Everything Confirmed at Meron — Come This Week

Behold — I asked again in a reliable place, and they told me that there are already three Sephardim there, and they will see to buying food for us, etc. And they will give us a private room for ourselves, and likewise the study hall [חדר הישיבה] and the books [i.e., access to the library of holy books kept at the Meron compound]. And we have no obstacle whatsoever — except that your honor must see to money and come still this week. For on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Elul we will go together with people and arrange everything there in proper order, and on Sunday we will already be in Meron without any disturbance or confusion.

And I ask greatly of your honor — please have compassion upon yourself and upon me, and see to exert yourself with all your strength to come — for on this our very lives truly depend. [Yiddish:] "For I cannot bear it any longer." And if not now — then when? [אם לא עכשיו אמתי — a direct echo of the famous teaching of Hillel in Avos 1:14: "If not now, when?" — used here with full intentionality and weight] For now is precisely the time — the month of Elul — and particularly since there will not be many people there, and we will be together as one man, etc. And please see to take money with you, and to arrange that they give you your tiktziv [stipend — תקציב] — that is: R' Bunim Verner should take his portion and have it sent to Tzfas in the name of R' Avner or another friend, etc.

And likewise I ask him to bring books with him — both for himself and for me as well. And I wait with utterly longing eyes [בכליון עינים — lit. "with the dissolution of the eyes," an expression of the most intense, painful anticipation] for a clear reply. And I wait for your honor and anticipate with every spirit, soul, and body [בכל נר"נ וגופי — נפש, רוח, נשמה and body — the three lower levels of the soul together with the physical body; a striking expression meaning: with every fiber of my being] that we shall already be together, etc. — very soon.

Today — Friday — I received his postcard, and I spoke with R' Noson Chanhas [a Breslov associate in Tzfas]. It may well be that he will travel to Jerusalem on Sunday, and he will see to discuss everything [i.e., he will speak to the relevant people in Jerusalem on R' Alter's behalf regarding the practical arrangements]. What would your honor lose by asking them and saying that you need to travel for health reasons? Therefore: go to the Religious Council [הועד הדתי — the religious communal institution in Jerusalem that apparently provides R' Alter's stipend] and say that you need to travel to Tzfas for a month for health reasons — for the sake of the air [i.e., the mountain air of Tzfas and Meron, well-known for its purity and healthfulness]. Therefore they should give the tiktziv [stipend] here to R' Bunim Verner, and he will forward it to Tzfas in the name of your friends — and not that the Religious Council themselves should send it to Tzfas through the yeshivah [i.e., not through official channels, to avoid entanglement with Tzfas institutions]. For your honor should say: [Yiddish:] "I do not want to have dealings with the Tzfasers [the Tzfas establishment]." And let him also go to HaRav Kook [R' Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook — at this time the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, later the first Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of the British Mandate of Palestine; one of the most towering rabbinic figures of the generation] and ask him [for a letter of support or endorsement of his journey], etc.

From me — your friend, Shmuel HaLevi Horowitz. Heartfelt greetings from the distinguished talmid chacham, R' Avner Luberbaum [R' Shmuel's uncle — who sends his personal regards to R' Alter].

And our master the Rebbe זצ"ל — whose Torah is the soul of the soul of Atik [נשמה לנשמה דעתיק — "the soul of the soul of Atik." Atik Yomin (עתיק יומין — Aramaic: "the Ancient of Days") — the highest and most hidden aspect of Keter (the Crown) in Kabbalistic thought. The Rebbe's Torah is described as being the "soul of the soul" of this most hidden level — meaning: his Torah accesses a level of divine reality that transcends even the Arizal's revealed Kabbalistic system, as it is the inner dimension of the most hidden aspect of divinity.] — which is the innermost of the hidden Torah that will be revealed in the future — and our master the Rebbe זצ"ל said explicitly — [as brought in Chayyei Moharan in the section "The Greatness of His Torah" — that there are those who think that the greatness of his book זצ"ל is that it contains Kabbalistic intentions and the writings of the Arizal — but they do not know that in his book is everything — and also the writings of the Arizal. And in truth it is still very much higher — beyond estimation] — and our master the Rebbe זצ"ל explains in his book [Likutay Moharan, Torah 6 — "Call out to Joshua" — which is called the "intention of Elul"] — the matter of the intention of Elul — for practical application and action. [לעובדא ולמעשה — "for practical application and action." Livda u'lema'aseh — for the actual doing, the practical living of it. The Rebbe's greatness is not merely that he knows the Kabbalistic intentions theoretically — but that he translates them into concrete guidance for every person's actual spiritual practice.]

