קכח

I bring you a good tiding — that your brother-in-law Morainu v'Rabbainu David, may his candle shine — has been saved from the standing obligation — and he has remained in Krizrad. For on the eve of Passover I received a letter from my son Moshe Efraim, may his candle shine — from the Torah portion of Tetzaveh — and within it enclosed was a letter from your brother-in-law Morainu v'Rabbainu Nussun, may his candle shine — and there it is written that your co-parent-in-law, may his candle shine, is in Tcheryn. And throughout the intermediate days of the festival — there was no wagon to send you the letter. Therefore I girded the fruit of my pen — for the sake of the commandment — on Isru Chag — to write to you — perhaps tomorrow there will be a wagon and the letter will be ready to send to you.

And know — that I ask of all the Anash — the beloved of my soul — to pray for my wife, may she live — for yesterday she had the fever again. And beyond this she has no strength at all — for her legs are swollen — and she has bone-shattering pain — and it is impossible for you to estimate what she has gone through. In sum — from the day I arrived — not a single day has passed over me without confusions. And were it not for the books of Rabbainu z"l and his holy disciple — it would not have been in my power to withstand them.

But blessed be G-d — He has not withheld His kindness from us in these generations — and He brought the remedy before the affliction — and had mercy on us in these generations — and sent us a faithful shepherd [רעה נאמן — re'ah ne'eman — "a faithful shepherd" — the specific Zoharic title of Moshe Rabbeinu in the Zohar: Ra'ya Mehemna — the faithful shepherd; applied here to Rabbainu z"l and his holy disciple as the faithful shepherds of this generation, carrying the same resonance as the greatest of all shepherds] — he is Rabbainu z"l and his holy disciple — and they left after themselves a blessing — their holy books. And there is no confusion in the world that they cannot sweeten — and give life to the wretched and crushed souls. Would that we were to incline our shoulder to bear upon ourselves with constancy in their holy books — we would be saved from every trouble and distress — and we would live life. For the books of Rabbainu z"l and his holy disciple are literally the Garden of Eden — and the Upper Garden of Eden — and they can literally transform from the lowest depths of the pit to the lower Garden of Eden and to the Upper Garden of Eden. And at all times we must rejoice — that we have such a Rebbe and such a disciple. And as I have now studied the Laws of Evening and the Laws of Appointing an Agent to Collect His Debt — we must rejoice and rejoice — for sadness is an absolute prohibition. And Hashem Yisbarach will merit us to prepare ourselves through the Omer count for the receiving of the Torah — which is the root of all joy — as is explained in the Torah discourse Chosom b'soch Chosom.

On both this and that there is no news — only life and peace.

On both this and that there is no news [זו"ז חדשות אין — "this and this, there is no news" — zu u'zu — "this and this, on both counts, in both directions"; the writer means: on both the matters you might wonder about, there is nothing new to report] — only life and peace and joy — נאר פריליך זיין — only be joyful — for in worries nothing is accomplished at all.

And greetings of peace to all the Anash. And write to me whether you were joyful on this festival — and whether you were all together.

Your friend, one who truly loves you, Nussun from Breslov Written Tuesday, Isru Chag — the day after Passover, 5642 (April 1882), from Teverya. David freed from his legal obligation. The wife still very ill. The books of Rabbainu z"l as the Garden of Eden — sent as the faithful shepherd's blessing before the afflictions arrived. נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן