שנב

The words of your father.

[Hebrew: אֲהוּבִי בְּנִי חֲבִיבִי....]

Nussun of Breslov.

Great peace — to my beloved friend — dear as my soul — the veteran rabbinical scholar — the nagid — and so forth — our Teacher the Rabbi Avraham Ber — may he live — with all his children who go forth from his loins — may they live.

He received his letter via the mechutanim with the sum of eight silver rubles — and praised be G-d — all is well established. And what you wrote — to write to you what he has to speak with you — he does not know what the point of the trouble is — to write to you. For is he not shortly to be in your holy camp — if Hashem wills — and they will speak face to face. And in particular since you understand yourself — that his only business is the business of our Master our Teacher and our Rebbe — your holy and awesome grandfather — the memory of the righteous and holy one for a blessing — that he desires and longs to serve him — to do his will — to spread his wellsprings outward. And he has no business of any other commerce or trade to speak with him about at all. Only he desires very much to express all his conversation before him — all that has passed over him in this work. And if Hashem wills — when they gather together with Hashem's help — they will take counsel in sweet secrecy — and the counsel of Hashem — it will stand. And as for his having wanted him to come with his son-in-law Rabbi Peretz — may his light shine — his intention was not for him to be present at the wedding — for certainly it would have been a very great comfort to him if he had been at the wedding — but he is not worthy of troubling him to travel such a road for his joy. Rather his intention was in order that they speak together in matters of heaven — in the matters of the eternal purpose — outside of which all is vanity — and also in order that he fulfil the will of his righteous mother — may she live — who very much desires to see his face — and he would have been fulfilling the commandment of honouring one's mother. For before Shavuos — before he came from Uman — he had been certain that he would without doubt be here for Shavuos. And when he arrived home and heard and understood from his letters that it was close to certain that he would not be with them for the holy festival — he stood trembling and astonished. Therefore he wrote to him as above. And Hashem Yisborach knows that his intention was not that he should be here for Shavuos for his honour — G-d forbid — only for his sake alone. Perhaps he would hear anew words of truth — words of the living G-d that flow from the stream that flows — the source of wisdom — and so forth — which must be cherished at every time. What shall he say to you — dear friend of his soul — my son and my companion and my disciple — my splendour and my glory — the immensity of the wonders of the salvations of Hashem and His chasadim — that helped us on the past holy Shavuos — that we merited to speak new novellae — words that restore all the souls that truly desire it. Certainly it is fitting for you and for them to long greatly — that they did not merit that also you and their friend Rabbi Abba — may his light shine — and the rest of the anshei sh'lomaynu — would be counted among them together. And what was — was. Now — you are blessed of Hashem — set your heart well to the words of your holy and awesome grandfather — our Master our Teacher and our Rebbe — the memory of the righteous one for a blessing — to preserve the memory well — every day — to remember every morning in the World to Come. And if he forgets afterwards in some hour — let him remind himself every time throughout the day. For it is not an empty thing what we came to this world — to see toil and grief and anger and pain and jealousy and desire and honour — and in particular the foolishness of the lust for money — and the lust for vessels and garments and ornaments — and so forth — and from all of them nothing escorts a person at all — only Torah and good deeds alone. And even though all know this — and it is explicitly stated in the words of our Sages — who remind us of this countless times — yet the ba'al davar — the Adversary — strengthens himself greatly with his evil eye to cause forgetfulness — G-d forbid. Therefore one must strengthen himself very very greatly to remind oneself every time. And the essential is through speech — to be careful to speak every day between himself and his Maker — and to express his conversation well — on all the above. And more than this — as each one knows the immensity of his own distance from Hashem Yisborach — and understands from afar the abundance of His mercies and His chasadim — without end and without limit. And still we have hope every day — to snatch much good — to succeed through this forever. And behold — praised be G-d — they rejoiced at the wedding with Hashem's help with a full heart. And all his joy was through his having recalled at the holy wedding joy what our Master our Teacher and our Rebbe — the memory of the righteous one for a blessing — told them — which is the awesome and very very exalted story of the Seven Beggars. Blessed is he who takes to heart to remind himself every time — of the immensity of the awesome wonders of every single word and every single matter — and every single story of this story — of each and every day — to awaken himself from his slumber. And it is impossible to extend — for the holiness of Shabbas Kodesh is approaching. And he is preparing this letter now on Erev Shabbas Kodesh — after midday. Perhaps perhaps he will merit to remind himself — and you — and Rabbi Abba — may his light shine — and all our anshei sh'lomaynu — where we are — we who have heard such awesome things. At any rate we are obligated to always rejoice in this — and to trust in the great power of the Elder of elders of holiness. And also for this very reason — we must gather together several times a year — in order to rejoice together in his great salvation — which He made wondrous with them — in particular with you — who are of his holy seed. And enough now on this. The words of one who loves him in truth forever — who arouses him and urges him — for his eternal good. Nussun of Breslov.

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]