The Two Things the Baal Davar Refuses to Allow

After warmly greeting you with great love and precious and deep love — from the depths of the heart — as is known between us. [Yiddish:] "My dear, righteous brother — I ask you very, very greatly to pray for me: that I should be G‑d-fearing and a true servant of Hashem, and that I merit to come to you. For the baal davar [בעל דבר — the opposing force, the evil inclination personified as Rabbainu's 'adversary' in his stories] lays himself out at full length and breadth and does not allow two things to be fulfilled: not to be together at the holy Tzadik, Foundation of the World, the Rashbi, of blessed memory — and not to be G‑d-fearing. He will give everything else: Torah, everything — but only not this. On this he exerts himself with all his strength by all means — not to be G‑d-fearing. But I know that my only counsel is prayer. I need to do my part — to pray and pray. And beyond that, what more can I do?" [Hebrew parenthetical:] (My dear brother — I ask of you very greatly to pray for me that I should be G‑d-fearing and a true servant of Hashem, and that I merit to come to you. For the baal davar stretches himself out at full length and breadth and does not allow two things to be fulfilled: not to be together at the holy Tzadik, the Foundation of the World, the Rashbi, of blessed memory — and not to be G‑d-fearing. He will give everything else — Torah, everything — but only not this. On this he lays himself out with all his strength by every means: by no means to be G‑d-fearing. But I know that my only counsel is prayer. I need to do my part — to pray and pray. And beyond that, what can I do?)

[Yiddish:] "My dear, righteous, good friend — what shall I say to you? To my sorrow I am very far from G‑d, blessed be He, and from the true service of Hashem. It is very bad and bitter for me, to my sorrow, in matters of Jewishness. If only G‑d, blessed be He, would help me that I should merit to be with you together — either in Meron or in Tiberias [R' Alter is evidently now in Tiberias — a new location for him]. Would that it were so! My heart yearns for me very, very greatly — beyond all measure — after the holy Tzadik, the Rashbi, of blessed memory — and to be together with you. What shall I do? The baal davar does not want to allow this under any circumstances."