קלו.

[This letter opens mid-sentence in the source text.

"The Torah of Hashem makes armies of those schooled in faith."

Myen darf zich zeyer yogin myen zol noch kenin epis chapin — {One must hasten greatly so that one can still seize something.}

The days of exchange come and go — and every single day one draws closer to the day of death. And one is compelled to go upon this path without doubt — whether it is near or far. But in any case everything will pass like a passing shadow. And we must in any case begin from now — to have compassion and mercy upon ourselves with true mercy — to prepare our steps for the World to Come, and to prepare provisions for such a distant journey. And we are filled with sins and iniquities and great transgressions and evil desires and many corruptions, without measure, without worth and without number. And we are very, very far from the purpose — and we have not yet gone from the secular to the holy even by the width of a thread. And we must hasten to flee our souls from the fowler's snare. And therefore let us strengthen ourselves and gird ourselves with great alacrity — to flee and to run to the Tzadik, upon whom depends the wholeness of the repair of our soul and all the hope of Israel. Who illuminates within us the illumination of the will with such great power — until he illuminates the world and will not be interrupted in any kind of darkness that passes over every person, according to what he is. For through this he elevates even from the aspect of apostasy to will. The essential service of the Tzadik is to clarify and to elevate the good from the very depths of the evil. And he elevates even the most fallen souls — by finding merit for them. Even for the utter wicked — the worst of all — as long as the name of Israel is called upon him, he searches and requests and finds some merit, however small — and through this he elevates them also from the very depths of the evil. And the good is clarified and the evil is pushed away and entirely nullified. And this is the aspect of the revelation of Moshiach — {who will gather all the displaced from the four corners of the earth}.

When a person falls to the place where he falls — even if he falls into very disgraceful ways which are the aspect of the defiled places, and even one who falls, Heaven forbid, into doubts and imaginings and questions about Hashem Yisburach — even so there is no despair in the world whatsoever. Even though it seems to him that in his place, Hashem Yisburach is not to be found at all — Heaven forbid — because he has fallen to such defiled places, Heaven have mercy. Even so let him be strong and determined and overcome himself greatly — to seek and to request and to search after the honor of Hashem Yisburach. And when he asks and seeks and requests the honor of Hashem Yisburach — and is pained and longs and cries out to Hashem Yisburach, and yearns to return to Him. Even though he knows of no way or path or counsel or stratagem — how it is possible to rise and to return from such places so distant from Hashem Yisburach — even so, through the very seeking and searching itself — that he searches and requests Hashem Yisburach, asking: "Ayeh — where is the place of His glory?" — through this itself he ascends to the ultimate ascent. In the aspect of "the descent is the ultimate ascent." And this itself is his teshuvah and his repair. For through the descent he has — through this he searches and requests: "Ayeh — where is the place of His glory?" And through this, when he merits to search and to seek well — he merits to ascend to the ultimate ascent, to the aspect of Ayeh — which is the root of everything. And he draws from there new vitality.

And he also strives to leave his daas for the generations forever. For this is the essential wholeness of the Tzadik after his passing. For even if the Tzadik has merited to depart and to ascend on high to the very ultimate of the lofty level — even so this is not his wholeness — to be on high alone. Only the essential wholeness is that he illuminate after his passing below and below as well. That he leave a son and a disciple who will receive his holy daas in the world from generation to generation forever — in order to save Israel from sins for all the generations — forever and ever. And through this it is considered as though he himself literally remains in the world.

The essential of the person is the daas — and one who has no daas is not a person at all — only he is an animal in human form. And the essential daas is to know that there is a G-d Who rules in the land — and to do His will Yisburach.

The essential illumination of daas — the aspect of Moshe — is to rescue and to protect and to take Israel out from sins that come through the spirit of foolishness. For this is the essential mercy upon Israel — the holy nation — for one who knows from where Israel is taken — how they are entirely distant from sins, Heaven have mercy. And he illuminates in those who dwell above and in those who dwell below.

…Who makes known to those who dwell below — who are the most lowly ones in the very lowest level — in the nethermost depths, etc. That even there Hashem is still with them and beside them. For "the whole earth is full of His glory" [Isaiah 6:3]. And he arouses and awakens them — in the aspect of "Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust" [Isaiah 26:19], etc. And through this he illuminates within them the daas and drives away from them the spirit of foolishness every time.

For certainly it is a great labor and a most wondrous craft — to illuminate the daas in people such as these who have stumbled in sins. Especially those who have stumbled as they have stumbled — Heaven have mercy — in utter deliberate sins, immense transgressions. And the Tzadik is such a merciful one — that even to them he illuminates the holy daas through his goodness and his mercy.

For through his great power he makes known to them that Hashem is still with them. For "there is no place empty of Him" [Tikkunei Zohar 57]. And through this itself — he drives away from them the spirit of foolishness every time. For even if the person is as he is — the moment they make known to him that Hashem Yisburach is found even there — as it is written: "Who dwells with them within their impurities" [Leviticus 16:16]. For even in the ten crowns of impurity Hashem Yisburach is found — for from Him Yisburach alone is all their vitality, etc. Then immediately the spirit of foolishness flees from him.

Only the opening fragmentary address is preserved:] …A most fierce and remarkable warrior… Whose mind and intellect is strong in the truth — and who has a strong and firm heart to clothe himself…