קנט

I am astonished — on Sunday of Tetzaveh I wrote a letter to the honor of Reb Yaakov Ber, may his candle shine — and the letter was delayed — and I did not send the letter until the above-mentioned Friday. And I sent it through the hired coachman Mohamad Salach the blind one. [The same hired coachman referred to in Letter 159 — the blind coachman Salach who regularly carried letters between Teverya and Tzfas; his blindness is mentioned as a distinguishing characteristic] And there I wrote to you that you should send me immediately the above-mentioned matter that I wrote to you on Sunday of Tetzaveh — for it was a precious letter to give life to your souls. And the hired coachman was with us in the past week several times — and he told me that upon his coming he returned your letter to you. And from you I have not seen any form of a letter. And because of this I did not send you any letter — for I do not know how to send you letters that will actually reach you — for several times I sent through the shop of Reb Chaim Yehoshua, may his candle shine — and did not receive from them a receipt for the letter — and it was in my mind that perhaps they did not send it to you — or it was lost. And now I sent you through the above-mentioned non-Jewish man — to give him a payment of one twenty-copper piece [צוואנציקר — tsvantsikher — Yiddish: a twenty-copper-piece coin — a specific small coin denomination used in the Ottoman currency system; a modest payment for the delivery service] — so that he should deliver it clearly. And on the letter is written: from Uman — to Tzfas, may it be established.

And I do not know what to think — for you are considered by me as truly like my own sons. And when I have no letter from you — I have great suffering. And many times I wrote to you — perhaps my friend Morainu v'Rabbainu Reb Nussun, may his candle shine, is occupied and has no leisure to write to me when the wagon goes — let my friend Morainu v'Rabbainu Aizik, may his candle shine, write to me. Even though the partnership that exists between us — requires putting aside all the occupations of the doubtful livelihood — for our business — which is a certain livelihood. For the eternal truth of Israel does not lie — for even if our letters accomplish only some good desire toward the Creator — blessed be He — that too is very good. For "no good desire is ever lost."

And know — that today I studied the Laws of Rosh Hashana, law 6 — on the Torah "where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" [Genesis 22:7 — the binding of Isaac; Abraham says "G-d will provide Himself the lamb for a burnt offering"; the Torah discourse of Reb Nosson ז"ל in Laws of Rosh Hashana, law 6, connects this to the shofar and the theme of seeking G-d's provision] — and what shall I say to you — my brothers and companions — look in this law in truth and you will see the great secrets that are revealed there — and you will find repose for your souls — to give you life. For according to the ordeals that pass over me in this year — without the books of Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciple — I could not have lived even a single hour. For from my sons and from my daughters I have no letter — and from my grandson in Breslov — I received word that he went into the military. [שהלך לחיל — "that he went to the military" — conscripted or enlisted into military service; a serious matter for a Jewish young man in Tsarist Russia; the writer's grandson has been taken into the army] And my wife, may she live — almost there do not pass two days — that some ailment does not seize her. And she no longer has the strength to bear her pains. And since the past Thursday — the fever has seized her again — every day with great fierce anger. [בחרון אף גדול — "with great fierce anger" — the fever strikes with the force of divine fierce anger; the Talmudic idiom for intense, wrathful heat] And beyond this — ס'פארט איהר אינטערן הארץ — it pains her deep inside the heart [s'fart ir interm hartsn — Yiddish: "it pains her deep within the heart" — a deep internal pain within the chest cavity; a serious internal ailment in addition to the fever] — and her cries are bitter and most bitter. And the compassion upon her — it is impossible for me to bear. But since I believe that in distress He will make expansiveness for me — I see expansivenesses. For "were it not for Your Torah" — etc. [Psalms 119:92 — "were it not for Your Torah being my delight — I would have perished in my affliction"; the verse of survival through Torah in the midst of suffering]

And I ask of you — that you lend me two bishliks [בישליקיס — bishlikim — Ottoman coins; beshlik — a specific Ottoman coin denomination worth approximately five piasters; a modest sum needed urgently] — and go — you and Reb Aizik, may his candle shine, and Reb Yoel Hirsh, may his candle shine — to the grave of the holy Ari — and there perform a redemption for her — and distribute the money to these people. And also go to the grave of my father ז"ל. And also tell all the Anash to ask mercy for her. And also I ask of our friend — to ask perhaps he has some spiritual remedy [סגלה — a segulah — an innate spiritual virtue or remedy; a specific practice, object, or formula known to have spiritual efficacy for healing] — tell him that she has been ill for approximately fifteen months. And when she takes quinine [חינא — china/kina — quinine; from the Peruvian cinchona bark; the standard treatment for malaria and fever in the 19th century] — it throws her off for four or five days — and then seizes her again. Only now a new ailment has been added to her — וואס ס'פארט איהר אינטערן הארץ — the deep internal pain within the heart. And whatever he tells you — write to me. Or perhaps you can obtain a prescription — and it will cost a small amount — send it to me from there. And the main thing is to pray for her — that Hashem Yisbarach send her a complete healing quickly and soon. And we must ask mercy for the joy of Purim — and prepare ourselves for the sweetening of all the harsh judgments.

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

One who truly loves you in complete wholeness, Nussun from Breslov

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.

Written Monday, Parshas Vayakhel, 5643 — delayed until Sunday Parshas Pekudei (February-March 1883), from Teverya. Lost letters, the blind coachman Mohamad Salach. The wife's condition is deteriorating sharply — fever daily with fierce anger, new deep internal pain. Grandson conscripted into the military. A request for money for a redemption at the Ari's grave, quinine, and a spiritual remedy. נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן And blessed be G-d — the days of Purim are drawing palpably near. [ממשמשין ובאין — "drawing near palpably, approaching with tangible closeness" — from mimashmashin — feeling, touching with the fingers; the days of Purim are palpably approaching, close enough to touch] May Hashem Yisbarach help us too — that there should be made for us also the downfall of Haman — and Amalek — may his name be blotted out — and his remembrance be erased. And may we merit to rejoice in the joy of the holy Purim — and the downfall of Haman and Amalek. And may Hashem Yisbarach merit us — to cry out beforehand — a great and bitter cry — and afterward to rejoice on the holy festival of Purim — with hand-clapping and dancing — as per the will of Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciple. And may there be drawn upon us — on Purim — within the joy — supremely elevated divine awe [יראה עלאה דעלאה — Aramaic from the Zohar: "supremely elevated divine awe" — the highest and most refined level of divine awe; the supernal awe that transcends even ordinary awe — the awe of the completely purified soul; this specific level is drawn down specifically through the joy of Purim] — as is explained in Likutay Halachos — in the Laws of the Firstborn Kosher Animal. [הלכות בכור בהמה טהורה — Laws of the Firstborn Kosher Animal — from Likutay Halachos of Reb Nosson ז"ל; a law that connects the Halachah of the firstborn kosher animal to the deep teachings about Purim, joy, and supremely elevated divine awe]