נו

Thanks to G-d for our lives — blessed be G-d — all of us here are in life and in peace. Only my wife, may she live, is very far from being in good health — may Hashem Yisbarach send her a complete healing. May Hashem Yisbarach likewise swiftly merit me to hear from you life and peace and the fullness of their good health — and all the Anash in the generality of all Israel. For I received some time ago the letter that you yourself had a fever — and also your co-parent-in-law is not in good health — and also your father, may his candle shine, wrote to me that he had a pain in the joints — and also about Reb Aizikl they wrote to me as well that he is not in good health. And from then I have heard no further news — and my eyes are consumed with yearning [עיני כלות — "my eyes are consumed, spent to exhaustion" — from kalah — to be consumed, used up entirely; an echo of Psalms 119:82 and 123: "my eyes fail / are consumed waiting for Your word" — the image of eyes literally consumed in watching and waiting] to hear some news from you for good — that it may give me life. And perhaps you have some news about our friend Reb Abaleh, may his candle shine — for my eyes are consumed with yearning to hear good tidings from the Anash. For we are people who are brothers — from one root — in the thought of the Holy One Blessed be He [במחשבה דקדשא בריך הוא — "in the thought of the Holy One Blessed be He" — the phrase דקדשא בריך הוא is Aramaic: d'kudsha brich hu — "of the Holy One Blessed be He" — the Aramaic genitive particle d' marking the relationship; a code-switch into the Aramaic of the Talmud and Zohar for the divine name]. And every one is connected to his companion like branches on a tree. And we have no leisure except for Torah and for prayer — and today, if you will but hear His voice.

Therefore I ask of you at all times — to inform me of your welfare — to give us life. And I will certainly also write to you, G-d willing. And due to the urgency of the postal carriage I was brief — and send greetings of peace.

From me, your brother and your beloved, Nussun son of our teacher Yehuda

Written Thursday, Parshas Chayei Sarah, 5639 (November 1878), from Teverya. Four simultaneous illnesses. Brief — cut short by the urgency of the departing postal carriage.

