שעא

Nussun of Breslov.

And be strong and resolute — and awaken and strengthen yourself to joy at every time — and to turn all the grief and sighing to joy — as they have spoken of this greatly with Hashem's help. More than this there is no leisure to extend. And store this letter of his well — for it will be needed in the coming days with Hashem's help. And also store all his letters — and guard them as is your custom — and do not reveal them except to our anshei sh'lomaynu.

My beloved son — my dear one.

The letter attached here to you my son my dear friend — he had prepared it already on the past Thursday — Parshas Vayeitzei — but he was not helped to send it. And also yesterday his letter arrived — from Thursday — Parshas Vayeitzei — and it was a comfort. And what you multiply in wonder at their friend Rabbi Avraham Ber — may his light shine — in the matter of the money for the olive oil — you are right. But know that certainly you will not lose even a single p'ruta. But that the money will be delayed some time — you are compelled to endure. And well and well worth enduring — for the sake of the great mitzvah that you merited — that you have such a portion in the burning of the eternal candle with olive oil at the holy tziyun — at which we shelter in his holy light. And in truth — even he himself did not think that you would spend such a sum on the oil. But since you have already spent out of necessity — and also you wrote that you returned and spoke with him — that the matter should not be done in installments — certainly you will not lose — G-d forbid — even a single p'ruta — with Hashem's help.

And already you know my beloved son — that it is impossible to complete any matter — any work — even in matters of the ordinary — without sufferings and delays and entanglements. How much more so a matter of holiness. How much more so and so very much more so — a matter of exalted holiness. In particular the works of our Master our Teacher and our Rebbe — the holy and awesome one — the memory of the righteous and holy one for a blessing — in which everything that touches his holy works — many obstacles spread themselves — almost without measure. But the measure of goodness is greater — for many are those who are with us to help us complete the holy works — which are the merit of the many for generations. For atah marom l'olam Hashem — You are elevated forever Hashem. And behold there is much to speak of this — and it is needed for the works of the collective — and also in particular for each and every person — at every time — according to the mitzvah and the holy work that he wishes to engage in — that touches the drawing close to the truth of His holy Torah — as you have known for some time — but still one must return to this every time.

What shall he say to you my beloved son — every day one sees the truth of the words of our Sages — of blessed memory — at the end of tractate Sukkah — what they said on the verse "the wicked man lies in wait for the righteous and seeks to kill him" — that every day a person's evil inclination renews itself against him — and were it not that the Holy One Blessed be He helps him — and so forth. And against each and every person it strengthens itself every day according to his level — and the Holy One Blessed be He saves each one according to his level. For even though the Holy One Blessed be He has mercy on each and every one and saves him — even so not all faces are equal — and there are countless differences in this between people and between times and days. And all of it according to the preparation of the person and his desire and his longings for Him Yisborach and for His holy Torah — and to draw close to the true righteous and worthy ones — for it is essential that there be some is'arusa d'l'tata — some arousal from below. Therefore — the foundation of everything is the histakashrus — the bond — to the tzaddik — the foundation of the world — who illuminates in every generation. And were it not for this — the world would not be sustained. Therefore it is obligatory upon us to strengthen ourselves to rejoice every day and at every time — in the pleasantness of our portion. Ashreinu — and so forth — baruch Elokeinu she'b'ra'anu lichvodo v'hivdilanu min ha'to'im — in several ways.

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]

And behold — in these times there were brought before him the bitter and evil pamphlets — root bearing gall and wormwood — of the dissolute ones of our people who cast off the yoke — who engage every time in printing things to trap souls to fly to the underworld — G-d protect us — as this bitter affliction is now widely known. And even though it is fitting to rend one's garments thousands of times for every single evil and bitter and putrid word of theirs — which is like a sword thrust against Hashem and His holy Torah and His true tzaddikim — even so — we too must rejoice greatly in boundless joy — in what we merited to be separated from them. For "lo b'eileh chelek Yaakov" — this is not the portion of Yaakov — and so forth. And because of the complete absence of leisure — it is impossible to explain to you what needs to be spoken about this. Nussun of Breslov. And you my son — be strong and resolute — and awaken and strengthen yourself to joy at every time — and to turn all the grief and sighing to joy — as they have spoken of this greatly with Hashem's help. More than this there is no leisure. And store this letter well — for it will be needed in the coming days. And extend peace to all our anshei sh'lomaynu with love. The words of your father who awaits salvation.