[As is the way of our master the Rebbe זצ"ל — to explain all the intentions and the writings of the Arizal in relation to every single person — in particular — for every person has a divine portion from above. And just as in general — the rectifications brought in the holy Zohar and the writings of the Arizal are made regarding the Holy One blessed be He and the Shechinah and the Community of Israel[כנס"י = כנסת ישראל — "the Community / Congregation of Israel." The Kabbalistic archetype of the collective Jewish soul — identified with the Sefirah of Malchus / the Shechinah.] — so in particular — all these rectifications and intentions are made in every Jewish person himself.]

[And so it is brought in the writings of the Arizal: that one cannot say about a person in particular — for example — that he is from Malchus or from Ze'ir Anpin or from the world of Asiyah or Yetzirah and so on [מלכות / זעיר אנפין / עולם העשייה / יצירה — Kabbalistic terms for levels of the divine and cosmic structure: Malchus (Kingdom) = the lowest of the ten Sefirot, associated with the Shechinah / Community of Israel; Ze'ir Anpin (the Small Face) = the six middle Sefirot (Chesed through Yesod) that together form the masculine divine structure; Asiyah (the World of Making) = the lowest of the four worlds; Yetzirah (the World of Formation) = the second world from below. The point: one cannot locate a person at just one level — because the human being encompasses all levels simultaneously.] — for the human being encompasses everything — from the beginning of Atzilus [אצילות — "Atzilus / Emanation." The highest of the four worlds in Kabbalistic cosmology — Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah. Atzilus is the world of pure divine emanation — where the Sefirot exist as pure divine attributes with no separation from G-d. The human being draws from this highest world all the way down to the lowest level of Asiyah.] to the end of Asiyah — all is included within him. And so it is brought in the holy Zohar: the human being was created — and all the worlds gave their portion to him — and therefore he is encompassed from everything — and all the worlds depend upon him. And the unification of the Holy One blessed be He and His Shechinah — all depends upon the human being who has free choice — specifically.]

[And also in his coupling — to bring souls from across all the worlds and all the levels — until the Infinite[א"ס = אין סוף — "the Infinite / the Endless." Ein Sof — the Kabbalistic term for G-d in His infinite, unknowable, boundless essence — that which literally has no end (ein = there is no; sof = end). The source from which all souls are ultimately drawn.] — and from there the soul of the Jewish person who comes to this world is drawn. And therefore: the enormous gravity of the prohibition against the blemish of the covenant — for the seed of the person encompasses all 22 letters of the Torah and all the holinesses and so on — and when one brings this, G-d forbid, into the husks — this is, G-d forbid, the destruction of the worlds — and his sin is enormous, G-d forbid.]

And in the month of Elul — the essential rectification is for the covenant — as it says: "And Hashem your G-d will circumcise your heart and the heart of your seed" [Deuteronomy 30:6] — whose initial letters hint at Elul — as brought in Likutay Moharan [ומל ה' את לבבך ואת לבב זרעך — "And Hashem your G-d will circumcise your heart and the heart of your seed" — Deuteronomy 30:6. The initial letters of the four words: ו (vav) + מ (mem) + ל (lamed) + ה (heh) / א (aleph) + ת (tav) = actually: the standard Breslov teaching uses the initials of the verse "Ani l'Dodi v'Dodi li" — "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine" (Song of Songs 6:3) = א-ל-ו-ל = Elul. But here the author cites the verse from Deuteronomy about circumcision of the heart — connecting Elul to the rectification of the covenant (tikkun habrit). The circumcision of the heart = the spiritual circumcision of the covenant = the removal of the spiritual "foreskin" of impurity from the heart. This is the inner meaning of Elul.] — for then is the time to circumcise one's heart — to feel the pain — and to request from Hashem. And through this — one's seed also feels its pain — how it lies there — and requests from Hashem to be rectified.

