קפב

Your letters I received properly — with the objects [מכתבכם — "your letters" — the plural form used for a singular addressee; a conventional honorific plural of respect, treating the recipient as though he were multiple people in his own importance] — and you gave us life — from the hearing of your good health. So may Hashem Yisbarach help me — quickly and soon — to give life to your soul — from my good health. And for the present — I have no easing at all from my illness. And I ask of you — and of all our loved ones and companions — that you should not be silent from praying for me — that Hashem Yisbarach should fill His mercies upon me — and send me quickly a complete healing. And from the fact that I myself did not come to you in the letter — you will understand the magnitude of my illness. [A poignant note: the writer dictated this letter or had someone else write it on his behalf — he did not write it himself — which indicates how severely ill he is; the very fact that the letter is not in his own hand is a signal to the recipient of the gravity of his condition] Your friend — one who loves you, Nussun from Breslov Written Thursday, Parshas Vayeira, 5644 (October/November 1883), from Teverya. A brief, barely written letter — addressed to Reb Nussun son of Reb Tzvi. The writer is gravely ill and cannot write himself. "From the fact that I myself did not come to you in the letter — you will understand the magnitude of my illness." נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן After inquiring of your good welfare — as is fitting — I have come to inform you that I received all your letters — and they were surely a comfort — because of your love for me. But Hashem Yisbarach knows the truth — that I do not have the strength to reply to you. And surely there is in my mind — in the merit of Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciple — to reply to you with such words — that I would surely give life to your soul. But my whole body is broken — broken to shards. [נשבר לשברי שברים — "broken to shards, broken to fragments of fragments" — the most extreme expression of brokenness; every shard itself further shattered; the body has been completely broken by the prolonged illness] But still — in great kindness — for surely everything is for the good. Until I will act before Hashem Yisbarach — that Hashem Yisbarach should deliver to us the mercies. [עד שאפעל אצל השי"ת שימסר לנו השי"ת הרחמים — "until I accomplish before Hashem Yisbarach — that Hashem Yisbarach should deliver to us the mercies" — הרחמים is a noun: "the mercies" — the actual flows of divine compassion; the writer says: until I have enough spiritual power before G-d to cause Him to release and deliver the mercies themselves to us and our household] May the Almighty G-d give you mercy. [אל שדי יתן לכם רחמים — "may the Almighty G-d give you mercy" — from Genesis 43:14: "and may the Almighty G-d give you mercy before the man"; the verse Jacob said when sending his sons to Egypt before Joseph; applied here as a prayer that G-d should grant mercies upon the recipients] And know — my brother and my friend — that perhaps a few lines I wrote to you — with all my strength — so that you should not imagine that my heart and my mouth are far from you. For since the eve of Shabbos — the heat has intensified upon me again — every day — from midday until the evening. And my sister is also very ill. And my wife is also not in good health — and is compelled to be with me and with her. But Hashem is good to all. And G-d willing — when Hashem Yisbarach helps me — surely I will write to you at all times letters. And I ask of you — and of all the Anash — to pray for us — for all of them are righteous — for they are attached to the Pure One — and pure. [כי דבקים לטהור טהור — a phrase echoing the Talmudic expression: one who attaches himself to the pure one — becomes pure himself; those attached to Rabbainu ז"ל are themselves pure and their prayers have power] Words of one who truly loves you, Nussun from Breslov And greetings of peace to all the Anash. And know — my brother and my friend — that the letter was delayed — until today — Tuesday. And in the night — I could not sleep at all. And I was compelled with all my strength — and I studied in Likutay Halachos — the Laws of Division of Partnership — law 5 — on the Torah "before the eyes of all Israel." [Deuteronomy 34:12 — the final verse of the entire Torah — "and for all the mighty hand and for all the great awe — which Moshe did before the eyes of all Israel"; Reb Nosson ז"ל's law 5 of Laws of Division of Partnership builds a Torah discourse upon this closing verse of the Torah] Study this law — only in your mind — as you would study the Shach [The Shach — Siftei Cohen — a major Halachic commentary on the Shulchan Aruch by Reb Shabsai HaCohen ז"ל; to study it "as you would study the Shach" means to give it the same serious, attentive, analytical study one gives to major traditional Halachic works] — and give life to your soul. And know — how you must keep vigil at the doors of the books of Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciple — for there you will see their greatness and their splendor. And G-d willing — when I return to my original vigor — surely I will write to you at every time letters — G-d willing. Nussun the above-mentioned. And write me a receipt for the letter. Nussun the above-mentioned. Written Monday-Tuesday, Parshas Vayeishev, Kislev 5644 (November/December 1883), from Teverya. The writer is broken to shards — fever daily from midday to evening — his sister is also ill — his wife also unwell. A request for herring. A night of sleeplessness turned to study: Laws of Division of Partnership, law 5 — "before the eyes of all Israel." נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן I am sending you a Meizhide — with the bearer of this letter — which my sister Chana, may she live, sent to you — namely the eighteen that I wrote to you to distribute. And also four groshen and thirty paras — also to distribute — according to your considered opinion. And blessed be G-d — her illness has eased. And I had the fever again — day by day [ביום וביום — "day by day, day after day" — a biblical doubling formula conveying the daily, relentless recurrence of the fever each and every day without exception] — and on Thursday the fever. And blessed be G-d — since Shabbos it has not been upon me. But my strength is very weak. But I trust in Hashem Yisbarach — that in the merit of the Tzaddikim — and in the merit of Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciple — surely G-d willing He will heal us — a complete healing — among all of Israel — without limit. Words of one who loves you, Nussun from Breslov Written Monday, Zos Chanukah, Teves 5644 (December 1883), from Teverya. Sending a Meizhide for distribution. The sister's illness has eased. The writer had the fever daily but since Shabbos it has not returned. Strength very weak but trust in Hashem. נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן