A Letter Received — Great Sorrow; Rosh Hashana Cannot Be Reached; "No Despair"

My dear brother — after warmly inquiring of your good welfare with great love — I hereby inform you that we received your letter. And it is impossible to describe to you the depth of our sorrow and the anguish of my soul — literally to the very soul. May G‑d, blessed be He, help you and send you complete healing very soon, speedily in the truest sense — healing of the soul and healing of the body. And may you be able to pray on Rosh Hashana as it should be — and may you not have to be, G‑d forbid, in the hospital for Rosh Hashana. My dear brother, beloved to me as my soul — know for certain: we — I and R' Alter Ben Tzion, may he live — were already prepared to travel to Meron for Rosh Hashana. And thank G‑d we broke through many many obstacles — for this was already since before Rosh Chodesh Elul, that we long and yearn for this and think of ways to do it. And we were already prepared today in the early morning to travel — were it not for the letter that came from you. But one must believe that everything is for good, and "all that the Merciful One does, He does for good."

And remember well what Rabbainu the Holy and Awesome one, of blessed memory, cried out in a very great and mighty voice — a great voice that did not stop [קול גדול ולא יסף — Deuteronomy 5:19, describing the Divine voice at Sinai that "did not cease" — used here as the model for Rabbainu's perpetual outcry of encouragement]: that one may not under any circumstances despair of oneself. There is absolutely no despair in the world at all. And as long as the soul is within us, one must believe and know — not to despair of oneself, whatever level one may be at.

My dear brother — guard yourself from sadness [atzavus] and do not worry at all — for thank G‑d we have upon whom to rely, and to Him we bind our prayers. And were it not for this — I would despair of myself. And this is my entire hope — and ours, all of us. And without this — who knows whether we would be alive. And know for certain, my dear brother, that I am so very far from the service of G‑d, blessed be He — without measure. And I do not remember at all that Rosh Hashana is approaching — for my mind is very distracted and confused — very greatly — and very great mental obstructions that cannot be measured or assessed. How I am not aware at all that Rosh Hashana is coming — it seems to me there is still a year to go until Rosh Hashana. The entire month of Elul has passed — and I, to my sorrow, have not yet begun to do anything. It is, to our sorrow, very bitter. One is very far away. But because of this — what can one do? One must not fall.

The holy Rebbe said: "Brother — hold on! Rely on my strength!" And the holy Rebbe said that he and his fellowship pass through the first night of Rosh Hashana together [a teaching of Rabbainu: that even after his death, he and his Chassidim pass through Rosh Hashana night together in some spiritual sense — wherever they are physically]. And the holy Rebbe, of blessed memory, said: "All my matters are Rosh Hashana" — "Were it not for my Rosh Hashana — the entire world would have become chaos and void." And there is nothing greater than this. Therefore it is certainly a great loss that you did not merit to come here or us to you. But because of this — one must not abandon the good longings. One must yearn greatly for Rabbainu and pray greatly — for this is the essence. And without it — nothing at all. And nothing else begins to exist. And one cannot otherwise be a Jew. Therefore one must pour many tears before G‑d, blessed be He, and lay many prayers — only on this. For this encompasses everything. And if one merits to this — one merits everything. For there is nothing greater.

From me — your friend who loves you, who awaits to hear from you always in good tidings and consolation and joy. Shmuel Horowitz, the Breslover.