קע

Praise to G-d — blessed be G-d, blessed be G-d — here we are in life and in peace. May Hashem Yisbarach merit me — to hear from you — life and peace — in all its aspects. And know, my brother — that the sufferings have greatly intensified upon me. For my wife, may she live — her legs are very swollen — and this is more than two weeks — that she has it at every time and moment, G-d have mercy. And she has no more strength at all — in any limb. And because of her weakness — she faints repeatedly. [מתעלפת בכל פעם — "she faints repeatedly" — from alaf — to faint, to swoon; fainting from weakness, repeatedly, again and again] And I am compelled to stand over her — with spirits [שפירט — shpirt — Yiddish: spirits, smelling salts or strong spirits of alcohol; a 19th-century medical practice of waving strong spirits under the nostrils of someone who has fainted to revive them] — to revive her. But the expansiveness that I have — what there is of it — blessed be G-d — is great. And when she has a little ease — there is relief. And we do not know what to do — only I know One — our G-d — who is in the heavens and the earth. And we have no one to turn to except Hashem Yisbarach alone — and to bind ourselves to the word of Hashem. And the Great Lender [המלוה הגדול — "the Great Lender" — G-d as the ultimate lender who provides all; a Talmudic image: all of creation is on loan from G-d; here applied to health — may G-d lend healing to the wives] will lend healing to my wife, may she live — and also to your wife — healing in all foods — even in bread and water.

And know, my brother and my friend — that it was in my mind to prepare myself to break the obstacles — to travel for Rosh Hashana. But because my wife, may she live, is in such great weakness — this is the greatest obstacle for me — of all the obstacles. For I have many great obstacles — but this one prevents me more than all. For upon whom does one leave her? For it has been a year and a half that she has been weakened — and there has not passed a single week in which her health was fully complete. But at all times Hashem Yisbarach shows some expansiveness — so that I should know that He can expand — so that He should arouse me in prayer and supplication and petition.

And know, my brother and my friend — that I pray for your wife, may she live, at virtually every time and moment — for you are to us truly like sons. And even my wife, may she live — within her weakness — prays for your wife, may she live. And every day she tells me — that I should ask passersby and wayfarers what has happened with your wife, may she live. Therefore — for the sake of Hashem — at all times write to us about your health. And also my friend Reb Aizik, may his candle shine, wrote to me about his wife — that the door fell upon her — and did not write to me further what happened to her.

And know, my brother — that I am not abandoning my desire and my strong longing for Rosh Hashana. And particularly — since I studied Likutay Halachos — the Laws of Immersion — law 4 — on the Shabbos. And there it speaks greatly of the greatness of the Tzaddik. And based on the Torah "and let there be now a double portion" [2 Kings 2:9 — Elisha's request of Elijah: "let there be now a double portion of your spirit upon me"; the Torah discourse of Reb Nosson ז"ל built upon this verse speaks of the transmission of the Tzaddik's spirit to his followers and the greatness of Rosh Hashana] — which Torah was said at the time of the great controversy. And there it speaks greatly of the greatness of Rosh Hashana and of the breaking of the waves. [משברות — "the breaking waves, the breakers" — a Kabbalistic image: the waves that break and overwhelm the soul are themselves transformed on Rosh Hashana into waves of divine mercy; mishbaros — breakers of the sea — applied to the breakers of spiritual adversity that are sweetened on Rosh Hashana] And I counsel you — to look in this law from beginning to end [me'reisha l'sofah — Aramaic: "from its head to its end" — מרישא לסופה; reisha — Aramaic: head, beginning; sofah — end; the Aramaic idiom for the complete entirety from first to last] — and there you will find repose for your souls — and give yourselves life from your persecutions — and there you will see the greatness of Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciple — how fitting it is for us to bear all the persecutions and all the humiliations — in order to be called by their name. And how we must rejoice over our portion. And surely G-d willing everything will be as it should be — only the believer will not be shaken.

And write to me how the Hillula of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai ז"ל went for you. And I was on Lag Ba'omer at the grave of Rabbi Akiva and his students — may their merit protect us — Amen. And there I prayed for you and for all the Anash. And also I was beforehand at the kindling of Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNes — and poured the olive oil for the woman Figa — within the kindling — as your honor wrote to me. And it comes to a total of 1020 groshen.

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

And may Hashem Yisbarach help us — that we should have no sufferings from each other — and may Hashem Yisbarach sweeten all the harsh judgments from upon us — through the comprehensive redemption — and through the all-encompassing intellect — which is formed through faith in the sages. [השכל הכולל שנעשה ע"י אמונת חכמים — "the all-encompassing intellect that is formed through faith in the sages" — a specific teaching of Rabbainu ז"ל: the all-encompassing intellect — sekhel ha'kolel — which sweetens all harsh judgments — is specifically formed and activated through emunas chachamim — complete faith in and attachment to the true Tzaddikim]

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.

Words of one who truly loves you, Nussun from Breslov Written Monday, Parshas Bamidbar, 5643 (June 1883), from Teverya. The wife is fainting from weakness — the writer stands over her with spirits to revive her. He longs for Rosh Hashana in Uman but the wife prevents him. On Lag Ba'omer at the grave of Rabbi Akiva. Laws of Immersion law 4 — the greatness of Rosh Hashana and the breaking of the waves. נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן Praise to G-d — blessed be G-d, blessed be G-d — here we are in life and in peace. May Hashem Yisbarach merit me — to hear from you — life and peace — in all its aspects. And know, my brother — that the sufferings have greatly intensified upon me. For my wife, may she live — her legs are very swollen — and this is more than two weeks — that she has it at every time and moment, G-d have mercy. And she has no more strength at all — in any limb. And because of her weakness — she faints repeatedly. [מתעלפת בכל פעם — "she faints repeatedly" — from alaf — to faint, to swoon; fainting from weakness, repeatedly, again and again] And I am compelled to stand over her — with spirits [שפירט — shpirt — Yiddish: spirits, smelling salts or strong spirits of alcohol; a 19th-century medical practice of waving strong spirits under the nostrils of someone who has fainted to revive them] — to revive her. But the expansiveness that I have — what there is of it — blessed be G-d — is great. And when she has a little ease — there is relief. And we do not know what to do — only I know One — our G-d — who is in the heavens and the earth. And we have no one to turn to except Hashem Yisbarach alone — and to bind ourselves to the word of Hashem. And the Great Lender [המלוה הגדול — "the Great Lender" — G-d as the ultimate lender who provides all; a Talmudic image: all of creation is on loan from G-d; here applied to health — may G-d lend healing to the wives] will lend healing to my wife, may she live — and also to your wife — healing in all foods — even in bread and water. And know, my brother and my friend — that it was in my mind to prepare myself to break the obstacles — to travel for Rosh Hashana. But because my wife, may she live, is in such great weakness — this is the greatest obstacle for me — of all the obstacles. For I have many great obstacles — but this one prevents me more than all. For upon whom does one leave her? For it has been a year and a half that she has been weakened — and there has not passed a single week in which her health was fully complete. But at all times Hashem Yisbarach shows some expansiveness — so that I should know that He can expand — so that He should arouse me in prayer and supplication and petition. And know, my brother and my friend — that I pray for your wife, may she live, at virtually every time and moment — for you are to us truly like sons. And even my wife, may she live — within her weakness — prays for your wife, may she live. And every day she tells me — that I should ask passersby and wayfarers what has happened with your wife, may she live. Therefore — for the sake of Hashem — at all times write to us about your health. And also my friend Reb Aizik, may his candle shine, wrote to me about his wife — that the door fell upon her — and did not write to me further what happened to her. And know, my brother — that I am not abandoning my desire and my strong longing for Rosh Hashana. And particularly — since I studied Likutay Halachos — the Laws of Immersion — law 4 — on the Shabbos. And there it speaks greatly of the greatness of the Tzaddik. And based on the Torah "and let there be now a double portion" [2 Kings 2:9 — Elisha's request of Elijah: "let there be now a double portion of your spirit upon me"; the Torah discourse of Reb Nosson ז"ל built upon this verse speaks of the transmission of the Tzaddik's spirit to his followers and the greatness of Rosh Hashana] — which Torah was said at the time of the great controversy. And there it speaks greatly of the greatness of Rosh Hashana and of the breaking of the waves. [משברות — "the breaking waves, the breakers" — a Kabbalistic image: the waves that break and overwhelm the soul are themselves transformed on Rosh Hashana into waves of divine mercy; mishbaros — breakers of the sea — applied to the breakers of spiritual adversity that are sweetened on Rosh Hashana] And I counsel you — to look in this law from beginning to end [me'reisha l'sofah — Aramaic: "from its head to its end" — מרישא לסופה; reisha — Aramaic: head, beginning; sofah — end; the Aramaic idiom for the complete entirety from first to last] — and there you will find repose for your souls — and give yourselves life from your persecutions — and there you will see the greatness of Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciple — how fitting it is for us to bear all the persecutions and all the humiliations — in order to be called by their name. And how we must rejoice over our portion. And surely G-d willing everything will be as it should be — only the believer will not be shaken. And write to me how the Hillula of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai ז"ל went for you. And I was on Lag Ba'omer at the grave of Rabbi Akiva and his students — may their merit protect us — Amen. And there I prayed for you and for all the Anash. And also I was beforehand at the kindling of Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNes — and poured the olive oil for the woman Figa — within the kindling — as your honor wrote to me. And it comes to a total of 1020 groshen. On both this and that there is no news — only life and peace. And may Hashem Yisbarach help us — that we should have no sufferings from each other — and may Hashem Yisbarach sweeten all the harsh judgments from upon us — through the comprehensive redemption — and through the all-encompassing intellect — which is formed through faith in the sages. [השכל הכולל שנעשה ע"י אמונת חכמים — "the all-encompassing intellect that is formed through faith in the sages" — a specific teaching of Rabbainu ז"ל: the all-encompassing intellect — sekhel ha'kolel — which sweetens all harsh judgments — is specifically formed and activated through emunas chachamim — complete faith in and attachment to the true Tzaddikim] Words of one who truly loves you, Nussun from Breslov Written Monday, Parshas Bamidbar, 5643 (June 1883), from Teverya. The wife is fainting from weakness — the writer stands over her with spirits to revive her. He longs for Rosh Hashana in Uman but the wife prevents him. On Lag Ba'omer at the grave of Rabbi Akiva. Laws of Immersion law 4 — the greatness of Rosh Hashana and the breaking of the waves. נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן