קפח

I received the letter — with the sending of portions. [משלוח מנות — mishlo'ach manot — the sending of Purim gifts; the Purim custom of sending portions of food to friends and relatives on the day of Purim; the recipient sent mishlo'ach manot to the writer in Teverya] And I cannot reply — for from the 7th of Adar — when I went to Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNes — from that day I became very, very ill. And I inform you — that through the joy of Purim — you can sweeten from upon me [יכולים אתם להמתיק מעלי — "you can sweeten from upon me" — a Kabbalistic concept: the Purim joy of the Anash in Tzfas can spiritually sweeten the harsh judgments that rest upon the writer in Teverya; through their joy they can perform a spiritual act of sweetening on his behalf across the distance] — for I do not have one complete limb. And I am compelled every single day — to sit on pillows and cushions. Words of one who truly loves you, Nussun from Breslov — may he live. [הי"ו — abbreviation of הי' וחי — "may he live" — a blessing appended after a living person's name; in the context of this gravely ill final letter it carries particular poignancy] Written Monday, after the 7th of Adar, 5644 (February 1884), from Teverya. The last letter in the entire collection. Mishlo'ach manot received. The writer has been gravely ill since the 7th of Adar when he went to Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNes. "I do not have one complete limb — I am compelled every day to sit on pillows and cushions." He asks only that the joy of Purim should sweeten the harsh judgments from upon him. נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן