At this hour I received your letter — together with the sum of two hundred and forty kopecks. And besides this — several unspecified small coins — and I do not know their number and they were not mentioned in your letter at all — and I do not know to whom they belong. And behold — from yourself you will understand the greatness of my sorrow from your sorrow — and I do not know what to reply to you now in haste. For the bearer of this letter is urgent — and the day has passed — and it is close to Minchah. And the letter from the day (missing) has still not come to my hand — and I will see to inquire after it. And I was surprised at you — my beloved son — that you still do not know that each and every day — new obstacles and various confusions are renewed for each person — which cannot be explained. And all of this is included in what our sages of blessed memory said: each day a person's evil inclination renews itself against him — and were it not that the Holy One Blessed be He helps him [יִצְרוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם מִתְחַדֵּשׁ עָלָיו בְּכָל יוֹם, וְאִלְמָלֵא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עוֹזְרוֹ — Sukkah 52b, cited also in Letters 133 and 137] [Sukkah 52b] and so forth. And it is also stated in the words of our Master, our Teacher and Rebbe — of blessed memory — that every person must necessarily have sorrow each day and so forth — and one needs great sweetening [הַמְתָּקָה גְּדוֹלָה — a specific Kabbalistic-Breslov term: *hamtakas hadinim* — the sweetening of the divine judgments at their root. Not merely psychological comfort but a spiritual act — the same *hamtakah* performed by the *tzaddik* who is the *bris melach olam* (Letter 133): the sweetening of the world's bitterness through holiness. Each day brings new sorrow and each day requires this active sweetening — without it the sorrow gains dominance and intensifies] — so that the sorrow does not intensify — G-d forbid. And what is surprising for you — in what passes over you — and the necessity to go according to the words we heard from him — of blessed memory: there is nothing to do at all [אַז מֶע הָאט גָאר נִיט צוּא טָאן — Yiddish: "there is nothing at all to do." The Rebbe's formulation of complete *bitul* — self-nullification and surrender before the divine will. When there is nothing one can do, that is itself the teaching: cease the grasping entirely, let the situation be in Hashem's hands] and so forth.
And believe me — my beloved son — that it is now some time since you yourself wrote to me and reminded me of these very words — in your letter — that one need not do anything at all — and you greatly revived me with them. Although in truth you heard them from my mouth — even so at that time they had been somewhat forgotten from my heart — and you reminded me. And I saw then the greatness of our conversations — that we receive from one another [מְקַבְּלִין דֵּין מִן דֵּין — Aramaic: the mutual spiritual sustaining of the Breslov fellowship. The teacher reminded by the student of teachings the teacher transmitted — and revived by them. A living circle of exchange]. And you already know that the essential thing is the will — and praised be G-d you have very good and strong desires — and you act through them greatly for the good — with the help of Hashem Yisborach. And in the meantime you also snatch some things of holiness. And to Hashem is the salvation — that you will be able — with the help of Hashem Yisborach — to learn more and to engage in prayer more — for one who comes to be purified — they assist him — they say to him: wait [הַבָּא לִטָּהֵר מְסַיְּעִין לוֹ אוֹמְרִים לוֹ הַמְתֵּן — Yoma 38b: divine assistance follows the direction of the human will — but with the qualification *omrim lo hamtein* — they say: wait. Great diligence is needed — and patience equally] [Yoma 38b]. Although great diligence is needed — patience too is greatly needed. And certainly you have already heard from me much about all of this. And for all of these — the essential thing of essentials is the greatness of the power of the holy elder — the most ancient of the elders [זָקֵן דִּקְדֻשָּׁה סָבָא דְּסָבִין — Aramaic: a Zoharic title of ultimate reverence applied to the supreme *tzaddik* — the Rebbe — whose holiness is of an ancient and ultimate character] — upon whom we lean. Praised be G-d — we have someone to lean upon — very much indeed — in this world and in the World to Come.
Be strong, my son — be strong. For Hashem is with you — do not fear and do not be dismayed. And may Hashem support you speedily and you will return to your former strength — and renew yourself like an eagle your youth [תְּחַדֵּשׁ כַּנֶּשֶׁר נְעוּרָיְכִי — Tehillim 103:5: the eagle's renewal — the ancient image of radical spiritual and physical renewal after depletion] [Tehillim 103:5] — to begin afresh all you can do with your strength. And behold — now too — here and in other towns — various ailments and illnesses are very common — as you wrote. But what you wrote — that it came upon you from sorrow and worry — G-d forbid — you need to turn from this — for this is not the proper way — and it is not right that you should be drawn so much after sorrow. For one must immediately remind oneself when anything passes over one — that all one's events are for one's good — and to fulfil the words of our sages: always — and so forth — all that the Merciful One does — He does for the good [לְעוֹלָם וְכוּ' דְּעָבֵד רַחֲמָנָא לְטָב עָבֵד — Brachos 60b: the full passage opens *l'olam yehei adam ratzui bidvei shamayim* — "a person should always be content with divine dispositions" — and the example of Nachum Ish Gamzu follows: *d'avad rachmana l'tav avad* — "all that the Merciful One does He does for the good." The *l'olam* — always — is the adverb of the entire principle: not only in specific difficult moments but as a constant daily disposition. The ellipsis (*v'chu'*) in Reb Nussun's text points to the full Talmudic context assumed known: the teaching is a permanent orientation of the soul, not only a response to crisis] [Brachos 60b]. Beyond this it is impossible to extend — and my hands are spread to Hashem. El Shaddai — may He give you great mercies — plain and simple mercies in which there is no admixture of judgment at all — and may the mercies be yours — that you merit to all good in this world and the World to Come — forever [אֵל שַׁדַּי יִתֵּן לָכֶם רַחֲמִים רַחֲמִים פְּשׁוּטִים שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם תַּעֲרֹבֶת דִּין כְּלָל — the divine name *El Shaddai* — the name of the patriarchal blessings and the *bris*. *Rachamim peshutim* — plain simple mercies — undiluted by any aspect of strict judgment — flowing purely from the divine compassion].
The words of your father — who intercedes on your behalf — and who awaits hearing good news from you speedily.
Nussun of Breslov.
Overview: Monday, Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av. Yitzchok is ill. *Yitzro mitchadesh b'chol yom* (Sukkah 52b). *Hamtakah gedolah*: now identified as the specific Kabbalistic-Breslov term for the sweetening of divine judgments at their root — not psychological comfort but a spiritual act required each day. *Az me hot gar nit tzua ton* — complete *bitul*. *Mekablin dein min dein*. *Haba litaher* (Yoma 38b). *Saba d'sabin*. *Ka'nesher n'uraiki* (Tehillim 103:5). *L'olam v'chu' d'avad rachmana l'tav avad*: now identified with its opening *l'olam yehei adam ratzui* — the *always* of a constant daily disposition, not only a crisis response. *El Shaddai — rachamim peshutim*.