קלא

And I ask still more — of all the Anash — to pray for my wife, may she live — for she again has the fever — very strong. And she has no strength at all to bear it — for these are four months during which every day her weakness grows stronger. And beyond this — she has several ailments — and she cannot eat — not even like a newborn infant of one day. [כתינוק בן יומו — "like a newborn infant of one day" — the Talmudic phrase for the most minimal possible: even a newborn infant of one day eats something; she cannot manage even that] May Hashem Yisbarach have mercy on her — together with the other sick of His people Israel — in the merit of all the Tzaddikim — and in the merit of Rabbainu ז"ל. And may He receive our prayers quickly and soon — on behalf of all Israel. Words of one who truly loves you, Nussun from Breslov Undated — Iyar 5642. The most minimal letter in the collection — pure urgent prayer. Four months of illness. The wife cannot eat even like a newborn infant of one day. נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן Your letter — with the whiskey — I received properly. And thank you — for the counsel from you — that you did not send the pillows and cushions — for I was very much afraid of imposing upon our friend Reb Dov, may his candle shine. Only — because there was no other option — because of the poverty of my home — I had no other way. And "Cast your burden upon Hashem." [Psalms 55:23 — "Cast your burden upon Hashem and He will sustain you" — hashlich al Hashem yehavecha; the verse of complete trust in casting one's load upon G-d] But now that Reb Yosef is traveling — it is surely better to send them with him. But I ask of you — and of Mistress Yidel-Leah, may she live — that you do it for the sake of the commandment — and hire a woman to pour out the feathers from the pillows — into the second cushion [להריק מהכרים הנוצות להכסת השני — to empty the feathers from the pillows into the second cushion; the pillows being converted into cushions — two pillows' worth of feathers consolidated into two larger cushions] — and make each one into two cushions — and pay the woman. And I greatly ask of all the Anash — to pray for my wife, may she live — for she is still not fully in good health. And on the night after Shabbos — an illness seized her — and her legs are swollen. אט גייען זיי אפ אט זענען זיי ווייטער געשוואלן — איך קען שוין נישט אויסשיסין דאס רחמנות וואס אויף איהר איז — just now they subside — just now they swell further; I can no longer express the compassion that is upon her. May Hashem Yisbarach have mercy on her — in the merit of all the Tzaddikim — and in the merit of Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciple. Be strong and courageous in prayer on her behalf — and I on your behalf. And also may Hashem Yisbarach help — that now should be a time of divine favor by the divine Tanna Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai [התנא האלקי רבי שמעון בר יוחאי — "the divine Tanna Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai" — the master of the Zohar, whose hilulah — the anniversary of his passing — falls on Lag Ba'omer, the 33rd of the Omer; the writer is writing on the 17th of the Omer, approximately two weeks before Lag Ba'omer] — that he intercede favorably on behalf of your brother Yisroel Aryeh, may his candle shine — and nullify the decree from upon him — and restore his mind [ויחזיר לו הדעת בשלמות — "restore his mind to him in its wholeness" — the writer is praying for the restoration of Yisroel Aryeh's mental health and clarity of mind; da'as — the fullness of mental-spiritual awareness; to restore it in wholeness means a complete return to clarity] to him in its wholeness — together with the other sick of His people Israel. Omain, so may it be His will. And the above-mentioned items [The pillows and cushions being sent] should remain with you until there is a trustworthy person to send them to me. And if not — when I come to you — I will receive them. And I greatly ask to reply to me on my letter. ולמען ה' ברידער הארציגער לאמיר נישט פארגעסן אז מ'ציילט ספירה מ'זאל וויסן אז איטליכער טאג איז א טאג — For the sake of Hashem — heartfelt brothers — let us not forget that we are counting the Omer — let us know that every single day is a day! ס'זאל אינז ח"ו נישט אוועקגייען די טעג מיט א פאק — let the days not pass by in a bundle, G-d forbid! מיר זאלן ביינקען ווען וועלן מיר שוין זוכה זיין מקבל זיין די תורה ללמד וללמד לשמר ולעשות ולקים כפי רצון רבנו ז"ל ותלמידו הק' — let us long and yearn: when will we finally merit to receive the Torah — to study and to teach — to observe and to do and to fulfill — as per the will of Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciple. ויהיה אצלנו כמו אחד שמתגעגע לדבר טוב והוא סופר הימים מתי יגיע לידי — and let it be for us like one who longs for a good thing — and he counts the days — when will it reach his hand. ולמען ה' אל תדאג כלל כי מה פעלת בדאגות שדאגת עד כה — For the sake of Hashem — do not worry at all — for what have you accomplished with all the worrying you have done until now? הדאגות אינם מועילים כלל אדרבא הדאגות