רפה

Nussun of Breslov.

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.

Abundant peace — to my beloved son — my dear one — the rabbinical scholar — our Teacher the Rabbi Yitzchok — may he live. He received his letter today before Shacharis — and was greatly greatly pleased — you gave life to my soul — my beloved son — for his eyes yearned very greatly for his letter. And he already sent a long letter to Breslov on Wednesday Parshas Sh'lach — and extended there somewhat in words of truth that are very much needed for him. And he warned his son Rabbi Shachna to hurry to send it to him — and presumably it has already reached him. And he hoped to Hashem that it would be a restorer of his soul. And be warned and be warned my son — to strive to fulfil what is written there — for it is very much needed for you to overpower greatly — to seize the thought with bit and bridle — lest it go outside — G-d forbid. [בְּמֶתֶג וָרֶסֶן — with bit and bridle — from Tehillim 32:9 — the verse warns: "do not be like horse and mule that have no understanding — with bit and bridle their spirit must be restrained." Reb Nussun turns this around: the person must use the bit and bridle on the horse of his own imagination — actively restraining and directing his thoughts rather than being dragged by them] And even if sometimes due to distraction of the mind it tends from the path to the outside — and all the more so when it strays — G-d forbid — to mud and mire and filthy places — G-d forbid — be careful to seize it with alacrity and to bend it toward the straight path — to think in Torah — such as what parashah is being read this week — or some Torah matter he learned recently — or even about his business and trade. Only to uproot it from the bad toward which it tended. For the thought is in the hand of a person to bend it as he wishes always. For it is impossible for there to be two thoughts simultaneously. [אִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיִּהְיוּ שְׁנֵי מַחֲשָׁבוֹת יַחַד — it is impossible for there to be two thoughts simultaneously — one of the great practical teachings of Breslov. The implication is immediate and comforting: no matter how powerful the bad thought seems — it can always be replaced. The mind can only hold one thought at a time. Therefore the person always has the power to displace a bad thought simply by bringing in a good one — and the illusion that they can coexist is only that — an illusion caused by the immense speed of thought] And if it seems that it mixes against his will into the good thought — this is because of the immense speed of the thought which it is impossible to measure. But in any case — it is true that there are never two thoughts simultaneously in any way. And he has already spoken greatly about this at Shavuos several years ago. Then: and Hashem Yisborach helped them to speak about this — in the matter of the holy merkavah — that every person must be a merkavah for the Shechinah. And against it there are merkavos of the sitra achra. And everything depends on the thought — as explained in the previous letter. And even though there is an immense and long war about this — do not panic from this — and do your part to overpower every time through all the ways of the counsels: either not to look behind oneself at all and not to fear at all — and as is written in section 72 — "do not let it concern you and it will depart of itself." Or to seize it with bit and bridle. Or to cry out greatly to Hashem Yisborach about this — and to raise one's eyes to heaven every time literally — as Israel did when they raised their eyes and saw six hundred choice chariots — and then "va'yitze'aku me'od el Hashem." And Moshe said to them: do not fear. And do not fear and do not be frightened — for Hashem Yisborach comes out against it in all this — and afterwards boasts against it in the holy merkavah. Blessed are we that in His great compassion — Hashem our G-d gave me a tongue of the learned — to know to explain such a Midrash as counsel and action for every person. And all this through what he merited to draw and to suck a little honey — from the sweet sayings of pleasantness — the holiness of his holy Torah. And all is only through his great power. What shall I say to you my beloved son and all our anshei sh'lomaynu — awesome wonders have I seen. His chesed has prevailed over us and the truth of Hashem is forever. And because of the pressing of the post — impossible to extend more. And praised be G-d — he was already on Shabbas Parshas Sh'lach in the holy congregation of Medevdevka — with his friend the veteran Rabbi Avraham Ber — and gave life to their souls greatly — praised be the living G-d. Their souls yearned for true and awesome and wondrous matters that he revealed to their ears in His wondrous chesed — a little from the much. And yesterday he arrived from there. And he is prepared now to travel to Kremintshak today or tomorrow if Hashem wills. May Hashem lead him in the path of truth — in tracks of righteousness for His name's sake. And he does not know how long he will remain there — for Rabbi Ephraim has still not come from Berdichev. Therefore it is possible that he will remain there also on the second Shabbas after that — if Hashem wills. And he will see to reply to him also from there — when he receives his letter there that he already sent there. More than this there is no need to extend. And life and peace and joy and gladness and strengthening in Torah and prayer — and abundance of good and blessing to you my son my friend — and to all those who join themselves to us. The words of your lover in truth — forever. Nussun of Breslov.