Surely you have heard that we sat in the village of Shuriovitz all the seven days of the wedding feast. Until here His mercies have sustained me — and so forth — and also unto old age and grey hair may He not abandon me [cf. Tehillim 71:18] — until we merit to see His salvation sprout and be revealed soon before our eyes. And I have already written to you that we see a sprouting of a horn of salvation at every time — but we still need salvation and very, very great mercy each day and at every time and at every hour — until we merit to be as He desires, may He be blessed, in truth.
And we are obligated always to be grateful for the past — for all the kindnesses and goodnesses that He has already performed wondrously with us — with each and every person — in so many ways — both materially and spiritually. If only our mouths were full of song as the sea — and so forth and so forth. And through this we will have the strength to cry out for the future — that He have mercy on us in His great mercies.
And save us from the depths of the sea — from the miry clay where there is no standing [cf. Tehillim 69:3] — that spreads in this world — and in particular in these generations at the footsteps of Mashiach — as every person knows in his own soul. And even so — we see His wonders in such depth — for already He has multiplied and made wondrous His kindness with us without end.
Therefore one must always walk in the above-mentioned path — to give thanks for the past and to cry out for the future — as you have already heard from me much about this matter. Be strong, my son — be strong — and gladden your soul with everything you can. And trust in Hashem — for He will not abandon you.
The words of your father — who awaits your salvation.
Nussun of Breslov.
To all our anshay shlomaynu — peace. To all of them these words were spoken — be strong and let your heart take courage — all who hope to Hashem [Tehillim 31:25].
Overview: Written on the Friday Reb Nussun returns to Breslov after seven days at a wedding in the village of Shuriovitz. The letter is brief but contains one of the most complete formulations of the dual spiritual path in the collection: gratitude for the past, crying out for the future. These two movements — *todah* and *tze'akah* — are the axis around which all of Reb Nussun's teaching on prayer revolves, and here they are stated with crystalline simplicity.