מא

Wednesday, the 18th of Sivan, 5638, according to the minor reckoning — Teverya, may it be established and built for good — written from the home. [The 18th of Sivan, approximately two to three weeks after Shavuos; June 1878]

To the honor of my beloved and my faithful one [אהבי ונאמני — "my beloved and my faithful one" — ne'emani — a specific title: "my trustworthy, reliable, faithful one" — from emunah — faithfulness and trustworthiness; this person is the writer's singular tested-and-proven faithful one, not merely a friend who happens to be faithful], my strong friend, the veteran Chassid, the honor of the name of his Torah — Morainu v'Rabbainu Reb Nussun, may his candle shine — together with peace upon his wife Miriam Leah [the first time the wife's name is given explicitly in the entire collection — Miriam Leah; throughout all previous letters she has been "your wife, may she live"] — and together with peace upon his son Morainu v'Rabbainu Sender Chaim.

Thanks to G-d for our lives — blessed be G-d, blessed be G-d — all of us are in life and in peace. May I merit to hear from you life and peace and healing — for your wife, may she live, and for your brother, may his candle shine — in the midst of the sick of His people Israel. Omain Netzach Selah Va'ed. So may it be His will.

The letters from Monday I received — through Reb Shmuel Heynich. And you gave me life — that your wife, may she live, and also the widely-renowned Chassid [החסיד המפרסם — ha'chassid ha'mefursam — "the renowned / famous Chassid" — mefursam means widely known, publicly proclaimed, whose name has spread broadly beyond the local community; renown that has been published and spread abroad, not merely local celebrity] Morainu v'Rabbainu Reb Efraim, may his candle shine, passed the road in peace without mishap. May Hashem Yisbarach merit you that your wife, may she live, should come in complete healing to her home in peace — and may Hashem Yisbarach heal you in the healings of the soul and the healings of the body and also the money. And you gave me life with the good tidings that the consular certificates are beginning to rise — may Hashem Yisbarach have mercy on you and on all Israel — and return your lost property [שמחזיר אבדתכם — "Who returns your aveidah" — the Talmudic term for a lost object whose owner has not given up hope of recovery; the writer invokes this specific legal-spiritual category: their money is a recoverable lost possession, and G-d is the One Who returns it] in fullness without any deficiency.

And I will also bring you the good tiding — that yesterday at night I obtained a letter from Uman, from Reb Nussun Lirsman and also from his co-parent-in-law Morainu v'Rabbainu Yisroel, may his candle shine [מחותנו — Reb Nussun Lirsman's mechutan — the father of whoever married into the Lirsman family; here this is Reb Yisroel, the writer's own son-in-law who is Lirsman's co-parent-in-law; the letter thus came from both Lirsman and the writer's son-in-law jointly] — that blessed be G-d my daughter Figa, may she live, and her son Nachman — they had a complete recovery — blessed be G-d, blessed be G-d, blessed be G-d. And they wrote me the letter on Monday of Bechukosai — and on the Shabbos mentioned she was prepared to leave the hospital for her home with her son, may his candle shine — blessed be G-d.

And I give thanks to G-d of thanksgivings — the Healer of the sick of His people Israel — Who performed His kindness wondrously with me and with them. May Hashem Yisbarach likewise perform His kindness wondrously with your wife and your brother, may his candle shine. And all of this is in the strength and merit of Rabbainu ז"ל — Who each day increases before Hashem Yisbarach new acts of loving-kindness upon us and upon all Israel. For His greatness, may He be blessed — it is His loving-kindness [כי גדלתו יתברך היא חסדו — "for His greatness, may He be blessed — it is His loving-kindness" — a radical theological equation: G-d's greatness is not power or might but chessed — loving-kindness; the divine greatness and the divine love are not two separate qualities but one; His greatness consists in His love; therefore there is no fear in His greatness, only love]. Therefore we need not worry at all — only to carry stones and mortar with all our strength in joy for the buildings of Rabbainu ז"ל [each Jew as a bearer of stones and mortar for the spiritual building of Rabbainu ז"ל; we are construction workers in a holy edifice, carrying our individual loads with joy, and Rabbainu ז"ל builds the wondrous structure from them] — and he will make from them wondrous and awesome structures and set everything right in material and in spiritual matters. And worry and melancholy accomplish nothing at all — and Rabbainu ז"ל warned greatly about this — and we must strengthen ourselves in all his precious words. And particularly since they accomplish nothing at all for us — rather they deplete the strength in both material and spiritual.

לאמיר טאקע זיין אמת'ע ברסלבער חסידים [Yiddish: "Let us truly be authentic Breslov Chassidim"] — לאמיר זיך טאקע אן קוקן בספרי רבנו ז"ל לכל תורה ותורה פון וואס מיר דארפן זיך דער ווייטערן [Yiddish: "Let us truly look into the books of Rabbainu ז"ל — in every single Torah teaching — from what we must distance ourselves further"] — און צו וואס מיר דארפן זיך צו צוהען מיט רצונות טובים [Yiddish: "and toward what we must draw ourselves closer — with good desires and intentions"] — for Rabbainu ז"ל said explicitly: שבכל תורה ותורה קען מען זיין איין איד טאקע איין איד ווייל מען לעבט [Yiddish: "that through every single Torah teaching one can be a Jew — truly a Jew — for as long as one lives"]. לאמיר נישט פאר שלאפן דעם אור פון רבנו ז"ל ותלמידיו הק' המאיר לכל העולמות [Yiddish: "Let us not allow to be extinguished the light of Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciples which illuminates all the worlds"] — "and the light of the righteous rejoices" [Proverbs 13:9 — cited in Hebrew mid-Yiddish as a verse-anchor] — אז השי"ת האט רחמנות געהאט אויף אונז און האט אונז געגעבן פון גאר דער וועלט דעם אוצר פון רבנו ז"ל ותלמידיו הק' לביתינו [Yiddish: "that Hashem Yisbarach had compassion on us and gave us — from the entire world — the treasure of Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciples into our homes"] — we must give life to ourselves each and every day in great and mighty joy.

Words of one who truly loves you — with heart and soul, Nussun from Breslov גם בקשתי מיר צו שרייבן צו דו האסט אוועק געשיקט מיינע בריוו לחו"ל וואס איך האב דיר געשיקט מיט ידידי ר' ניסן נכד ר' חיים קר"ש [Yiddish: "And I asked you to write to me whether you sent my letters abroad — those which I sent to you with my friend Reb Nissan, grandson of Reb Chaim Kresh"].