Thanks to G-d for our lives — blessed be G-d, blessed be G-d — all of us here are in life and in peace. May I merit to hear from you life and peace — both those dwelling in Eretz Yisroel and those dwelling in the diaspora. Omain Netzach Selah Va'ed. Your small letter I received last week. And it is a wonder in my eyes that I have had no reply at all from Reb Kalman, may his candle shine — nor from Reb Boruch the Dubnerian, may his candle shine — what he says — since I have no rest from his landlord. And now I come to ask of you: perhaps you have some news about our friend Reb Abaleh, may his candle shine — and you do not want to write it to me — and it is impossible for you to imagine my grief from not being informed. And perhaps our friend Reb Aitzikel came and brought some news. And also as it appears — surely our friend the veteran Chassid Reb Efraim, may his candle shine, is also compelled to be in his home — what is this that we have no news from him at all? Therefore I ask of you: immediately — the moment you have any news — immediately send it to me. And also if Reb Aitzikel, may his candle shine, comes and has letters from my sons and daughters from the diaspora — send them to me immediately through a trustworthy person. And also if there is any news from the diaspora via the post — inform me as well about your brother, may his candle shine. And also write to me if there is any news about the divorce document from Reb Kalman, may his candle shine — inform us as well. And whether your co-parent-in-law, may his candle shine, has already purchased all the hides — and how the price of hides stands now — how the price has risen. And about your health as well write to me — for here I have had the joint ailment for three weeks already — but blessed be G-d — by extraordinary grace, beyond the regular order of things. And my wife and my sister, may they live — they have had for three days — may the Merciful One protect them — a fever — and moreover something that beats in her stomach like a drum. May Hashem Yisbarach save them from now on in the midst of all of Israel. The general principle: there is no moment without a blow — there is no counsel except to flee to Hashem Yisbarach and to the holy Torah and to the Tzaddik Who sweetens all kinds of bitterness in the world — in the strength of the Torah of loving-kindness which flows down upon us. And we also have nothing except to be constant in his holy books — and to believe in all of them — that all his holy books are needed by us to give life to our souls and to sweeten all the harsh judgments from upon us — as is explained in the Torah "Chadei Rabbi Shimon" — sign 61. And upon this is built the great discourse in Likutay Halachos, Laws of Deposit, law 5. And there we are able to find repose for our souls at all times. And the Torah and the explanation upon the Torah are themselves the encompassing intellect — through which all the harsh judgments are sweetened from upon us and from upon all our brothers the children of Israel. Only we must believe with faith in the sages in truth [אמונת חכמים — emunas chachamim — "faith in the sages" — the specific rabbinic principle of trusting and accepting the authority of the Torah sages; not the faith that the sages themselves possessed, but the obligation to place one's faith in the sages as authoritative transmitters of divine wisdom]. And we must even believe in ourselves — that through our engaging in these new teachings, precious things will be made to happen — not through proof by trial [בלי נסיון — "without nisayon" — without proving through trial and observable test; nisayon is specifically the trial or test that proves something empirically; not through empirical proof but through faith alone] — but through faith alone. For I have no other counsel to counsel you — for in all the counsels of the world they are mixed with the smoke of putrefaction and rot [בעשנים סרוחים — "with putrid, reeking smokes" — seruchim — specifically rotten, putrid, reeking from decomposition; not merely unpleasant but the foul smell of decay and rot; all worldly counsels carry this taint]. And the counsel of Hashem stands forever — and Your righteousness is a righteousness forever — and Your Torah is truth. And they — all the holy books — are the counsel of Hashem. Therefore, my friend, my beloved brothers — have compassion upon yourselves — and be strong with fresh ardent longing and with fresh will — and engage in the books of Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciples — for they are life to those who bring them forth in their mouths. And you are still in your youth — and fix them in your hearts as ink written on fresh paper. 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. Your friend, your truly beloved, Nussun from Breslov Words of one who loves you, Nussun from Breslov Encamped here in Teverya, may it be established and built for good. למען ה' באגער צו לערנין [Yiddish: "For the sake of Hashem — cultivate a desire to study"] — און זאג און סאך תהלים ותפלות [Yiddish: "and say a great many Psalms and prayers"] — און בייט זיך בייא השי"ת אז ער זאל דיר שטארקין דאס הארץ [Yiddish: "and petition Hashem Yisbarach that He should strengthen your heart"] — אז דיא זאלסט גייען בדרך הישר והאמת [Yiddish: "so that you should walk in the straight and true path"]. One who loves you, The above-mentioned Nussun Written Wednesday, 15th of Cheshvan, 5639 (November 1878), from Teverya. Multiple illnesses. All of Rabbainu ז"ל's books are needed. Believe with faith in the sages and in yourselves. While still young, fix the teachings like ink on fresh paper. A Yiddish postscript for Nachman son of Avraham. נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן Thanks to G-d for our lives — blessed be G-d, blessed be G-d — all of us here are in life and in peace. Only my wife, may she live, is very far from being in good health. And blessed be G-d — my sister, may she live — blessed be G-d — has departed from the fever without leaving any trace [בלא חינא — "without any chinah" — without leaving any residue or aftermath; chinah means the traces or residual marks left behind by something; the fever departed completely cleanly, without any lasting damage or mark]. May Hashem Yisbarach likewise merit me to hear from you life and peace — and may He lighten from upon you all the harsh judgments — both from your wife, may she live — and heal her body in fullness as the good hand of Hashem is upon all the world — and from your brother, may his candle shine — in the midst of all Israel. And may Hashem Yisbarach incline His ear to hear the sound of our prayers and supplications which we pray to Him on every single particular — and give us the heart to give thanks for the past and to cry out for the future — and to hold ourselves in the delight of the World to Come which is the days of Chanukah — the days of thanksgiving. And know that I received all the letters — both through the non-Jewish carrier with the sum of four rubles — and the letters you sent me through the young scholar Morainu v'Rabbainu Shimshon. And I will certainly do as you have requested of me. And this is a novelty to me — that I wrote to you to inform me about Reb Abaleh, may his candle shine — what is heard about him — and you do not want to write it to me. Are not my sufferings very great? — for Reb Aitzikel, may his candle shine, has been away from the diaspora for approximately more than a month — and how is it that he has not heard about him? Therefore I have greatly asked of you not to withhold this truth from me [שלא תכחש מאתי — "that you should not deny / dissemble toward me" — tichachesh — to deny, to withhold the truth, to give a false account; from kachash — to lie, to deny; stronger than merely "hide" — it implies a deliberate suppression that amounts to a falsehood; do not deny me the truth] — for the suffering is beyond reckoning. Therefore — for the sake of Hashem — my truly beloved: perhaps money will reach him from some place — in the name of your father, may his candle shine — hold the money in your hands. For I will write to him. And also I am sending a letter to Amsterdam — to the seven good men of the city — for perhaps they sent my money to another place. And they have a receipt with the validating seal and the name of the appointed responsible official [עם הקים והממנה — "with the validating seal and the appointed one" — ha'kayim — the confirming, validating stamp or seal; and ha'memuneh — the person designated and appointed as responsible for this matter; the receipt bears both the official seal and the name of the designated responsible party] from this place — that money be sent here — so that they can see who received the money — in order to address this person who received without right the money of others. Therefore for now hold his money in your hands if it reaches you. More news there is none — only life and peace. And may Hashem Yisbarach merit us to illuminate upon us the light of wisdom below ten. Words of one who loves you, Nussun from Breslov Written Tuesday, Parshas Vayeishev, 5639 (November–December 1878), from Teverya — the Chanukah period. The wife still very ill; the sister has recovered without trace. The writer investigates his missing Amsterdam money. The Chanukah teaching: the delight of the World to Come. נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן