שסד

And peace to my son — the rabbinical scholar — our Teacher the Rabbi Dovid Tzvi — may he live. He received his letter twice. May Hashem Yisborach strengthen his heart — that he merit to engage in Torah and prayer and good deeds every day as befitting — for besides this all is vanity. And he does not know what you wrote — that it is hard for you to break the evil inclination in the matter of the garments — are you not compelled to break it — for just now you do not have it in your hand. And you already admitted in your letter that it is also hard to buy yourself a coat for three or four new rubles — therefore do not add to think about this at all. May Hashem Yisborach make you successful and provide for you with dignity. And the essential is that you force yourself to learn and to say prayers and Tehillim every day — and guard yourself very very much from evil thoughts — and in particular from imaginings — G-d forbid — and draw your thought from bad to good. And always remember the weekly Torah portion and what is written in it. And there is much to speak of this — but there is no leisure at all.

[Hebrew: אֲהוּבִי בְּנִי חֲבִיבִי....]

Overview: Tuesday, Parshas Teitzei — Tshehrin — 5601. Note: significant portions missing — torn. To Yitzchok and all his household. He received his letter from the past Sunday in Krumintchag — and on the past Shabbas — Parshas Shoftim — he returned here. And on the past Sunday he received his letter a second time — and today a third time — with the letters from his son from Breslov — and all of them greatly gave life to his soul. Even though all of them greatly pained him — from the immensity of the bitterness of your cry in every letter — even so he greatly magnified the joy over the melancholy — upon seeing the immensity of the strength of your good heart in the point of truth. And you understand from afar how much and how much you need to always strengthen yourself — and every day anew — however it will be — however it will be. For the sake of Hashem — hold fast to this — for it is your life forever. And know and believe — that all that passes over you has already passed over many more people — who are far more fitting than you. And in particular now in this generation. And examine well his holy words — and this is the secret intention of Elul — to be expert in the halacha — expert in the going out — expert in the returning — expert in entering — expert in departing — which is the aspect of "im esak shamayim sham atah — v'atziyah she'ol hineka." And his intention is according to its plain meaning — that even one who is literally in the lowest depths of hell — let him say "hineka." Only there is in this a great and awesome secret — the secret of the attainment of ma'aseh merkavah at the very highest level — and there is no one who can give life to the fallen souls in these generations — except the one who revealed this Torah — and warned them to fulfil "v'atziyah she'ol hineka." All will be turned for good. All these words — and more — have strengthened his soul and how many more souls. "Hafoch bahem v'hafoch bahem." And today — Wednesday — arrived with Hashem's help — and just now he arose from his bed — and chadashim la'b'karim rabbah emunasecha — chasdei Hashem ki lo samu — strengthened him in His abundant compassion to write these words — that flow from the wellsprings of salvation. He is preoccupied — for he intends to travel today to Medevedivke for Shabbas — and after Shabbas he will travel to Uman with Hashem's help. And may the joy of Hashem be their strength — in particular on the holy Rosh Hashana. Then: postscript to Rabbi Yaakov — he could not restrain himself from the immensity of his love — to urge him — that he should have no doubts whatsoever in his heart regarding Rosh Hashana — only say with a whole heart: Baruch she'hecheyanu — that they merited to assemble at the holy tziyun of the holy tzaddik — who promised to help all who come to him — in particular on Erev Rosh Hashana. Nagila v'nismecha bishu'aso. And postscript to his son Dovid Tzvi — force yourself to learn and to say prayers and Tehillim every day — guard yourself very much from evil thoughts — and draw your thought from bad to good — and always remember the weekly Torah portion.

