לו

No date or place header — opens directly with the recipient's name. [A brief note — perhaps a slip of paper enclosed within another letter; addressed to a specific person in Tzfas not previously named in this collection] From our friend, the servant in the Holy of Holies [משרת בקודש הקדשים — "a servant in the Holy of Holies" — the innermost chamber of the Temple, entered only by the High Priest on Yom Kippur; the most elevated honorific in these letters; to call someone this is to say their service of G-d reaches the very innermost place of holiness] — Reb Nachman Toltshinir [Toltshinir — indicating his town of origin, Tulchin / Tultshin, a significant Breslov center in Ukraine mentioned in Letter 15], may his candle shine — How good is our portion — with fresh ardent longing [בחשק חדש — "with new / fresh cheshek" — the word cheshek means ardent passionate longing and attachment; it is used in Deuteronomy 7:7 for G-d's deep attachment to Israel; to approach the books each day with cheshek chadash — fresh ardent longing — means encountering them as if for the first time, with the full force of renewed passionate desire] and with the great joy of Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciple — in which we must study each day as a fixed statute that shall not pass [חק ולא יעבור — the first obligation: establish the study as an inviolable statute, something that cannot be bypassed] — and not to forget this on any day [ושלא לשכח בזה בכל יום — the second, distinct obligation: beyond establishing the statute, the active daily obligation not to forget; two separate aspects: (1) make it an inviolable practice, and (2) do not let it slip from memory even for one day]. For this will be our hope to eternal eternity. Greetings of peace to all the Anash who dwell in Tzfas, may it be established and built for good — every single one — with great love. Words of one who truly loves you, Nussun son of Reb Yehuda [זללה"ה] from Breslov And convey greetings of peace to all the Anash. 📜