תמא

Overview: Thursday, Parshas Noach — Breslov — 5604. To his dear friend Rabbi Ephraim. Thanks be to G-d — the days of the festival have passed in peace. Baruch Rachmana d'saiyean ad kan. He has come to remind him — to strive to collect the money owed for the books — in particular from Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh from Krakow — whose promise is like something placed in a box. He urgently needs money — for he is a great debtor from this work — his mind is not clear — his livelihood is pressed — his expenses are great. Upon him to do all that is possible for the benefit of the work and his livelihood — and to send everything immediately — for the hour requires this. And my soul and your soul know greatly — how greatly we need to bless almost every hour: ha'notein la'ya'ef koach. Therefore it is essential to accustom oneself — to fulfil his words — who warned greatly not to grow old — but rather to renew oneself at every hour. And to accustom oneself greatly in the attribute of forgetfulness — to forget at every time what has passed. If even now one cannot fulfil the obligation of the day — in any case — nagila v'nismecha bishu'aso — for He did not make us to serve idolaters and He set us apart from those who err. And to begin from now to long with good and strong wills for Hashem and His Torah. For all the occupation of this world and livelihood — all is vanity of vanities. The bread and clothing that Hashem wills to give — He will certainly give — in His good hand — with no multiplicity of occupations. For only He Yisborach sustains and provides. "Ki vo yismach libeinu ki v'shem kodsho vatachnu."

May Hashem the G-d of the heavens and the G-d of the earth bless them with the blessing of mazal tov. And may their union be beautiful in this world and in the World to Come — and may the blessing of the fathers be fulfilled in them. And may the Almighty bless you — may their branches spread — and may their glory be as the olive tree.

And you my grandson — my dear friend Dovid Tzvi — may he live — be strong my son and be strong — from now — to be diligent in your learning — to bring your head and all your thought inside the learning — and not to be a thinker of other thoughts — G-d forbid. And strengthen yourself every day to pray with intention — morning and evening and afternoon. And accustom yourself to say Psalms every day. And if you are occupied to go to the study hall to learn — say at any rate some Psalms — a few chapters. And in times of leisure — say more. Blessed are you my son if you accustom yourself from your youth and young adulthood — to walk in the ways of Hashem — and to throw off the deeds of youth — and to guard your hand from doing any evil. And more than all — to guard your thought from thinking external thoughts — G-d forbid. And if Hashem wills — on the coming Chanukah you will be here — and he will speak with you face to face — according to your longing and your good awakening. And more than this he placed in the mouth of the bearer of this letter — our dear friend — may his light shine. And beware to be in joy always — but not through hitting and quarreling — G-d forbid — with the young men. Only rejoice and exult in the joy of Israel — in this world and in the World to Come forever — Amen so may it be His will.

And behold my beloved son — my dear one — he received his letter. And he rejoices over his salvation — that praised be G-d — Hashem was in his help — to come out from the previous trouble — and to merit to make a match with the daughter of a Torah scholar — with Hashem's help. And you see my beloved son — that Hashem is still with you and with us — and does not abandon you. Therefore strengthen and embolden your heart and hope to Hashem always — for He will still help you in all that you need to be saved — in body and soul and money — and all will turn to good through the power of the Eshel in Ramah — upon whom we live and upon whom we lean. And his great power is very strong — in this world and in the World to Come forever. And in his great chesed — may He not abandon us and not forsake us. Your eyes will see wonders — with Hashem's help. And it will be fulfilled: "v'hayah ki yipalei b'einecha" — the greatness of the wondrous chesed — also in my eyes it will be wondrous — the greatness of the chesed that He does for them.

And in the matter of the merchandise — you greatly gave his soul life in your previous letter. May Hashem give your soul life and save you quickly materially and spiritually. And now he relies on you — that certainly you will strive in this with all your strength — and do everything to the greatest good — in a way that everything reaches you quickly. And request from Hashem that He rectify you with good counsel — also in this. For already known to us — the request "v'takneinu b'eitzah tovah milfanecha" — is an awesome and essential request for a person at every time — in all aspects.

And how greatly you gave his soul life — in what you wrote — how you conducted yourself properly in the matter of the match — that in the very depth of the confusion of your mind for nothing in the matter of the match — you strengthened yourself and took leisure to write the letter there. And you considered your ways — is this not the essential? And afterwards this was for your good — that you dismissed the confusions — through this you learned Gemara in the midst of such confusion and preoccupation. This is the measure and this is good for you — my beloved son. Would that this heart of yours be so all the days — to throw off all the confusions from you — and to leap and jump from within all the thoughts and confusions — however they are — into the necessary occupations. For there is no moment that you will not find what to engage in then — for on the study of the holy Torah alone — one can spend days and years — all the days of the world. In particular — praised be G-d — there are now many books — Tanach and Mishnayos and Shas and books of mussar — and his holy books and our explanations — which Hashem helped us. And also one must pray and converse between himself and his Creator — or at least to cry out or to rejoice in his heart that He created us for His honor. And also one must speak with his companions — both in matters of Heaven and in the necessary matters of commerce — or sometimes for the sake of peace — which is also a mitzvah — as our Sages said: no one ever greeted him first. And all the more so — at every time new occupations are renewed. Such as now — that you made a match — a good mazal — and you were obligated then to engage in our work. And also now you need to engage in your occupations and our occupations — such and such. And through all this one can leap and flee from what one needs to flee — and not to look backward at all.

And to fulfil what is written in the Sefer HaMidos (Adultery 10): do not enter with its enticements into pleading and counter-pleading. And if it comes suddenly as if compelling — G-d forbid — what can one do — force majeure exempts. Only strengthen yourself in joy and flee with all your strength — in stealth and in diversion of the mind. According to all the ways of the counsels and hints and strengthening that he — of blessed memory — taught us. And behold — just now all his thoughts are on the matter of joy — according to the Torah "sasson v'simcha yassigu" — to convert all the sorrow and sighing to joy — and also according to the Torah "emtzaita d'alma" in chapter 24 — which speaks there of the nine heichalos that are not lights. And on the past Shabbas and the one before it — they spoke of this. Praised be G-d — it gave life to many souls. Would that they merit to speak of this greatly — in a way that they merit to be saved — to fulfil all that is written there — to do every mitzvah with great joy — until they merit to all that is said there. Blessed is one who pursues his thought to attain these attainments. More than this there is no leisure to extend — for the time of the morning prayer is approaching. Yomam y'tzaveh Hashem chasdo — sab'einu va'boker chasadecha u'n'ranena v'nismecha kol yameinu — Amen so may it be His will.

The words of your father — who intercedes for you — and who awaits your salvation. Nussun of Breslov. Overview: Wednesday dawn, Parshas Chayei Sarah — Breslov — 5604. To Yitzchok and in particular his grandson the groom Dovid Tzvi. Mazal Tov on the wedding — may Hashem bless them — may their union be beautiful — may the blessing of the fathers be fulfilled. And to his grandson Dovid Tzvi — be strong from now to be diligent in your learning — to bring your head and all your thought inside the learning — not to think other thoughts. Strengthen yourself every day to pray with intention — morning and evening and afternoon — and say Psalms every day. Blessed are you if you accustom yourself from your youth to walk in the ways of Hashem — to throw off the deeds of youth — to guard your hand from doing evil — and above all to guard your thought from external thoughts. If Hashem wills — on the coming Chanukah you will be here. Beware to be in joy always — but not through hitting or quarreling — only rejoice in the joy of Israel. And to Yitzchok — he received his letter and rejoices over his salvation — that Hashem was in his help — to come out from the previous trouble and to merit to make a match with the daughter of a Torah scholar. Hashem is still with you — strengthen and embolden your heart — hope to Hashem always — all will turn to good through the power of the Eshel in Ramah. Your eyes will see wonders — "v'hayah ki yipalei b'einecha." In the matter of the merchandise — you gave his soul life in your previous letter. Request from Hashem that He rectify you with good counsel — "v'takneinu b'eitzah tovah milfanecha." How greatly you gave his soul life — that in the very depth of the confusion of your mind — you strengthened yourself and took leisure to write the letter there and considered your ways. You learned Gemara in the midst of such confusion. Would that this heart of yours be so all the days — to leap and jump from within all the thoughts and confusions into the necessary occupations. For there is no moment that you will not find what to engage in. The Torah alone — one can spend days and years. Also pray and converse with your Creator. Also speak with your companions. At every time new occupations are renewed. Through all this one can leap and flee and not look backward at all.

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]