The Conditions for Moving to Jerusalem — A Private Dwelling and a Yeshivah Stipend

Therefore the matter depends on this: that I have a private dwelling — even just four walls, stones upon stones [אפי' אבן על אבן — a bare, minimal room; the phrase echoes the verse describing the destruction of the Temple, here used with touching irony: even if it is like ruins, as long as it is private] — and that he speak with R' Zerach Epstein [ר' זרח אפשטיין — apparently a figure connected to a Jerusalem yeshivah institution who could arrange a stipend] regarding yeshivah money [a regular allowance from a yeshivah that would provide a source of income for learning]. And let him inform me of clear things: whether there will be a private dwelling for me, and whether I will also have money for food from the yeshivah. If that is the case — on that very same day I will travel, without any accusation or confusion [בלי שום קטרוג ובלבול — without any spiritual obstruction or internal interference; katrug — accusation — is a Kabbalistic-Talmudic term for a heavenly or inner force that opposes one's holy intentions]. Therefore my heartfelt request before your honor is that he look into this matter and inform me of the situation there — in spiritual and material matters. And whether he has spoken with R' Zerach Epstein — inform me of all of it at length. And whether your honor spent the festival [Sukkos and Simchas Torah] in Jerusalem — inform me of everything regarding your welfare in full detail and at length.

Behold — the essential is the strengthening and the joy — for this is the greatest counsel for the purity of thought and the rectification of the covenant — as brought in the words of our master the Rebbe זצ"ל and our master R' Nossan[מוהרנ"ת = מורינו הרב נתן — "our master, our teacher, Rabbi Nossan." The standard Breslov honorific abbreviation for R' Nossan Sternhartz.] זצ"ל — many[כו"כ = כמה וכמה — "many many / numerous." The doubled form: kamah v'kamah.] times. And certainly — all impure thoughts[מ"ז = מחשבות זרות — "foreign / impure thoughts." The technical Breslov term for intrusive sinful thoughts during prayer or study.] and the blemish of the covenant come through sadness and melancholy. [מחשבות זרות — "foreign / impure thoughts." The technical term for unwanted sinful or distracting thoughts that intrude into the mind during prayer and Torah study — or at all times. מ"ז = מחשבות זרות — the standard abbreviation used here. Sadness and melancholy (mara shechorah — literally "black bile," from the Greek medical concept of melancholy) are identified as the root cause of impure thoughts and breaches of the covenant.]

And in truth — certainly one must request greatly from Hashem — for the purity of thought and the rectification of the covenant and all the holinesses — but all must be in joy — which surpasses everything. And about no matter did our master the Rebbe זצ"ל say "a great commandment" — except regarding joy: "It is a great commandment to always be in joy" — in Likutay Moharan Part 2, §24. [לקוטי מוהר"ן ח"ב סי' כ"ד — Likutay Moharan Part 2, §24. ח"ב = חלק ב' (Part 2 / Tannina); כ"ד = kaf(20) + dalet(4) = 24. This teaching — "Azamra" (I will sing) — is perhaps the most famous of all the Rebbe's teachings: the principle of always finding good points within oneself and in others, which generates joy that elevates the soul. The opening: "It is a great commandment to always be in joy."] And likewise — about no sin and no matter did he say "a great sin" — except[כ"א = כי אם — "except / only / but rather." Ki im — the exclusive exception marker.] regarding sadness. See in Likutay Moharan Part 2, §48 — "When a person enters into the service of Hashem" and so on. [לק"מ ח"ב סי' מ"ח — Likutay Moharan Part 2, §48. מ"ח = mem(40) + ches(8) = 48. The teaching: "Know that immediately when a person wants to enter into His service — may He be blessed — it is then a great sin when he has sadness, G-d forbid — for sadness is the Sitra Achra — and Hashem hates it." The Rebbe identifies sadness itself as the Sitra Achra — not merely an obstacle but the demonic force itself in its most effective form.] Study this Torah teaching well — so that it is engraved in your heart — and you can always strengthen yourself[א"ע = את עצמו — "himself / oneself." The standard abbreviation throughout the correspondence.] through it. See there: "For sadness is very very harmful — and know that immediately when a person wants to enter into His service — may He be blessed — then it is a great sin when he has sadness, G-d forbid — for sadness is the Sitra Achra — and Hashem hates it." — See there well.

