כב

Thursday, the Torah portion of Balak [Parshas Balak — the portion containing Bilaam's attempted curses turned into blessings; it falls in late June or early July], 5637 [= summer 1877 CE] — here in Teverya. To the honor of my friend — the wondrous young Torah scholar, the veteran Chassid, the man of understanding [המשכיל — ha'maskil — "the one who understands, the enlightened one, the discerning scholar" — an additional honorific in this letter not present in the address of earlier letters; a mark of particular intellectual and spiritual recognition] — the honor of our teacher Reb Nussun, may his candle shine. Blessed be G-d — all of us are in the way of life and peace. May I merit to hear from you life and peace — Omain Netzach Selah Va'ed. I have very much asked of you to inform me whether you received the money from Reb Chaim Yehoshua, may his candle shine — the sum of ten bishlikim — and whether you lent the sum of six and a half bishlikim that I asked of you to lend on my account. And I will settle with you, G-d willing, in the coming month — on the Sunday of the letter's arrival [יום א' מכתב — "the first Sunday of the letter" — meaning: the first Sunday after my next letter arrives; the repayment is tied to the sequence of correspondence — when my letter comes, I will settle on that Sunday; a conditional commitment tied to the arrival of news, not simply to a calendar date]. And a letter — and if not — if you did not wish to lend me, also write to me. And also I am sending with the bearer of this letter the tallis [הטוליפ משועלים — the tallis redeemed from the foxes, as mentioned in Letter 19; now finally dispatched after months of being held] — redeemed from the foxes — to Reb Naftali, may his candle shine. And Reb Nussun also — please write to me whether you received it. And also I am sending with the bearer of this letter the sum of four pesers [פעסיר — peser — a very small Ottoman coin, smaller than a para; the smallest unit of currency in use in this period] for Reb Kalman, may his candle shine — resting inside the folded letter-paper [המנחים בתוך הבלעד — "resting within the blead" — blead is the folded letter-paper itself serving as the wrapper and envelope for the coins; not a formal sealed envelope but the letter folded around the coins, holding them inside; and from the root נוח — to rest, to lie — the same tender word used throughout these letters for the sleeping sparks, the unreachable money, and the coins sent to Reb Kalman]. Therefore receive them from the bearer of this letter and give them to Reb Kalman, may his candle shine — and he will do with them what he knows [והוא יעשה עמהם מה שהוא יודע — exactly the same formula used in Letter 16 for what Rabbainu ז"ל will do with our joy: "Rabbainu ז"ל will do with it what he knows"; here applied to Reb Kalman — the writer trusts him completely to allocate even four tiny coins as he sees best; the same language for Reb Kalman as for Rabbainu ז"ל]. And also — please pray for me: for these five days I have had pain in half of my head [כאב חצי הראש — "pain in half of the head" — a severe one-sided headache, likely a migraine; described with precision; the writer has been suffering for five days] — which several times I am not able to bear because of my great pain — may the Merciful One save us [ר"ל — rachaman litzlan — the protective exclamation inserted mid-description, as in earlier letters]. May Hashem Yisbarach heal me in the midst of all of Israel, swiftly and soon. And perhaps you will have any news from your brother, may his candle shine, from outside the Land — inform me immediately. As for news — there is none — only life and peace and much goodness. Your friend, who desires your success and always seeks your good [ידידך החפץ הצלחתך הדוש"ת — הדוש"ת = ha'doresh shlomcha tamid — "the one who always seeks your welfare"], Nussun from Breslov 📜