קנו

Praise to G-d — blessed be G-d, blessed be G-d — here all of us are in life and in peace. So may Hashem Yisbarach merit me — to hear from you — life and peace — from within expansiveness — and from within joy — and from within a comprehensive love — without any separation at all. For love and peace are wondrous vessels for holding all good in them.

And what is this — that you did not mention to me in the letter — about Reb Aizik, may his candle shine? And I have suffering from this. And what you wrote to me — that you were greatly joyful at the time of the arrival of our veteran and Chassid friend — Reb Simcha the Cohen — the Tzaddik — you gave me life greatly. For joy among the Anash is no small thing — as Rabbainu ז"ל said: איהר זאלט זיין פריליך — you should be joyful — it was good for the entire world. [A specific teaching of Rabbainu ז"ל transmitted in Yiddish: "You should be joyful — it was good for the entire world" — meaning: when the Anash are joyful — this joy benefits and heals the entire world; an extraordinary statement about the cosmic effect of the joy of Chassidim] And I am also within the world. And also what you wrote — that there is peace between Reb Nachman and Reb Dov, may his candle shine — this too is for me good tidings. Would that Hashem Yisbarach give and have mercy — on our friend Reb Nachman, may his candle shine — and put it into his mind — to judge each and every one of the Anash favorably — and to make peace with Reb Yaakov too. For whoever is added to the holy assembly — many houses are added. And this is good for us too — perhaps we, G-d forbid, G-d forbid, are outside the holiness — and perhaps through the multiplication of houses — they will also surround us within the holiness. And what is this — that my strong friend is becoming sluggish in letters to me — to arouse the love of friends — from one to his companion?

More I have no leisure — and I will be brief. And surely when you write to me — G-d willing — surely for you too likewise.

Words of one who truly loves you — who earnestly presses his desire and pleases himself [המרצה באמת — "the one who earnestly seeks to please, who presses his desire" — from ratzah — to be pleased, to seek to make acceptable; the writer expresses his earnest pressing desire and pleasure that they should truly become proper men — not merely wishing but actively pressing this desire upon them] — that you should truly be proper men — even though I am as I am: "I am a companion to all who fear You." [Psalms 119:63 — "I am a companion to all who fear You — and to those who keep Your precepts"; the writer quotes this verse with humility: even though I am as I am — lowly and imperfect — I am a companion and friend to all who fear G-d] Nussun from Breslov

Written Sunday, Parshas Beshalach, 5643 (January 1883), from Teverya. Joy at Reb Simcha's visit. Rabbainu ז"ל's Yiddish teaching: "You should be joyful — it was good for the entire world." Peace between Reb Nachman and Reb Dov. A call to write more frequently.

נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן A good man brings good tidings — good tidings from my kinsman [מש"ב — abbreviation of שארי בשרי — "my flesh and kin" — a relative by marriage; the writer's kinsman] Morainu v'Rabbainu Dov Ber, may his candle shine, son of Reb Yaakov — that he arrived home safely from Petersburg. But I do not know the explanation of the matter — for the entire year I wrote letters to them — to inform me about the denunciation that was laid against him — how and what. And now you wrote to me that he came from Petersburg — I do not know whether he went to the military authorities [לאנשי חיל — "to military men, to soldiers" — the military authorities or military courts; whether his case was heard before military authorities and resolved there] — and now they released him — or whether he labored in his rescue until he arrived in Petersburg — and from there they released him from the denunciation.