Ullim LeTroofah – Letter 389 | Friday Erev Shabbas Kodesh Parshas Chukas 5602 Uman — To His Sons Nachman and Yosef Yonah — For Hashem's Sake Be Diligent in Learning — This World Is Nothing — Only Torah and Prayer and Good Deeds Remain — What You Necessarily Need He Will Help With Hashem's Help — Greatness One Does Not Need — The Expensive Garments Embitter People's Lives — G-d Will Help Them to Eat and Drink and a Caftan — Only Learn and Pray and Guard Yourselves From Evil and Be Joyful — See to Write Every Day — Honor Your Good Mother — Do Not Quarrel — Say Tehillim Every Day — Begin to Accustom Yourselves to Pour Out Your Hearts Before Hashem — You Are Not Fools — When You Fulfil These Words You Will Understand Them Even Better

Ullim LeTroofah

עלים לתרופה

Leaves for Healing

The Sacred Letters of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov and Reb Nussun of Breslov, of blessed memory

LETTER THREE HUNDRED AND NINETY

With the help of Hashem Yisborach · Friday, Erev Shabbas Kodesh Parshas Chukas — Uman · Year 5602 (1842)

ToPeace — to his son Nachman — may he live — and to his son Yosef Yonah — may he live.

This letter is written entirely in Yiddish — a tender, direct father's letter to his young sons at home. The Hebrew translation follows in brackets after each passage.

For Hashem's sake — be diligent in learning — and you will always be well. This world is nothing at all. Only Torah and prayer and good deeds remain. What you will necessarily need — he will help you with Hashem's help — and greatness one does not need. The expensive garments embitter people's lives — in particular simple people — and in particular persecuted ones like themselves — where every gold coin comes to him through great miracle that cannot be told — and all the more so cannot be written. But even so — G-d Blessed be He will help them to eat and drink and a caftan. Only learn and pray and guard yourselves from evil — and be joyful.

Also see to write every day. And honor well your good mother — for Hashem's sake do not quarrel with each other — and certainly do not hit each other — G-d forbid. You should not cause any distress — G-d forbid — to your mother — she toils around you enough. And say Tehillim every day. And begin to accustom yourselves to pour out your hearts before Hashem Yisborach — and it will be so well for you.

Not only to you alone does he write this — for he writes this also to your older brothers — may they live. They also need all these words. But you are young children who should live long — you need from today to begin to accustom yourselves to go with this — to think only of the ultimate purpose. You are blessed be Hashem not fools — G-d forbid. You will understand his words — but when you fulfil them — you will understand them even better.

And may Hashem Yisborach lengthen your days and your years in Torah and good deeds — Amen.

Nussun — as above.

Overview: Friday, Erev Shabbas Kodesh Parshas Chukas — Uman — 5602. Written in Yiddish — a tender father's letter to his young sons Nachman and Yosef Yonah. For Hashem's sake — be diligent in learning — and you will always be well. This world is nothing at all. Only Torah and prayer and good deeds remain. What you will necessarily need — he will help you with Hashem's help — and greatness one does not need. The expensive garments embitter people's lives — in particular simple people — in particular persecuted ones like themselves — where every gold coin comes through great miracle that cannot be told. But even so — G-d will help them to eat and drink and a caftan. Only learn and pray and guard yourselves from evil and be joyful. Also see to write every day. And honor well your good mother — for Hashem's sake do not quarrel — and certainly do not hit each other — G-d forbid. You should not cause any distress to your mother — she toils around you enough. And say Tehillim every day. And begin to accustom yourselves to pour out your hearts before Hashem — and it will be so well for you. Not only to you alone does he write this — for he writes this also to your older brothers — they also need all these words. But you are young children who should live long — you need from today to begin to accustom yourselves to think only of the ultimate purpose. You are blessed be Hashem not fools — G-d forbid. You will understand his words — but when you fulfil them — you will understand them even better.

Key Themes

For Hashem's Sake Be Diligent in Learning — This World Is Nothing — Only Torah and Prayer and Good Deeds Remain — He Will Help Them With Hashem's Help — Greatness One Does Not Need — Every Gold Coin Comes Through Great Miracle — G-d Will Help Them to Eat and Drink and a Caftan — Only Learn and Pray and Be JoyfulFor Hashem's sake — be diligent in learning — and you will always be well. This world is nothing at all. Only Torah and prayer and good deeds remain. What you necessarily need — he will help with Hashem's help — and greatness one does not need. Every gold coin comes through great miracle that cannot be told. But even so — G-d will help them to eat and drink and a caftan. Only learn and pray and guard yourselves from evil and be joyful.

Honor Your Good Mother — Do Not Quarrel — Say Tehillim Every Day — Begin to Pour Out Your Hearts Before Hashem — You Are Young Children Who Should Live Long — Begin From Today to Think Only of the Ultimate Purpose — You Are Not Fools — When You Fulfil These Words You Will Understand Them Even BetterHonor well your good mother — for Hashem's sake do not quarrel — and certainly do not hit each other. You should not cause any distress to your mother — she toils around you enough. Say Tehillim every day. And begin to accustom yourselves to pour out your hearts before Hashem. You are young children who should live long — you need from today to begin to think only of the ultimate purpose. When you fulfil these words — you will understand them even better.