רפד

The words of your father who intercedes on your behalf.

Nussun of Breslov.

My beloved brothers and friends — the beloved precious ones — the generous ones of the people of Hashem — of the holy congregation of Breslov — and in particular to my sons — may they live.

He came to the holy congregation of Tshehrin for Shabbas Parshas Naso — and praised be G-d all was well established. And on Wednesday Parshas Beha'aloscha — he was ready to travel to Kremintshak — for so had Rabbi Ephraim spoken with him before his departure from here — and from Hashem are the steps of a man. [וּמֵה' מִצְעֲדֵי גֶבֶר — Mishlei 20:24 — "from Hashem are the steps of a man" — Reb Nussun cites this verse to explain the sudden change of plans] And a message reached him from there — not to travel there yet for several reasons — until he receives word when to come. And it was in his mind to travel on Thursday to the congregation of Medevdevka — and from there to return to his home. And afterwards — he consulted his great and superior Master — and it was illuminated in his mind — and he settled to remain here in Tshehrin for another Shabbas. And he was spending Shabbas Kodesh here across the river — in the main part of the city — at the home of his friend the wealthy man Rabbi Hirsh son of Rabbi Ephraim. And praised be G-d — he was in great joy — and Rabbi Hirsh danced greatly from joy — and also Rabbi Ber — and all the more so the young anshei sh'lomaynu. And in His great chesed they spoke greatly — true words of Torah that restore the soul. And on Erev Shabbas he received word from Kremintshak to come there — and he traveled on Sunday the 20th of Sivan. And on Monday — at the time of the morning prayer — that he prayed in the village more than two parsaos from here — and also his friend Rabbi Avraham Ber — may he live — traveled with him — and Rabbi Nachman son of Rabbi Shmuel Yitzchok from here — at the end of the prayer — Rabbi Ephraim himself came toward them together with the wealthy man Rabbi Yaakov from there — who were traveling to Berdichev — and their counsel was to return to Tshehrin — for without Rabbi Ephraim he has no business there. And so he did and returned — and just now he is here. And praised be G-d he gladdens himself — for he believes that all is for great good. And today came here Rabbi Yitzchok the son-in-law of the Maggid from Tirhaovitse. And just now it is in his mind to travel for Shabbas Kodesh coming upon us for good to the congregation of Medevdevka — from there to return to Kremintshak for the Shabbas after that — and then perhaps Rabbi Ephraim will have come home. And his eyes are raised to heaven — that He guide him in a good counsel from before Him — and lead him in tracks of righteousness for His name's sake. And praised be G-d — there is no burden of paying the hired wagon-driver for a week upon him. And he also has no wheat and no linen in Odessa.

And the precious and holy merchandise — whose profit is better than all merchandise — is found praised be G-d everywhere he comes. And in particular — for in His wondrous chesed Yisborach — He gave him a tongue of the learned — to know and to speak from the awesome novellae that were revealed in our days — that give life and restore every soul that hears them in truth. *"Zos nechamati b'anyei — ki imrascha chiyasni."* [Tehillim 119:50] And if the money gathers in a limited way — and even this with a great miracle — upon Hashem he casts his burden — for He will not abandon him. And now my brothers and friends — he told you a little of the order of his travel — from the immensity of their strong love — so that you should know and understand from afar something of what passes over him — and all is for great good — also in the physical. And now take your hearts upon your ways — to look at the hints that Hashem Yisborach hints to every person every day to draw him close to Him Yisborach — and remember well what they spoke about on the holy Shavuos that passed — to search and seek greatly after the truth of the depth of the counsels — which are the holy spirit of the true tzaddik — in a way that we merit to clarify the m'dameh — so that it becomes nullified to the true intellect — and the rider should not be subservient to the horse — rather the horse should be subservient and nullified to the rider. And see in the Midrash (Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1) on the verse *"l'susati b'richvei Pharaoh"* — "to my mare among the chariots of Pharaoh" [Shir HaShirim 1:9] — which speaks greatly there about how Hashem Yisborach fought with Pharaoh in many aspects — Pharaoh came out with a red horse — white — black — and Hashem Yisborach against him — Pharaoh came out with armor and helmet — Pharaoh brought pitch and ballistic stones and arrows — and thundered with his voice and lightened with his voice — and Hashem blessed be He as it were against him — see there well. And the Midrash is very wondrous — but one can understand from it many wondrous hints — each person for himself. For Pharaoh is the aspect of the m'dameh — the imagination. [פַּרְעֹה בְּחִינַת הַמְדַמֶּה — Pharaoh is the aspect of the m'dameh — the imagination — as cited in the Rebbe's teachings. The imagination is not simply fantasy — it is the capacity to form images and associations — and when it runs without the restraint of the holy intellect — it becomes the engine of the yetzer hara . The great battle of each person is to bring the imagination under the control of the intellect — so the horse carries the rider] And according to this — each person will explain for himself all the words of the above-mentioned Midrash. For the essential war of a person is with thoughts. For good thoughts are the aspect of the yetzer tov — and bad thoughts are the yetzer hara. And they are the evil in the m'dameh — which comes out against the holy intellect every time in different evil thoughts and strange heart-stupefications. For sometimes it comes out with a red horse — and sometimes with a white horse and black — and with armor and helmet and pitch and ballistic stones and arrows — and thunders with its voice and lightens with its voice. And the war is so strong and long — until Hashem Yisborach Himself must fight against it every time. And the essential counsel is as Israel did at the sea — who raised their eyes — and behold Egypt — the aspect of the m'dameh — traveling after them with six hundred choice chariots — as is cited in his words (Likutay Moharan 233): holy thoughts are holy living creatures — the aspect of the holy merkavah — and bad thoughts are the aspect of unclean living creatures — the merkavah of the sitra achra. And when one defeats them somewhat — they return and arise and overpower every time in many many aspects. Therefore one must cry out greatly to Hashem Yisborach — as Israel who grabbed onto the craft of their fathers — "va'yitze'aku bnei Yisrael el Hashem." And after Pharaoh exhausted all these — Hashem Yisborach began to boast over him: do you have ruach and wings and a cherub — from where did the Holy One blessed be He fly them — from between the wheels of the merkavah. For every person must be a merkavah for Hashem Yisborach. For tzaddikim are the merkavah of the Omnipresent. And if he himself cannot be a merkavah — he must at any rate search and seek the true tzaddik and nullify himself to him — and be a merkavah to him — and through this he will also be in the aspect of the merkavah of the Omnipresent. For he will merit to clarify the m'dameh — until he merits to the faith in the creation of the world in completeness — until he merits to the song of chesed that will be played on 72 strings. Blessed is the ear that hears this even now. Rejoice in Hashem — that we merited to be saved from opposing such a holy and awesome and true light. And to Hashem the hope — that we merit to feel and taste more of the pleasantness of his holy Torah — until we merit to the ultimate purpose of the Jewish person — which is the aspect of *"sova s'machos"* — *"n'imos bimineche netzach"* — the fullness of joys — pleasures at Your right hand — forever. [Tehillim 16:11] The words of your lover in truth — forever. My beloved son Rabbi Shachna — send this letter — or at any rate a copy of it — to Tultshin — to your brother my son Rabbi Yitzchok — to give life to his soul and the souls of the anshei sh'lomaynu there. And praised be G-d — his grandson Rabbi Nachman had a great share in the Torah of the past holy Shavuos — as he will tell him if Hashem wills if he wishes. Nussun of Breslov.

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]