The Crisis Escalates — Rabbinic Courts and Possibly the Government

…not among Jews and not among non-Jews… and what I need — without any stumbling block [מכשול]… the true salvation soon… and to lay down the… and to vanquish the enemies and for… in danger… for the sake of Heaven — with all your strength — arouse compassion… and I have no counsel except to… far from this — and "a prisoner cannot free himself from prison"… I need great compassion, all of it… brother — do not abandon yourself, for the sake of Heaven… on Shabbos and the coming Shabbos, Parashas Shemos, and all week — greatly, greatly with all your strength — that I be saved very soon with the true salvation, in spiritual and material matters. I ask of you once more — do not be lax, G‑d forbid — for my life hangs by a hair. And if you can, in the week of Parashas Va'era, be at Meron at the Tzion of the Rashbi, of blessed memory, and arouse much compassion — how very good. But meanwhile — at the Tzadikim in Tiberias.

Further I write to you — I ask your forgiveness for not having written until now — for I have absolutely no idea what world I am in — from the abundance of suffering and persecution. For when one begins to do something — the opposition strengthens. Therefore one needs much compassion and kindness. I was at the daughter of R' Leibel's [a contact for the olive oil matter or another communal matter — her identity is unclear in the damaged text] — and I gave her the six-and-a-quarter grush. And she was in her shop, and also in other shops… …A legal claim was submitted humbly… but the severe and bitter persecutions began… to rabbinic judges [דיינים] — and who knows — perhaps also to the government [the civil Mandate authorities — this would be a grave escalation, putting R' Shmuel's legal status at risk]. And I have fears and dangers, G‑d forbid. Please, please — arouse compassion! And without showing this letter, and without telling anyone — only read the letter at the graves of the Tzadikim — and arouse compassion. What will be my ultimate purpose? I have done nothing at all in the service of Hashem. And I am, to my sorrow, very far away. Holy Tzadikim — you know well my struggling. I have been at your holy Tzion — you know the great compassion upon me. How I am, to my sorrow, far away. I — Shmuel son of Feiga — from G‑d, blessed be He, and from Rabbainu the Holy one, Rabbainu Nachman son of Feiga and son of Simcha [רבינו נחמן בן פיגה ובן שמחה — Rabbainu R' Nachman of Breslov's full name with both parents: his father R' Simcha (son of R' Nachman of Horodenka) and his mother Feiga (daughter of the Baal Shem Tov's daughter Udel) — a remarkable identification of himself with Rabbainu through the shared mother's name Feiga]. And what happens to me. And how far I am, to my sorrow, from the service of Hashem…