לו

Peace — to my beloved son, the delight of my soul — the distinguished, veteran scholar, our Teacher the Rabbi Yitzchok — may he live. Your letter I received. And yesterday I arrived home safely — thanks be to G-d — and I had several adventures

[harpatkao's — a Talmudic Aramaic word for mishaps and unexpected ordeals on a journey] on the road — on account of the ruined state of the roads and the thaw of the snows. And I was in Uman from Monday of [Parshas] P'kudai until Monday of [Parshas] Vayikra — which was the eve of Rosh Chodesh Nissan — and the past holy Shabbos I was in Ladizhin. And behold — although my heart stirs within me from your letter, in which you cry out every time in a bitter voice about the flood of great waters that passes over you at all times — may the Omnipresent have mercy upon you from now on — nevertheless joy is fixed within my heart from one side [misitra chada — מִסִּטְרָא חֲדָא: Zoharic Aramaic, meaning "from one dimension" or "from one aspect." Reb Nussun holds two truths simultaneously — anguish on one side, joy on the other — framed in the kabbalistic language of the Zohar] — from what I see of the strength of your heart with the help of Hashem Yisborach: that you are strong in the great desire and yearning for Hashem Yisborach and His Torah — which are very, very precious. Would that this heart of yours be with you all the days — to yearn and to long at all times for Hashem Yisborach with strong wills — for desires and yearnings of holiness are very, very precious before Him, Yisborach. Know, my son! And remember well — that man came to this world for no other purpose than to believe in Hashem Yisborach — and for this man was created, and all the world and its fullness which depend upon Him — as it is written: and all His works in faithfulness [Tehillim 33:4]. And a person must renew himself in the longing for emunah [faith] every day and every time. For although emunah is an inheritance to us from our forefathers — and this is the very foundation of faith: to rely upon our holy forefathers and to walk in their ways — nevertheless one must draw fresh emunah upon oneself every single day, and enter one's entire heart and soul into it, and enlarge one's awareness of it anew every day.

As it is written in the portion of Sh'ma: which I command you today — upon your heart [D'vorim 6:6] — and our Sages of blessed memory expounded: each and every day let them be in your eyes as new — that it should not be in your eyes like an old edict, which people do not read closely, but as something new [Sifri, cited by Rashi]. And this is said specifically in the portion of K'rias Sh'ma — for the essential thrust of this matter is spoken regarding the holy emunah, which is the very foundation and principle of the entire Torah. And behold — in these days Hashem sent into my heart that this is what we are saying in the acceptance of the faith of His unity, Yisborach: we begin first with those two words — Sh'ma Yisroel. And it would seemingly have sufficed to say the essential declaration of unity: Hashem Elokainu Hashem Echod. So why do we need to begin beforehand with those two words — Sh'ma Yisroel? But those two words come to awaken the heart of the person to incline his ear and his heart well to what he is saying — and that it should be in his eyes entirely new each time. And therefore we say first Sh'ma — Yisroel — for when one announces a new matter one first says: Hear well what I am about to tell you — and this is the aspect of those two words Sh'ma Yisroel which we say before the declaration of unity — to awaken the heart of Israel to incline their ear and their heart well to hear what they are saying, that it should be in their eyes as entirely new. As our Sages of blessed memory said [Brochos 13a] on this very verse: Sh'ma — make your ears hear what your mouth speaks out — that is: incline your ear and hear well, well, what you are bringing out of your mouth — and let it not be in your eyes as something old, G-d forbid. Although the foundation of emunah is ancient — from our holy forefathers — and this is the very essence of faith — you must nonetheless hear and receive the emunah into your heart anew each day. And this matter cannot be explained either in writing or by word of mouth — [ki hu l'chol chad k'fum mah d'mishear b'libay — כִּי הוּא לְכָל חַד כְּפוּם מַה דִּמְשַׁעֵר בְּלִבֵּהּ: Zoharic Aramaic — "for it is for each one according to what he weighs in his heart." The language signals that what follows is a matter of direct inner experience, beyond formulation] — for it is for each person according to what he weighs in his heart. One can wonder, and recoil in awe, and tremble [yochol l'hispala, v'lizchol, v'lir'od — three distinct bodily responses to emunah: hispala — wonder and astonishment; lizchol — to recoil or shrink back, a creeping physical sensation of awe; lir'od — to tremble. These are three ascending degrees of the body's response to the sparkling of truth] from the sparkling of the truth of holy emunah at every time anew — that we merited to believe in the Living of Lives, the Eternal, the Single, the Ancient, the Creator of all in His lovingkindness, Yisborach — and exalted be His Name forever. And through this — every person in the world can give themselves life, at whatever level they stand — for His kingdom rules over all [Tehillim 103:19]. And in particular — you, my beloved son — whom I know — and as you have already told me much in your letter — nonetheless — however things may be — be strong and resolute to receive these words of mine, to strengthen yourself and to gladden your soul at all times in the holy emunah — that we merited to be of the seed of Israel and to believe in Him Yisborach and in His holy Torah and in His true tzadikim. And accustom yourself to rejoice in this every day anew — and enter this well into your heart — and remember well what we say each and every day: But how good and beautiful is one who strives at least to know of his life — to know that there is no true vitality and good other than the holy emunah — which all of us merited, from small to great. And whether one has money or not — in the end, time and days pass like a passing shadow — and nothing will remain except the vitality of holy emunah which endures forever — as it is said: and His kingdom and His faithfulness stand forever [from the morning prayer] and so forth. And in everything that passes over a person — in body and soul and money — whether good or otherwise — one must know that clothed there is the vitality of holy emunah which sustains everything — and one must turn one's heart well to this. And one must receive upon oneself at all times the verse Sh'ma Yisroel — whose meaning is: hear well — in every matter in the world there is clothed the unity of Hashem Yisborach. As is explained further in this very portion: and you shall love… with all your heart… when you sit in your home and when you walk on the road and when you lie down and when y

ou rise up [D'vorim 6:5–7] and so forth — meaning: in all that passes over a person, one must hear well from there the emunah of His unity — for from all things in the world one can cleave to Hashem Yisborach — as our Master, of blessed memory, wrote in many places. More than this it is impossible to extend — and also because the time of Mincha has arrived. And may Hashem Yisborach in His mercy strengthen your heart — that you merit to seize much Torah and prayer and charity and good deeds from this passing shadow — so that it will be good for you forever. The words of your father — who awaits your salvation forever.

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]

But those two words come to awaken the heart of the person to incline his ear and his heart well to what he is saying — and that it should be in his eyes entirely new each time. And therefore we say first Sh'ma — Yisroel — for when one announces a new matter one first says: Hear well what I am about to tell you — and this is the aspect of those two words Sh'ma Yisroel which we say before the declaration of unity — to awaken the heart of Israel to incline their ear and their heart well to hear what they are saying, that it should be in their eyes as entirely new. As our Sages of blessed memory said [Brochos 13a] on this very verse: Sh'ma — make your ears hear what your mouth speaks out — that is: incline your ear and hear well, well, what you are bringing out of your mouth — and let it not be in your eyes as something old, G-d forbid. Nussun of Breslov.