Cannot Come Today — His Mother Leaves for Jerusalem for the Betrothal

I hereby inform your honor of my welfare. Presumably he has received my letter from this week. And behold — to my sorrow and grief, I cannot go today to Meron, for my mother will not allow me under any circumstances, since she is travelling on Sunday to Jerusalem regarding the betrothal [שידוך — the formal engagement process is still underway; his mother is now being called to Jerusalem to conclude it] — for we received a letter from Mordechai Leib saying she should come immediately to conclude the betrothal. And G‑d knows the truth — that with all my strength I desired to always be with you in Meron, and especially as we discussed on Thursday [at their last meeting]. And there is hope to be together the entire summer. And let him not despair — for in proportion to the multitude of the obstacles, so is the vessel made [כפי רבוי המניעות כן נעשה הכלי — a Breslov teaching: the greater the obstacles, the greater the spiritual vessel being formed; obstacles are not merely defeats but the very material from which holiness is built].

And there is no way to measure my grief and pain upon hearing that his belongings were stolen — how did this happen? [Evidently some of R' Alter's possessions were stolen — this is the first we hear of it] Let him make an effort to get them back — let him go to the Sheikh [the Arab village elder, who might be able to help recover stolen goods] and lodge a complaint about it.

Acheinu HaTzaddikim (our righteous ones)

And I ask of your honor to pray on my behalf — for it is very, very bitter for me in spiritual and material matters, and I need complete healing [רפו"ש] for all 248 limbs and 365 sinews [כל רמ"ח אברים ושס"ה גידים — the Talmudic enumeration of the body's parts, corresponding to the 248 positive commandments and 365 negative commandments; used here as a comprehensive prayer for full bodily and spiritual healing]. And I ask of your honor — I forgot my small key to my little box [קעסטלי — Yiddish: a small chest or box] — I left it in your tin canister [הבלעך — Yiddish: a tin can or small metal container], for on Shabbos I placed it there. And it is very necessary to me — so please send it with all possible speed, so that I have it for Shabbos, for that is where Rabbainu's books, of blessed memory, are kept.

And now the time is propitious for the service of Hashem in joy — for the holy days of the month of Nisan are coming — for the entire month is holy — and holy with the holiness of Rosh Hashana[ר"ה = ראש השנה — "Rosh Hashana."] and Yom Kippur[יו"כ = יום כיפור — "Yom Kippur."] — as brought in the words of our master the Rebbe זצ"ל in Torah 5 ("Sound the Faith") in Likutay Moharan Tannina — that in this month: "strength and joy are in His place" — and the angels are joyful — and joy is in the world — through appointing all the kings and angels and ministers. [תורה ה' (תקעו אמונה) בליקוטי מוהר"ן תנינא — "Torah 5 ('Tiku Emunah — Sound the Faith') in Likutay Moharan Tannina." LM Part 2, §5. The Rebbe teaches that Rosh Chodesh Nisan is the Rosh Hashana of the kings — when all the celestial rulers of the year are appointed. The divine Name Havayah governs in order throughout Nisan — bringing kindness and joy.] And through joy one strengthens oneself in the service of Hashem — and is saved from the blemish of the covenant, G-d forbid.

And so it is brought in Torah 70 in Likutay Moharan Part 1 — "Vayehi bayom hashemini" — the portion of this week — that on the 8th of Nisan they appoint the kings who lead — and we must request from Hashem that He give us a true leader — like Moses our Teacher, peace be upon him[ע"ה = עליו השלום — "peace be upon him." The biblical figure blessing.] — who has the power of drawing — to draw all of Israel toward him — and to draw the divine toward all of Israel. [תורה ע' בלקוטי מוהר"ן א' — "Torah 70 in Likutay Moharan Part 1." ע' = ayin = 70. The Torah opens with the verse "Vayehi bayom hashemini" — "And it was on the eighth day" (Leviticus 9:1) — the eighth day after the seven days of the Mishkan's inauguration, which corresponds to the 1st of Nisan. The Rebbe teaches that "the eighth day" also hints at the 8th of Nisan, when the Sanhedrin would appoint the kings who would lead Israel that year. The true Tzaddik/leader is in the aspect of Moses — who has the "power of drawing" (koach hamoshech) to draw all souls toward him and through him toward G-d.]

And so it is brought in Torah 39 in Likutay Moharan Tannina — "Lechu Chazu" — "Go — see" — that the essential is the ultimate purpose — and for this the entire world was created: that Israel should merit to attain the ultimate purpose — through all the creatures in the world — through which they will merit the service of Hashem in truth. [That is: through gazing at the divine intellect within every thing — as brought in Torah 1 of Likutay Moharan Part 1 — "Ashrei tamimei darech" — "Happy are those who are wholesome in the way."] And this one merits only through the true Tzaddik — in the aspect of Moses — who can illuminate the ultimate purpose even to the lowest of the lowest — in the aspect of "the feet of the feet." And the time to merit to this leader is in the month of Nisan — as brought: Rosh Chodesh Nisan is the Rosh Hashana of kings. [And therefore one must greatly request from Hashem that we should merit to draw close to the true leader — through whom we will merit the true and eternal ultimate purpose — for which we came to this world.] And for the festivals — for Pesach is the head of the festivals.

