Letter 15 ט"ו

"Between the Straits — light shall shine for the upright and the wholehearted, the servants of Hashem in truth and in wholeness." [An opening flourish for the Three Weeks period (בין המצרים) — turning the language of mourning into hope for the true servants of G‑d] To the honor of my dear and mighty friend, beloved to me as my soul — the delight of my heart, my daughter, my sister, my mother [בתי אחותי אמי — the language of Song of Songs, applied here as the deepest expression of brotherly love], and the entirety of my life and soul — his soul bound to mine — one soul in two bodies — the great and distinguished talmid chacham, the Chassid, who fears G‑d, who walks in wholesomeness and Chassidus, wholesome and upright, serving Hashem — who drinks living waters from Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman [מננמ"ח — explicitly, as always in letters to R' Shlomo Veksler], the purifying river that cleanses from all stains and sins, who is close to the holy gravesite of Rabbainu the Holy and Awesome Nachman, of blessed and holy memory, may his merit protect us and all Israel, Amen and so may it be His will — the distinguished Torah scholar, our Master R' Shlomo Veksler, may he live.