Volume One • Letter 5

Peace and blessing — and a good inscription and sealing, [כתיבה וחתימה טובה — "a good inscription and sealing" — the traditional Rosh Hashana blessing: G-d inscribes each person's fate in the Book of Life on Rosh Hashana and seals it on Yom Kippur. This greeting tells us the letter is written in the weeks immediately before Rosh Hashana.] and a good and sweet new year, [שנה טובה ומתוקה — "a good and sweet new year" — the traditional Rosh Hashana greeting. Honey eaten on Rosh Hashana symbolizes the wish for sweetness in the year ahead.] and all good things, forever — to his honor, my beloved, my friend, my dear, the exalted and honored one who yearns for the service of Hashem in truth and to do the will of Hashem as is fitting. May Hashem grant him merit in this — and may he merit to truly draw close to the true Tzaddik. So may it be His will, Amen. The honor of our master and teacher the Rabbi, [כמ"ר = כבוד מורינו הרב — "the honor of our master and teacher the Rabbi" — a formal rabbinic honorific placed before the recipient's name; compare Letter 2, §1 where the same abbreviation appears as כב' מוה"ר] Avraham Yakovitch, may his light shine, may he live long, may G-d protect him and guard him. After inquiring after his precious wellbeing with great love. As for our own wellbeing — thanks be to Hashem.

Practical Matters: Esrog and Tefillin Sent to the Recipient To be sure — I have just now received his letter from Thursday, the Torah-reading week of Re'eh. [Parshas Re'eh — ראה — "See!" — Deuteronomy 11:26–16:17, the portion immediately preceding Ki Seitzei. A letter written Thursday of Re'eh would have arrived just days before this reply.] And behold — although I am waiting to send his honor the tefillin this very week, with G-d's help — nevertheless, I am hurrying to write the letter [now] — lest the second letter be delayed until his honor travels for Rosh Hashana [יסע על ר"ה — "he travels for Rosh Hashana" — the preposition על here means "to be at / in order to be present for." In Breslov, traveling for Rosh Hashana meant the annual pilgrimage to be with the Breslov community for the holiest days of the year — at that time in various locations in Israel and abroad. The phrasing implies the recipient plans to travel specifically for Rosh Hashana, as every Breslov Chassid endeavors to do.] that is coming upon us for good. Let his honor know: I already sent his honor an esrog [Esrog — אתרוג — the citron fruit; one of the Four Species (arba minim) used during the Festival of Sukkos. A halachically valid, high-quality esrog was difficult and expensive to obtain, particularly in early Israel. The author goes to great lengths to procure and send one.] on the 26th of Av. The esrog is from those established and confirmed to be ungrafted [Biltei murkav — בלתי מורכב — "ungrafted / not a hybrid." A fundamental halachic requirement: the esrog must be a pure citron, not a grafted hybrid. There was — and still is — considerable halachic debate about which varieties are truly ungrafted, making this an important certification.] — [acquired] from a Torah scholar and G-d-fearing man, [מאיש ת"ח ויר"א — "from a man who is a Torah scholar and G-d-fearing." ת"ח = תלמיד חכם — a Torah scholar; יר"א = ירא שמים — G-d-fearing. Both qualities are named: the seller has the knowledge to certify the esrog and the piety to be trusted in doing so.] and from a reliable and guaranteed source that is confirmed ungrafted. And among the ungrafted [esrogim] available here, it is considered beautiful [Hadar — הדר — "beauty / splendor." One of the Torah's requirements for the esrog (Leviticus 23:40): pri etz hadar — "the fruit of a splendid tree." Hadar is the halachic standard of visual beauty and quality required.] — and it also has a pittum. [Pittum — פיטום — the dried floral remnant or protrusion at the tip of the esrog, considered a sign of a pure, superior fruit. Its presence makes the esrog especially praiseworthy.] And I wanted to send it by airmail — but that would cost a very great deal of money, and the Torah has consideration for the money of Israel. [התורה חסה על ממונן של ישראל — a well-known Talmudic principle: the Torah's laws are designed not to impose unnecessary financial burden. The author applies this principle to his own practical decision-making throughout this letter.] And therefore I sent it by regular mail. And I am hopeful that it will arrive in time before the Festival of Sukkos. [Sukkos — סוכות — the Festival of Tabernacles, beginning on the 15th of Tishrei, five days after Yom Kippur. The esrog must arrive before the festival begins.] Let his honor inform me whether he received it, and whether he had pleasure and satisfaction from it. The cost of the esrog came to me, together with the shipping — a total of five dollars.

Regarding the tefillin — let his honor know: it is because of this [matter] that I held myself back from traveling back to Miron. I had already wanted to be settled there from the month of Elul onwards — and I held myself back until mid-Elul so that I could see that the Torah portions, the housings, and the straps [The three components of tefillin: פרשיות (parshiyos) — the four Torah passages handwritten on parchment and placed inside; בתים (battim) — the black leather boxes that contain them; and רצועות (retzuos) — the black leather straps. All three must meet exacting halachic standards.] would all be in order. And there were several obstacles with the scribe — a G-d-fearing man and an outstanding Torah scholar and outstanding scribe [ירא שמים ות"ח מובהק וסופר מובהק — three distinct qualities: G-d-fearing (yiras shamayim — deep reverence for Heaven), outstanding Torah scholar (talmid chacham muvhak — exceptional learning), and outstanding scribe (sofer muvhak — expert mastery of the craft). A scribe who writes tefillin must possess all three; the author specifies each one separately.] whom I hired to write the Torah portions. He brought me the Torah portions before Rosh Chodesh [Rosh Chodesh — ראש חודש — the first day of the new month; here, Rosh Chodesh Elul] — beautiful portions, and everything was beautiful and good. But there was an error — for he wrote Rashi tefillin [Tefillin d'Rashi — תפלין דרש"י — the standard pair of tefillin worn by all Jewish men, following the order of the four Torah passages as ruled by Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, 1040–1105)] instead of Rabbeinu Tam tefillin. [Tefillin d'Rabbeinu Tam — תפלין דר"ת — an additional pair worn by particularly pious men, following the alternative ordering ruled by Rabbeinu Tam (Rabbi Yaakov ben Meir, 1100–1171), Rashi's grandson. The recipient had ordered this additional pair specifically.] And he was compelled to write the portions of Rabbeinu Tam again. And after he finished last week the portions of Rabbeinu Tam — and I gave [instructions] to insert them into the housings — for the head [tefillin] they could not fit into the housing. [The head tefillin housing (shel rosh) has four separate compartments, one for each of the four Torah passages. The parchments must fit precisely. If the scribe wrote them slightly larger than specified, they cannot be inserted and must be rewritten.] And therefore he was compelled this week to write the head portions once more. And with G-d's help, tomorrow the portions will be completed. And he goes to the mikveh before he writes, [The scribe immerses in the ritual purification pool before beginning each session of writing — an act of spiritual preparation and purification before engaging in this sacred work. One of the marks of an exceptional, truly G-d-fearing scribe.] and he also does not interrupt with any speech at all during the entire time of writing. [Complete silence throughout the writing session — another mark of exceptional piety and concentration, ensuring that no mundane speech contaminates the sacred act of writing the Divine Names.] And also the maker of the housings cut his finger [נקף אצבע — "cut / struck his finger." A simple, human accident that caused further delay. The author records it matter-of-factly — this is the texture of real life in the service of G-d: the noble spiritual project meets the humble reality of a craftsman's injured hand.] and was unable to finish on time. And already the housings were in my possession unblackened — and I saw their quality: they were beautiful and splendid, of proper thick leather from a single hide, as required. [גסות מעור אחד כראוי — "of proper thick leather from a single [piece of] hide, as required." The battim must be made from a single piece of leather (not sewn together from pieces), properly thick, and painted black on the outside. The author personally inspects and confirms all of this.] And I have already given them to be blackened and to have the straps attached — everything as required. And with G-d's help I expect that this very Thursday I will receive them ready to send — and with G-d's help I will send them by mail this week, G-d willing. [איה"ש = אם ירצה השם — "if G-d wills it / G-d willing" — the fundamental Jewish acknowledgment that all plans depend on divine will] But by regular mail — for sending by airmail costs a very great deal of money indeed, and the Torah has consideration for the money of Israel, as written above. And for [the saving of] the difference between airmail and regular mail I sent the esrog [by regular mail] — for sending the tefillin by airmail would cost almost twice the entire price of the esrog. And therefore I will send them by regular mail.

