Letter 13 י"ג

Life, peace, and all good forever, and fulfillment of his heart's desires for good — to the honor of my dear beloved friend, beloved to me as my soul — the delight of my heart and the apple of my eye — the distinguished talmid chacham, excelling in all matters, who desires and serves Hashem in truth, who drinks living waters from Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman [מננמ"ח — the sacred acronym appearing again explicitly] — the distinguished Torah scholar, our Master R' Alter Ben Tzion, may he live and be strong.

"After greeting you with great love and wishing you all good forever — your precious letter with the money I received on Pesach — and you truly gave us life. May Hashem always give you life — and may you merit all the blessings written in the Torah — and all good forever. Certainly you must greatly give yourselves life — that you merited to be by the Rebbe זצ"ל at the holy gravesite — in particular on Chanukah — certainly this is the greatest merit in the world. May Hashem help you to merit more and more — in the service of Hashem — both in the physical and the spiritual — children, life, and sustenance — and all good forever. Amen."

"Now — the days of the Omer count — one must recite Psalms every day — which is propitious for teshuvah — as brought in Likutay Moharan Part 2 (§73). And these are the forty-nine days of the Omer count — corresponding to the forty-nine gates of teshuvah[מ"ט = מ"ט = mem(40) + tes(9) = 49. The forty-nine gates of teshuvah — corresponding to the forty-nine gates of impurity from which Israel was saved at the Exodus, and now to be reclaimed through the forty-nine days of Omer count.] — that we must return in teshuvah to Hashem. [The essential: through Psalms and hisbodidus and longings and yearnings toward Hashem — and shame before Him, may He be blessed.] And Shavuos — which is the fiftieth day of the count..."

[After regards with great love and wishing you all good forever — I received your precious letter with the money on Pesach — and you truly gave us life. May Hashem always give you life — and may you merit all the blessings written in the Torah and all good forever. Certainly you must greatly give yourselves life — that you merited to be by our master the Rebbe at the holy gravesite — in particular on Chanukah — certainly this is the greatest merit in the world. May Hashem help you to merit more and more — in the service of Hashem — both in the physical and spiritual — children, life, and sustenance — and all good. Amen.

Now — the days of the Omer count — one must recite Psalms every day — which is propitious for teshuvah — as brought in Likutay Moharan Part 2 (§73). And these are the forty-nine days of the Omer count — corresponding to the forty-nine gates of teshuvah[מ"ט = מ"ט = mem(40) + tes(9) = 49. The forty-nine gates of teshuvah — corresponding to the forty-nine gates of impurity from which Israel was saved at the Exodus, and now to be reclaimed through the forty-nine days of Omer count.] — that we must return in teshuvah to Hashem. [The essential: through Psalms and hisbodidus and longings and yearnings toward Hashem — and shame before Him, may He be blessed.] And Shavuos — which is the fiftieth day from the count — then the teshuvah comes from Hashem Himself, may He be blessed — who returns to us from the fiftieth gate of holiness.

And all the days of the Omer are the arousal from below that is ours. For Pesach is the arousal from above — from Hashem Himself — the beginning of Israel's drawing close — when He took us out of Egypt and drew us close to Him. And this is the vitality and the awakening of holiness that comes to every single Jew [each one according to his merit and his preparation] — on Pesach — and in particular on the first night of Pesach — and the holy Seder — in which all the holy lights and the holy expanded minds are hinted — from Chochmah to Malchus at once. And this is: through this great holiness He redeemed us from Egypt. And so too in every generation and at every time — this illumination shines on Pesach. [And so too at the beginning of every person's drawing close to Hashem — this is in the aspect of Pesach — when chametz is forbidden — meaning: sadness and anger — and one should only think about serving Hashem with joy and giving thanks and praise to Hashem for the miracles and the wonders.] And afterward — the great light departs — and one must count the Omer — which is the arousal from below that is ours — to know that we are still in the aspect of an animal — this is the aspect of the Omer offering of barley — which is animal food — that was offered in the Holy Temple before the receiving of the Torah. And we count each day and say: "today is such-and-such of the Omer" — and we are still far from holy Shavuos — to receive the Torah — and we are ashamed before Hashem for this — and we wait greatly. [For this is the essential: to wait greatly — greatly — almost all one's days — counting the Omer — to yearn to come to the true service of Hashem — and then in the end he will come to this.] And we long and yearn: when shall we reach holy Shavuos — the receiving of the Torah? And then on holy and awesome Shavuos — one merits to all the holy lights of Pesach — and more — for then one also merits to the Crown [כתר — "the Crown." Keter — the highest of the ten Sefirot — the aspect of pure divine will and the level beyond rational attainment. The Omer-waiting generates the vessels for receiving the Keter on Shavuos — a level not accessible on Pesach — because Keter can only be received through atirutha diletata (the arousal from below), not through the atirutha d'lei'la (the arousal from above) of Pesach.] — [which one does not merit except through the arousal from below] — through the staying-awake of the entire night — and not sleeping even a moment — and all the destiny of the person[הוראות האדם = הוראות האדם — "the destiny / spiritual direction of the person." Hora'os — from the root ירה (to direct / to instruct). The Arizal teaches that the entire spiritual direction and fate of the person for the coming year is determined on Shavuos night.] depends on this night — as brought in the writings of the Arizal.

And the essential is: to be awake [and on Hoshana Raba the essential is the recitation] — and to study and recite the Tikkun Leil Shavuos — and to rejoice the entire night. [And the essential: to be awake — and on Hoshana Raba the essential is the recitation — and to study and recite the Tikkun Leil Shavuos — and to rejoice the entire night.] As brought in the holy Zohar. And it is well known: that the holy Tzaddik[הרה"צ = הרב הצדיק — "the holy Tzaddik / the saintly Rabbi." The standard honorific for a Chassidic master of the highest spiritual level.] the Maggid of Tirhovatz [הרה"צ המגיד מטירהוואצא — "the holy Tzaddik[הרה"צ = הרב הצדיק — "the holy Tzaddik / the saintly Rabbi." The standard honorific for a Chassidic master of the highest spiritual level.] the Maggid of Tirhovatz." Rabbi Moshe Leib of Sassov (1745–1807), one of the great early Chassidic masters — known for his exceptional love of every Jew and his extraordinary joy. Tirhovatz (Tirhovitch) was one of the places associated with his activity.] and the holy Tzaddik R' Nachum זצ"ל of Chernobyl [הרה"צ ר' נחום ז"ל מטשרנאביל — "the holy Tzaddik Rabbi Nachum of blessed memory of Chernobyl." Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky of Chernobyl (1730–1797) — a major disciple of the Ba'al Shem Tov and of R' Dov Ber the Maggid of Mezeritch. Author of "Me'or Einayim" (The Light of the Eyes). He and the Maggid of Tirhovatz were close friends and spiritual companions.] — who were companions — were always together for the entire Shavuos — and danced together the entire night. And in the old age of the holy Tzaddik R' Nachum זצ"ל — when he was unable to — he sent his son the holy Tzaddik R' Mordechai of Chernobyl זצ"ל to the holy Tzaddik[הרה"צ = הרב הצדיק — "the holy Tzaddik / the saintly Rabbi." The standard honorific for a Chassidic master of the highest spiritual level.] the Maggid of Tirhovatz זצ"ל for Shavuos — and they danced together the entire night. And in Uman — I remember — that on Shavuos night — the dancing did not stop even for a moment: some were reciting the Tikkun Leil Shavuos — and some were dancing — and so they alternated with each other. And the essential is to be awake — not to sleep. And the mikveh of Shavuos — of the fiftieth gate of holiness — [see Torah 56 of Likutay Moharan at length] [תורה נ"ו מלקוטי מוהר"ן — "Torah 56 of Likutay Moharan." נ"ו = nun(50) + vav(6) = 56. LM Part 1, §56 — a major teaching on the fiftieth gate and the mikveh of Shavuos. The fiftieth gate (sha'ar hachamsim) is the level of absolute divine transcendence that cannot be approached through one's own efforts — only through G-d's own arousal from above (atirutha d'lei'la). The mikveh of Shavuos is a spiritual immersion that purifies at this highest level.] — and the prayer of Shavuos with intention and yearning and awakening — through this we merit to the holiness of the Crown too[ג"כ = גם כן — "also / as well."] — and everything through the arousal from below that is ours. May Hashem grant us merit for all these holy lights and holinesses in their completeness. So may it be His will. Amen.]

And all of this is preparation for Rosh Hashana — when in the Musaf prayer one says: "You were revealed" and so on — "and with the sound of the shofar" — and so on — for in truth all the rectification should have happened on Shavuos — but it was corrupted through the Golden Calf — may G-d have mercy[רח"ל = רחמנא ליצלן — "may the Merciful One save us." The Aramaic expression of alarm at a terrible spiritual calamity.]. [ע"י העגל רח"ל — "through the Golden Calf — may G-d have mercy[רח"ל = רחמנא ליצלן — "may the Merciful One save us." The Aramaic expression of alarm at a terrible spiritual calamity.]." The Golden Calf (the sin of the golden calf — Exodus 32) was committed forty days after the revelation at Sinai. The Kabbalistic tradition holds that the sin of the Golden Calf shattered the complete rectification that would have been achieved at Shavuos — and ever since, the complete rectification must be pursued through Elul, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and Sukkos in a partial, graduated manner. Only the Messiah will restore what was lost.] [And it is well known: that at the time of our master R' Nossan's great Shavuos — when more than sixty of our Chassidim were by him for Shavuos — and there was a great awakening — he said to them: they must see and take care not to make the Golden Calf afterward, G-d forbid.] And therefore from then until the Messiah comes — one is compelled to do the rectifications of the month of Elul [the forty days when Moses our Teacher[מרע"ה = משה רבינו עליו השלום — "Moses our Teacher, peace be upon him."] was on the mountain to receive the Second Tablets] — and the essential: the Rosh Hashana of our master the Rebbe זצ"ל. [For also in all the gatherings that are in the name of our master the Rebbe זצ"ל — in every place where they gather together for Rosh Hashana — in connection to our master the Rebbe זצ"ל — the rectifications of the Rosh Hashana of our master the Rebbe זצ"ל himself are performed there.] And as brought in the writings of the Arizal: that Adam was created on Rosh Hashana — and he should have himself accomplished the entire rectification — through praying for rain and fulfilling the prohibition not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge — and this would have been the rectification of all the worlds. But when he sinned and so on — now every year one must perform the rectifications bit by bit — from Elul and Rosh Hashana until Simchas Torah — when the rectification of that year is complete. And our master the Rebbe זצ"ל said: that by him — all the rectifications are accomplished on the first night of Rosh Hashana. [And therefore on Rosh Hashana night — he passes through with all his people — the first night. On Rosh Hashana — the completely righteous are written and sealed immediately for life.] So may it be His will. Amen.

This fifty-fourth letter — Tuesday, 25 Nisan, from Meron — to R' Meir — opens with joy at the correspondent's recent visit to the Rebbe's gravesite on Chanukah. The main body delivers the Pesach-Omer-Shavuos teaching in the Yiddish/Hebrew dual structure, then a remarkable postscript on the Golden Calf, the Rebbe's Rosh Hashana, and Adam's original rectification.

The Omer (§§2–3): LM II:73 — Psalms propitious for teshuvah. 49 Omer days = 49 gates of teshuvah. Shavuos = the 50th day = teshuvah from Hashem Himself from the fiftieth gate of holiness. Pesach = atirutha d'lei'la (all lights from Chochmah to Malchus at once). Omer = atirutha diletata — we are still "animals" (barley = animal food). Wait greatly — yearn for Shavuos. Shavuos: all the lights of Pesach + the Crown (Keter) — which is received only through atirutha diletata. Staying awake the entire night = the essential; all the person's destiny depends on this night (Arizal). Oral tradition: the Maggid of Tirhovatz and R' Nachum of Chernobyl danced together all Shavuos night — in R' Nachum's old age he sent his son R' Mordechai. At Uman: half the gathering recited the Tikkun Leil Shavuos while the other half danced — then they switched. LM §56 on the mikveh of the fiftieth gate.

The postscript (§4): The Golden Calf corrupted the complete Shavuos rectification. R' Nossan's great Shavuos (60+ Chassidim): "See that you do not make the Golden Calf afterward." Therefore from then until the Messiah: Elul (40 days of Moses on the mountain for the Second Tablets) → the Rebbe's Rosh Hashana. Even in other Breslov gatherings for Rosh Hashana — the Rebbe's rectifications are performed. The Arizal on Adam: created on Rosh Hashana, should have rectified all the worlds through prayer and abstaining from the Tree of Knowledge. His sin = now the rectification is spread over Elul–Simchas Torah. The Rebbe: all the rectifications happen by him on the first night of Rosh Hashana — he passes through with all his people that first night.

Key terms: LM II:73 — Psalms for teshuvah during the Omer · 49 Omer days = 49 gates of teshuvah · Shavuos = 50th day = teshuvah from Hashem from the 50th gate of holiness · Pesach = atirutha d'lei'la; Omer = atirutha diletata; Shavuos = Keter · Staying awake all Shavuos night = the essential; all destiny depends on it · The Maggid of Tirhovatz and R' Nachum of Chernobyl — dancing all Shavuos night · LM §56 — the mikveh of the fiftieth gate of holiness · The Golden Calf warning — R' Nossan's great Shavuos with 60+ Chassidim · Adam created on Rosh Hashana — should have rectified all the worlds — Arizal · The Rebbe's Rosh Hashana = all rectifications accomplished on the first night Volume One • Letter 54 📜 Translator's Summary — Letter 54 [Added by the translator]