His letter I received today — and certainly I had great sorrow from the multitude of the adventures that pass over him. But praised be G-d — I have already anticipated speaking with you greatly about the matter of man is born to toil — short of days and full of agitation [אָדָם לְעָמָל יוּלָּד קְצַר יָמִים וּשְׂבַע רֹגֶז — Iyov 5:7 and 14:1: two Iyov verses cited together as in Letter 171 — "for man is born to toil" (Iyov 5:7) and "short of days and full of agitation" (Iyov 14:1). The two verses together define the essential human condition: existence is toil, and the days are brief and filled with turbulence] [Iyov 5:7; Iyov 14:1] — and how the entire world is full of sufferings and adventures of every kind — and no person has anything with which to console himself except the little good that he merits to snatch in these few bad days — for it was only for this that he was created — to endure toil for the sake of Torah and service. And if he does not merit this — he endures toil for Gehinnom — G-d forbid — about which the *Tanna* warned: I beg of you — do not inherit two Geihinnom [בְּמָטוּתָא מִינַיְיכוּ לָא תִּירְתוּ תַּרְתֵּי גֵּיהִנָּם — Yoma 72b: the Talmudic warning against the person who studies Torah but does not fulfil it — who inherits both the sufferings of this world (the toil of Torah without its reward) and the Gehinnom of the next. The *Tanna's* plea: do not collect the double inheritance of toil without Torah and Gehinnom without Torah] [Yoma 72b].

What shall I say to you — my beloved son — the delight of my soul? I have already multiplied speaking of this greatly — and also at this very hour I spoke of this with Rabbi Leibli the son-in-law of Rabbi Reuven. But we still need to speak of this and to remember it every day — for although certainly everyone with a mind in his head knows of this — and especially the sages — even the sages of the nations — speak of this greatly — that the world is full of griefs and pains — and all his days are pain and vexation — but since they have no true consolation with which to console themselves — therefore after they speak of this they return to their folly and pursue only money and the vanities of this world. But blessed is our G-d Who created us for His glory and gave us the Torah of truth [בָּרוּךְ אֱלֹקֵינוּ שֶׁבָּרָאָנוּ לִכְבוֹדוֹ וְנָתַן לָנוּ תּוֹרַת אֱמֶת — from the blessing recited after completing a Torah reading: "Blessed is our G-d Who created us for His glory and separated us from those who go astray — and gave us the Torah of truth — and planted eternal life in our midst." The blessing of the one who possesses the truth against all the world's futile searching. The nations' sages speak of the world's suffering but have no answer; we have the Torah of truth as our answer and consolation] — in this there is to console and gladden ourselves.

And if we do not merit to fulfil the Torah as is fitting — Hashem Yisborach has already preceded the cure to our blows — that we merited to know of the true sanctity and greatness of our Master our Teacher and Rebbe — may the memory of the righteous one be for a blessing — who revives and gladdens us in all levels and in all matters that are in the world — as is known to you my son. And about him it is said: were it not for the salt — the world would not be able to endure the bitterness [אִלְמָלֵא מִלְחָא — Zohar / Likutay Moharan I:10: the salt that preserves the world from being overwhelmed by its essential bitterness is the light of the true *tzaddik*. Without him — the world's *meirirus* — its bitterness — would be unbearable. The *tzaddik* is the cosmic sweetener of existence. First cited in Letter 172 — returned here in the context of the world's universal suffering: the nations' sages see the suffering but have no answer. The *tzaddik* is the answer — he sweetens the bitterness that the sages of the nations can only name but cannot cure] [Zohar; LM I:10] and so forth. This one will comfort us from our work and from the toil of our hands [זֶה יְנַחֲמֵנוּ מִמַּעֲשֵׂינוּ — Bereishis 5:29: the verse spoken by Lemech at the birth of Noach — zeh yenachamenu mimma'aseinu umei'itzavon yadeinu min ha'adamah asher eiratah Hashem — "this one will comfort us from our work and from the toil of our hands — from the ground which Hashem has cursed." The first use of the word *nechamah* — comfort/consolation — in the Torah. Said about Noach — but applied by Reb Nussun to the Rebbe: *zeh* — this one — the *tzaddik* — is the one who brings true *nechamah* — the consolation from the toil and pain of existence. Where the nations' sages offer no real comfort — the *tzaddik* gives us *zeh yenachamenu*] [Bereishis 5:29] and so forth. And from the great urgency of the bearer of this letter — it is impossible to extend as I wish — and it is enough.

And from yourself — remember all that pertains to this — and let it be fresh in your eyes — and give thanks for what has passed — that He saved your soul and the soul of your household. And certainly all is for great good — and from now on may Hashem guard you from all evil — may He guard your soul.