I received your letter yesterday. And even though time is insufficient to reply to you — and still I do not know what to reply to you — even so the immensity of your yearning compelled me to interrupt the learning after the morning prayer and to shorten it for your sake — perhaps Hashem Yisborach will help to arrange words under my pen that will restore your souls — and be in the category of *talmud Torah d'rabbim* — the Torah study of the many — which surpasses everything [תַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָה דְּרַבִּים — from the Talmud: Torah study that benefits many simultaneously surpasses in merit all other forms of Torah study. A letter of this kind — one that strengthens many souls — constitutes such study] — and especially such great *talmud* that flows from the flowing stream — which leads to action — which is above everything.
And behold — I have already written you much — both what is engraved in the printed holy books — and in the written booklets that Hashem Yisborach helped me to innovate in them — and to bring out something from within something — and are they not in your hand — both the multitude of the letters I have already written you — and especially the multitude of words that we spoke face to face from then until now. And what can I add to innovate — for you know that for all your crying you can receive an answer from what you already know and heard. But even so I was compelled to fulfil your desire to reply — for this very reason — to remind you and urge you to remember well every day and at every time all the holy true wholesome words — and even so they are very very deep — filled with true deep wisdom — depth within depth without end and without limit — upon which nothing can be added and from which nothing can be subtracted — only to examine them and to pay attention to them. You will find every time all kinds of delicacies that restore the soul — and true counsels to strengthen your soul — and the soul of those like you — and those worse than you — and those better than you — each one according to his level — the wealthy and the poor and the middle — young and old — healthy and weak — G-d forbid — in all kinds of times that pass over a person — all as one — everyone can find in them good taste and true knowledge — in a way that each one remains in his place at every time — to leap upon all those who stand against him every day to disturb him from both worlds — G-d forbid.
For not one alone stands against every person every day to destroy him entirely — G-d forbid — but very many — very many — from every side — as it is written in Koheles: *"a small city and few people in it — and a great king came to it and surrounded it and built great siegeworks against it"* [Koheles 9:14]. And we have already spoken of this — but you still need to pay attention to all the words of this verse — how the king who is the *yetzer hara* — the old and foolish king — surrounds a person from every side and builds great siegeworks against him until it would be impossible to stand against him — were it not that Hashem helps us every day. And as our Sages said [Sukkah 52b]: every day a person's *yetzer hara* overpowers him — and were it not that the Holy One — blessed be He — helps him. And even so there is some aspect of free choice for a person. But this we have known for a long time — that nowhere are there to be found such wonderful true counsels as in his holy books — and as the words spoken between us that flow from his holy words that we received in writing and by mouth.
Remember this well — and rouse yourselves and strengthen yourselves and be men — and do not be what they call *shleimaz'lnikes* — schlemiels [שְׁלֵימַזְלְנִיקֶס — Yiddish: "unlucky wretches" — those who have completely given up and consider themselves hopeless cases]. Look and see that the entire world is full of pains more than you — and all that passes over you and all of you — has already passed over everyone who wanted to enter to draw close to Him — whether in this generation or in the previous generations. *"Zekor y'mos olam binu sh'nos dor v'dor"* — "Remember the days of old — understand the years of generation after generation" [Devarim 32:7] — Moshe Rabbeinu — upon him be peace — warned us — and it is a *mitzvah* and an obligation upon every person. For whoever is not foolish can understand from what he heard and saw in the books — all the events that happened under the sun with each one in every generation — that very many were disturbed through these circlings and confusions and so forth — may the Merciful One save us — and fortunate are those who remained standing in their service.
And the essential foundation of those who remained is through true strengthening — that they understood what was happening in the world and did not allow themselves to fall in any way. But still — there was never found anyone who strengthens so much with such wonderful counsels as our master — our teacher and our rabbi — of blessed memory — who strengthens and sustains and restores all the souls — even the very very fallen — in many kinds of deep and wholesome languages — and all of them taken from the place from which they are taken — where no thought can grasp there. And to begin to speak of them one would need to return and explain all his holy books. Therefore consider your ways and return your foot to His testimonies — which are the holy Torah novellae that he revealed to us. *Hafoch bahem v'hafoch bahem — v'siv u'v'lei bahem — u'meihem lo tazu'a* — turn them over and turn them over — grow old and worn out in them — and from them do not move [הֲפֹךְ בָּהֶם וַהֲפֹךְ בָּהֶם וְסִיב וּבְלֵהּ בָּהֶם — from Avos 5:22 — applied here to the holy books and teachings of the Rebbe himself] [Avos 5:22] — for there is no finer attribute than them. More than this there is no need to extend.
The words of your father and your lover in truth forever — who seeks your good and your success — in this world and the next — forever and for all the worlds of worlds.
Nussun of Breslov.
And peace to all our *anshei sh'lomaynu* with great love. To all of them were these words said — to all who desire the truth in truth. *Chizku v'ya'ametz l'vavchem kol ham'yachalim laHashem* — be strong and let your heart take courage — all you who hope to Hashem. [Tehillim 31:25]
Overview: Thursday, Parshas B'midbar — Nemirov. Received Yitzchok's letter yesterday. Time insufficient — doesn't know what to reply — but the immensity of his yearning compelled him to interrupt the post-prayer learning — perhaps Hashem will provide words under his pen that will be *talmud Torah d'rabbim* — especially such great *talmud* flowing from the flowing stream. Already written him much — both printed books and written booklets — they are in his hand — multitude of letters already written — and especially the multitude of words spoken face to face. What can he add? For all his crying he can receive an answer from what he already knows — but was compelled to reply — to remind him and urge him to remember well every day all the holy true wholesome words — which are very very deep — depth within depth without end — nothing can be added or subtracted — only examine and pay attention. Will find every time all kinds of delicacies that restore the soul and true counsels — for the wealthy and the poor and the middle — young and old — healthy and weak — in all kinds of times — everyone can find in them good taste and true knowledge. For not one alone stands against every person every day — but very many from every side — "a small city and few people in it — and a great king came and surrounded it and built great siegeworks against it" (Koheles 9:14). The king is the *yetzer hara* — the old and foolish king. Every day a person's *yetzer hara* overpowers him — and were it not that the Holy One helps him (Sukkah 52b). Remember this well — rouse yourselves and be men — do not be *shleimaz'lnikes.* The entire world is full of pains more than you — and all that passes over you has already passed over everyone who wanted to draw close to Him — in this generation and in the previous generations. *Zekor y'mos olam* — Moshe Rabbeinu warned us — it is a *mitzvah* and obligation. Very many were disturbed through the circlings and confusions — and fortunate are those who remained standing. Their essential foundation: true strengthening — they understood what was happening and did not allow themselves to fall. And never was found anyone who strengthens so much with such wonderful counsels as our master — who strengthens and restores all the souls — even the very very fallen — in many kinds of deep and wholesome languages — all taken from the place where no thought can grasp. Consider your ways and return your foot to His testimonies — the holy Torah novellae he revealed to us. *Hafoch bahem v'hafoch bahem v'siv u'v'lei bahem u'meihem lo tazu'a* — for there is no finer attribute than them. Closing: *chizku v'ya'ametz l'vavchem kol ham'yachalim laHashem.*