I am filled with satisfaction [הנני שבע רצון — "I am sated / filled with satisfaction." The word שבע means sated, filled to capacity — like one who has eaten to contentment. Not merely "pleased" or "satisfied" but brimming-full with satisfaction, overflowing with it. The author's joy at the recipient's behavior is not a mild approval but a deep, complete sense of gratification.] with what his honor wrote to me some time ago [מכבר — "some time ago / previously." The recipient had written about this earlier, and the author is now finally acknowledging it warmly.] — that he conducts himself with discretion and modesty [הצנע לכת — hatznea lechet — "to walk modestly / with concealment." From Micah 6:8. Here it refers specifically to the recipient's modesty about his charitable support of the printing project — not publicizing it, not making it known.] in the matter of his assisting me in the printing of the book — for the evil inclination can cast an evil eye and jealousy even among upright people, G-d forbid. Therefore, certainly there is nothing more beautiful than modesty (tzni'us) [Tzni'us — צניעות — modesty and discretion in all forms of behavior, not only in dress but in the entire manner of conducting oneself — avoiding drawing unnecessary attention to one's good deeds] — and the commandment of charity that is performed in concealment is considered very, very great. [The Rambam (Maimonides) lists giving tzedakah anonymously as one of the highest levels of charity. The author praises the recipient warmly for naturally embodying this ideal.] The Book Being Printed — Its Content, Power, and Future Vision And regarding the question of the printing that his honor asked me some time ago — what will become of the other Torah teachings of our master the Rebbe זצ"ל: Firstly — I am hopeful that even the larger Torah teachings will not contain as many bogin [Bogin — בוגין — printer's signatures; 16-page gatherings; see Letter 2, §5] as the first Torah teaching — because this one is like a hakdamah [Hakdamah — הקדמה — "introduction / preface." This first Torah teaching of Rabbi Nachman functions as a foundational introduction to all the Rebbe's Torah — laying the entire groundwork for understanding and entering the service of G-d before the other teachings are approached.] to all the Torah teachings — and it is the path and the step-by-step walk [דרך והילוך — "the path and the walk / the way and the manner of proceeding step by step." דרך is the path or road itself; הילוך is the actual walking — the moving forward, the step-by-step proceeding along that path. Together they describe not merely a theoretical orientation toward the service of G-d, but the actual dynamic movement of entering into it, one step at a time.] for entering into the service of Hashem. And the essential content [of this Torah teaching] is on "the ba'al davar who clothes himself in commandments" [הבעל דבר מתלבש במצוות — one of the most subtle and important Breslov concepts: the evil inclination does not always appear as obvious sin. It disguises itself in the garments of holiness — presenting itself as a mitzvah, a good deed, an act of piety — in order to confuse and mislead the spiritually serious person. This is why even genuinely pious people can be misled. The entire first Torah of Likutay Moharan is built around this insight.] — which our master the Rebbe זצ"ל brings in this Torah teaching — for there it is explained in full: all the strategies of the ba'al davar, and the [way of] strengthening oneself against him. And in any case we can say: this Torah teaching will be vitality and salvation for all who go through what they go through [כל מי שעובר עליו מה שעובר — "all who go through what they go through." A deliberately tender and non-specific phrase — the author does not name any particular difficulty. Whatever a person is going through — this Torah teaching has something for them.] — so that they can revive themselves [לחיות את עצמו — "to revive himself / give life to himself." The full phrase is לחיות את עצמו — the reflexive את עצמו (himself) emphasizes that the person does this to and for himself — it is an act of self-revival, not merely receiving revival from outside. The person actively applies the teaching to revive his own soul.] and be joyful to the utmost. And also for the difficulties of his honor — he will find many answers there. Literally — this will be a light in the world for whoever wishes to study and observe [its teachings]. And also — the other Torah teachings do not need to contain as much [per teaching] — for what has already been included here, we will note [a cross-reference] to look into Torah teaching number one. [A cross-referencing system: later volumes will direct the reader back to this first book rather than repeating what is already there. The first book thus serves as the permanent foundation text for the entire future series.] And also there is no need to worry about the other Torah teachings — would that Hashem help us to complete this first Torah teaching. Certainly when we complete it — fortunate will be our portion and our lot, [אשרי חלקינו וגורלינו — "fortunate our portion and our lot." Two words: חלק (chelek) — portion, share; גורל (goral) — lot, fate, destiny — what falls to one as if by the casting of lots. Together they convey: fortunate the share that has been assigned to us, and fortunate the destiny that has fallen to us. The word גורל specifically implies that this good fortune has been decreed from Above.] and we will be able to rejoice greatly in this alone. "Were I not to have come into the world except for this Torah teaching — it would be sufficient for us — and sufficient!" [אלמלא לא אתינא לעלמא אלא בשביל זה התורה די לנו ודי — an adaptation of the