שכב

Nussun of Breslov.

[Hebrew: אֲהוּבִי בְּנִי חֲבִיבִי....]

And peace to all our anshei sh'lomaynu with great and immense love — and in particular to his dear friend as his soul — the veteran outstanding — our Teacher the Rabbi Yaakov — may his light shine. Be very careful and very careful — my son and my beloved disciple — that no thought arise upon you — G-d forbid — not as the will of the truth. Only come with joy with the anshei sh'lomaynu here — for Rosh Hashana coming upon us for good. And so all your days — until there comes the Teacher of Righteousness — so that it will be good for you forever. And in His chesed Yisborach — you will hold to my good credit — forever and eternally.

Great peace — to my beloved son — my dear one — the rabbinical scholar — our Teacher the Rabbi Yitzchok — may he live — with all his precious children who go forth from his loins — may they live.

He received his letter on Sunday. To extend in words of truth — he has no word on his tongue just now — and soon you will come yourself — with Hashem's help. May Hashem have mercy on them — and grant them to draw upon themselves the two beki'us that one needs to draw upon himself — which are in the aspect of baki b'ratzo baki b'shov — which are in the aspect of "im essak shamayim sham atah — v'atzi'ah sh'ol hineka." [בָּקִי בְּרָצוֹא בָּקִי בְּשׁוֹב — expert in going forward — expert in returning — from the vision of Yechezkel 1:14 — the living creatures ran and returned. This is the secret of the Elul beki'us revealed by the Rebbe: no matter how high one rises or how low one falls — one must draw upon oneself this knowledge — the knowledge of the One Who is everywhere — for *"im essak shamayim sham atah — v'atzi'ah sh'ol hineka"* — if I ascend to heaven — You are there — and if I make my bed in the depths — behold You are there. This is both the going and the returning — the Rebbe's secret for the entire month of Elul] For certainly it is a great and very immense beki'us — as they have already spoken about this many times — and there is more to speak about this almost every day — for the heart is crooked above all — and sick and very ill. And how many and how many are undermining against them very much every day — to fall completely — G-d forbid G-d forbid. And one must remember every time well the matter of the above-mentioned beki'us — and more — several holy discourses and awesome Torahs that relate to this — so that one should remain established in his place always. And in particular in the month of Elul — when the two above-mentioned beki'us are drawn — which are the secret of the intention of Elul. In truth he cannot understand at all — in what they merited to hear such things. And even if what happens with them in the physical and spiritual — and the dispute and the shames — even so ashreinu ashreinu certainly — and still there is hope to wait for all good — in this world and in the World to Come — forever.

And peace to his son the rabbinical scholar our Teacher the Rabbi Dovid Tzvi — may he live. For the sake of Hashem Yisborach — be very strong in every strength — to be only joyful always — and trust in Hashem — for He will not abandon you — and all will be turned to good. And give yourself life through the study of the holy Torah every day — and through prayers and supplications and the saying of Tehillim with intention. And speak with the anshei sh'lomaynu every day — and gladden your soul in all that is possible. And I will stand at my post — to pray for you — and to Hashem the salvation — that He will do good for you in His chesed. Not according to our sins did He deal with us — for His chesed is great upon us — chasdei Hashem ki lo samu. And there is no leisure to extend just now. Peace and life as your soul — my beloved son — and the soul of your father who intercedes for you and awaits your salvation.

And peace to his son-in-law — the rabbinical scholar our Teacher the Rabbi Boruch — may his light shine — with the peace of his wife — his daughter Marat Chana Tziryl — may she live. And to his son Nachman — and to his son Yosef Yonah — may they live. For the sake of Hashem Yisborach — desire to learn — and pray seriously. And be careful with bensching and the reading of Shema and all the blessings. And guard yourselves from bad — and think about the purpose. For the purpose is only Torah and prayer and good deeds. [בַּאגֶערְט צוּ לֶערְנֶין, אוּן דַאוֶוענְט עֶרִינְסְט — Yiddish — the same urgency appears in many of Reb Nussun's Yiddish postscripts to the children and grandchildren of the family: desire to learn — pray seriously — there is no other purpose]

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]

And peace to his son the rabbinical scholar our Teacher the Rabbi Dovid Tzvi — may he live. For the sake of Hashem Yisborach — be very strong in every strength — to be only joyful always — and trust in Hashem — for He will not abandon you — and all will be turned to good. And give yourself life through the study of the holy Torah every day — and through prayers and supplications and the saying of Tehillim with intention. And speak with the anshei sh'lomaynu every day — and gladden your soul in all that is possible. And I will stand at my post — to pray for you — and to Hashem the salvation — that He will do good for you in His chesed. Not according to our sins did He deal with us — for His chesed is great upon us — chasdei Hashem ki lo samu. And there is no leisure to extend just now. Peace and life as your soul — my beloved son — and the soul of your father who intercedes for you and awaits your salvation. And peace to his son-in-law — the rabbinical scholar our Teacher the Rabbi Boruch — may his light shine — with the peace of his wife — his daughter Marat Chana Tziryl — may she live. And to his son Nachman — and to his son Yosef Yonah — may they live. For the sake of Hashem Yisborach — desire to learn — and pray seriously. And be careful with bensching and the reading of Shema and all the blessings. And guard yourselves from bad — and think about the purpose. For the purpose is only Torah and prayer and good deeds. [בַּאגֶערְט צוּ לֶערְנֶין, אוּן דַאוֶוענְט עֶרִינְסְט — Yiddish — the same urgency appears in many of Reb Nussun's Yiddish postscripts to the children and grandchildren of the family: desire to learn — pray seriously — there is no other purpose] Nussun of Breslov. The words of your father.