נב

Tuesday, the 4th of the Ten Days of Repentance, [the Ten Days of Repentance between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur; the 4th of Tishrei; four days after Rosh Hashana, approaching Yom Kippur] the year 5630 [the Hebrew date תרט"ל reads as 5630 — apparently a scribal error in the original; based on the sequence of letters and their content, this letter clearly belongs to the autumn of 5639 / 1878] — here in Teverya, may it be established and built for good. To the honor of my strong friend, the wondrous veteran Chassid, discerning and wise — the honor of the name of his Torah — Morainu v'Rabbainu Reb Tzvi, may his candle shine — together with peace upon your son, our beloved, Morainu v'Rabbainu Reb Nussun, may his candle shine — together with peace upon his son Morainu v'Rabbainu Sender Chaim, may his candle shine. Letters from yesterday I received today properly — through the donkey-driver. And several matters are a wonder to me — that you write to me that Reb Yaakov, may his candle shine, wrote that you should send me nine rubles as a deposit to distribute to the poor of Teverya — as a redemption — and may he be healed, our friend, the man of substance, the veteran Chassid — Morainu v'Rabbainu Reb Abaleh, may his candle shine — and may he shine like the sun at noon. And I will write you immediately a receipt for the money — but I do not know where the money is. And I went to Reb Dov, the trusted one, to ask him — perhaps it is by him — and it is not by him. And how can I write him a receipt? And beyond this — when you sent a receipt to Yerushalayim for the money you distributed in Tzfas — why did you not also write me a receipt and seal it so that the receipts would be together? And also you write to distribute according to my expressed opinion [כחות דעתי — k'chavos da'ati — Aramaic: "according to my stated and expressed opinion" — a specific Talmudic-Aramaic formula for the formal articulation of one's reasoned view; chavos — to give voice to, to express one's opinion] to the poor of Teverya — and a portion was taken for me — why did you not write to me how much to each one of the Anash here — so that I know how much to receive for myself — so that I not rob the poor? — only according to your expressed opinion and the expressed opinion of our friend the veteran Chassid Reb Nachman, may his candle shine [חות דעתכם — chavos da'aschem — Aramaic: "your stated and expressed opinion" — the same formula used above; the formal Talmudic-Aramaic phrase for a reasoned opinion given voice] — what you gave to one of the Anash — so I too will receive. Thus are the words of one who blesses you with a good final sealing [גמר חתימה טובה — the specific traditional greeting of the Ten Days of Repentance — and particularly the days approaching Yom Kippur: "a good final sealing" — referring to the final sealing of the divine books on Yom Kippur, after the inscription on Rosh Hashana; this is the greeting of these very days, used precisely here as the letter is written between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur], Nussun from Breslov 📜