He received his letter before Shabbas — and heard his bitter cries — as is his way from long ago. And what can he do for him — my beloved son — he has already comforted him with many consolations and true salvations — such that even if — G-d forbid — you were the most wretched and flawed in the entire world — one could comfort and gladden oneself with the abundance of the restorers of taste that he spoke with him in writing and orally — all of them flowing from the pure utterances. And you do not take to heart well the words of comfort and salvation. The essential of the matter: however it is — we have an old father — the Elder of Elders — who will certainly save also you and me — however it is. Praised be G-d — we have great hope — very much so with Hashem's help. Chasdo gavar aleinu v'emes Hashem l'olam. And all the more so — there are also in you many good points without measure — "u'che'felach ha'rimon rakatecha" — "and like a slice of pomegranate — so is your temple" — and so forth — as our Sages of blessed memory said. [Brachos 57a] [The Talmudic teaching: even the empty ones among Israel are as full of good deeds as a pomegranate is full of seeds — and the Shir Ha'Shirim verse: even your temple — your most empty people — are full of good points like a pomegranate. What tenderness — what compassion — Reb Nussun quotes this not as a general observation but directed precisely and personally at his suffering son]

And all this is included in what they already spoke on the verse "sh'chorah ani v'nava" — "I am black and beautiful" — I am black in my deeds — and beautiful in the deeds of my fathers who are the tzaddikim — as it is written there: and beautiful am I in Pinchas — and so forth — and also in my deeds there are beautiful ones — and so forth. And this was said after the sin of the golden calf — which included idol worship and sexual immorality — and so forth. And all the more so — you have not made the golden calf — G-d forbid — and you have no part in it. Only you are of those who hold on with all their strength to the true tzaddik — who is in the aspect of Moshe — who engages at every time to elevate even from apostasy to favor — and all the more so. Be strong — be strong — my son — and remember well what he said — that one does not know at all — and so forth — for great is Hashem — and so forth — and His greatness has no end — and so forth.