שנה

Nagila v'nismecha bishu'aso.

Nussun of Breslov.

Peace — to my beloved son — our Teacher the Rabbi Yitzchok — may he live.

He received his letter today before the morning prayer — with the sum of four gold coins — twenty-three. And now — praised be G-d — he has already prayed with the congregation. And today is Rosh Chodesh Tammuz — Rosh Chodesh — the root of repentance. Tammuz — the letters are an acronym: Zichru Toras Moshe — "remember the Torah of Moshe." Z'man Mattan Toraseinu — "the time of the giving of our Torah." And the vav is missing — for the Tablets were broken — whose length and breadth were six — vav tefachim. [תַּמּוּז — ז-מ-ת — the letters rearranged spell זִכְרוּ תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה and also זְמַן מַתַּן תּוֹרָתֵנוּ. The vav is missing from the month name because on the 17th of Tammuz the first Tablets were broken — the Tablets were six by six tefachim — represented by the letter vav whose numerical value is six. Thus the very name of the month bears the wound of the breaking — and also its remedy: Zichru Toras Moshe — remember!] And one must remember all this well — as we are warned by this very Torah itself — which is the acronym of Tammuz — which is *"Zichru"* — "Remember." For all these words are the very Torah of Moshe — for they are the fulfilment of the Torah. And now one must return again and again — zachor zachor — remember well well — all the good things and the wonders that Hashem Yisborach did with them — from the days of Moshe Rabbeinu our Teacher — of blessed memory — from the day of the giving of the Torah until this day. As our Sages — of blessed memory — warned us greatly on this — as it is written: "zichru niflaosav asher asah" — "remember His wonders which He performed" — "zachor es yom asher amad'ta lifnei Hashem Elokecha b'Choreiv" — "remember the day that you stood before Hashem your G-d at Horeb" — and what He did with them in every generation — through all the true tzaddikim — the sons of ascent — of every generation. [Tehillim 105:5; Devarim 4:10] And in particular what He did with them in this generation — that they — in their poverty and their servitude and the very utmost of their lowliness — they who descended miraculously in their many sins — Hashem Yisborach made wondrous His chesed and His salvation with them — to make them hear such — to remind them every time of Hashem their G-d and His holy Torah — until even we — all of us — who are here today alive — can remind ourselves every time of the greatness of the Creator — the One — the Primordial — may His name be blessed — Who watches over us at every time — Who sees at every time to make good our end — as we see every time — in the very immensity of our lowliness — that it seems every time that nearly nearly the hope is lost — G-d forbid. In the aspect of: "va'omar avad nitzchi v'tochalt'i mei'Hashem" — "and I said: my endurance has perished and my hope from Hashem." "Zos ashiv el libbi al kein ochil — chasdei Hashem ki lo samu — ki lo chalu rachamav" — "this I recall to my heart — therefore I hope — the chasadim of Hashem have not ceased — for His mercies have not ended." [Eichah 3:18,21-22] And as we say three times every day: "v'al nisecha she'b'chol yom imanu — ha'tov ki lo chalu rachamecha" — "and for Your miracles that are with us every day — the Good One — for Your mercies have not ended." And believe with complete faith — my beloved son — the desire of my heart — that also to you all these words are said. And already he wrote to him greatly in particular in the letter of the past week — that he should take great care and care — to turn the grief and the sighing to joy. And you are thanking him greatly for this — and even so you write to him bitterness every time — that it is hard for you to bear. This is not the proper measure — my dear friend. For even though a broken heart is very precious — one must strengthen oneself even more to turn all to joy. For still you do not know — my beloved son — how far how far the chasadim of Hashem and His wonders reach — for each and every one — in particular those who hold themselves in the bonds and cords of powerful love of the holy true tzaddik — who draws down every day and at every time new chasadim — again and again. And praised be G-d — also you are one of them — of those who hold him in truth forever — in a strong and firm bond — that will never be shaken forever. And now you have only to dance and to leap over the mountains — from within the abundance of joy — that you merited to be counted among those who hold him — with Hashem's help. And tomorrow — if Hashem wills — you will hear from the mouth of Rabbi Nachman and Rabbi Dovid — may their lights shine — what he spoke on the verse "sod Hashem liyereiav" — "the secret of Hashem is for those who fear Him" — and so forth — and through this — "einai tamid el Hashem ki hu yotzi mereshes raglai" — "my eyes are always to Hashem — for He will bring my feet out of the net." [Tehillim 25:14,15] Only be very very strong and resolute to gladden your soul in all that you can — and to turn all the grief and sighing and all manner of melancholy and sadness and worries — to turn all to joy. For even so — I know that Tammuz — its letters are an acronym of Zichru Toras Moshe — and according to the small small measure of what is in my heart of this — one must say also of this holy word: "ilmalei lo aseini la'olam ela lishmo'a da — dai" — "had I come to the world only for this one — to hear this — it would have been enough." For this touches the rectification of the sin of the golden calf — to rectify the flaw of the breaking of the Tablets — which drew forgetfulness upon the world — from which stem all the troubles in body and soul and money that are suffered in this bitter and extended exile. And the essential suffering is the exile of the soul — in particular as each one knows in his soul the plagues of his heart and his pains. But it is not an empty thing — that He made wondrous His chesed with them to illuminate their eyes with the novellae of His holy Torah — in all of which He showed them and hinted to them well well — that still He has not removed His chesed from them. And still Hashem Yisborach is with him and with you — in particular — and with all of them. For He revealed to them a Torah of chesed that was never heard in the world — that every single word can give life also to you and to all the most wretched — if they do not oppose the one who draws upon them such new chasadim. And in the end He will save them also — but how very far are they from the One Who bestows goodness upon them. And how good is our portion — that we do not oppose — G-d forbid — such a Master of goodness — such a Master of chesed — who gave his soul at every time for our sake — and acted and completed — and still he will begin and complete — for "the man will not rest" — and so forth. More than this it is impossible to extend — for several reasons. And what you wrote to him about your pain in the matter of your son-in-law — and in particular what you acted foolishly without his knowledge. It is true that you acted foolishly in this — but even more than this — that you are distressing yourself about this more than is fitting — and you are drawing upon yourself from this also sadness and worries — G-d forbid — beyond measure. For he certainly forgives you with complete forgiveness — and what has passed has passed. And certainly after it has already been done as it has been done — all of it is from Hashem. For even what people speak — it is also in the aspect of a shidduch — and it makes an impression. And for the future — both he and you will rely on Hashem — that certainly He will lead them in His righteousness on the straight road as His good will. And G-d forbid that he think about this any further at all — only for the future rely on Hashem Yisborach. "Gol el Hashem ma'asecha v'yikonu machsh'vosecha" — "roll your deeds upon Hashem — and your thoughts will be established." And look at the chesed of Hashem Yisborach — that He has granted you a wise and understanding son — praised be G-d. And is not most of your pain from the good that Hashem Yisborach has graced you — with a wise and understanding son — with Hashem's help. And also — praised be G-d — Hashem Yisborach is helping you to bring forth for him the necessities — also for the needs of the shidduch — with Hashem's help. And therefore you are distressed that you bound yourself with him. Is it not good — very good — to look at the above-mentioned goods — and to rejoice in His chesed? And may Hashem Yisborach help you and give you good counsels to conduct yourself with him as befitting. For certainly what you have now begun to speak with him about this — is fitting and correct as they spoke. But even so it is impossible to press the hour — and for all things there is a time and a season. He Who sits and makes matches will lead you on the road of truth as His good will. More than this there is no leisure to extend. And certainly you will understand much from within his words. Only be strong and resolute — to fulfil all their words — to snatch every day Torah and prayer and good deeds — and to converse between himself and his Maker. And above all — to greatly strengthen yourself to gladden your soul — nagila v'nismecha bishu'aso. The words of your father. Nussun of Breslov.

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]