Letter 3 ג

Peace, great goodness, and all good to my dear beloved, the delight of my soul — the distinguished talmid chacham [Torah scholar], great [הג' = הגדול] in Torah and Divine service, and outstanding in good qualities — whose every aspiration and desire is to shine in the light of Hashem all his days — the distinguished Torah scholar, our Master R' Alter Ben Tzion Kraskop, may he live.

And I have already written to him previously: that if a person has hardnesses — he must cry out to Hashem — as our master the Rebbe זצ"ל wrote: that kashya is an acronym [ק'ש'י'א' ר"ת — "kashya — the initial letters spell." Rabbi Nachman teaches that the word קשיא (Aramaic: a Talmudic question / a difficulty) is an acronym for: ק = קולי (my voice); ש = שמע (hear); י = ה' (Hashem — the letter yud representing the Name); א = אקרא (I will call out). The full phrase: שמע ה' קולי אקרא — "Hear, O Hashem, my voice when I call" (Psalms 27:7). Every "difficulty" (kashya) is itself an invitation — encoded in its very letters — to call out to G-d. The difficulty is not a problem to be solved intellectually but a call to prayer.] for: "Hear, Hashem, my voice when I call" [Psalms 27:7] — for one cries out to Hashem — Hashem hears his voice — and the difficulties are resolved for him.

And also — he should believe that the very fact that hardnesses fall upon him — this too is because his honor desires to serve Hashem in truth and yearns greatly for holiness — therefore the evil inclination has overpowered him in everything it can — in order to cast him down, G-d forbid.

But the essential thing is that he should strengthen himself and not begin to entertain in his mind the difficulties and all the thoughts that the evil inclination brings to his mind — only: let him do what is his to do — in the service of Hashem and in his physical needs as well. And he should not look at the thoughts and difficulties at all — only believe that it is not difficult at all — for Hashem is righteous in all His ways — and G-d does not withhold the reward of any creature — [Based on Psalms 145:17 and Bava Kamma 38b] and G-d does not come with grievances against His creatures. [אין הקב"ה בא בטרוניא עם בריותיו — "G-d does not come with grievances / complaints against His creatures." A Talmudic teaching (Avodah Zarah 3a): G-d never makes demands of His creatures that exceed what they are capable of. He is not a harsh creditor who presses an impossible claim. He judges people only by what is actually within their capacity — and accepts whatever a person sincerely does.]

And a person must do what is his: everything he can — Torah and prayer and commandments with joy and goodness of heart — and also his physical needs: eating, drinking, sleeping, business dealings — all of it so that he can serve Hashem. And he does not need to think and meditate at all after the ways of Hashem — and this is the entire matter of chametz and matzah. [זה כל ענין חמץ ומצה — "this is the entire matter of chametz and matzah." A profound Breslov teaching on the spiritual meaning of Pesach: chametz (leavened bread) represents the inflated, puffed-up mind — the mind that thinks too much, that over-analyzes G-d's ways, that ferments with restless questions and doubts. Matzah (unleavened bread) is the flat, simple bread — the mind that does not "rise" with excessive speculation but remains flat and simple in its faith. The prohibition of chametz is the prohibition of excessive intellectual rumination and questioning about G-d's conduct. The eating of matzah is the practice of simple, flat faith.]

For a person is warned not to let his mind think evil imaginings, G-d forbid — and even in holiness — not to think more than is fitting — that it seems to him that he is going against Hashem and that things are not going properly for him. Only the essential thing: to do what he can in the service of Hashem — in Torah and prayer and commandments and good deeds. And he should trust in Hashem — that He will certainly not abandon him, G-d forbid.

And in particular — the month of Nisan is the month of redemption. And the essential is the redemption of the soul — not to be in sadness, only in joy — for the month of Nisan is joy throughout all the worlds — as brought in Likutay Moharan §5, Part 2 [ח"ב = חלק ב' — "Part 2 / the second volume." The second volume of Likutay Moharan, also called Tannina ("the second / repeated one"). §5 of Likutay Moharan Tannina is an important teaching on the joy and redemption of the month of Nisan.] . [Likutay Moharan §5, Part 2 (Tannina) — one of the Rebbe's major teachings specifically on joy (simcha) as the month of Nisan and the Festival of Pesach approach. The teaching expounds how Nisan — the first of months, the month of the original redemption — radiates joy throughout all levels of existence.] And through joy one is saved from the blemish of the covenant and from all blemishes.