And also then — the angels search for the lost objects. And there is no greater lost object than the blemish of the covenant — through which they are lost, G-d have mercy. And likewise the lusts. And the Tzaddikim and the angels assist the person in the month of Elul — to search for the lost objects — and they sound the shofar — for the shofar has a matter of finding lost objects — as it says: "And they shall come — the lost ones from the land of Ashur" [Isaiah 27:13 — "And it shall come to pass on that day: a great shofar shall be blown — and the lost ones from the land of Ashur and the dispersed from the land of Egypt shall come." The verse explicitly connects the shofar blast with the restoration of the "lost ones" — the scattered and fallen souls of Israel. The shofar of Elul is a call to the lost sparks of holiness to return.] and so on. And likewise the blessing "Sound the shofar" — which is in the Shemoneh Esreh[שמו"ע = שמונה עשרה — "the Eighteen Blessings / the Amidah." The central prayer of Jewish liturgy, recited three times daily, consisting of eighteen (now nineteen) blessings. Also called the Amidah (the standing prayer).] [ברכת תקע בשופר בשמונה עשרה — "the blessing 'Sound the shofar' in the Shemoneh Esreh — the Eighteen Blessings / the Amidah." The tenth blessing of the weekday Amidah: "Sound the great shofar for our freedom..." This blessing is in the attribute of Yesod — which is the rectification of the covenant. And as brought there: the "May it be Your will" recited in the blessing "Sound the shofar" — is specifically about the rectification of the covenant.] — is in the attribute of Yesod [יסוד — "Yesod / Foundation." The ninth Sefirah — associated with the righteous (tzaddik), with the covenant (bris), and with the transmission of spiritual and physical seed. Yesod is the channel through which the upper divine energy flows into the lower worlds. The rectification of the covenant (tikkun habrit) is specifically a rectification of the Sefirah of Yesod.] — which is the rectification of the covenant.

And then the Tzaddikim and the angels assist — to search and find the lost objects. And the person must give the arousal from below — that he should always seek with his will and desire to find his holiness: "Where is my holiness? Where is my purity? Where is the root of my soul?" And when he yearns and sorrows to seek and request — and prays for this — that he may find the lost objects — even though it appears to him that he finds nothing — and on the contrary — he is even worse. In truth — in the very searching itself — he already finds much — for "I labored and I found — believe it; I labored and did not find — do not believe it." [Talmud Megillah 6b — "If a person says to you: I labored and found — believe him. I labored and did not find — do not believe him. I did not labor and I found — do not believe him." The principle: sincere spiritual effort always bears fruit, even when it seems fruitless.]

And therefore they sound the shofar on the 8th of Elul — as a hint to search for the lost objects — that the angels dig and search — and when they find some lost object — there is great joy among them — and they sound the shofar — the teruah[תר"ת = תרועה — "the teruah blast." The broken, staccato shofar sound (as opposed to the tekiah — the long unbroken blast). תר"ת is the abbreviated form of תרועה in the context of the shofar blowing sequence: tekiah-shevarim-teruah-tekiah (תשר"ת).] — the initial letters of: "the desires of the wicked shall perish." [Psalms 112:10 — "The wicked shall see and be angered — he shall gnash his teeth and melt — the desires of the wicked shall perish." ת-ר-ת = the abbreviation תאות רשעים תאבד — rendered by its initials. A homiletic reading: the shofar-teruah on 8 Elul announces the perishing of the wicked impulses through the search and the finding of the lost holiness.]

