עט

Thanks to G-d for our lives — blessed be G-d, blessed be G-d — all of us here in the line of life and peace. May Hashem Yisbarach merit me to hear from you life and peace and success and blessing. And may Hashem Yisbarach bring you joy — and turn your grief and sighing to joy.

Your letter I received on Thursday past — but I had no leisure to reply to you through the postal carriage. And the greatness of my suffering from your co-parent-in-law, may his candle shine — who is truly my brother — is beyond reckoning and estimation. But know that Rabbainu ז"ל said: this world is a world of trial — and at all times Hashem Yisbarach tests a person in a different manner — sometimes He tests through wealth and sometimes through constriction. But let him strengthen himself to stand in his place — and to receive everything — to make from this some contentment of spirit for Hashem Yisbarach [נחת רוח — nachas ruach — "contentment of the spirit / resting of the breath" — the specific compound phrase for divine satisfaction; nachas — rest, contentment; ruach — spirit, breath; the standard term for giving Hashem a divine satisfaction through one's conduct] — and not to be resentful against Hashem Yisbarach, G-d forbid. And everything — to turn grief and sighing to joy. For the Ba'al Shem Tov — may his merit protect us — said: "Hashem is your shadow" — as a person acts — so, as it were, Hashem Yisbarach acts toward him. Therefore if you turn the grief and sighing to joy — so will Hashem act toward you — and turn your grief and sighing to joy.

And there is no counsel in this world except to flee to Hashem Yisbarach — for in every time of trouble and distress we have no helper and supporter except You. And particularly since Rabbainu ז"ל taught us the straight path — that everything that passes over a person — pour out one's speech before Hashem Yisbarach for some hours of the day — and afterward be in joy — and not to be drawn after melancholy and sadness. For you can receive proof from your co-parent-in-law, may his candle shine — for before he had this financial damage — he also had worries. And now it seems — if he had not had this financial damage — would he have been in joy?

And I heard from our master and teacher Reb Nosson ז"ל — who spoke one time about the verse: "Who knows the strength of Your anger?" — and he pressed greatly on these words of this verse: "who knows the strength of Your anger?" — therefore it may be possible that one was saved from this — from the fury of G-d's anger. And so all of us must receive everything in joy — in order to save ourselves from the fury of His anger, G-d forbid, G-d forbid. And there is no counsel for a son of Torah learning [לבר אורין — l'var orin — Aramaic: "for a son of learning / a man of Torah knowledge" — from Aramaic orin — Torah; bar — son of; a scholarly learned person; distinct from the ish pashut — the simple person — who follows immediately] except Torah and prayer and clamor and crying and calling to Hashem Yisbarach. And for a simple person — very great prayer and supplications to Hashem Yisbarach. And to be saved from this world of trial — there is no counsel now in these generations except to engage in the books of Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciple — for they are our life and the length of our days now. For whoever does not engage in them constantly — I do not know how he lives. For every Torah teaching and every law is one prescription for giving life to the soul and body in this world and the next. And we are very weak souls — the adversary chews us every day with his teeth. And Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciple are such doctors who can give life to souls that are chewed between their teeth — and make a person sit on the throne — only if they receive their prescriptions — and become expert in the law — and not fall from any matter. Only begin at all times to draw ourselves close anew to Rabbainu ז"ל with fresh ardent longing — and look carefully in the words of Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciple — how they want to give us life — and not, G-d forbid, the opposite. And surely we will have a good end.

And regarding the money that you wrote to me — the sum of three rubles — the straight thing would have been to give it to you against the debt I owe you. But the money is very urgently needed by me — and it will be like a new act of loving-kindness that you do with me — and send it to me through Reb Chaim Yehoshua, may his candle shine, to Reb Dov his partner here.

And perhaps your father, may his candle shine, will travel in peace to the diaspora — I ask of him greatly — as a brother to a brother — that he see himself with my son-in-law Morainu v'Rabbainu Yisroel, may his candle shine — and speak with him about the stoppage of letters to me. And also from the wife of my son, may she live — my son-in-law Morainu v'Rabbainu Shmuel, may his candle shine — together with his wife and her son Yitzchak, may his candle shine — who is my son-in-law from Marianovka and who sits now in the inn near Narchvika on the road that people travel to Uman — see with them and speak with them that they should send letters to their mother, may she live, to give life to her soul.