And Pesach — Peh Sach [פסח — פה סח — "Pesach — the mouth speaks." A well-known homiletic reading of the word פסח: פה (peh = mouth) + סח (sach = speaks / tells). The mouth of Pesach is the mouth that tells the Haggadah — the story of the Exodus. The essential mitzvah of the Seder night is oral: speaking, telling, narrating the praises of G-d and the story of the redemption — not merely reading silently but speaking aloud with a living voice.] — to speak the Haggadah aloud and to tell the praises of Hashem who took us out of Egypt.

And likewise every single person — that Hashem helps him from his troubles of body and soul, and grants him merit to snatch good in this passing world, and draws him close to the true Tzaddikim and the holy Torah — must rejoice in this and give thanks to Hashem for this always.

And all the more so [מכש"כ = מכל שכן — "all the more so / kal vachomer." The standard abbreviation for the logical inference from lesser to greater. Appearing here in the main Hebrew body of the letter.] on Pesach — the beginning of the drawing close of Israel to their Father in Heaven — in the aspect of "all who increases the telling of the Exodus" — that is: in the praises of Hashem who always helps him — as it is brought in the Nishmas [Nishmas — נשמת — "the soul of" — the opening word of the great prayer of praise recited on Shabbos and Yom Tov mornings, and at the Pesach Seder. One of the most exalted liturgical poems in the Jewish prayer book, attributed by some to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. It begins "Nishmas kol chai — the soul of every living being shall praise Your name" and describes G-d's continuous, unwavering care for Israel through all their troubles — the passage cited below.] that is recited on Shabbos and in the Haggadah:

"Even if our mouths were as full of song as the sea... we could not sufficiently thank You... from Egypt You redeemed us... in hunger You fed us... and from serious illnesses You healed us... until now You have helped us... and do not abandon us forever." [Paraphrased from the Nishmas prayer — the great poem of gratitude for G-d's unceasing care. The author strings together the key phrases that describe G-d's continuous personal providence: feeding in hunger, healing from illness, bringing out of Egypt, helping "until now" — and the plea not to be abandoned. Each phrase is an expression of awareness that G-d has not merely performed one great miracle of the Exodus but continues to perform personal miracles of redemption for every Jew in every generation.] See all of this carefully in the Nishmas.

And the essential is regarding the soul — that Hashem has compassion on a person and gives him thoughts of teshuvah every day — and grants him merit every day in some commandments and good deeds — and this will remain with him forever and ever.

"And in truth — why should there be hardnesses and thoughts against Hashem or against the true Tzaddik? One must fulfill: 'And they believed in Hashem and in Moses His servant.' [Exodus 14:31] We have a great G-d who will certainly not abandon us — as long as a person does what he can and fights with the evil inclination and guards himself from bad things — and does what good he can — he will certainly not be put to shame, G-d forbid. As it says: 'And one who trusts in Hashem — lovingkindness surrounds him.' [Psalms 32:10]

And this stands in the Haggadah: 'All who increases the telling of the Exodus' — that is: he feels the salvations that Hashem does for him always — and the good things and the kindnesses of Hashem. As it says in the Nishmas: 'Herein he is praiseworthy' — the Arizal brings: 'praiseworthy in the kindnesses' [משובח שבחסדים — "praiseworthy in the kindnesses." The Arizal's reading of the Nishmas phrase: הרי זה משובח (herein he is praiseworthy) — the one who praises and narrates the Exodus with ever-increasing joy is specifically "praiseworthy in the kindnesses" — i.e., the one who increases his telling of the Exodus is the one who is especially attuned to and praises G-d's kindnesses. And as a result: Hashem continues to do further kindnesses with him.] — that is: Hashem continues to do further kindnesses with him and helps him onward."