He received his letter twice — and the flour and the wine and sixty-three large ones. May Hashem Yisborach in His mercy sweeten all the judgments from upon you and from all your household — and send complete healing to your wife — may she live — and to all your household — and save you from the physicians of falsehood — and may it be fulfilled: "ki ani Hashem rof'echa" — "for I am Hashem your Healer" — Amen so may it be His will. [Sh'mos 15:26] You gave him life with your words — in what you wrote — that you wish to begin from now — b'reishis bara — "in the beginning He created" — this is the proper measure — and this is fitting for you and for all of us. And you do not know yourself what you wrote — for it is very deep. Amok amok mi yimtza'enu — "deep deep — who can find it" — what happens in the world — and in particular with each and every person every single day — and in particular in these awesome and holy days of the month of the mighty ones — it is Tishrei — which are very very exalted and awe-inspiring — each day and each day — and in particular the end and the completion — which is this holy and awesome and very exalted day called Hoshana Rabbah. [יֶרַח הָאֵיתָנִים הוּא תִּשְׁרֵי — the month of the mighty ones — it is Tishrei — from Melachim Alef 8:2 — the Tishrei of the awesome Patriarchs — the month of the primordial eternal ones — each day more awesome than the last — and its peak and completion: Hoshana Rabbah — when the judgment of the year is sealed and sent forth] On that day — "vayashav Yitzchak vayachpor es b'eros hamayim" — "and Yitzchak returned and dug the wells of water" — which are the aspect of the deep waters — "eitah b'lev ish" — "counsel in the heart of a person" — which one digs by crying out in truth and simplicity: "mi'maamakim k'rasticha Hashem." [Bereishis 26:18; Mishlei 20:5; Tehillim 130:1] [The entire inner journey of Hoshana Rabbah — the day itself is an act of digging — digging the deep wells of the soul — calling out from the very depths — mi'maamakim — and it is specifically Yitzchak — the one bound upon the altar — the one who learned to live in the space of pure transcendence — who goes back and digs the wells that others had stopped up] And even though — when he wrote this — a great weeping was stirred in his heart — in his remembering how greatly the materiality of a person and of the world distances one from such awesome and fearsome holy things — even so — now is not the time to weep — only the time to rejoice and to dance with a whole heart in great joy! And let everyone say ashreinu — ashreinu Yisrael — in particular since they merited to know from the one who does not remember anything at all — and who is old and nursling — and so forth — for all is vanity — and "kol dayarei ara k'la chasivin" — "all the inhabitants of the earth are as nothing" — and as it is written in the holy Zohar: "kula kamei k'la chassiv — k'la mammash" — "all before Him is as nothing — as utterly void." [He is referring to the awesome teaching of the Rebbe about the state of one who has truly attained the knowledge of Divine nothingness — who does not remember anything — who is simultaneously old and a nursling — an elder and an infant — the ancient and the newborn — one who has truly internalized that all is vanity and all created existence is as nothing before Him. Only the one who told the story of this state — the Rebbe — merited to this in completeness] And who merited to this in completeness — except the one who told the above-mentioned story. And how good is our portion — when we do not oppose the one who is truly ayin — true nothingness. And it is impossible to extend further. Joy and gladness will they attain — as your soul desires — and the soul of the one who rejoices and weeps from within joy — and awaits complete salvation. Nagila v'nismecha bishu'aso. Un fort hop un nor hop — and truly — in all this — only joy — and only joy. And even though — when he wrote this — a great weeping was stirred in his heart — in his remembering how greatly the materiality of a person and of the world distances one from such awesome and fearsome holy things — even so — now is not the time to weep — only the time to rejoice and to dance with a whole heart in great joy! And let everyone say ashreinu — ashreinu Yisrael — in particular since they merited to know from the one who does not remember anything at all — and who is old and nursling — and so forth — for all is vanity — and "kol dayarei ara k'la chasivin" — "all the inhabitants of the earth are as nothing" — and as it is written in the holy Zohar: "kula kamei k'la chassiv — k'la mammash" — "all before Him is as nothing — as utterly void." [He is referring to the awesome teaching of the Rebbe about the state of one who has truly attained the knowledge of Divine nothingness — who does not remember anything — who is simultaneously old and a nursling — an elder and an infant — the ancient and the newborn — one who has truly internalized that all is vanity and all created existence is as nothing before Him. Only the one who told the story of this state — the Rebbe — merited to this in completeness] And who merited to this in completeness — except the one who told the above-mentioned story. And how good is our portion — when we do not oppose the one who is truly ayin — true nothingness. And it is impossible to extend further. Nussun of Breslov.

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]