פא

Thanks to G-d for our lives — blessed be G-d, blessed be G-d — all of us here in life and peace. May Hashem Yisbarach merit me to hear from you and from all of you — life and peace. And may Hashem Yisbarach merit you to bring me good tidings of the recovery of our friend, the veteran Chassid, our beloved, Reb Nachman, may his candle shine — and may my soul be revived. For my soul is bound to his soul.

And your letter from Wednesday of Balak I received properly — and you gave me life with the recovery of your wife, may she live. For we have nothing to lean on except our Father in Heaven — and the strength of Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciple — and the love of companions. For our whole matter hangs on affection — and if we would be truly beloved to one another — as was the will of Rabbainu ז"ל — as is explained in Chayei Moharan — nothing would have dominion over us. And the essential quality of love must be: "love covers all transgressions" — and to judge each one to the pan of merit — and even oneself. And Rabbainu ז"ל warned very greatly about this — for all of our Jewishness depends on this. And about this we must ask day and night — for in this we are delaying the building of the holy Temple. And Rabbainu ז"ל said explicitly: that through judging to the pan of merit — a Tabernacle is made — and the Tabernacle is called the holy place.

And do not forget that we are called by the name of Rabbainu ז"ל — therefore we must at all times look within ourselves and reckon our ways — how to cleave to his holy ways. For the words of Rabbainu ז"ל are eternal — and belong to every person and every time and every place. And particularly as is explained in Likutay Halachos — that the boundaries of holiness are the two thousands — namely "I will sing" and "where." And in the Torah of "where" — it is explained that even when one is placed in defiled places — when one searches from there "where?" — through this the sealed saying is revealed. Therefore the resolution for this is "I will sing." And every day and every time we must look carefully in the words of Rabbainu ז"ל and the words of his holy disciple — and draw ourselves toward these things — to fulfill them at least as a thin needle's thread. And Hashem Yisbarach will assist us like the opening of the Hall.

געוואלד לאמיר נישט פארשלאפן אינזערע יארן [Yiddish: "Help! — let us not sleep away our years"] — אין אויף וועקן פין איהם שלאף איז נאר דברי רבנו ז"ל ותלמידו הק' [Yiddish: "and to awaken from that sleep — there is only the words of Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciple"] — רק ולחם עצלות לא תאכל [Proverbs 31:27: "the bread of laziness do not eat"] — אין מיר דארפן זיך כאטש שניצן איין רגז [Yiddish: "and we must at least stir ourselves with one moment of agitation"] — אין מיר זעהן עכ"פ אז ביי אינז זאלן די חובלים נישט קאליע מאכן די נעימים [Yiddish: "and we must at least see to it that among us the destructive ones do not ruin the pleasant ones"] — and through this one merits offspring. And particularly we are several people in Eretz Yisroel — and Rabbainu ז"ל surely does not agree that there should be, G-d forbid, division among us. For Rabbainu ז"ל said: if you are joyful — it would be good for the entire world. And if we truly loved one another — it would also be good for the entire world. For the entire world was not created except to be a fellowship and company for this [לצות לזה — "to be a tzusa for this" — tzavta — the Aramaic word for company, fellowship, companionship; the same root as b'tzusa chada in Letter 78; the world was created to be a fellowship, a community of companionship, in the service of this purpose]. And according to the Tzaddik's relationship with his people — so is the conduct toward the benefit of the world.

And now it is the period between the straits — when the holy Temple was destroyed — because there was no love between them. And we must repair this. Therefore we must at all times reckon our ways — so that there be no obstruction from our side. And we must weep and supplicate before Hashem Yisbarach greatly — that there should be no obstruction from our side — and that we should not need, G-d forbid, to undergo another reincarnation for this reason [להתגלגל — lehisgaralgel — to be reincarnated, to undergo a gilgul — soul-transmigration; the specific Kabbalistic concept: if we do not repair the lack of love in this life, our souls may need to return in another round of existence to complete this repair; a weighty Kabbalistic concern]. Therefore each and every one must have love embedded in his heart for all the Anash — and judge each and every one to the pan of merit — for we do not know his place.

And because of the time of the morning prayer I was brief. But what is this — that I wrote in the letter to your co-parent-in-law to reply to me on several matters — and you did not reply to me? And also to tell our friend Reb Aizikl, may his candle shine — that the large letter he sent me from Bucharest — I sent back to him through your mother-in-law, may she live — and within it was enclosed a letter that I wrote to Reb Pinchas Yosef, may his candle shine — so ask for the letter. And also I received a letter from Reb Nussun son of Reb Yekusiel ז"ל — and tell him that I will write him a letter — and now there was no leisure — for by day and by night I cannot write — because I sit all day and all night in a bath of sweat.

Words of one who truly loves you in truth and wholeness, Nussun from Breslov

Written Tuesday, Parshas Pinchas, 5640 (summer 1880), from Teverya. Love between the Anash builds the Temple. The needle's thread and the Hall's gateway. The period between the straits.