And the holiness of Pesach is very wonderful — the beginning of Israel's drawing close to their Father in Heaven — in the aspect of Abraham the man of kindness — to serve Hashem through will and yearning and love and kindness. And Pesach is in the aspect of "peh sach" — the mouth speaks — for the speech emerges from exile — and one can speak the yearnings and longings of the heart — in words — to Hashem. And this is the essential holiness of hisbodidus — as brought in Torah 31 of Part 1 in Likutay Moharan — "Ayt lana bira" — "We have a well." [תורה ל"א חלק א' בליקוטי מוהר"ן — "אית לן בירא" — "Torah 31 of Part 1 — 'We have a well.'" ל"א = lamed(30) + aleph(1) = 31. The Rebbe's teaching that speaks of the "well" of prayer and hisbodidus — the source of living water from which one draws in exile. The "mouth comes out of exile" on Pesach: on this night the power of speech is released from its captivity — and one can finally speak freely to G-d the things the heart has been holding.] And the guarding from chametz is a great virtue for holiness and purity throughout the entire year.

And the holiness of the Seder night of Pesach is very wonderful for all who bear the name of Israel — each one according to his level and his yearning — for it is an illumination not in the usual order — when Heaven shines the resting of the Shechinah and divine cleaving within the holy commandments: matzah — maror — charoset — four cups — saying the Haggadah aloud — the rectification of the covenant — songs and praises — and the publicizing of the miracles to Hashem — for all the goods and kindnesses He performed for us and for our forefathers — at the Exodus from Egypt — and the splitting of the Red Sea — and the giving of the Torah — and so on — as it says[כמ"ש = כמו שכתוב — "as it is written." The standard citation abbreviation.]: "had He only done... it would have been enough for us — dayenu." And so too: each person — the kindnesses Hashem performed for him specifically — to give much thanks and praise to Hashem — and to yearn also for the future — to draw close to Hashem.

And afterward one begins to count the Omer — for the first day of Pesach is the arousal from above — the awakening from Heaven — for every single Jew. And afterward one takes the awakening — and every person must awaken himself through the arousal from below — through the counting of the Omer — and to be ashamed before Hashem — how we are still so far. And to yearn for the receiving of the Torah — for then one is called a true human being — and to strengthen oneself not to fall from all that passes over him — and only to guard the mind from sinful thoughts and so on. And afterward one merits on Shavuos to the receiving of the Torah — through the holiness of the night — staying awake the entire night — for this is the essential — and the mikveh of Shavuos — in which one immerses — through which one merits to the holiness of the Crown — which one merits on Shavuos more than on Pesach — and also because this is through the arousal from below — which is the essential.

This fifty-second letter — Sunday, 19 Adar II 5722, Jerusalem — opens with mazal tov on a marriage and then delivers a concentrated Pesach-Nisan teaching drawing on five separate sections of Likutay Moharan in sequence.

Nisan and its teachings (§3): LM II:5 ("Tiku Emunah"): all of Nisan is holy with Rosh Hashana/Yom Kippur holiness — joy among the angels — appointing kings — joy → strength in divine service → saved from blemish of the covenant. LM I:70 ("Vayehi bayom hashemini" — this week's portion): on the 8th of Nisan the true leaders are appointed — we must request the true leader like Moses — who has the koach hamoshech — the power of drawing all of Israel and drawing the divine toward all of Israel. LM II:39 ("Lechu Chazu"): the ultimate purpose of creation = Israel attaining it through all creatures → by seeing the divine intellect in every thing (LM I:1 "Ashrei tamimei darech") → only through the true Tzaddik in the aspect of Moses → who can illuminate the purpose even in the lowest levels ("feet of the feet").

Pesach through Shavuos (§4): Pesach = peh sach — the mouth speaks; the speech comes out of exile; hisbodidus is possible (LM I:31 — "Ayt lana bira"). Guarding from chametz = virtue for the entire year. The Seder: illumination not in the usual order — matzah, maror, charoset, four cups, Haggadah aloud = tikkun habrit, dayenu. Day 1 Pesach = atirutha d'lei'la for all of Israel. Omer = atirutha diletata → shame before G-d → strengthen not to fall → guard the mind. Shavuos: staying awake the entire night (the essential) + mikveh → holiness of the Crown (Keter) → greater than Pesach → because it is atirutha diletata. Key terms: LM II:5 — Tiku Emunah — Nisan = Rosh Hashana of kings · LM I:70 — Vayehi bayom hashemini — 8 Nisan; koach hamoshech · LM II:39 — Lechu Chazu — the ultimate purpose; the feet of the feet · LM I:31 — Ayt lana bira — peh sach — the mouth comes out of exile · Seder = illumination not in the usual order — atirutha d'lei'la · Omer = atirutha diletata — shame; guard the mind · Shavuos = Keter; greater than Pesach; atirutha diletata is the essential