שיח

And peace to all our anshei sh'lomaynu with great love.

Letter 315 overview: Monday, Parshas Va'eschanan — Brod — 5600. To his beloved son. Brief. On Wednesday he came here. And on Friday — Erev Shabbas Kodesh — he sent him and Breslov his letters at length. And if Hashem wills — on Tuesday or Wednesday — when he will cross the border to Radivil — he will write again. Hashem helps him every time with wondrous salvations and great chasadim — as he will tell them. But he knows that he does not go out toward Him Yisborach at all — and this is all his pain and trouble. How he gives himself life with what he mentioned in his letters — about the matter of Azamra. And if they were going in this as he does — they would already be more worthy than him. But also he is glad over his portion — praised be G-d. Impossible to extend now.

The honor of all our precious anshei sh'lomaynu — beloved more than gold and pearls — those who fear Hashem and are complete — who hold fast and cling to the Tree of Life — ashrehem ashrei chelkam — the generous ones of the people of Hashem — those of the congregations of Tshehrin and Medevdevka and Krakav and Kremintshak and their surroundings. May Hashem command the blessing with them — and may they succeed in all that they turn.

May they merit from now to draw close to Hashem Yisborach and His Torah in truth — according to all the wondrous and awesome deep ways and counsels that we have drawn from the springs of salvation — until their eyes will be opened — and they will merit to see the pleasantness of their portion — to taste the sweet nectar of the pleasant words — the sweetness of the holiness of his holy Torah — and to go in his paths all the days of their lives forever — until they merit to behold the pleasantness of Hashem and to visit His sanctuary — in this world and in the World to Come — forever — Amen so may it be His will.

Until here His mercies have helped us — that he merited to return here yesterday — and to cross the border in peace. And he is now preparing himself to travel for the holy Shabbas coming upon us for good — Shabbas Nachamu — the Shabbas of Consolation — to the congregation of Kremenits. And from there they will travel in His salvation Yisborach to Berdichev — and so forth — until he arrives quickly in His chesed Yisborach to the place of our rest and our hope — the congregation of Uman — to the place of the holy tziyun. And the awesome holy days are approaching — would that they begin now at any rate to go in his ways in truth and in wholeness.

And behold my beloved ones — my brothers and my friends — friends who are bound closer than a brother — friends and companions in this world and in the World to Come — forever — if he were to tell them even a fraction of the edge of the immensity of the wonders and the chasadim and the wonders of wonders that Hashem Yisborach does with them — and in particular with him the poor and the destitute — every day and day — and in particular on this journey — many sheets would not suffice. And even though he has already known and believed and spoken much about this — that his holy light will not be extinguished — G-d forbid — in any way — and many waters cannot extinguish such a true holy and very very exalted light — and rivers cannot flood it [Shir Hashirim 8:7] — even so — now with his own eyes he has seen a little — and more than this he believes — with Hashem's help. Therefore he cannot restrain himself from telling them a little — to give thanks for the past — and to cry out for the future. For still they need many salvations and great and wondrous chasadim — each one in general and in particular. For still the sitra achra is lurking and undermining — in general and in particular — against each and every one — making what it can to ambush and to undermine and to catch in its net — G-d forbid G-d forbid — until every time it seems as if it is impossible to break such concealments and obstacles and confusions and desires and entanglements and delays and preoccupations — and so forth. And as he explained on the verse *"pash'tuhu v'la ayeil l'tar'a"* — they spread it out but it did not enter the gate — and in other places. Would that each one merit to fulfil the counsels said there — in siman 25 — in the Torah *"achavei lan mana"* — that is: to increase in *tzedakah* to worthy poor people who are close and attached — and to be proud and to rejoice in what one has merited to draw close — to the place where one has drawn close — for through all this the supernal colors are revealed — which is the greatness of the Creator Yisborach. And behold — praised be G-d — he was in Brod and Lemberg. And regarding their work — it was impossible to engage in it at all in any way — and he was almost despairing of it himself. But *"chasdei Hashem ki lo samu"* — "the chasadim of Hashem — for they have not ceased" — and a counsel was found — through one honorable man who wants to engage in it. And to Hashem the salvation — that it be completed for the best. Let their eyes see and their hearts rejoice — with Hashem's help. And for now — praised be G-d — they engaged there much — and he spoke much — of the sweetness of the wonders of his Torah and his greatness and the exaltedness of his level — and it was very very pleasing in their eyes. And most of the Chassidim there received him with great honor — only money he did not take out of there even half the expenditures. And the little he received was from his relatives who are great magnates — but their closeness was distant — and their gift was very very small. But *"tov li soras picha mei'alfei zahav vakasef"* — "better to me is the Torah of Your mouth than thousands of gold and silver" [Tehillim 119:72] — for praised be G-d — he gave life to them greatly. And yesterday — many Chassidim and the great and important ones among them accompanied him from Brod — until outside the city. And many of them accompanied him and traveled with him to the border — which is close to a parsa (about three miles). And on the way they drew from him and elicited many words and Torahs from his holy Torah. And he told them from the Torah about the praise of the tzaddikim — through which the speech is heard and received — and from the Torah *"ani hayom y'lidtich"* — "I have this day begotten you." And he told them by way of conversation — how he merited to hear this awesome and wondrous revelation — and a little of what passed then — and they were startled and trembling greatly. Afterwards — from the immensity of their longing — he opened his mouth in His chesed and salvation Yisborach — and he told them how the holy Torah *"hane'or balailah v'hamehalech baderech y'chidi"* — "one who wakens at night and one who walks alone on the road" — was said — and he said before them the entire awesome Torah. And he informed them of the truth — that our Rebbe — zacher tzaddik livrachah — warned very much the youth to express their conversation before Him Yisborach every day and day — and in particular at night and on the road alone — until through this they can merit to be included in the obligation of existence — and to raise the entire world that depends on them — to be included in Him Yisborach — Who is the obligatory existent. And several young men walked beside the wagon and behind it — for they walked on foot from there to the border — which is close to a parsa. And all of them stood trembling and astonished — the hair of their flesh standing on end — almost that their souls departed. And one of them was the dayan of the congregation of Brod — a great outstanding Torah scholar who could say wondrous great novellae in the Gemara — the explanation of Tosafos — and also the rest were scholars and important people — all of them were startled from hearing — they did not know what to do. And also he himself and Rabbi Nachman reminded himself anew — where are we in the world — that we merited to hear such a thing — and still we are far from his Torah. And he is crying out in his heart now over the days that have passed — so many years — that he did not merit to fulfil this because of the multitude of the obstacles. But he gladdens himself over the very little that he merited at times to fulfil a little of this. And also what they merited — to express their conversation in the day — is also very very precious. For not every person merits to fulfil all the above in completeness. And happy is one who merits hisbodidus even in the day — but happy and happy is one who merits to fulfil simply *"hane'or balailah v'hamehalech baderech y'chidi"* — until one merits to be included — may our portion be with them forever. And therefore he urged himself to write to them immediately — before Shacharis — for this letter is for him talmud Torah d'rabbim — Torah study of the many — for perhaps someone will be aroused through this to fulfil all the above — or at least some of it — at any rate. And in particular before the holy and awesome Rosh Hashana coming upon us for good. Also in Brod he spoke with them several very holy and awesome Torahs and discourses — and he gave them the book of *Sipurei Maasiyos* and the prayers. And even though some had seen them before — many days and years had passed since they had seen them. And the majority had never seen them at all. And the book *Likutay Moharan* that was printed there many years ago — had been lying in a corner. And now they began to take it out. And they asked him several matters and he explained well — with Hashem's help. And he also explained to them the opening chapters from what is printed in *Likutay Tinyana* that begin *"Hakol kol Yaakov"* — for there the explanation was not printed. And on the night of Shabbas Chazon past — he could not restrain himself — until his heart lifted his feet and he danced with joy — with Hashem's help. And to his mind he has never danced on this Shabbas — praised be G-d — all was well established. And to Hashem the salvation and the hope — that their work too — they will begin and complete and begin and complete several times — and Hashem will always complete for them — only they need many expenditures for this. And he hoped with the *chasadim* of Hashem and the goodness of their hearts — that certainly they will give as befits — both for the work and to sustain him. And upon Hashem Yisborach is his trust — that He will provide and sustain him and supply all his needs. *"Ha'Elokim haro'eh osi mei'odi — al ya'avzeini lanetzach"* — "The G-d Who has been my shepherd from my very beginning — may He not abandon me forever." [Bereishis 48:15] But the essential salvation — they need the great mercy — more than any kind of mercy — to bring in and to bind the da'as in the heart of each and every one — until each one will come out from the sins and the foolishnesses that have adhered to him. May Hashem Yisborach save us from now — for still the one who lies in ambush sits in the chamber and in the innermost chambers — and also openly — for each and every one. And so it is in Brod and Lvov and in all the lands of this world — this lowly world — the world of action — where all primordial beings must pass through and bear what they bear — and to be tested and purified in this world of action and trial — specifically. Where every day and even every moment they are ambushed. And it is impossible to be saved except through the holy Torah — and through prayer — and the essential — through hisbodidus and the above-mentioned conversation. And the time for prayer has arrived — and the page is short — and the obligation to stop for Krias Shema and prayer. And peace to his dear friend — the veteran — fruit of holiness — and so forth — our Teacher the Rabbi Avraham Ber — may his light shine — and to his companion and friend the rabbinical scholar — and so forth — our Teacher the Rabbi Abeli — may his light shine — and his children who go forth from his loins — may they live. He received a letter from his son — may he live — that he already received the sum that he lent for him. May Hashem repay your deeds and so forth. And certainly they will strive for his good in all that is possible. And if Hashem wills — in the coming days in peace — he will write to them again — with Hashem's help. And for now — from yourself understand to urge the anshei sh'lomaynu to stand by his help — in a way that they can complete the desires of heaven — to give the merit of the many — forever. And peace to all our anshei sh'lomaynu with great love — to each and every one. And see to care for his household — to help them in all that is possible — so that he not be a debtor — G-d forbid. And in particular since he needs to engage in the work of heaven for the merit of the many — therefore they must see that he has no obstacles through livelihood — G-d forbid. And do what is yours — both to give the donation of your good heart as befitting — and to strive to collect from our friends all that you can do — do with all your strength. And may Hashem Yisborach the Good complete for you for good. And be strong and resolute — to snatch every day Torah and prayer and tzedakah and gemilus chasadim — and in particular to lift your eyes heavenward and to express your conversation every day anew — [here the manuscript breaks off]. The words of your lover in truth — forever — who awaits salvation at every time. Nussun of Breslov.

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]