נה

Peace — to my beloved son, our Teacher the Rabbi Yitzchok — may he live. Yesterday I arrived home safely. And thanks be to G-d — in the mercies of Hashem Yisborach we have helped to lay the

foundation of the holy building in Uman in peace and quiet. How great are Your works, Hashem — how very deep are Your thoughts [Tehillim 92:6] — who has wrought and done awesome wonders such as these — calling the generations from the beginning [מִי פָּעַל וְעָשָׂה... קוֹרֵא הַדּוֹרוֹת מֵרֹאשׁ — a direct quotation from Yeshayah 41:4: "Who has wrought and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, Hashem, am first, and with the last I am He." Reb Nussun reaches for Yeshayah's verse of awe before divine providence as the only adequate response to witnessing what has been accomplished] and so forth. It is upon us to praise and give thanks to the Master of all for the past — and to petition for the future — for we still need great salvations and much mercy to merit to complete this awesome building. And now the main obstacle is because of money — and to Hashem belongs the salvation. And behold — through this too it is fitting for you to strengthen yourselves greatly — for do you not see that Hashem is with us even now? And certainly all of you have a portion in this building — for without your strong good desires I could not have raised hand or foot in a building of this kind — touching the place that it touches. Rejoice in Hashem — who hears the cry of the poor like me today — in the footsteps of Mashiach, in the degradation of the exile [בְּעוּקְבָא דִּמְשִׁיחָא בְּזִלּוּתָא דְּגָלוּתָא — Zoharic Aramaic: in the footsteps of the Mashiach, in the degradation of the exile — describing the final generation before redemption, where the divine presence is maximally concealed yet redemption's footsteps are approaching] — in body, soul, and money — where every day things stand against us [רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלַן — Aramaic: may the Merciful One spare us]. And especially that every day a person's inclination overcomes him. But Hashem helped us with His wonders immeasurably — what mouth cannot speak and heart cannot think. And every person can understand a little how vast Hashem's mercies are — without limit. Only be strong and resolute — and never fall in your mind. Stand firm and see the salvation of Hashem [הִתְיַצְּבוּ וּרְאוּ אֶת יְשׁוּעַת ה' — a direct quotation of Moshe's words to Israel at the Red Sea [Sh'mos 14:13]: "Stand firm and see the salvation of Hashem which He will show you today." Reb Nussun consciously invokes the moment of the impossible rescue at the Sea — the paradigmatic event of divine salvation against all odds — and applies it to the Breslov community's situation now] which He does with us each and every day — until we merit to fulfil the will of our Master, our Teacher and Rebbe, of awesome and blessed memory — not through our good deeds and our actions — but only through his wondrous and awesome power which has no equal. Happy is the person who has the strength to strengthen himself in these times in the point of truth at every time. And peace to you and to all our anshei sh'lomaynu — do not fear and do not be dismayed — for Hashem is with us — many are those who are with us compared to those who are with them. And I have already heard in Ladizhin that the fool has returned to his vomit [כְּסִיל חָזַר עַל קֵיאוֹ — an echo of Mishlai 26:11: "as a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly"] — to pour out a spirit of foolishness, to curse himself. And already King Shlomo, peace be upon him, said: a causeless curse will not arrive [Mishlai 26:2] and so forth. And Hashem will turn the curse into a blessing [cf. D'vorim 23:6] — and everything will be turned to good — for all of this is in order to strengthen and encourage you. For the obstacle comes because of the desire — and according to the greatness of the desired object, so is the strength and the spread of the obstacles — because of the great desire that is needed for something so desired [כַּמְבֹאָר בְּהַתּוֹרָה וַיְהִי נָא פִי שְׁנַיִם בְּסִימָן ס\"ו — as explained in the Torah beginning "and let there be now a double portion" [Siman 66 of Reb Nussun's Likutay Halachos]: the greater the spiritual treasure sought, the more powerful the obstacles placed before it. The very fierceness of the opposition is testimony to the greatness of what is being attained] — see there, and I do not wish to extend further on this.

The words of your father and one who loves you in truth forever. Nussun of Breslov.

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]