קח

Your letter I received through Reb Chaim Yehoshua, may his candle shine — and it was for me a restoration of the soul — that my brothers and friends received the festival of matzos in joy. So may it be for you and for us on other festivals and pilgrimage-times — and may our joy be drawn upon us for the entire year.

And may Hashem Yisbarach merit us — that the joy should go and pass through the entire stature of joy — and through this may we merit to confess and pour out our hearts like water before Hashem Yisbarach — on every single detail. And may the light of the face that shines on the three pilgrimage festivals shine upon us — and through this may we merit the luminous faces — and to be saved, G-d forbid, from darkened faces — which is sadness and melancholy — which is from the other side. And every day accept upon yourselves to rejoice — at every moment — in the strength and merit of Rabbainu z"l and his holy disciple — who warned us greatly about joy. And joy is a vessel for the receiving of the Torah. And now is the time when we are preparing ourselves for the receiving of the Torah — and we must arouse our hearts and count the Omer count in joy and with fresh arousal. For now Hashem Yisbarach wants to complete for us the receiving of the Torah and the fulfillment of the Torah — in the strength of the Tzaddik — who is engaged now primarily in the fulfillment of the Torah and the commandments — at every moment — with fresh ardor — and with a fresh beginning — and everything in joy. And trust in Hashem that He will surely not abandon you — and will provide for you — and will fulfill all your requests for good — in the strength of this Tzaddik — from whom all the flows of abundance go out to all the worlds — and particularly to those who join themselves to him.

More news — Hashem Yisbarach renews every day continuously the work of creation [mechadesh b'chol yom tamid ma'aseh bereishis — the exact words of the morning liturgy: "Who renews every day continuously the work of creation" — from the blessing before the Shema; the writer closes with this liturgical formula as a teaching: there is always new creation, always renewal — for good] — for good.

Your friend, one who truly loves you — interceding and beseeching on your behalf and on behalf of your household, Nussun son of our teacher Yehuda z"l — of blessed memory — from Breslov

Written Thursday, Parshas Kedoshim, 5641 (late April 1881), from Teverya. Joy as a vessel for receiving Torah. The Omer count. All abundance flows from the Tzaddik.