And in Alim LiTerufah [עלים לתרופה — "Leaves for a Remedy / Healing." The collection of letters of Rabbi Nossan Sternhartz — 430 letters arranged thematically — published posthumously by the Breslov community. The title comes from Ezekiel 47:12: "and their leaves are for healing" — the Rebbe's teachings, transmitted through R' Nossan's letters, are healing leaves for the soul. The author cites this collection extensively by page (daf) and letter number.] : page 25a and page 17a — and page 9b and page 10a in letter 11 — and page 12a in letter 15 — and page 26a in letter 49 — and the entire letter 64 on pages 32–33 — and letter 91 in its entirety on page 42 — and letter 107 in its entirety on page 47b — and letter 187 on page 89b — and letter 188 on pages 90–91 — and letter 327 on page 146 — and letter 337 in its entirety on page 150 — and letter 404 on page 175b and page 176 — and in particular letter 405 on page 176b — see there well: the wording: "And even though crying out is a great virtue and so on — nonetheless when the sorrow and the crying out incline toward melancholy and sadness and grief — it harms more" — and so on — see there well. And also see letter 415 on page 181 — and in particular page b. [All references are to the standard printed edition of Alim LiTerufah — a remarkable testimony to the depth of R' Nossan's correspondence on the single subject of joy versus sadness. The sheer number of references — over fifteen specific letters and pages — indicates how central this theme was to the Breslov path and how much R' Nossan returned to it across decades of correspondence. The author is directing Shmuel Toktchinsky to an entire curriculum of self-study on this theme.]

And also see and study greatly in Likutay Halachos — the Laws of Thanksgiving — Law 6 — [which is in Likutay Halachos, Orach Chaim, Part 2] — see there very well — for all of this is your life and the life of all Israel.

And the essential: one must strengthen oneself in the path of stubbornness [בדרך עקשנות — "in the path of stubbornness / obstinacy." Ekshanus — the stubborn, unyielding insistence on maintaining one's fixed Torah-study sessions — refusing to give in to the evil inclination's arguments and obstacles. Not a negative stubbornness but a holy obstinacy in the face of spiritual laziness and the evil inclination's tactics.] — to study Torah in fixed sessions every day — and the books of our master the Rebbe זצ"ל — and more. For all of this is the essential counsel against the evil inclination — as brought in Torah 1 of Likutay Moharan — and in Torah 14 — and in Shichos HaR"an [שיחות הר"ן — "Shichos HaR"an — the Conversations of R' [Nach]man." The collection of the Rebbe's informal spoken teachings compiled by R' Nossan. The teaching: one who has fixed daily Torah-study sessions — even if he is habituated to sins — will in the end emerge from them and merit what he will merit.] : that one who has fixed sessions every day — even if he is habituated to sins, G-d forbid — in the end he will emerge from this and merit what he merits and so on.

And in particular during the days of Elul — our master the Rebbe זצ"ל brings that it is good to recite the entire Tanach — and Tikkunim — and the books of our master the Rebbe זצ"ל: Likutay Moharan — and Sefer HaMidos — and Sipurey Ma'asiyos [ספמ"ע = ספורי מעשיות — "Sipurey Ma'asiyos — the Tales / Stories." The standard abbreviation for Rabbi Nachman's Thirteen Stories — the collection of allegorical tales the Rebbe dictated to R' Nossan in 1806–1810, combining fairy-tale narrative with deep Kabbalistic content. ספמ"ע = ספורי מעשיות.] — and Shichos — and Chayyei Moharan — to complete them during the month of Elul. And to recite Psalms and prayers — and in particular the prayers of Elul and Rosh Hashana — a little each day — and hisbodidus. And all with joy and strengthening — for without joy and strengthening — all the above does not have such great significance. For the commandment done with joy is a thousand times greater than the commandment done without joy.

