Your letter I received on the eve of Thursday — and my kidneys exult in your salvation [תַּעֲלֹזְנָה כִלְיוֹתַי בִּישׁוּעָתְךָ — Tehillim 16:7: af leilos yissruni chilyosai — the kidneys, the seat of the deepest inner counsel, are also the seat of deepest joy. Ta'aloznah chilyosai echoes Mishlai 23:16: v'ta'aloznah chilyosai b'daber sfatecha meisharim — "and my kidneys will exult when your lips speak what is right." The deepest inner organs responding with pure joy to Yitzchok's good news — a physical metaphor for the most inward and unreserved delight] — that — praised be G-d — you have acquired a fine home — for a good omen — in His kindness. Although I know that the matter weighs somewhat upon you — even so — you did well not to forgo such a house — as I heard and understood from afar — for not every day does there appear such a pleasant and spacious dwelling at such a price. And may Hashem Yisborach help you to settle it comfortably — and in His mercies may He shower upon you doubly — an abundance of goodness and blessing and great expansion into your home. And see to complete the entire Torah before you enter there — as you know. And also do what is written in the Sefer HaAlef-Beis [סֵפֶר הָאָלֶף-בֵּית — the Sefer Alef Beis of Rebbe Nachman: a collection of the Rebbe's concise teachings organized alphabetically. The specific instruction mentioned here is the custom of bringing a sword or knife into a new home first — a protective practice for entering a new dwelling to establish holiness before all else. The sword represents spiritual strength and the capacity for *teshuvah* — cutting away the impure — at the threshold of the new space] — to bring a sword or knife and so forth into it first. And may you merit to engage in Torah within your home — with all your offspring — for length of good days and years. Omain, so may it be His will.

And behold — certainly it would have been fitting for me to help in such a matter — but you know that I am not in a position to help you financially — not even a single small coin. Especially since I now need to deal with completing the building of my home for the good — and I am not able to help you except through prayer — as our sages of blessed memory said: they helped through prayer [עָזְרוּ בִּתְפִלָּה — Sanhedrin 95a: Hashem helped Chizkiyahu against Sancherev not through human military effort but through the angels' assistance — and the Talmud says: "they helped through prayer." The contribution of prayer as a genuine and primary form of practical help — not a consolation for the inability to give financially but the essential and most powerful form of help] [Sanhedrin 95a]. And even more than this will be a help and salvation for you — that I strengthen you to engage in prayer and private speech before Hashem Yisborach — for this is the essential help and great salvation above all.

And behold — because of the going-out of Shabbos — and it is not my practice to write at such a time close after Havdala — only love disrupts the proper order [אַהֲבָה מְקַלְקֶלֶת הַשּׁוּרָה — a Talmudic principle (B'reishis Rabbah 55:8 and Rashi on B'reishis 22:3): love upsets the proper arrangement and natural order. Applied by Reb Nussun to his own practice: his love for Yitzchok compels him to write immediately after Shabbos despite his usual practice of waiting — love itself is the disruption that overrides all proper schedule] — and I wrote you now these few words that sustain much. And beyond this I have no strength now to extend.