And convey greetings of peace on my behalf to your father, may his candle shine — and to your co-parent-in-law, may his candle shine — ברודער הארציגער זארג נישט גאט איז מיט אייך אין לייבן אייך אין ביי אייך — Heartfelt brother — do not worry — G-d is with you and lives with you and is by you — and do repentance for the past worrying — and today do not worry. "Stand still and see the salvation of Hashem which He will do with you." And there is no counsel for you except to say Psalms and Sha'arei Tzion and many prayers every day — and to be in joy — for worries avail nothing at all — they only damage greatly.

Words of one who truly loves you, Nussun from Breslov

Written Sunday, Parshas Shelach, 5640, from Teverya. Continuing consolation. "Hashem is your shadow." "Who knows the strength of Your anger?" The adversary chews us — Rabbainu ז"ל's books are the doctors.

נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן Know that I sent you a letter on Friday, the eve of the holy Shabbos of Pekudei — did you receive it properly? And I sent you my letter and a letter from Moldva [a letter forwarded from Moldova/Moldavia bearing news of the writer's diaspora family] — and I sent them through the nagid Reb Chaim Yehoshua, may his candle shine. And also the document [הפיסאליס — ha'pisalis — a specific item sent alongside the letters; the word may be Yiddish or a regional term — possibly a financial receipt, a promissory note, or a specific document; it is sent as a third item alongside the two letters; whatever it was, the writer asks whether it too was received]. And I asked Reb Dov, may his candle shine, several times about letters — and he told me he has nothing. And yesterday toward evening he opened his shop and himself brought me the letters. And now I am writing to you that Reb Dov himself wrote to Reb Chaim Yehoshua, may his candle shine, to receive the money from you and give him a draft [אוו"ז — avez — a financial bill of exchange or draft; a negotiable promissory note used in this period's commerce; Reb Dov will receive the money in Tzfas through this instrument, and the writer settles the corresponding amount in Tiberias] — and I will settle here. And regarding what you wrote — that all the Anash agreed together to give one grosh from each ruble on behalf of our friend Reb Kalman, may his candle shine — I also agree. And also in my letter I wrote that you should receive one and a half bishlikim for the Anash to divide among them. Now receive only one bishlik — which my sister Chana, may she live, sent — and divide it as I wrote to you: to Reb Nachman, may his candle shine, and to Reb Aitzikel, may his candle shine, and to Reb Dov, may his candle shine, and to Reb Kalman, may his candle shine — equal to equal. And the remainder will go with the letter of Reb Dov, may his candle shine, that is written on my letter — and surely he will receive the money from you. And if you see that even so he does not want to receive it — send it with the donkey-driver Zeidel, as I wrote to you in my letter from yesterday — for the money is urgently needed by me now before the holy Passover. And I need to settle a little money with my sister as well. And may Hashem Yisbarach bless you and your wife, may she live, and your son, may his candle shine, and all the members of your household with all goodness — and may Hashem Yisbarach save you from now on from all kinds of sickness and from all kinds of disease [מכל מיני חלי ומכל מיני מדוה — the paired biblical formula from Deuteronomy 7:15 and 28:60: kol choli v'kol madveh — "every sickness and every disease"; the writer deliberately echoes the Torah's words of protection — the same passage that promises G-d will remove all illness from those who keep His covenant; a citation of the Torah's own protective language] — and may He say "enough!" to your troubles — and sweeten from upon you all kinds of harsh judgments in body and in soul and in money — and may He make to shine upon you good tidings from outside the Land quickly and soon. And upon our beloved Anash here and in the diaspora — may He pour out in overflowing abundance [ישפת עליהם — yishpas aleihem — from the root שפע — shefa — to pour out in overflowing measure, to provide in abundance beyond ordinary giving; not merely "pour" but the overflow of shefa — the mode of divine abundance; life and peace poured out in full, overflowing measure] upon them and upon us life and peace and blessing and success — and the fullness of good.