The Approach of Rosh Hashana — A Wake-Up Call

After warmly inquiring after your good welfare — I am astonished that I received no letter from you after I wrote to you a letter about my situation in the month of Av. And the main purpose of this letter is to arouse you, my warm-hearted brother: [Yiddish:] "Rosh Hashana is coming! And Rabbainu the Holy and Awesome Nachman said: 'Were it not for my Rosh Hashana — the world would have turned to chaos and void.' And further: 'All my matters are Rosh Hashana. It goes without saying that you certainly depend on my Rosh Hashana — but even if...' etc. — the end of Rabbainu's saying. My warm-hearted, dear, true brother — (as R.N.T. [R' Noson of Tulchin רנ"ט — R' Noson Sternhartz, R' Noson of Breslov, who is also known by this acronym from a city associated with him], of blessed memory, said: who is my brother? — a Breslov Chassid) — alas, how one sleeps! Remember: the Daughter of the King [הבת מלכה — the recurring figure from Letter 9 onward, appearing again here] woke him and said: 'Great compassion upon you and upon me — so long a time, etc.' And as it is written in the Sipuray Maasiyos, from the Seven Beggars — what the gardener lost and what the garden was lost and they sustained themselves only from the resprouting plants, until the cruel king came and left three groups, etc.' Therefore, my dear, faithful one — remember in Torah [50], Chadi Rabba Shimon [תורה ס' חדי ר"ש — Torah lesson 50 in Likutay Moharan: Chadi Rabbi Shimon — "Rabbi Shimon rejoiced"; the Torah dealing with the relationship between Rosh Hashana and the fellowship of Breslov]: Rabbainu says that for those who are close to the Tzadik — on Rosh Hashana, love is created among them. Anon bichavuta talya milta [Aramaic: "our matter depends on affection/love"]. Oh (Gott!) my warm-hearted brother — we already know of Rabbainu the Holy one for such a long time — and still we look like this? Not strengthening ourselves at all in prayer and longing? Oh (Gott!) — what will be the ultimate purpose? Were we created merely to pass through this world?"

[Yiddish continued:] "My warm-hearted brother — as things appear, it is very difficult for us to travel to Meron for Rosh Hashana, and most likely we will not travel, G‑d forbid. Therefore know: Rabbainu's Rosh Hashana is among the Breslov fellowship — for then is the awakening of the good points within. And especially given how you sleep, poor thing, all the time, all year, and on Lag BaOmer you received a little — therefore if you truly want to save yourself and to think about your eternal purpose, then Rabbainu said: money obstacles are not [real] obstacles. Therefore have compassion on yourself! What one snatches in this passing world — that is what one has and what remains — nothing more. And a penny and a penny accumulate to a large account [פרוטה ופרוטה מצטרפת לחשבון גדול — a Talmudic saying (Sotah 8b), applied here metaphorically: each small act of Divine service accumulates]. So again — more engagement together in the service of Hashem. And more again. Until ultimately G‑d, blessed be He, will help completely. And remember in the Torah: Ki Merachamam Yinahalem [כי מרחמם ינהגם — Isaiah 49:10: "For He who has compassion on them will lead them" — a Torah teaching in Likutay Moharan that Rabbainu brings: there is no compassion in the world like the compassion for a Jewish soul that has fallen into sin and is distant from G‑d] — Rabbainu brings there: there is no compassion in the world like the compassion for a Jewish soul when it falls in sins and is distant from G‑d, blessed be He."

[Yiddish:] "Remember, my dear brother — what we worked together in the service of Hashem in holy Meron, and there was love of souls between us, and we worked toward the ultimate purpose. Alas — how one sleeps now! Now it is the closing and completion of the entire year — for Rabbainu the Holy one said: the essence of repentance is precisely in the month of Elul — see Kra es Yehoshua [קרא את יהושוע — 'Call out to Yehoshua'; a reference to a specific Torah teaching of Rabbainu about Elul, connected to the verse from the Yom Kippur liturgy ki karov yom], etc. And the essence of Jewishness and the service of Hashem — everything is merited through Elul, and through Elul one merits the holy Rosh Hashana. Oh (Gott!) my dear brother — always, as much as one can snatch away — is good. Especially in Elul and Tishrei. And for the sake of Heaven — take care not to be, G‑d forbid, among those of 'deficiency that cannot be counted' [חסרון לא יוכל להמנות — Ecclesiastes 1:15: 'A deficiency that cannot be counted'; a phrase used in Alim LiTrufah by R' Noson to describe those who miss the precious time of Rosh Hashana with Rabbainu's fellowship] — as R' Noson, of blessed memory, writes much about this in the holy Alim LiTrufah. Therefore have compassion on yourself! And use every possible means to arrive here as early as possible — for the sake of Heaven! — so that we may have several weeks before Rosh Hashana to engage enthusiastically in Rabbainu's matter. And certainly you will not regret this — neither in this world nor in the World to Come. And in any case — we will do our part."

And presumably you have heard the parable of the king who went to hunt wild animals in the forest with his troops, and a heavy rain fell, etc. And they all returned one by one — and only he [the king] remained with his second-in-command. And the second-in-command said to him: let us return as well — for we are close to losing our lives, G‑d forbid. And the king said to him: if he wishes to return — he may return. [Yiddish:] "He is not turning back. And if you wish to hold on — good. But do not turn around. And I will do mine regardless, etc." [Hebrew:] (If you wish to join and hold on — good. But do not turn back. And I will do mine regardless, etc.)

From me — your mighty friend, who awaits to see you soon in the Holy City. Shmuel Horowitz. Also I inquire of your good welfare — from me: י'ז'ה'ב' [initials of R' Yitzchak Zev or another companion; or possibly a private abbreviation]. [Note: the letter was delayed until Tuesday, Parashas Shoftim.]