Talmudic saying (Kiddushin 40b): "Were I not to have come into the world except for this alone — it would have been sufficient." The doubling of ודי — "and sufficient! [and again:] sufficient!" — is a deliberate, emphatic repetition. The first די states the sufficiency; the second ודי intensifies and seals it as an exclamation. The author is saying: bringing this one teaching to the world would justify an entire human life — doubly, absolutely, emphatically so.] For many penitents [Ba'alei teshuvah — בעלי תשובה — "masters of return" — people who return to observant Jewish life. The Talmud says that in the place where a ba'al teshuvah stands, even a completely righteous person cannot stand.] will be made through it — and many people who have despaired of the world and of Jewishness will receive their vitality through it. For there is not to be found — from the day of the giving of the Torah until the coming of the Messiah — in any book, a [teaching of] strengthening like this: that gives the power to strengthen and rejoice even the most sinful of the sinful — he than whose situation there is nothing worse [הפושע שבפושעים שאין גרוע ממנה — literally "the most sinful of the sinful, than whose [situation] there is nothing worse." The pronoun ממנה is feminine — it refers not to the person himself (which would require the masculine ממנו) but to his situation, his predicament, his spiritual state. The Rebbe is not condemning the person but acknowledging that his situation appears utterly hopeless — and then showing that even from that situation, good hope exists. The feminine pronoun points precisely to the darkness of the condition, not the nature of the person.] — [showing] how he has good hope forever, and how he must rejoice in the fact that he has come into this world. And with G-d's help — when Hashem has mercy upon us to complete this Torah teaching — this will be a beginning to bring merit to the multitudes, forever and for all generations — to merit through the printing of the other holy books. And as a first publication of each type of book we will print a sample — [לבחינה — "as a sample / as a trial edition / as a test case." The author envisions a publishing program: first a sample volume of each genre to establish the concept, then the full series following.] just as we are now printing one Torah teaching as a sample for all the [future] Torah teachings. So similarly — for example — from all the character traits — such as: faith, Torah, prayer, and so on — we will print a first sample on: the Tzaddik. [This will be compiled] from all the holy books: from the Written Torah and the Oral Torah, [Tanach u'Toshba'al — תנ"ך ותושבע"פ — the Written Torah (Tanach: Torah, Prophets, and Writings) and the Oral Torah (Toshba'al = Torah SheBe'al Peh — the Mishnah, Talmud, and all oral tradition). The planned anthology draws from the entire span of Jewish sacred literature.] and from the Midrashim, and from the holy Zohar, and from the writings of the Arizal, and from the books of the Ba'al Shem Tov and his disciples, and from the books of our master the Rebbe זצ"ל and his disciples — and so on. All the matters that speak of the true Tzaddik, and his greatness, and how to draw close to him — everything together will be made into a sample book. And perhaps Hashem will help that we will be able to make such books from Aleph to Tav — [מא' ועד ת' — "from Aleph to Tav" — the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet: "from A to Z." A complete, comprehensive encyclopedia covering every character trait, commandment, and spiritual matter from beginning to end.] covering all the character traits and commandments, and so on. And likewise, afterward, a sample of other types of books that we can make to revive and illuminate in the world. In any case — all beginnings are difficult. And the ba'al davar prevents greatly the printing of the book. And the essential [obstacle] is the lack of money [חסרון כיס — "lack of money / a pocket that is lacking." The image is of an empty pocket — not merely insufficient funds but the specific, physical sensation of reaching into one's pocket and finding nothing. A vivid and humble image.] — which surpasses all the other obstacles. [העולה על כל המניעות — "which rises above / surpasses all the other obstacles." A rueful observation: the ba'al davar is named first as the great opponent — but in the end, the author acknowledges with characteristic honesty that the most daunting practical obstacle is simply the absence of money.] May Hashem have mercy and help in this — for the world is vanity of vanities, and only what one snatches in this world of some good remains — and all the more so [מכ"ש = מכל שכן — "and all the more so / how much more so." A standard Talmudic logical formula: if the general case is true (only what one snatches remains), then all the more so is the specific, superior case true (snatching such a good as this).] such a good as this — to revive the entire world. This is a merit for the multitudes the like of which there is no parallel. Important Clarification — Responding to the Recipient's New Letter on the Question of Other Chassidus And now let us respond to his letter that I have just received — on the matter of Chassidus and other books. It is not the case — G-d forbid — as his honor thinks: that it is forbidden to look into other books, G-d forbid. Silence — do not even mention such a thing! [הס מלהזכיר — "silence — do not even mention it!" A strong expression of correction and alarm. The author is alarmed that the recipient has taken his previous advice too far — concluding that he must never read any other Jewish book. The author corrects this emphatically: that was never his intention, and such a conclusion is itself forbidden