עב

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 Hashem Yisbarach merit all the Anash — they and their wives and their sons and daughters — to hear life and peace at all times. Your letter I received properly — and immediately I performed a redemption for him — and gave the money to charity. May Hashem help that his redemption be from the time of the writing of the letter in Uman. And may Hashem Yisbarach help us that we hear quickly and soon of his complete recovery — for he is our truly beloved — and he truly loved Rabbainu ז"ל and all the Anash. And why did you not write to me what his illness is? And know that this week I sent a letter to our beloved Reb Nussun son of Reb Tzvi, may his candle shine — and there I wrote you greetings of peace with strong love — for I truly love you — and all the Anash our beloved — I truly love them and judge them to the pan of merit [לכף זכות — "to the pan of merit" — the specific Talmudic phrase from Avos 1:6: "judge every person to the pan of merit" — kaf — the pan of a scale; the image is of the scale of divine judgment; to judge someone "to the pan of merit" means to place their conduct on the side of merit rather than the side of culpability]. And surely I will spread and extend greetings in your name [ואפרס בגינך — "and I will spread out and extend on your behalf / in your name" — efros — to spread out, to extend; biginecha — in your name, on your behalf, for your sake; to spread and extend greetings specifically in the recipient's name and merit] to Reb Yosef Aizler and to his son, may his candle shine. And due to the eve of Shabbos I am compelled to be brief. And perhaps in this letter there is some letter from my son-in-law Yisroel, may his candle shine — who lodges at the house of Reb Nussun Lirsman — or at least some greetings of peace. Words of one who truly loves you and desires your success in this world and the next, Nussun son of our teacher Yehuda ז"ל Written Friday, Parshas Yisro, 5640 (January or February 1880), from Teverya. A redemption performed immediately for a sick community member in Uman. Cut short by the eve of Shabbos. נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן