further at all — for his sons are pressing him very very greatly — and also the hour is very pressing for him. And he does not know at all what to do about the matter of livelihood — only his hope is on Hashem his G-d. Only upon you and upon all of you it falls to stand in his help at every time — beyond your strength — for it is not a vain thing to help him with livelihood — after what was done with him — and he is such a pursued one — were it not that Hashem were his help. And more than this — certainly you are unable to know what is in his heart — all that he carries on his heart — which would not be believed if told — that he could bear and complete such holy and wondrous matters in the world. At any rate it is fitting for you to support him with all kinds of support in livelihood — and Hashem will help you to fulfil for you doubled. And know his friend — that praised be G-d there were several guests with him on Shabbas Chanukah — and praised be G-d everything was in peace in His wondrous chesed. Only there is still a little fear in his heart — and he hopes to Hashem that in His chesed even the fear in his heart will be nullified. Blessed is Hashem Who bestows goodness upon those who are obligated — Who bestowed all good upon us. "Mah nashiv laHashem kol tagmulohi alai v'aleinu." Now it is fitting for you all to arouse yourselves to draw close to Hashem Yisborach — after we see His wonders and His salvation and His chesed — that in our servitude — our G-d has not abandoned us — and He extended over us wondrous chasadim and such awesome salvations. And behold — the main of our speech this Chanukah was on the holy Torah of Chanukah — which is *"ki m'rachamam y'nahalem"* — "for the One Who has mercy upon them will guide them." [Yeshayahu 49:10 — cited in Likutay Moharan I:2] And even though he has already spoken greatly about this — still one must return and mention all that is written there several times every day — for very deep and great are the words of his holy Torah. And the essential is to illuminate still in the heart of each and every one — that still Hashem is with him and beside him — and to know and remember at every time that the whole earth is full of His glory — and to arouse oneself from one's sleep at every time — lest one sleep and lose one's days in darkness — G-d forbid — in the aspect of *"Hakitzu v'rannenu shochney afar"* — "Awake and sing you who dwell in the dust." [Yeshayahu 26:19] And the main of our speech was about what is written there about *"va'asu s'yag l'Torah"* — which is in the aspect of *"s'yag l'chachmah sh'tikah"* — a fence for wisdom is silence — that one must be very silent against all the questions and confusions — and strengthen oneself only in complete faith. [סְיָג לַחָכְמָה שְׁתִיקָה — from Pirkei Avos 3:13 — and in the Rebbe's Torah of Chanukah (Likutay Moharan I:2) — this teaches that when faced with confusions and doubts about faith — the answer is not to argue or rationalize but to be silent — to hold firm in one's belief without engaging the confusion at all. This is the "fence for wisdom."] And we spoke many beautiful and true and wondrous words about this. May Hashem grant us to understand and to be wise and to fulfil all the words of his holy Torah — for they are our life. What shall I say to you my sons and students — my beloved and precious ones — for it is impossible to speak in particular in the open field — all that is in my heart about this. And please hasten greatly to fulfil my words immediately — and Hashem will strengthen your heart and the heart of all of you in Torah and prayer and charity and good deeds — and may He raise your pride and your fortune and make you successful in all that you turn to. And how greatly his joy was magnified upon seeing in his letter the immensity of his yearning and his good longings — to draw close to Hashem Yisborach. So may Hashem strengthen your heart — to yearn and to long always for Him Yisborach — until you merit to bring out the longings from your mouth — to speak from a full mouth before Him Yisborach — and to beseech before Him that He have mercy on you and draw you close from now to His service in truth. For choice is free — and the essential drawing close is through the path that our Rebbe drew in the world — which is to long greatly with good longings and strong desires to Hashem Yisborach every day — and to strengthen oneself to specify them from the mouth — to pour out one's speech before Him Yisborach — as he warned about this countless times for every person in the world — for it is a thing equal for every soul. Blessed is the one who takes hold of this — for all our life-force — especially now in the footsteps of the Messiah — is only through prayer and supplications — for our strength is only in the mouth. As it is written (Tehillim 22): *"v'anochi tola'as v'lo ish"* — "and I am a worm and not a man." And if King David — peace be upon him — said such a thing about himself — we what shall we say — what shall we speak. And all our hope is what our Sages taught about this (Tanchuma 32): just as a worm has no strength except in its mouth — so too Israel has no strength except in its mouth. And peace to all our anshei sh'lomaynu with great love — and in particular to his precious father-in-law — may he live — and to all his household. And abundant peace to his friend as his soul — the outstanding veteran rabbinical scholar — the great man — our Teacher the Rabbi Abelele — may his light shine — with all who go forth from his loins — may they live. Received your letter with the ten silver ruble. The Master of mercies may He fulfil the desires of your heart for good quickly — and may you merit in His mercies to bring forth enduring seed swiftly and quickly. And all his holy books are before you — "hafoch bahem v'hafoch bahem v'siv u'vleih bahem" — turn it over and turn it over and grow old with it and wear out with it.