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Wednesday, the Torah portion of Balak [Parshas Balak — the weekly Torah reading containing the story of Bilaam and his blessings of Israel; this portion falls in the summer, approximately June–July], 5635 [= 1875 CE] — the Holy City of Teverya, may it be established and built for good.

To the honor of our friend — the senior rabbi, veteran Chassid, discerning and wise, wondrous and exceptional in Torah and in the fear of Heaven, the honor of the name of his Torah [כש"ת — kivod shem torosso] — Morainu v'Rabbainu Reb Tzvi, may his candle shine — together with his son, our ohavainu, Morainu v'Rabbainu Reb Nussun, may his candle shine — together with peace upon all the members of his household [ב"ב — bnei baiso — "the children of his home," meaning his entire family].

Thanks to G-d for our lives — all of us are in the way of life and peace. [תל"ח — todah l'Kel chaiyainu — "thanks to G-d for our lives" — followed by כלנו — "all of us," meaning the entire household] May I merit to hear from you at all times good tidings. And may He save us and all of Israel from all the troubles and from all evil and persistent diseases [chola'im ra'im v'ne'emanim — literally "evil and faithful diseases" — the word ne'emanim means "faithful, persistent, tenacious" — diseases that cling and do not let go]. And may there be revealed upon us the luminaries of light [me'orei or — the Tzaddikim, the righteous, who illuminate the world], and may He drive back and subdue from upon us — from pressing close against us — the luminaries of fire [me'orei aish — the forces of harsh judgment and destruction, the kabbalistic counterpart to the luminaries of light] — in the merit of the head of our house [הראש בית אנס"ו — "the head of the house of our fellowship" — Rabbainu ז"ל, whose merit the writer invokes as a shield for all].

After inquiring after your good welfare, I have come to inform you that this morning I received your precious letter — and how great was the vitality and the joy that we had in reading the letters! For before this, my soul had been spent with longing, just to hear any greeting of peace from you [פ"ש — p'rias sholom — a greeting of peace]. May Hashem Yisbarach give life to you and to your children — may their candles shine [נרם יאיר — the full meaning of the abbreviation נ"י: "may their candle shine"] — and to all the members of your household, with every goodness in the world. And may He send a complete healing to my true beloved, your son Nussun, may his candle shine — so that he may be able to engage in Torah and in prayer with fresh vitality [chiyus chadash — new life-force, renewed energy; the necessity of constant renewal is a key Breslov teaching]. And may Hashem Yisbarach also merit us to a fresh longing and desire [cheshek chadash — fresh passion, a new kindling of the heart] — to renew our days in Torah and in prayer, as our teachers ז"ל have instructed us. And may He merit us to taste the light of the Torah and the light of the Tzaddikim — the sanctity of the Land of Israel — for this is the very core of our hope, forever and ever.

And the money I received from Reb Dov, may his candle shine — the sum of sixty-six groshen [a small coin; Tzfas currency]. And I very much wished that you inform me whether you are dwelling in the mortgaged apartment or in your own prayer-house apartment that you purchased, for life and for peace — so that I should know how to pray for you specifically. And due to the haste of the postal courier [ha'mekair — the express postal rider] I was brief — and I say peace to you and to all the Anash: that is, to Reb Nachman, may his candle shine; and to Reb Nachem Zalman, may his candle shine; and to Reb Aitzikel, may his candle shine; and to Reb Dov, may his candle shine; and to Reb Dovid, may his candle shine; and to Reb Chaim Kresh [קר"ש — an abbreviated family name], may his candle shine; and to Reb Yaakov, may his candle shine — and in particular to the young scholar Morainu v'Rabbainu Aizikl, may his candle shine. And also my friend, our ohavainu, the upright and G-d-fearing man, Morainu v'Rabbainu Kalman, may his candle shine — sends greetings of peace to all of you, and requests of you to pray for him — for he is in great siege and in great distress [במצור ובמצוק — a biblical phrase from Deuteronomy 28:53, describing being hemmed in and crushed from all sides]. May Hashem have mercy on him.

Words of one who loves you,

Nussun, son of our teacher Yehuda dwelling in Teverya, may it be established and built for good.