Letter 68 ס"ח

Life, peace and all good forever — to my beloved dear father, the crown of my head and the apple of my eye — the delight of my heart and all my vitality — the distinguished and great rabbi, pillar of Torah and awe — distinguished in his holy lineage — the renowned Torah scholar, our Master R' Yeshayahu HaLevi Horowitz, may he live and be strong. And peace to my dear mother, the righteous woman, may she live forever — and to the welfare of my brothers and sisters, may they live.

After warmly inquiring of your good welfare with great love — as fitting — I hereby inform you of my welfare and of the welfare of my dear wife, may she live, and my dear precious sharp-minded son, may he live. On Friday, eve of Shabbos Kodesh — I received your dear letter — and it was for me a great treasure. And I greatly rejoiced to hear of your good welfare. And many, many thanks to you for the letter. And also for the money you sent — for it was very much needed. And you truly gave life to our impoverished souls. For our situation is very pressed from every side — for we have no support or help whatsoever — and literally by this money you fulfilled the mitzvah of true charity — and of giving bread to the hungry. In the merit of this — may Hashem, blessed be He, help you — that you have livelihood from a place of expansiveness — without trouble and distress — and that you merit to come together with your household to Eretz Yisrael in great success. And we will delight in each other with much joy. Amen, so may it be His will.

And I thank you for the past — and ask for the future: that you do this to give us life in hunger. And if you cannot do it from your own — fulfill: "greater is one who causes others to do than the one who does himself" [Talmud Bavli, Bava Basra 9a]. What shall I say to you? Let me say our livelihood situation to you in brief: "I have nothing at all." And I have been for some weeks at my own table together with my dear wife, may she live, and my son, may he live. And the situation — may G‑d have compassion. And enough is said. But even so — one must strengthen oneself and trust in G‑d. "He who gives life gives sustenance." [Talmud Bavli, Ta'anis 8b] And I also have sorrow from your situation and your distress. May G‑d say: enough to all the troubles of Israel.

But this is my consolation — from what the Talmud says in Sanhedrin: "Whoever is not under the concealment of the Face — is not of them." [A loose paraphrase of a Talmudic statement about the suffering of the righteous — the text suggests that those who do not experience divine concealment and suffering are not counted among the true people of G‑d] "Whoever does not experience 'There will be to eat' — is not of them." [Talmud Sanhedrin 98b — a passage about the generation before Mashiach: those who do not know the experience of true poverty and divine concealment are perhaps not of the generation that will receive Mashiach] And as R' Akiva said to his teachers: when he saw them in serenity and ease — he was afraid that perhaps they were receiving their portion in this world, etc. But may G‑d have compassion and may we merit to serve Hashem from a place of expansiveness. And also presumably all of this — to remind you to yearn greatly — to return to the Land of your birth. To yearn so intensely that you extract the will from potential to actuality — all of you together. And not to look at any temptation from the evil inclination. And to return to Eretz Yisrael in trust in Hashem — as in the Exodus from Egypt: "I remember the kindness of your youth — your following Me in the wilderness — in a land not sown" [Jeremiah 2:2], etc. And whatever you can do to arrange some monthly income to be sent to you — good. May G‑d have compassion and set you on the right path — what to do — and how — that your days not be wasted outside the Land — the impure dust defiled by idol worship — literally vomit and excrement. And to come to Eretz Yisrael, the Holy of Holies — the portion of Hashem and His inheritance. May Hashem, blessed be He, help that you merit this soon — speedily in the truest sense. Amen, so may it be His will.

And I am hereby sending you a receipt for the 10 dollars of your friend R' Yehudah Leib Stein, may he live — and a request for the future. And the checks we exchanged for approximately 3 lira and 40 grush. And I paid immediately what I had borrowed for food during the weeks I was at my own table. And the remainder — I am spending on great necessities for household sustenance. And I am making shoes for my son, may he live. And in the matter of a yeshivah — for now I have no yeshivah. At the Yeshivah Toras Chaim — I go all the time since I arrived here — and they do not want to accept me. And they distributed money — and gave me nothing. And all the enormous effort accomplished nothing at all. And in the matter of the Yeshivah Chayyei Olam — my father-in-law, may he live, spoke with the gabbai — and he said that in a few days he would give him a reply. In the matter of the photograph — G‑d willing, very soon we will fulfill your wish in this — but we will borrow the money needed for it — until it comes from you. For the little money remaining to me for household expenses is very meager. And may G‑d have compassion. And enough is said. But likewise — if you yourselves also send your photograph — and I will pray for you and wish your dear mother complete healing and much joy and all good forever from all of you very soon.

My dear wife, may she live, and my son, may he live, warmly greet you with great love — and await to see you very soon in Eretz Yisrael. My dear precious father-in-law, the distinguished and great rabbi, may he live, and his household, may they live — warmly inquire of your good welfare with great love. From me — your son who awaits the salvation of Hashem — and who awaits to see you soon in Eretz Yisrael — in true and eternal success.