קז

Before Passover I wrote you a letter and sent it with the blind non-Jewish donkey-driver — and several matters necessary for you were written there — and I also asked there to reply to me about that letter which I need. And in the end I have no letter from you at all — and I have suffering lest the letter was not given to you. And there I wrote about the rendel that Reb Yosef, may his candle shine, brought me — that you should take it against your debt — but only the tithe from the rendel distribute to whoever needs more. And write to me whether you are still owed from me or not. And also to write to me when Reb Yosef was by my sons and brothers — and when he traveled from Teiteira — for it is a novelty to me that he did not bring me a letter from there. And also perhaps he knows whether my brothers already know of the departure of our mother — may I be the atonement for her resting place — may she rest in peace. And also I wrote to you to inform me whether your co-parent-in-law, may his candle shine, was in Kalibulad — and how he concluded with the heirs there. And also I wrote you a receipt for the last communication.

And within that receipt-letter I sent enclosed a letter to the woman Dabris — the wife of Reb Tevil — who has a daughter in Breslov. And the receipt together with the letter I sent through the donkey-driver Reb Nachman — and I wrote on the letter to Reb Nussun son of the woman Chana. And I also do not know whether the letter was given to him or not — and I have great suffering lest the letter of the woman Dabris was lost — and within it was a good tiding for her — that her grandson stood at the obligation and blessed be G-d he was saved.

And now I begin to speak — my brothers and my friends — about our eternal business. What shall I say to you, my precious brothers — why are we silent about the business of Rabbainu z"l and his holy disciple? And why do we cast our own foolishnesses as a shadow against such a great light that shines in all the worlds — and even in this physical world it can shine — and even according to the very substance of our physicality it can shine for us — only if we bend our shoulder and drive and thrust our eyes [ulitka einenu — "to drive and thrust our eyes in" — from taka — to drive in, to thrust, to plant with decisive force; the same root as the shofar blast — teki'as shofar; a powerful image of planting the gaze with the decisive force of a stake being driven into the ground] with the eye of truth upon these lights that Rabbainu z"l and his holy disciple left for us in their holy books — for they can bring us out from every darkness and deep shadow that presses down upon us — even more than a precious stone.

For on the holy Shabbos I studied the Laws of Robbery, law 5 — and today I studied the Laws of Damages, law 3 — and I do not know how to give praise to Hashem Yisbarach for our portion and our lot. And I ask of you to look into these laws — and you will find repose for your nefesh, your ruach, and your neshamah [nefesh, ruach, v'neshamah — the three distinct levels of the Kabbalistic soul: nefesh — the animating life-soul; ruach — the emotional spirit; neshamah — the divine breath-soul; three ascending dimensions of the inner person, not merely synonyms]. And you will know how we must rejoice every single day — and say "how fortunate are we" — a hundred times a day — in great joy. And we have nothing at all to be sad about — since we have merited to be in this holy assembly. And if we are in joy — then all the harsh judgments will be sweetened from upon us — as Rabbainu z"l said: if you will be in joy it is a good thing for the entire world — and for us in particular it will surely be for good. And it is my intention G-d willing G-d willing to be in your holy encampment on the Shabbos of Pesach Sheni G-d willing. And I have asked of you to pray for my wife — for she is not at all on the line of health — for five days now — so that I should not have, G-d forbid, any impediment to my desired journey.

Words of one who loves you, Nussun from Breslov

Written Sunday, Parshas Kedoshim, 5641 (late April 1881), from Teverya. The pre-Passover letter may be lost. Planning to visit Tzfas for Shabbos Pesach Sheni. "How fortunate are we" — a hundred times a day. נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן Your letter I received through Reb Chaim Yehoshua, may his candle shine — and it was for me a restoration of the soul — that my brothers and friends received the festival of matzos in joy. So may it be for you and for us on other festivals and pilgrimage-times — and may our joy be drawn upon us for the entire year. And may Hashem Yisbarach merit us — that the joy should go and pass through the entire stature of joy — and through this may we merit to confess and pour out our hearts like water before Hashem Yisbarach — on every single detail. And may the light of the face that shines on the three pilgrimage festivals shine upon us — and through this may we merit the luminous faces — and to be saved, G-d forbid, from darkened faces — which is sadness and melancholy — which is from the other side. And every day accept upon yourselves to rejoice — at every moment — in the strength and merit of Rabbainu z"l and his holy disciple — who warned us greatly about joy. And joy is a vessel for the receiving of the Torah. And now is the time when we are preparing ourselves for the receiving of the Torah — and we must arouse our hearts and count the Omer count in joy and with fresh arousal. For now Hashem Yisbarach wants to complete for us the receiving of the Torah and the fulfillment of the Torah — in the strength of the Tzaddik — who is engaged now primarily in the fulfillment of the Torah and the commandments — at every moment — with fresh ardor — and with a fresh beginning — and everything in joy. And trust in Hashem that He will surely not abandon you — and will provide for you — and will fulfill all your requests for good — in the strength of this Tzaddik — from whom all the flows of abundance go out to all the worlds — and particularly to those who join themselves to him. More news — Hashem Yisbarach renews every day continuously the work of creation [mechadesh b'chol yom tamid ma'aseh bereishis — the exact words of the morning liturgy: "Who renews every day continuously the work of creation" — from the blessing before the Shema; the writer closes with this liturgical formula as a teaching: there is always new creation, always renewal — for good] — for good. Your friend, one who truly loves you — interceding and beseeching on your behalf and on behalf of your household, Nussun son of our teacher Yehuda z"l — of blessed memory — from Breslov Written Thursday, Parshas Kedoshim, 5641 (late April 1881), from Teverya. Joy as a vessel for receiving Torah. The Omer count. All abundance flows from the Tzaddik. נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן Last night I received a letter from my son Aizik, may his candle shine — and within it enclosed a bill of exchange from a certain person — for he received from him from the money that he wanted — and he lent him a favor — one rendel as a free loan — so that it should arrive in my hand before Passover — so that I should have something for Passover. And now more than a month has passed — and he still has not given it to me. And he has done him a kindness — for he had nothing for the expenses of the journey to the Holy Land — and he wants to repay evil for good, G-d forbid. And in the receipt-note it is written: if he does not pay me immediately — then I have the authority to go to the local court — and they will give me a lien to the trustees — that they give me from his new monthly payment. And why should he have such a disgrace? For mountain does not meet mountain — but person does meet person. And perhaps it will happen another time — and this will close the door before borrowers. Therefore I warn him and spur him with alacrity to settle with me immediately — for I cannot write my son a receipt — and because of this I am not writing him any letter to my son, may his candle shine — and they are awaiting my letters. And I have greatly asked of you for the sake of my wife, may she live — for she is not at all in good health — and she wants to escort me to Tzfas, may it be established — and to be with us together for the celebration of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai — and may her weakness not be, G-d forbid, an impediment to my journey to Rabbainu z"l for Rosh Hashana — for this is the main purpose of my journey: to be by Rosh Hashana at the master of the field — who is engaged in the repair of the souls of the dead and the living. And he said that even one who cannot repair himself the entire year — at Rosh Hashana can repair — whoever comes to him. On both this and that — because of the brevity of the opportunity from the wagon — I was brief — and I say shalom to you and to all the Anash — with strong love. Your friend, Nussun from Breslov Written Wednesday, Parshas Emor, 5641 (early May 1881), from Teverya. An overdue bill of exchange. The wife wants to escort him to Meron. The master of the field — Rosh Hashana. נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן Before Passover I wrote you a letter and sent it with the blind non-Jewish donkey-driver — and several matters necessary for you were written there — and I also asked there to reply to me about that letter which I need. And in the end I have no letter from you at all — and I have suffering lest the letter was not given to you. And there I wrote about the rendel that Reb Yosef, may his candle shine, brought me — that you should take it against your debt — but only the tithe from the rendel distribute to whoever needs more. And write to me whether you are still owed from me or not. And also to write to me when Reb Yosef was by my sons and brothers — and when he traveled from Teiteira — for it is a novelty to me that he did not bring me a letter from there. And also perhaps he knows whether my brothers already know of the departure of our mother — may I be the atonement for her resting place — may she rest in peace. And also I wrote to you to inform me whether your co-parent-in-law, may his candle shine, was in Kalibulad — and how he concluded with the heirs there. And also I wrote you a receipt for the last communication. And within that receipt-letter I sent enclosed a letter to the woman Dabris — the wife of Reb Tevil — who has a daughter in Breslov. And the receipt together with the letter I sent through the donkey-driver Reb Nachman — and I wrote on the letter to Reb Nussun son of the woman Chana. And I also do not know whether the letter was given to him or not — and I have great suffering lest the letter of the woman Dabris was lost — and within it was a good tiding for her — that her grandson stood at the obligation and blessed be G-d he was saved. And now I begin to speak — my brothers and my friends — about our eternal business. What shall I say to you, my precious brothers — why are we silent about the business of Rabbainu z"l and his holy disciple? And why do we cast our own foolishnesses as a shadow against such a great light that shines in all the worlds — and even in this physical world it can shine — and even according to the very substance of our physicality it can shine for us — only if we bend our shoulder and drive and thrust our eyes [ulitka einenu — "to drive and thrust our eyes in" — from taka — to drive in, to thrust, to plant with decisive force; the same root as the shofar blast — teki'as shofar; a powerful image of planting the gaze with the decisive force of a stake being driven into the ground] with the eye of truth upon these lights that Rabbainu z"l and his holy disciple left for us in their holy books — for they can bring us out from every darkness and deep shadow that presses down upon us — even more than a precious stone. For on the holy Shabbos I studied the Laws of Robbery, law 5 — and today I studied the Laws of Damages, law 3 — and I do not know how to give praise to Hashem Yisbarach for our portion and our lot. And I ask of you to look into these laws — and you will find repose for your nefesh, your ruach, and your neshamah [nefesh, ruach, v'neshamah — the three distinct levels of the Kabbalistic soul: nefesh — the animating life-soul; ruach — the emotional spirit; neshamah — the divine breath-soul; three ascending dimensions of the inner person, not merely synonyms]. And you will know how we must rejoice every single day — and say "how fortunate are we" — a hundred times a day — in great joy. And we have nothing at all to be sad about — since we have merited to be in this holy assembly. And if we are in joy — then all the harsh judgments will be sweetened from upon us — as Rabbainu z"l said: if you will be in joy it is a good thing for the entire world — and for us in particular it will surely be for good. And it is my intention G-d willing G-d willing to be in your holy encampment on the Shabbos of Pesach Sheni G-d willing. And I have asked of you to pray for my wife — for she is not at all on the line of health — for five days now — so that I should not have, G-d forbid, any impediment to my desired journey. Words of one who loves you, Nussun from Breslov Written Sunday, Parshas Kedoshim, 5641 (late April 1881), from Teverya. The pre-Passover letter may be lost. Planning to visit Tzfas for Shabbos Pesach Sheni. "How fortunate are we" — a hundred times a day. נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן