קלח

We hereby inform you — that I received your letter properly today. And Hashem Yisbarach give you life — in all good — as your soul desires — and as per His good will — as I want to see in you. Just as you gave me life with your letter — with the good news of the health of your precious son — for nearly our breath had been cut off from extraneous thoughts [מחשבות זרות — machshavos zaros — "extraneous thoughts" — in Breslov teaching, foreign and alien thoughts that invade the mind unbidden; here used to mean fears and anxious imaginings about the worst; the writer's mind had been seized by these alien fearful thoughts] — may Hashem Yisbarach lengthen his days and years — and give you children — a seed that endures — in this very year. May Hashem Yisbarach add upon you and upon your children. [Psalms 115:14 — "May Hashem add upon you — upon you and upon your children" — the blessing of multiplication and increase; a specific scriptural blessing applied here]

And know — my brothers, my friends, and my sons — that there is no counsel in this world — and no escape from all the encounters of time [פגעי הזמן — peg'ei ha'zman — "the encounters of time, the accidents of time" — the random and unavoidable blows and encounters that time brings; everything that the flow of time throws at a person — illness, poverty, opposition; not chosen but encountered] — except prayer and prayer and prayer — at every moment — until through our prayers the prayers of Hashem are aroused — so that Hashem Yisbarach Himself — as it were — blessed be His name — prays with simple mercy toward great mercy — as is explained in the Laws of Gift, law 5. [הלכות מתנה הלכה ה' — Laws of Gift, law 5 — from Likutay Halachos of Reb Nosson ז"ל — a discourse on the concept that through the prayers of Israel, the divine attribute of simple mercy (rachamim pshutim) is awakened into great mercy (rachamim gedolim); and that G-d Himself — as it were — joins in prayer when human prayer reaches its fullness] And look there — and you will find repose for your souls. And we have no counsel at all — except to spend our days and years over the books of Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciple. And every day we must renew our days and begin anew to draw close to Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciple and their holy counsels — and give ourselves life every day. At least [עכ"פ — at minimum, at least; even if one cannot do everything — at the very minimum this one thing] — that the books of Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciple should rest in our house — and that we should not be, G-d forbid, opposers of them — on the contrary — our desire and our longing should be strong to study them and to fulfill them and to walk in them. And particularly as Rabbainu ז"ל warned us — to walk in the Torah Azamrah [אזמרה לאלהי בעודי — the Torah discourse of Rabbainu ז"ל beginning with the verse "I will sing to my G-d while I yet am" [Psalms 146:2] — Azamrah l'Elohai b'odi; this teaching is about finding the good point in every person — including oneself — and singing to G-d from that point; even the smallest good point is infinitely precious] — that even a single point is very precious in the eyes of Hashem Yisbarach. And we must seize at every moment some good point upon our darkness — so that it does not cover over, G-d forbid, the light of Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciple. And hold fast to them — like a blind man to his staff. [כמו עור במקלו — "like a blind man to his staff" — the vivid image of the blind person who holds his staff with total dependence — it is his guide and support in a world he cannot see; we must hold to Rabbainu ז"ל's books with precisely this total dependent grip]

And because of the urgency of the wagon — I will be brief.

Words of one who truly loves you — who seeks your peace always, Nussun from Breslov

Written Thursday, Parshas Shelach, 5642 (June 1882), from Teverya. The long-awaited good news: the son has recovered! A full teaching from Laws of Gift, law 5: G-d Himself — as it were — prays. Hold to the books like a blind man to his staff.

נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן Your letter from the 3rd of Chukas — I received it on Friday — the eve of Shabbos — before the receiving of Shabbos. And I had no leisure even to read it. And then on the night after Shabbos I read it. And I have suffering from the controversy that is in your house [המחלקת שבביתכם — "the controversy that is in your house" — a conflict or dispute within his household or immediate circle; the writer does not specify its nature but feels pain at the news] — for "our matter is sustained by affection" [Aramaic from Shabbos 10a — anan b'chavivusa talya milsa — our entire bond hangs on love and affection; any discord within the household of the Anash affects the writer personally] — and particularly with the household members.