And in particular — one is not certain he will stand firm in his place — for who knows what the day will bring — and he can fall, G-d forbid, completely if he does not strengthen himself, G-d forbid. As brought in Likutay Moharan §6 — "Call out to Joshua" — that the essential intention of Elul is to be expert in the running — and expert in the returning — and so on: that even if he falls, G-d forbid — and so on — to the very depths of Sheol — he should not despair of himself — and he should always strengthen himself — and so on. And then he walks in the paths of teshuvah — and "the right hand of Hashem is extended to receive his teshuvah." And as long as the person is not strong in this — to always strengthen himself however he is — this is not called teshuvah in truth, G-d forbid. Therefore know: your entire life is to always strengthen yourself — and to do what you can in the service of Hashem every day — the fixed sessions — and to fight the battle of Hashem against the thoughts — not to allow them in the mind — with sit-and-do-not-act — to think even of physical matters rather than impure thoughts — and to always be in joy however he may be — however he may be — however he may be — then certainly it will always be good for you.

This thirty-sixth letter — written Wednesday, 13 Elul 5722 (September 1962) — is addressed again to Mr. Shmuel Toktchinsky, continuing the correspondence of Letter 35. The author had just returned to Jerusalem for his son's circumcision. The letter is the most reference-dense in the collection — citing over fifteen specific letters and pages from Alim LiTerufah, all on the theme of joy versus sadness.

Joy as the supreme counsel (§3): All impure thoughts and blemish of the covenant come from sadness/melancholy. The Rebbe said "great commandment" only about joy (LM II:24) and "great sin" only about sadness (LM II:48). The direct quote from LM II:48: "sadness is the Sitra Achra and Hashem hates it."

Alim LiTerufah references (§4): An extraordinary curriculum of self-study: 15+ specific letters and pages in R' Nossan's correspondence on joy. Highlighted: letter 405, page 176b — "even though crying out has great virtue — when it inclines toward melancholy it harms more."

Fixed sessions and Elul (§5): Stubbornness (ekshanus) in fixed daily Torah study — the essential weapon against the evil inclination (LM Torah 1, Torah 14, Shichos HaR"an: even a habitual sinner with fixed sessions will in the end emerge). Elul: entire Tanach, Tikkunim, LM, Sefer HaMidos, Sipurey Ma'asiyos, Shichos, Chayyei Moharan — completed in Elul. Psalms, prayers, hisbodidus. LM §6: be expert in the running and the returning — even from the depths of Sheol — strengthen yourself — the right hand of Hashem is extended. Life's entire mission: strengthen always, fixed sessions, fight impure thoughts with sit-and-do-not-act, always be in joy.

Key terms: Machshavos zaros — mara shechorah — impure thoughts; melancholy/black bile as their root cause · LM II:24 — "Azamra" — mitzvah gedolah lihyot b'simcha tamid · LM II:48 — aveirah gedolah yesh lo atzavus — sadness is a great sin; sadness = Sitra Achra · Alim LiTerufah — 15+ specific page and letter references on joy · LH Orach Chaim II — Hodaah §6 — founded on LM Torah 24 · Ekshanus — holy stubbornness; fixed study sessions every day · LM Torah 1 and Torah 14; Shichos HaR"an — fixed sessions = the essential weapon · Elul reading list — Tanach, Tikkunim, LM, Sefer HaMidos, ספמ"ע, Shichos, Chayyei Moharan · LM §6 — baki b'ratzo u'baki b'shov — expert in the running and the returning

Volume One • Letter 36 📜 Translator's Summary — Letter 36 [Added by the translator] First of all — one must strengthen oneself in faith in Hashem and in the true Tzaddik — that the power of holiness is strong and mighty for one who holds and strengthens — as it says[כמ"ש = כמו שכתוב — "as it is written." The standard citation abbreviation.]: "And they believed in Hashem and in Moses His servant." And therefore the divine service must be in joy — for this is the great essential in the service of Hashem. And to be strong and courageous — as our master the Rebbe זצ"ל wrote in Torah 6 — "Call out to Joshua" — for one must gird his loins: both in the ascent [that one has performed in the service of Hashem — and when he has great ascents — let him not think that he has already merited what he has merited — only let him believe that he must go higher and higher. And also: what he has already ascended to the greater ascents — this is only an arousal from above — from Heaven — so that he can stand in the descents that will pass over him. And let him know that there are also[ג"כ = גם כן — "also / as well."] ascents he has already felt somewhat — at the beginning — and therefore he can hold himself in the descents — until he comes to the greater ascents through the arousal from below — through his having held himself in all that passed over him. And this is the aspect of the light of Pesach — through the arousal from above. And afterward the counting of the Omer — the descents and the smallness that pass and so on — and afterward Shavuos — the highest holiness — through the arousal from below specifically.]

In the name of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak