מז

My beloved son, my dear one. [Yitzchok] I am astonished at you — that in these times you are no longer accustomed to write me at every time as before. Before, you overwhelmed me with your words in your letters more than necessary — and now you are completely lazy about writing

me of your welfare — and in particular of the welfare of your Torah and your prayer and your personal speech. May Hashem Yisborach strengthen your heart to engage each day in Torah and prayer and personal speech between yourself and your Maker — whatever the situation may be. And may you merit from now to be a gibor who subdues his inclination, and a chochom who foresees what is born of things, and an oshir who rejoices in his portion [Avos 4:1 — the three qualities of Mishnaic wisdom: true strength, true wisdom, true wealth — all defined as inward mastery rather than outward circumstance] — and in particular to be very, very careful to guard the thought — as you already know from before that no two thoughts can exist together in any way — and the sign of the omer of barley [Likutay Halachos, Hilchos T'fillin 6:32]. And although you already know this — and yet even so the thoughts pursue your mind and confuse you greatly — on the contrary! From this very fact you can know the truth of the

above-mentioned matter — that even so no two thoughts can coexist. For I know that many, many times these matters — that no two thoughts can be together, and that one can flee from them through shev v'al ta'aseh [שֵׁב וְאַל תַּעֲשֶׂה — sit and do not act: the halachic principle of passive non-engagement. Do not fight intrusive thoughts — that only engages them. Simply do not act on them] and so forth — have been of great benefit to you.

Therefore you must be a very great akshan [unbending one] in this matter specifically — and begin each day anew at every time to train yourself to hold back your thoughts from going outside [from emerging into action or expression], G-d forbid. For free choice is free at every time — and one must also pray to Hashem Yisborach very much about this — for everything depends on the thought, as you yourself know. And the main thing: not to think much about the past or about what is to come and its consequences [וְעַל לְהַבָּא — v'al l'havoh: "about what is to come." The idiom carries a nuance of existential foreboding — not merely the neutral future but specifically the consequences and outcomes that lie ahead and press with dread. Stronger than generic "the future"] — only to look at the purpose in that very hour and to do what one can that will succeed for one forever. For every single word of Torah and prayer and personal speech and so forth is the eternal success of the soul — a wondrous success beyond all measure — eye has not seen [Yeshayah 64:3] and so forth. And fulfil each time: return one day before your death [Avos 2:10] [שׁוּב יוֹם אֶחָד לִפְנֵי מִיתָתְךָ — since one does not know one's death-day, every day is that one day before. Reb Nussun adds: "as you heard the explanation from his name, of blessed memory" — pointing to Sichot HaRan 288, where Rebbe Nachman explained this Mishnah in a specific way that Yitzchok personally heard. The reference is to a living memory of the Rebbe's teaching voice] — as you heard the explanation from his name, of blessed memory [Sichot HaRan 288]. And know, my beloved son — it is my intention, G-d willing, to travel on the coming Wednesday which comes upon us for good — that is, immediately after Tisha B'Av. And I intend to travel first to Tultshin on the coming Wednesday — for I very much wish to see you face to face before my journey. And it is also partly my intention to be in Tultshin in order to see all of you — perhaps Hashem Yisborach will have mercy and send words through which we can give ourselves life forever. For although we have already spoken much — thanks be to G-d — still there is yet more to say to G-d [cf. Iyov 36:2]. And in particular since we see that the adversary [baal dovor] is doing his work — may the Merciful One save us — we are obligated to do ours: to speak with one another, and to speak with Hashem Yisborach, and to speak with the Rav and so forth — in order to receive from the three good points [הַשָּׁלֹשׁ נְקֻדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת — as explained in the Torah beginning "and you shall be for Me", Siman 34 of Likutay Halachos: three forms of holy speech — with Hashem, with one's fellow in fear of Heaven, and with the Rav/Tzadik — drawing the holiness of the good point into the heart] as explained in the Torah and you shall be for Me and so forth, siman 34. And in these times — thanks be to G-d — I have spoken much about this Torah. And the main thing is to strengthen oneself every day to draw upon oneself the illumin

ation and holiness of the good point — binding it to one's heart in a firm and strong bond — through speaking between oneself and one's Maker, and speaking with one's friend in fear of Heaven each day, and speaking with the Rav and so forth. Happy is the one who holds to this. More than this there is no leisure to extend — and this suffices for now. Nussun of Breslov.

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]