קו

Your letter from Wednesday, the 6th of Nissan — I received properly this morning — through a son of Avraham, Morainu v'Rabbainu Avraham Eliezer, may his candle shine. And I was given life by your letter — after Reb Yosef, may his candle shine, came home to peace — and saw all my sons and brothers in the diaspora. And also that you are blessed be G-d in life and in peace. And also that your co-parent-in-law arrived in Stankovitz in life and in peace. And also from the good tiding of my beloved Reb Aizik, may his candle shine — that their bills of exchange came before Passover — and he had some expansiveness. And from the small expansiveness that one finds — great expansivenesses can come — as per the saying of Rabbainu z"l and his holy disciple. And perhaps this will be the explanation according to the words of our rabbis z"l: "Open for me as the eye of a needle — and I will open for you" — and so on. This matter is both in the physical and in the spiritual.

And do not wonder that I have not written you a letter until now — for when I received the last communication I immediately wrote you a letter with the donkey-driver Nachman — and I have suffering from that letter that you did not receive it. For within it was enclosed a letter from Breslov — to the woman Dabris — the wife of Reb Tevil — from her daughter in Breslov. And I placed her letter inside your letter and sealed them. But I wrote on the letter the name of Reb Nussun son of Chana. Therefore inquire by my friend Reb Nussun, may his candle shine, or by the donkey-driver Nachman. For in her letter was a good tiding — that her grandson stood at the obligation and blessed be G-d he was saved. And further — for two weeks I have been a wanderer and a rover in my own house [na v'nad b'veisi — the precise words of Cain's curse [Genesis 4:12,14]: "a wanderer and a rover shall you be"; applied here with gentle self-deprecating humor — the writer wanders homeless within his own walls because the furniture has been moved for Passover cleaning] — and I had no writing implements — and I had no place to write. And because of this I did not reply to the letter of your brother, may his candle shine, as well — for my mind is confused — for I have no table — and we eat on the floor — because before Passover it is so. May it be for good long years.

And now in these days — there is no counsel except yearnings and desires and longings for Hashem Yisbarach. דערווייל קלאמירשט לערינט מען קלאמירשט דאווינטמען — for now, one clings and grasps: one learns while clinging — one prays while clinging — only may our will be strong and firm — and let us bind ourselves to the root-source of the will — and there everything will be sweetened. And G-d willing — the days of Passover draw near and come — and the will shall be revealed. Therefore G-d willing when the days of Passover come — receive them in great joy. And I also want to receive them in joy. And may Hashem Yisbarach merit us to say the Haggadah in a loud voice — in truth — and to count the Omer count with intention — and to prepare ourselves to receive the Torah with fresh ardent longing — fresh desires — to keep and to do. And to eat matzah as a remedy — in great joy. And to be careful of any trace of leaven — in the physical and in the spiritual.

And the rendel that my son Aizik, may his candle shine, sent me — take it into your hand against your debt — only the tithe from the rendel — distribute wheat-money to the Anash — to whoever needs it most — according to your judgment. And write to me whether I still owe you — and if not — tear up my receipt-note. And also — that Reb Yosef, may his candle shine, did not bring me a letter from my son Aizik, may his candle shine — and also perhaps there is news of my daughter Adel, may she live — write to me. And also write to me about your co-parent-in-law, may his candle shine — whether he was in Troyits — and also surely was in Kalibulad — how he concluded there with the heirs — and whether he delivered my letters to my son, may his candle shine — for I gave him letters. And also to say to your brother, may his candle shine — that my wife herself will give him trouble if he comes home before the wedding — for he has lingered away from home for such a time without a conclusion — so it seems to me according to my humble opinion. And I do not know the opinion of our friend the veteran Chassid Reb Nachman, may his candle shine.

On both this and that there is no news — only: every single day we must renew our drawing close to the hidden and concealed light — which reveals a handbreadth and conceals a handbreadth — and in every Torah teaching and Torah teaching He restores the soul with the seven restorers of flavor.

Words of one who truly loves you in truth and in truth — a love of truth — a love of soul — a love of eternity [Three deliberate dimensions of love enumerated one after another: ahavas emes — love of truth; ahavas nefesh — love of soul; ahavas nitzchiyus — love of eternity; a conscious triple that is itself a teaching on the depth of their bond] — in a strong and firm bond, Your friend, Nussun from Breslov

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.

Written Monday, 12th of Nissan, 5641 (late March 1881) — four days before Passover. Good news. The writer homeless in his own house. A Passover teaching on yearning. The triple closing. נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן Translator's Summary — Letter 104