היא עבדות והשמחה היא חרות — worry accomplishes nothing at all — on the contrary: worry is slavery — and joy is freedom. [הדאגות היא עבדות והשמחה היא חרות — "worry is slavery and joy is freedom" — one of Rabbainu ז"ל's core teachings; the inner slavery of worry constricts the soul; the inner freedom of joy liberates it; particularly apt in the Omer period between the Exodus (freedom from Egypt) and Shavuos (receiving the Torah)] On both this and that there is no news — only life and peace. Your friend, one who truly loves you — and desires your success, Nussun from Breslov And greetings of peace to all the Anash — with strong love. Written the night before Friday, Parshas Tazria-Metzora, the 17th of the Omer, 5642 (early May 1882), from Teverya. Instructions about the pillows and cushions. A prayer for the mental recovery of Yisroel Aryeh. A beautiful Yiddish passage: count every day of the Omer — worry is slavery — joy is freedom. נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן Therefore I thought within my mind — that we have no counsel and no stratagem — except prayer and supplication — as per the will of Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciple. But "a prisoner cannot release himself" [Babylonian Talmud, Berachos 5b — "a prisoner cannot release himself from his prison" — one cannot pray for oneself out of one's own constriction; one needs the prayers of others; the writer applies this to his wife's illness — he needs the prayers of the Anash] — etc. Therefore I ask of all the Anash — our truly beloved — to pray for her — with mercy and supplication — that Hashem Yisbarach send her a complete healing quickly and soon — together with the other sick of His people Israel. For we have no one to turn to — except Hashem Yisbarach — and our truly beloved. For we believe that through prayer — one accomplishes everything. And regarding what you wrote to me — about what happened to you with Reb Yosef in the pharmacy [באפטיע — apteyke — Yiddish: a pharmacy, an apothecary shop; from German Apotheke; the confrontation with Reb Yosef happened in a pharmacy] — and at all times people are stirred up against you — do not worry at all. For "Pharaoh drew close" — and Rabbainu ז"ל already said — about the journey to Eretz Yisroel — that for us it will be easy to travel — for he already suffered all the sufferings on our behalf. [A fundamental teaching of Rabbainu ז"ל: by his very coming into the world and all that he suffered — he preemptively bore all the sufferings; those who travel to him and in his path find the road already eased by his prior suffering] And also in the controversy — it is likewise so — for Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciple and all the Anash have already borne the strength on our behalf. But a very little — a little — we too must bear — for Rabbainu ז"ל said: one cannot draw close to him except through self-sacrifice and bearing humiliations. But "and You — on high — forever, O Hashem" [Psalms 92:9 — "and You — on high — forever, O Hashem" — the verse of G-d's eternal supremacy over all opposition; no matter what rises against us — G-d is forever on high] — His hand is on top. They will perish — and a thousand like them — and not one word of Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciple will be annulled. And Hashem Yisbarach guards truth forever. And all these ordeals that pass over us — it is only to remind us that we are Breslov Chassidim — and not to forget even a single day. For this name is no small thing — as is explained in the Torah discourse Bereishis [Bereishis — the Torah discourse of Rabbainu ז"ל beginning with the word Bereishis — "In the beginning" — dealing with the spiritual significance of names and their inner power; le'einei kol Yisroel — "before the eyes of all Israel" — the final words of the Torah] "before the eyes of all Israel" — for Rabbainu ז"ל is not a mediocre matter [אינו דבר ממצע — "is not a thing in the middle, not an average matter" — from emtza — the middle, the average; Rabbainu ז"ל is not something middling or ordinary but an extraordinary and unprecedented novelty] — but rather a novelty of novelties. And we must establish joy — every single day — over the privilege that is ours. And today I was at the resting place of the divine Tanna Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNes, may his merit protect us [רמבע"ה זיע"א — Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNes — "Rabbi Meir the Master of the Miracle" — buried in Teverya; one of the great Tannaim and one of the key burial sites in Teverya; visited on the day of Pesach Sheni] — and I mentioned all of you for good. Omain, so may it be His will. Words of one who loves you, Nussun from Breslov Written Wednesday, Pesach Sheni, 5642 (the 14th of Iyar, May 1882), from Teverya. "A prisoner cannot release himself." Rabbainu ז"ל suffered all sufferings for us already. The name "Breslov Chassidim" is no small thing — a novelty of novelties. Visit to Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNes. נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן