A Direct Address to Rabbainu — "Rebbe! Rebbe! Have Compassion on Me!"

"G‑d, blessed be He, knows the truth — how much self-sacrifice I have had for Rabbainu's matter. Therefore I ask of you: do not stop praying for me — that He say "enough" to my troubles. Amen. I have still done nothing at all in the service of Hashem — to my sorrow, nothing at all. 'A pain like a woman in first labor' [Jeremiah 4:31 — a verse of anguished crying out]. And I am, to my sorrow, very far. I have, to my sorrow, many sins, transgressions, and iniquities. My hope is to come to the Tzion of Rabbainu the Holy one. G‑d, blessed be He, knows the truth — I want to abandon myself entirely to come to the Tzion of Rabbainu the Holy one — and truly to revive myself. Oh — would that it were so! Would that I could abandon this entire world entirely, entirely! Would that it were so! Would that it were so! If only it would be so!"

[Yiddish — a direct address to the Uman fellowship and then to Rabbainu:] "Holy, precious, dear brothers — oh (Gott!) — have compassion on us! Pray greatly for us. On you it is an obligation to pray for us with great compassion — all of you. You are in the palace of the King! Happy are you! Happy is your portion and your destiny — that you merited! If only it were so! If only so! Oh — would that I could sacrifice soul, body, spirit and soul, and money — to the very last — to merit to come to the Tzion of Rabbainu the Holy one! If only it would be! If only! May G‑d, blessed be He, have compassion on me!"

[The letter culminates in a direct address to Rabbainu — R' Shmuel speaks to the Rebbe directly:] Holy Rebbe — what will be the ultimate purpose? You know how bitter it is for me. I know of no counsel to give myself. Holy Rebbe — You know that my entire hope is only upon You alone. What does one do? You know it truly. I want to come to Your holy Tzion — as quickly as possible. What shall I do? Holy Rebbe — save me truly — as You know what is compassion on me, as You know. You know my entire hope and support is only upon You alone. Rebbe! Rebbe! Oh (Gott!) — have compassion on me truly in innermost truth. Rebbe! Rebbe! Rebbe! Oh — bitter! Bitter from every side and direction. How long? How long? As You know truly…

From me, Shmuel son of Feiga. [Final Yiddish closing:] "Joyfully! And onwards — hope and hope again and only hope. Joyfully!" [Hebrew:] (With joy and with it — joyful and joyful again and only joyful.)