"And Pesach is after all the head of the festivals — and it is the Yom Tov of Chesed L'Avraham, [חסד לאברהם — "Chesed L'Avraham — lovingkindness for Abraham." The Kabbalistic identification of Pesach with the Sefira of Chesed (lovingkindness) — specifically the chesed of Abraham, the Patriarch of kindness and love. Pesach night is the night of divine chesed flowing freely into the world — the night on which G-d's love for Israel is at its most overwhelming and unconditional.] the love of Hashem, may He be blessed, and the longing and desires and yearnings. [כסופין — "yearnings / longings." The word ksupin (yearnings) — the same Aramaic/Hebrew root that appears throughout the correspondence for the deep aching longing for G-d and for the Land of Israel — here describes what flows from the divine chesed of Pesach into the heart of every Jew.] And a great light descends upon every Jew — and the vitality that one feels on Pesach — and in particular at the Seder — all of this is the drawing close to Hashem." "And afterward one begins to count the Omer — that is: the light that Hashem shines on the first day of Pesach through arousal from Above [אתערותא דלעילא — Aramaic: "arousal from Above / stirring from Above." A central Kabbalistic concept: there are two types of divine-human encounter — arousal from above (atirutha dile'ila — G-d initiates, reaching down to humanity) and arousal from below (atirutha diletata — humanity initiates, reaching up to G-d). Pesach night is the supreme moment of atirutha dile'ila: G-d reaches down with great love before humanity has done anything to earn it — a pure gift of divine grace. The Omer then begins the process of humanity working its way back up toward G-d — atirutha diletata.] — departs — and one begins to run by oneself after the light — in the aspect of: 'Draw me after You, let us run.' [Song of Songs 1:4] And one prepares oneself for the receiving of the Torah on Shavuos — for then one receives that very same light of the Pesach night — and still higher. And now this is already worked for by one's own powers — not gifted bread, not unearned bread [The original uses both a Yiddish and a Hebrew-Aramaic term side by side for the same concept: ניט קיין גשענקטע ברוט (nit keyn geshenkte broit) = Yiddish: "not gifted / donated bread" — bread that was simply handed to you as a gift, without any effort on your part. Then in the Hebrew translation: לא לחם חסד [נהמא דכסופא] = "not bread of grace [nahama d'kisufa]." לחם חסד (lechem chesed) = the Hebrew equivalent: bread of grace / charity bread. נהמא דכסופא (nahama d'kisufa) = the Aramaic Zoharic term: "bread of shame" — what a person who receives freely without earning experiences as inner shame. The Yiddish geshenkte broit emphasizes the gift-dimension; the Aramaic nahama d'kisufa emphasizes the shame-dimension of receiving a gift one has not earned. Both describe the same spiritual reality: the Torah received on Shavuos, after forty-nine days of Omer labor, is earned bread — not charity.] — all this through the counting of the Omer — that we ourselves toil and labor — even if we don't feel any vitality — and it is hard — and what passes, passes — and yet we hold on." I have received your letters together with the money. May Hashem give you life always — and may you always be joyful — only joyful. [And in truth — why should there be hardnesses and thoughts against Hashem or against the true Tzaddik? One must fulfill: "And they believed in Hashem and in Moses His servant." We have a great G-d who will certainly not abandon us. The essential thing is that a person does what is within his capacity — and fights with the evil inclination — and guards himself from transgressions — and performs commandments — what is within his capacity — then he will certainly, in the end of all things [[בסופו של דבר] — "in the end of the matter / ultimately." Square brackets appear in the original — an editorial insertion by the author clarifying the meaning of "certainly" — ultimately, in the final accounting of things, he will not be put to shame. The bracket signals that these words are the author's own clarifying gloss on the Yiddish, not part of the original Yiddish text.] , not be put to shame and will not be shamed, G-d forbid — as it is written: "And one who trusts in Hashem — lovingkindness surrounds him."] [And this is the intention of what is said in the Haggadah: "All who increases the telling of the Exodus" — that is: he feels the salvations that Hashem does for him always — and the good things and the kindnesses of Hashem — as it is written in the Nishmas: "Herein he is praiseworthy" — the Arizal brings: "praiseworthy in the kindnesses" — meaning: Hashem continues to do further kindnesses with him and saves him further.] [And Pesach is indeed the head of the festivals — and it is the festival of Chesed L'Avraham — the love of Hashem, may He be blessed — and the longing and desires and yearnings. And a great light descends upon every Jew — and the vitality that one feels on Pesach — and in particular at the Seder — all of this is the drawing close to Hashem.] [And afterward one begins to count the Omer — that is: the light that Hashem shines on the first