כא.

He who grows and blossoms from the waters of the daas of the Tzadik. Bruder harziger, shreck zich nit! {My warm-hearted brother — do not be afraid!} Let him not be alarmed and not be confused by anything in the world. There is already now in the world such a true Rabbi — who is able to repair everything.

And through him everything is transformed for good — and even sins are transformed into merits.

Bruder harziger, shreck zich nit! {My warm-hearted brother — do not be afraid!} Let him not be alarmed and not be confused by anything in the world. There is already now in the world such a true Rabbi — who is able to repair everything. And through him everything is transformed for good — and even sins are transformed into merits. And he calls and cries out to us: Givald! Zait aich nit meyaish! {Gevald! Do not despair!} There is no despair in the world at all! Gott iz mit dir, bei'a dir, leib'in dir! {Hashem is with you, beside you, gives you life!} And to elevate and to magnify the holy faith in the world — until even one who is very defiled and immersed in the pit and sunken in the miry clay, and clothed in filthy garments, Heaven forbid — even he is able to cleanse himself and to wash and to purify himself in the springs of his holy counsels and repairs. Which purify and cleanse from all the defilements in which we have stumbled until now — so that they can come clean and pure to the palace of the King and receive the abundant good that is hidden. Which are the treasuries of free gifts — that he wishes to give us all the treasuries as free gifts, which the King has prepared for them. Fortunate is one who merits to them!

And he calls and cries out to us: Givald! Zait aich nit meyaish! {Gevald! Do not despair!} There is no despair in the world at all! Gott iz mit dir, bei'a dir, leib'in dir! {Hashem is with you, beside you, gives you

life!} And to elevate and to magnify the holy faith in the world — until even one who is very defiled and immersed in the pit and sunken in the miry clay, and clothed in filthy garments, Heaven forbid — even he is able to cleanse himself and to wash and to purify himself in the springs of his holy counsels and repairs.

Which purify and cleanse from all the defilements in which we have stumbled until now — so that they can come clean and pure to the palace of the King and receive the abundant good that is hidden.

Which are the treasuries of free gifts — that he wishes to give us all the treasuries as free gifts, which the King has prepared for them.

Fortunate is one who merits to them! There is already now in the world such a true Rabbi — who has hidden kindnesses without end and without limit — which are never exhausted forever — that have never been revealed since the days of the world.

For He has not yet removed His kindness from us. Even when a person has become distanced from Hashem Yisburach as he has become distanced — then specifically he must remember himself, all the wondrous good things that Hashem Yisburach performed with him, etc.

Even if the person has passed what he has passed — even if the person has transgressed the entire Torah thousands of times, Heaven have mercy — even so there is no despair in the world at all.

And one must begin every time anew — to strengthen himself to return to Hashem Yisburach.

And he specifically must be joyful, etc.

For this is the essential greatness of Hashem Yisburach — when the most distant ones draw close to Him and acknowledge Him Yisburach and strengthen themselves in faith.

And the essential creation of heaven and earth was only for this — that a person begin every time from the beginning, as though he was born today, and as though today is the very beginning of his start.

There is already now in the world such a true Rabbi — who has hidden kindnesses without end and without limit — which are never exhausted forever — that have never been revealed since the days of the world. For He has not yet removed His kindness from us. Even when a person has become distanced from Hashem Yisburach as he has become distanced — then specifically he must remember himself, all the wondrous good things that Hashem Yisburach performed with him, etc. Even if the person has passed what he has passed — even if the person has transgressed the entire Torah thousands of times, Heaven have mercy — even so there is no despair in the world at all. And one must begin every time anew — to strengthen himself to return to Hashem Yisburach. And he specifically must be joyful, etc.

For this is the essential greatness of Hashem Yisburach — when the most distant ones draw close to Him and acknowledge Him Yisburach and strengthen themselves in faith. And the essential creation of heaven and earth was only for this — that a person begin every time from the beginning, as though he was born today, and as though today is the very beginning of his start. Which is the aspect of "In the beginning Elohim created" [Genesis 1:1] — "in the beginning" specifically — for the sake of the aforementioned "beginning." And so until now Hashem Yisburach renews through His goodness every day continually the act of creation — and all of it is only for this. For the sake of the aforementioned renewal — that every person according to his level begin every day anew to enter into His service Yisburach. And he specifically must be joyful with the little bit of the good points that are still within him.

For the adversary always lies in ambush for the person — and especially regarding his end and his outcome. Particularly in these our generations. And it is impossible to leap and to jump over the Gehennom — which is this world — except through the power of the true Tzadik and his counsels and his holy books. Which are filled with his deep and sincere and very simple counsels — for each and every one in every place and at every time. Which bind the souls of Israel to Hashem Yisburach like a seal upon his heart. To bind our souls to Hashem Yisburach like a seal upon his heart.

Chanukah is the aspect of the drawing down of the light of truth — to subdue the filth of falsehood, which is the aspect of the kingship of the slave. And to strengthen the truth — which is the aspect of the holy kingship of the true King's Son.

Through the power of the miracle of Chanukah we merit to draw down the illumination of truth even into the darkness of the night — to nullify the exchange of the slave who was exchanged for the King's Son. So that we merit to clarify the true name — to know who is truly worthy of being called by the name of the slave's son, and who is truly worthy of being called by the name of the King's Son.

The essential prolonging of the exile is through dispute and baseless hatred — for this has been our downfall more than all sins. For even though there are many sins — especially now in these our days — may Hashem save us in the future — even so everything could have been repaired through the true Tzadik. Who illuminates in Israel entirely new holy paths — to return them from their evil ways and to repair them all. But the adversary spreads out in length and in breadth to greatly distance from the true Tzadik who possesses this power.

Remember well, well — all the good things and the miracles and the wonders that Hashem Yisburach performed with us in this generation — in the very extremity of our lowliness — that we have merited to hold ourselves in bonds of love to the true Tzadik. Whose Torah and daas — which he reveals with flashes of fire, in the aspect of "are not my words like fire?" [Jeremiah 23:29] — burns and blazes and consumes all the thorns and the thistles that surround the supernal rose. Which are the aspect of the false faiths of the false prophets — and all the heresies and the difficulties and the confusions that the unbelievers introduce against Hashem Yisburach and against His Torah and His true Tzadikim. From which comes the essential prolonging of the exile.

The adversary strengthens himself and labors through his stratagems to prevent… and to draw close to the true Tzadik, upon whom depends the essential wholeness of the repair of one's soul and all the hope of Israel. And the greater the stature of a person and the higher the level and the aspect within him — the more the adversary strengthens against him to prevent him from drawing close to this Tzadik. For if he were to draw close — who knows what good and repair would sprout from this for all of Israel!

Even though there are many sins especially now — as is found in these our days — very much and greatly — may Hashem save us in the future — even so everything could have been repaired through the true Tzadik. Who illuminates in Israel entirely new holy paths — to return them from their evil ways and to repair them all. But the adversary spreads out in length and in breadth to greatly distance from the true Tzadik who possesses this power.

Chanukah is the aspect of the drawing down of the light of truth — to subdue the filth of falsehood, which is the aspect of the kingly rule of the slave. And to strengthen the truth — which is the aspect of the holy kingship of the true King's Son, who strives and digs to find the waters from which the faith grows.

Hashem Yisburach will certainly complete His own work — and His hand is always uppermost. And all those thoughts of teshuvah that come to a person — not one of them is lost. Even though one has not yet merited to proper teshuvah. And even if the adversary strengthens against him afterwards even more — and he falls lower and lower, Heaven forbid — even so, whatever arousal he was occasionally aroused to — even a small bit as thin as a hairsbreadth — is never lost forever. And in the end he will have repair through this — through the accumulation of the thoughts of teshuvah that he had at times in the days of his life. Through the power of the great Tzadik — who strengthens and gives life to everything — those who dwell above and those who dwell below. And who arouses and gives life to all those who have descended very far below. Through the power of the great Tzadik — who strengthens and gives life to everything — those who dwell above and those who dwell below. And who arouses and gives life to all those who have descended very far below — and makes known to them that "the whole earth is full of His glory" [Isaiah 6:3]. Which is the aspect of "Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust" [Isaiah 26:19].

Which is the aspect of "In the beginning Elohim created" [Genesis 1:1] — "in the beginning" specifically — for the sake of the aforementioned "beginning." And so until now Hashem Yisburach renews through His goodness every day continually the act of creation — and all of it is only for this. For the sake of the aforementioned renewal — that every person according to his level begin every day anew to enter into His service Yisburach.

It is fitting for us to understand — that it is not an empty matter, this that we have merited in this generation to such a light! We have no consolation whatsoever for the exile and the darkness that passes over us — except the merit and the power of the Torah and the holy conversations of our holy and awesome Rabbainu, may the memory of the righteous one be for a blessing: "This one will comfort us from our labor" [Genesis 5:29], etc.

And he specifically must be joyful with the little bit of the good points that are still within him.

One must seek and request greatly after his lost things. And the lost things are mostly in a place of desolate wilderness — in a place of chaos and emptiness. And one must ensure that in the course of the search, one does not become even more lost. Therefore — anyone who wishes to have compassion upon his soul — how much strengthening he needs! Never to despair from the seeking and the searching, forever — however things may be. Even if it seems to him that he is becoming more and more lost, Heaven forbid, every time — even so he will do his own part and search more, with will and longing and yearning. And even though he finds nothing at all — he must believe that certainly he finds a great deal through the seeking and the searching alone. For the labor and the searching alone — even all the time that one does not find — is a gain without measure, more than all the wealth of the world. All the more so we are certain that we will certainly merit to find everything in the end — if we merit to strengthen ourselves and to seek and to search always.

[The following passage concludes the material preceding Letter 31, continuing directly from Letter 30:]

It is fitting for us to rejoice greatly — that even so, Hashem Yisburach has granted us merit to lean upon such a holy Tzadik who has revealed such awesome things. If you are small in your own eyes — and it seems to you that you are very distant from Hashem Yisburach through your deeds — on the contrary, it is fitting for you to rejoice even more and more. That a person such as myself — even so, Hashem Yisburach has granted me merit to lean upon such a holy Tzadik who has revealed such awesome things. It is good to give thanks to Hashem — for your longing and your consolation is the light of the truth that illuminates to all — and it is the consolation of everything. And above all this — the essential thing is the greatness of the power of the elder of holiness, Sabba d'Sabbin (the grandfather of grandfathers) — upon whom we lean. Praise be to G-d — we have one upon whom to rely! Be strong and strong — for Hashem is with you and beside you. Do not fear and do not be dismayed! With Hashem is the hope — that everything will be transformed to good. May Hashem lead him on the straight and true path always.

Israel Dov Odesser