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Tuesday of the Selichos period [the days of penitential prayers before Rosh Hashana; this Tuesday falls in the final days of Elul, immediately before the New Year] — the Holy City of Teverya. He Who stretches out the heavens like a gossamer veil [הנוטה כדק שמים — a direct quotation from Isaiah 40:22: "Who stretches out the heavens like a dok" — dok means a very thin, fine, transparent fabric — a gauze-veil, thinner than cloth; the heavens as a gossamer veil stretched across space] — may He give blessing and life — and for a good year may you be inscribed and sealed right away [לאלתר — le'altar — Aramaic: "immediately, right away, without delay" — the Talmudic-Aramaic word for immediacy; the blessing asks that the inscription and sealing happen without any delay] — for life and for good and for every good — to the honor of my strong friend, our beloved in truth — why, it is the veteran Chassid, my son truly — the honor of the name of his Torah — Morainu v'Rabbainu Reb Nussun, may his candle shine — together with peace upon his wife, may the Merciful One protect her, and his son Sender, may his candle shine.

Your letter with good tidings from all the Anash — together with another three letters from my sons, may they live — I received properly and you gave life to my soul. And may Hashem Yisbarach give life to you and your household and your sons and daughters — as you gave life to me. And I immediately wrote you a letter — and also wrote a receipt to send to our beloved Reb Abaleh, may his candle shine — and "the sun of righteousness shall shine" for him and heal him. And I have no knowledge whether you received it — for I sent it through Reb Dov, may his candle shine, who is trusted by Reb Chaim Yehoshua, may his candle shine. And also it is an astonishment to me that you write that in the coming week you will send me the money I urgently need — for I have literally not a single coin in my home. And I borrowed two bishlikim against this money. And it is no astonishment to me that the money is being sent — I only think — G-d forbid, G-d forbid — that perhaps on account of some circumstance you are not sending it to me. For I know that you would not hold back the money of the Anash — for you are joyful even when money of the Anash arrives — with very great joy. Because of this I think — G-d forbid, G-d forbid. And may Hashem Yisbarach who said to His world "enough!" say to your troubles "enough! and enough!" — and rejoice you from now on in every kind of joy. And also because I have no knowledge from your son, may his candle shine, and from your grandson, may his candle shine — they should know that I had a letter from Brod from Tuesday of Ki Savo — that they were still in Brod. And I have suffering from this. And also from several other great matters. Therefore I took for myself a little leisure to write to you — and I ask of you to reply to me.

And also from another matter I was compelled to write to you — although it was not my wish until now to write to you — but due to having no choice — for the sake of Hashem: how the sister-in-law Miriam Sasia, may she live, is now very ill with a blood condition — and she has nothing with which to sustain her soul — and she has nothing with which to nurse her son, may his candle shine — and her son has become thin as a finger — for the entire household lacks bread — truly, truly. Although it pains me to write to you — but woe to me if I say it and woe to me if I do not say it. And my sister and my wife compelled me to write to you — perhaps you will be able to help her with whatever you can. For it is impossible to bear the compassion that she deserves. And her father-in-law sits in the diaspora eating and drinking — and has cast his household away from him. Therefore do not be resentful toward me for writing to you — for I know a little of your own standing. But due to her great grief I am writing — perhaps you will be able to give some counsel to give life to her crushed soul [נפשה הנדכאת — "her crushed soul" — from daka — to crush, to beat down; Psalms 34:19: "G-d is close to the brokenhearted and saves those of crushed spirit"; not merely downtrodden but ground down under a crushing weight] — from the day she came here to the home of her good mother-in-law. And particularly in such poverty. And she endures everything. And may Hashem Yisbarach send her a complete healing quickly and soon — in the midst of the other sick of His people Israel — in the merit of all the holy Tzaddikim who are in the Land — and in the merit of Rabbainu ז"ל — Who is able to sweeten all judgment from all the twenty-four courts of law.

Words of one who truly loves you and desires to hear from you and from your household and from all our beloved in truth at all times — good tidings,

Nussun from Breslov

Because there was no caravan I did not send this letter — and now I am writing to you that I received the letters with the draft — and I will receive the money, G-d willing, from him — and then I will send you a receipt through someone else.

And you, my friend, our beloved, Morainu v'Rabbainu Reb Nussun, may his candle shine — do not grieve over your having returned from your journey — for even this is reckoned as if you had done it. And particularly since you had expenses — in the strength of Rabbainu ז"ל — and the sense of touch has been corrected in you. And within every sense all the senses are included. And now begin from now to yearn and long for Rosh Hashana — and throughout the year the yearnings will be completed — to bring from potential into actual.

And I have no leisure to write to you further — words flowing from the source of living waters — the Hinnuvme [הננמ"ח — the abbreviation for ha'nachal navua mekor chochmah — "the stream that flows — the source of wisdom" — the title of Likutay Halachos by Reb Nosson of Breslov ז"ל; from Proverbs 18:4] — for my grief is very great from my friend, the man of substance, the beloved of G-d, the lover of charity and kindness — Reb Abaleh, may his candle shine. And I want to go to the graves of the Tzaddikim to cry out and call aloud in prayer and supplication for his complete healing — and for all the Anash. And my view leans toward: let a quorum of the Anash gather — and take the said sum that is to be paid to the Anash — and make from this money a redemption at the resting place of the Ari — and recite Psalms from Psalm 90 through Psalm 107 — and afterward recite chapter 39 and chapter 62 — and his name and the name of his mother in the eight faces [בתמניא אפה — b'tamniya apei — Aramaic: "in the eight faces / eight aspects" — a specific Kabbalistic formula for inserting a person's name into eight dimensions of prayer] — and the Yehi Ratzon after the Psalms — and afterward all of you together recite the prayer of redemption, sign 123. For we need not stand mute and keep silent about this [כי אין אנו צריכין לדם ולשתק בזה — "for we need not be mute and keep silent in this" — two distinct words for silence: lidom — to be mute, to stand speechless; and l'shatok — to suppress and withhold sound; together a merism of total silence; the writer says: do not be any kind of silent about this — cry out instead] — only cry out and call aloud and arouse mercy upon him — and inform all the Anash, the G-d-fearers who dwell in the dust [an echo of Isaiah 26:19 — "awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust" — invoking the holy souls resting in the earth of Tzfas to advocate on Reb Abaleh's behalf] — to arouse them that they advocate well on his behalf. For he is our glory and our splendor — and he is among the supporters of the building of Rabbainu ז"ל — and among the upholders of Torah. [ומתומכי אוריתא — u'misomchei oraisa — Aramaic: "and from the upholders of Torah" — the Aramaic form of the word for Torah used here as in the Talmud]

Words of one who awaits salvation and complete healing for all the Anash. And may Hashem Yisbarach bestow upon you a good inscription and a good sealing in the midst of all Israel. Your friend, Nussun from Breslov In the Holy City of Teverya.