day of Pesach through arousal from Above — departs — and one begins by oneself to run after the light — in the aspect of "Draw me after You, let us run." And one prepares oneself for the receiving of the Torah on Shavuos — for then one receives that very same light of the Pesach night — and still higher. And now this is already worked for by one's own powers — not unearned bread — all this through the counting of the Omer — that we ourselves toil and labor — even if we do not feel any vitality — and this is hard — and what passes, passes — and yet we hold on.] I have received your letters together with the money. May Hashem give you life always — and may you always be joyful — only joyful. This seventeenth letter, written Tuesday 8 Nisan 5716 (April 1956) — six days before Pesach — addresses a recipient who appears to be struggling with spiritual "hardnesses" (kashyes) — intellectual and emotional resistances, doubts, and hard feelings. The letter is entirely in Yiddish with the author's own Hebrew translation, and builds to a luminous teaching on the Pesach–Omer– Shavuos spiritual arc. On spiritual hardnesses / kashyes (§§2–4): The Rebbe's teaching: the word קשיא (Aramaic: a Talmudic difficulty) is an acronym for שמע ה' קולי אקרא — "Hear, Hashem, my voice when I call" (Psalms 27:7). Every difficulty is itself an invitation to cry out to G-d. The hardnesses fall on the recipient precisely because he yearns for holiness — the evil inclination attacks those who try. The remedy: do not entertain the thoughts at all — just do what one can — G-d does not come with grievances (ein HaKBH ba b'turaniya). The deeper teaching: chametz = the inflated, over-questioning mind; matzah = the flat, simple faith that does not rise with speculation. The Pesach prohibition of chametz is the prohibition of excessive rumination about G-d's ways. The month of Nisan — redemption and joy (§5): Nisan is the month of redemption — the essential redemption is of the soul, from sadness to joy. Likutay Moharan II:5 — joy throughout all the worlds. Through joy one is saved from all blemishes. Pesach — Peh Sach (פה סח) — the mouth speaks — reciting the Haggadah aloud, narrating G-d's praises. Every Jew must thank G-d continuously for his personal salvations — feeding in hunger, healing from illness, drawing close to Tzaddikim — the Nishmas prayer as the template for this gratitude. And the essential: G-d gives thoughts of teshuvah every day — this daily gift endures forever. Faith, Pesach, the Omer, and Shavuos (§§6–9): The Yiddish passage weaves together three movements: (1) Faith — "And they believed in Hashem and in Moses His servant" — we have a great G-d who will not abandon us. "One who trusts in Hashem — lovingkindness surrounds him." "All who increases the telling" = feeling G-d's continuous kindnesses. The Arizal: "meshuvach shebachasadim" — praiseworthy in kindnesses — G-d continues his chesed. (2) Pesach — Chesed L'Avraham, love, yearning, ksupin — a great light descends; the vitality of the Seder = drawing close. (3) The Omer: the free Pesach light (atirutha dile'ila) departs; one now runs after the light — "Draw me after You, let us run" — atirutha diletata — working by one's own powers, not nahama d'kisufa (unearned bread). The labor of the Omer leads to Shavuos — receiving the same Pesach light, but now earned. Even without felt vitality, even when it is hard, one holds on. Key terms in this letter: Kashyes / kashya — spiritual hardnesses / intellectual and emotional resistances; the Rebbe's acronym: שמע ה' קולי אקרא · Mizdakech hamoach — the mind purifies itself; the spiritual clarity that dissolves kashyes · Lidon l'kaf zechus — to judge on the scale of merit; finding the good point in every person · Ein HaKBH ba b'turaniya im briyosav — G-d does not come with grievances against His creatures; He demands only what is within capacity · Chametz u'matzah — leavened bread and unleavened bread; the inflated over-questioning mind vs. flat simple faith · Peh sach — "the mouth speaks"; the inner meaning of Pesach — speaking aloud the praises and story · Chodesh Nisan — chodesh hage'ulah — the month of Nisan is the month of redemption · Ge'ulas hanefesh — the redemption of the soul; the essential Pesach liberation from sadness · Nishmas / Haggadah — the liturgical sources for continuous personal gratitude to G-d · Meshuvach shebachasadim — "praiseworthy in the kindnesses"; the Arizal's reading of the Nishmas — G-d continues His chesed with one who narrates · Chesed l'Avraham — lovingkindness of Abraham; Pesach's Kabbalistic identity as the festival of chesed · Ksupin — yearnings / longings; what flows from the divine chesed of Pesach · Atirutha dile'ila — Aramaic: arousal from Above; the free divine initiative of Pesach night · Atirutha diletata — Aramaic: arousal from below; the human initiative of the Omer · Mashcheni acharecha narutzah — "Draw me after You, let us run" (Song of Songs 1:4); the Omer's spiritual movement · Nahama d'kisufa — Aramaic: bread of shame / unearned bread; what Pesach's free gift would be without the Omer's labor · Rak freilach — nor freilach — "only joyful — just joyful"; the closing blessing, the essence of the letter