ע

Blessed be G-d — I am in life and in peace — and all my family here — blessed be G-d — in life and in peace. May I merit to hear from you life and peace — and a good inscription and sealing in the midst of all Israel. And to merit to see your faces in life and in peace — from within joy and from within expansive breadth of mind. [הרחבת הדעת — harkhavat ha'da'as — "expansiveness of the mind" — the open, spacious, broad mental clarity that is the opposite of the contracted, narrow mind of worry; a specific desirable state of inner freedom and clarity]

And for the present moment — may Hashem Yisbarach merit us to receive the awesome holy days in holiness and purity — and weeping from within joy [ובכיה מתוך שמחה — "weeping from within joy" — the paradoxical Breslov elevated state: tears of longing and repentance that arise from within a framework of joy, not from sadness; the most exalted form of prayer at the Days of Awe] — and may our prayer be included in the midst of the holy assembly. And let me inform you — that I had suffering here from the pass — for today here it is very, very difficult to receive a passport. And for three weeks I sat here — until I received a passport here — through great miracles and through much prayer — that Rabbainu ז"ל revealed to us. And "Moses drew near to the thick darkness where G-d was" — for it is within the obstacles that Hashem is present. And I turned with all my heart to Hashem Yisbarach — until Hashem Yisbarach helped me with His great loving-kindness — for prayers are not in vain. And even so — one needs the loving-kindnesses of Hashem at all times. And every day felt to me like many days — for I surely should have already been in the Russian land [ברוסין לאנד — in Russin land — Yiddish code-switch: "in the Russian land" — land — Yiddish for country/land; the same word as in Letter 67's ayn land; a natural code-switch into Yiddish for the destination country]. But from Heaven I was delayed until now. And G-d willing after the coming Shabbos I will travel — by the mouth of Hashem — on my holy way.

More news there is none — only life and peace and the fullness of good.

Your friend who desires your good and always seeks your welfare, Nussun son of my father the master Morainu v'Rabbainu Yehuda ז"ל

Written Thursday, 2nd of Elul, 5639 (late August 1879), from Teiteira — Odessa. Three weeks stranded for a passport. Prayer and miracles. Approaching the Days of Awe. Will travel into Russia after Shabbos.

Letter 68 | סח (Samech-Ches)