The Family Prayer List — All Those for Whom R' Shmuel Asks Prayer

At the closing of Letter 32, R' Shmuel includes a comprehensive prayer list — the names of his family members for whom he asks his companion to pray at the holy Tzion. This is the most complete self-identification of R' Shmuel's family recorded in the collection:

Shmuel son of Feiga Horowitz — for true and complete repentance, rectification of the bris, and to come to the Tzion of Rabbainu the Holy one, to be truly bound to Rabbainu, and to do the will of Hashem and to maintain oneself in both ascent and descent — and to be truly bound to Rabbainu in innermost truth without any ulterior motive or foreign thought whatsoever. Amen.

My father: Yeshayah son of Alka — all goodness, etc. Amen.

My mother: Feiga daughter of Devorah [the first time his mother's full Hebrew name-with-grandmother is recorded]

Zalman son of Feiga [his brother Zalman, mentioned in Letter 11]

Aharon, Yitzchak, Moshe son of Feiga [brothers Aharon (mentioned throughout), Yitzchak (Letter 11), and Moshe — new name]

Asher, Yechezkel son of … [brothers Asher (mentioned in Letter 11) and Yechezkel — new name]

Chaya Leah daughter of Feiga [a sister — new name]

Beila and Esther Devorah daughter of Feiga [sisters — new names]

All goodness and blessings.

My son: Nachman Moshe Nachum son of Mendil — all goodness and blessings — and to be a Breslov Chassid, etc., and the service of Hashem. And all good forever. From me — your mighty friend, Shmuel the aforementioned.

Translator's note: The entry "my son: Nachman Moshe Nachum son of Mendil" is striking. The child is named Nachman (for Rabbainu), and "son of Mendil" rather than "son of Shmuel" — suggesting either that this is a son of another family member named Mendil for whom R' Shmuel is praying, or a child of his own whose father's name is listed differently (some communities used the maternal grandfather's name). The entry "son of Feiga" for his siblings confirms that Feiga is the mother of the whole family. The name Yeshayah for the father — son of Alka — appears here for the first time.

[Yiddish closing:] "Joyfully and still — be joyful and joyful again, and only joyful!" [Hebrew:] (With joy and with that — be joyful and joyful again and only joyful.)

Please immediately reply with good news of your good welfare — to give us life.

[Yiddish closing:] "Joyfully and still — be joyful and joyful again, and only joyful!" [Hebrew:] (With joy and with that — be joyful and joyful again and only joyful.) Please immediately reply with good news of your good welfare — to give us life.