to entertain.] On the contrary — if Hashem helps me, as written above, to print [those books] — there will be [material drawn] from all the holy books, all the good character traits, and so on — as written above. But the matter is as follows — there is a distinction. If his honor looks himself into the holy books of the Tzaddikim — then there is no concern, G-d forbid, that the ba'al davar will entice him and lead him astray [יסיתו וידיחו — two distinct verbs: יסית — to entice, to tempt, to incite from within; ידיח — to lead astray, to push off course, to cause to deviate. Together they describe the full arc of the ba'al davar's operation: first temptation from within (enticement), then external derailment (being pushed off the path).] to separate him from the true Tzaddik — who is found only once in several generations, like Moses our Teacher, and Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai may his merit protect us, and the Arizal, and the Ba'al Shem Tov himself זצ"ל, and our master the Rebbe זצ"ל, and our righteous Messiah may he come speedily in our days. [ב"ב"א = במהרה בימינו אמן — "speedily in our days, Amen." Note that in this letter the Messiah is explicitly added to the sequence of unique singular souls — Moses → Rashbi → Arizal → Ba'al Shem Tov → Rabbi Nachman → the Messiah. The Messianic figure is placed as the continuation and culmination of this line.] But if he studies with Chassidim of other [groups] — and in particular with Chassidim of [name redacted by author] — of whom it is known and established how they set out to make Chassidim [of their own movement] [ידוע ומוחזק איך הם מצפים לעשות חסידים — "it is known and established how they set out / lie in wait to make Chassidim." The verb מצפים here carries both the sense of "hoping / expecting" and "lying in wait." The author describes an active, deliberate recruiting dynamic: this group works intentionally to draw people into their movement. Encountering them is therefore qualitatively different from simply reading their books privately.] — therefore I advise you: [ע"כ איעצך — "therefore I advise you." A significant shift in register: throughout this letter the author has addressed the recipient with the formal honorific כבודו (his honor — third person formal). Here he suddenly shifts to the intimate direct second person — ך — "you." This shift signals a moment of special closeness, urgency, and directness: setting aside formality to speak heart to heart, person to person. It conveys: what I am about to say is too important for formalities — I am speaking directly to you.] it is possible that from this there would be a thousand times more damage than the benefit he would gain in the service of Hashem. And why do they not wish to learn Likutay Moharan and the other books of our master the Rebbe זצ"ל? [A pointed rhetorical question: if they were genuinely open and seeking truth, why would they resist the Rebbe's books? The fact that they do not desire them — and the ba'al davar places no longing for them in their hearts — is itself a telling sign.] And the ba'al davar does not place in their hearts any desire for this at all. And in general, the Chassidus of [redacted] is [based on] philosophical inquiry into the Divine [Chakira b'Elokus — חקירה באלקות — the approach of engaging with G-d primarily through abstract intellectual analysis, conceptual meditation on divine attributes, and philosophical contemplation. This was a hallmark of Chabad-Lubavitch — its emphasis on deep intellectual engagement with Kabbalistic concepts through the analytical method.] together with Kabbalah. And our master the Rebbe זצ"ל is very far from this — and close only to faith and simplicity and wholeness (temimus) [Emunah, peshitus, temimus — אמונה, פשטות, ותמימות — the three foundational qualities of Breslov: emunah — simple, unconditional faith; peshitus — simplicity and directness of approach, without intellectual gymnastics; temimus — wholeness and innocence, the pure unself-conscious sincerity of a child before its Father. These stand in direct contrast to the intellectual, analytical mode of chakira.] in the service of Hashem — without any intellectual inquiry. And the essential thing: if [his honor has] a difficulty or a hard question — he must cry out to Hashem and pray about it in truth — and the difficulty will automatically be resolved, with G-d's help. [A characteristically Breslov answer to intellectual difficulty: do not resolve it through philosophical analysis — cry out to G-d and pray about it sincerely. The resolution will come not through the intellect but through divine grace responding to honest prayer and yearning. This is the practical application of emunah peshutah — simple faith — over chakira.] In the second letter I will write more about this. And whatever I can do to revive his honor — I will not withhold. His honor can write all his difficulties and questions — and with G-d's help I hope to answer them. [The author opens the door completely: write everything, ask everything. Whatever you are struggling with — bring it. This pastoral generosity is one of the most moving qualities of this entire correspondence.] And with G-d's help I will travel to Miron next week — and we will be there with G-d's help until after all the holy days. [All the holy days — כל הימים טובים — the entire holiday season: Rosh Hashana (1–2 Tishrei) · Yom Kippur (10 Tishrei) · Sukkos (15–21 Tishrei) · Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah (22–23 Tishrei). The author will spend this entire sacred season at Miron, at the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai — his spiritual home and the place he delayed leaving for so long in order to complete the tefillin.] His friend, Shmuel Horovitz