And our master the Rebbe זצ"ל explains there in Torah 6 — "Call out to Joshua" — the matter of the intention of Elul — for each and every person. And the summary is: that the essential of teshuvah is — when one hears one's humiliation — to be still and silent — and not to respond to one's shame — only to receive it with love — in order to [purify one's blood]... through the shame one feels for one's sins — and through this one becomes an Aleph. [ונעשה א' — "and through this one becomes an Aleph." The letter Aleph (א) is composed of three components: a yud (י) above, a yud (י) below, and a vav (ו) in the middle connecting them. The Rebbe expounds: the lower yud = the quality of silence and stillness in the face of humiliation — like an animal (behemah) that cannot respond to its shame — that quality of speechless acceptance; the vav = the "tent" (ohel) — the humiliations that come through one's companions or from Heaven through the obstacles one encounters in Jewish life — for the vav is the "firmament" that separates; and the upper yud = the connection to the Tzaddik — the elevated point — who sits on the throne. Through accepting the humiliation in silence (lower yud) — experiencing the obstacles and shame of Jewish life (vav/tent) — one is connected to the upper yud (the Tzaddik). And together these three elements form the complete Aleph — the unity of the soul's journey.] For the letter Aleph — the yud above — yud below — and vav in the middle — that is: the lower point is the quality of deep stillness[דמימיות — "deep stillness / silent muteness." From the root דמם — to be silent, still, speechless. The same root as the "still small voice" (kol demamah dakah — I Kings 19:12) and as Psalms 62:2: "For G-d alone my soul is in demamah — silent waiting." Demimiyus is a deeper, more animal-like stillness than ordinary shtikah (silence) — the complete inability to respond, like an animal that cannot defend itself against shame.] and the animal-like acceptance of humiliations — like an animal that cannot respond to its shame. The vav is the tent — which is the humiliations that come to one through one's companions — or from Heaven — through the obstacles one has in Jewish life. For the vav is a firmament that separates — the aspect of obstacles — and the heavens — fire and water — that his face changes to many colors from the shame — and as brought in the Talmud: it is as though he is judged in fire and water. And through this one is connected to the upper yud — which is the elevated point — which is the Tzaddik who sits on the throne.

And this is the aspect of Keter — the language of waiting — for teshuvah is in the aspect of Keter — and one cannot jump into holiness all at once — for one must wait greatly — very greatly — literally all the days of one's life. And every time to do teshuvah — for one must always hold to the quality of teshuvah — for who can say: "I have cleansed my heart — I have purified myself from my sin"? [Proverbs 20:9 — "Who can say: I have cleansed my heart — I have purified myself from my sin?" A rhetorical question: no one can make this claim. Every moment's teshuvah reveals new dimensions requiring further teshuvah.] Even the sin that I confess — it is full of ulterior motives — and one must do teshuvah for it. And this is the aspect of waiting — for every time one does teshuvah one becomes more refined and draws closer and finds more. [As the world says: "The more one searches — the more one finds."]

But one needs great strengthening and great expertise — to hold oneself always to Hashem — and always to search and seek to draw close to Hashem. And even if it seems to him that he is already close and has already found — and he is at the highest level — he should be expert in the running: that he is still very far — very far — and he has not yet drawn close at all — and has not yet found one in a thousand thousand of what he needs to find — for the greatness of Hashem is without end.

And conversely — however much he yearns and searches — and suddenly he falls, G-d forbid — even to the place he has fallen — he should not despair from searching and seeking further — and he should know: Hashem is with him — and he still has great hope to merit everything he needs to merit — and to find all the lost objects completely. For the mercies of Hashem are beyond estimation — "If I make my bed in Sheol — You are there." [Psalms 139:8]

And when one is strong in this — then... the paths are made in Elul through the power of Moses our Teacher and all the Tzaddikim — in the aspect of Moses — for they have the power to repair and to elevate all the fallen and the descended — even to the depths of Sheol... they have the power to elevate to the ultimate elevation — to not despair of oneself.[לבלי לייאש א"ע — "to not despair of oneself." א"ע = את עצמו — "himself / oneself." The standard abbreviation throughout the correspondence.]

This twenty-ninth letter — written during Elul, no specific date given — is the most Kabbalistic letter in the entire collection, and one of the most technically complex. It is structured as a continuous teaching on Elul, the covenant, the Shofar, and the letter Aleph — all through the lens of LM Torah 6.

Salutation and prayer (§§1–2): New honorific for the wife: "most praiseworthy of women among the tent-dwellers" (Judges 5:24 — Yael). Prayer for the sick child Chananya Yehudah son of Malka Devorah. The Rebbe's supremacy and the cosmic application (§§3–5): Elul = different letter-combinations (tzerufim) every moment (Arizal). The Rebbe's Torah = neshama l'neshama d'Atik — the soul of the soul of Atik — the innermost hidden Torah. From Chayyei Moharan: people think the Rebbe's greatness is that his book contains the Arizal's intentions — they don't know that his book contains everything including the Arizal, and is actually much higher beyond estimation. The Rebbe explains the Arizal's intentions practically for each individual. Why? Because: (1) the writings of the Arizal say one cannot locate a person at a single cosmic level — because the human being encompasses everything from Atzilus to Asiyah; (2) all the worlds gave their portion to Adam; (3) all cosmic rectifications (yichud K"BH and Shechinah) depend specifically on the human being with free choice. Therefore: the enormous gravity of the blemish of the covenant — the seed encompasses all 22 letters of the Torah — bringing it into the husks = destruction of the worlds. Elul: covenant-rectification and the Shofar (§6): Elul's essential rectification = the covenant. The Deuteronomy verse about circumcising the heart (30:6) hints to Elul in its initials — Likutay Moharan. The time to circumcise one's heart = to feel the pain = to request from G-d. One's seed also feels its pain and requests. Angels search for lost objects in Elul — the lost object = the blemish of the covenant. The Shofar = instrument for finding lost objects: Isaiah 27:13 ("the lost ones from Ashur"). The blessing "Sound the shofar" is in the attribute of Yesod = the covenant-rectification. The May-it-be-Your-will of that blessing concerns the covenant. On 8 Elul the Shofar sounds: when angels find a lost object = great joy = the Shofar of Teruah = the initials of "the desires of the wicked shall perish" (Psalms 112:10). The Aleph (§7): The letter Aleph decoded as the teshuvah process: Lower yud = silence and stillness in the face of humiliation (like an animal that cannot respond to its shame); Vav = the tent/firmament of obstacles — the humiliations from companions or from Heaven — fire and water — the blushing shame; Upper yud = connection to the Tzaddik who sits on the throne. Through accepting humiliation (lower yud) and experiencing obstacles (vav/firmament) one is connected to the Tzaddik (upper yud) and becomes a complete Aleph. Keter = waiting — teshuvah is Keter — cannot jump all at once — must wait all one's days — Proverbs 20:9: who can say "I have cleansed my heart"? Every confession is full of ulterior motives — must do teshuvah for the teshuvah. The folk saying: "the more one searches the more one finds" (Yiddish). Expert in ratzo: still very far even at the heights. Expert in shov: don't despair even from Sheol — Hashem is there (Psalms 139:8). The Moses-souls have the power to elevate all the fallen. Key terms: Tzerufim — different combinations of holiness every moment of Elul · Neshama l'neshama d'Atik — the Rebbe's Torah = soul of the soul of Atik Yomin — higher than the Arizal · Chayyei Moharan — ma'alas toraso — the section on the greatness of the Rebbe's Torah · L'ovda ul'ma'aseh — the Rebbe translates all Kabbalistic intentions into practical guidance · Malchus / Ze'ir Anpin / Asiyah / Yetzirah / Atzilus — the cosmic levels from which no single person can be "located" — because all are encompassed in the human being · Kol ha'olamot nusnu chelkam bo — all the worlds gave their portion to the human being · Yichud K"BH u'Shechinteh taluy b'ha'adam ba'al bechira davka — the divine unification depends specifically on the human being with free choice · Tipas ha'adam klulah mi'kol kaf-beis osiyos haTorah — the human seed encompasses all 22 letters of the Torah · U'mal Hashem Elokecha es levavcha — Elul acronym — Deuteronomy 30:6; circumcision of the heart; the letters hint to Elul · Malachim mechapsin achar ha'aveidot — angels search for the lost objects in Elul · Shofar — finding lost objects — u'vau ha'ovdim me'eretz Ashur — Isaiah 27:13; the shofar calls the lost ones home · Teka beshofar — b'midas Yesod — tikkun habrit — the shofar blessing is in the attribute of Yesod = covenant-rectification · Tes Elul — teruah — tav-resh-tav = ta'avat resha'im toved — the 8th of Elul; teruah initials = the desires of the wicked shall perish · The letter Aleph decoded — lower yud = silence/animal-acceptance; vav = firmament/obstacles/blushing shame; upper yud = connection to Tzaddik · Keter = waiting — teshuvah = Keter — cannot jump into holiness; must wait all one's days · Mi yomar zikisi libi taharsati mechata'si — Proverbs 20:9; no one can claim complete purity · Vos mer men zukht mer gefunt men — Yiddish folk saying: "the more one searches the more one finds" · Moshe v'kol haTzaddikim — koach l'ha'alos kol hanoflin — Moses-souls have the power to elevate all the fallen even from Sheol