Your letter I received this very hour — and I hastened and did not delay to respond to you, for your love to me is wondrous, as you know. And how greatly my heart yearns for you — I am grieved over you, my brother, my beloved. Alas, my brother — you have bowed me down, for you have mixed my joy — with which I had rejoiced as over all riches — upon hearing the report that he had already begun to return to his former strength. And now you inform me of your pains that have returned and been aroused again — ailments and so forth. May Hashem Yisborach heal you speedily.
Please, my brother, my beloved and dear friend — remember, do not forget, all that we merited to hear and to see from the mouth of the Sava d'Savin (the Elder of Elders). For there is in them enough to give yourself life at every time — whether in good or in difficulty, whether in ascent or in descent — at every time and at every level — whoever one may be. From the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop growing from the wall [cf. Melachim I 5:13] — meaning even the very lowest in spiritual standing — all as one can give themselves life through the holy words if they truly set their heart and eyes upon them.
And even if now your strength is weak for engaging in Torah and prayer — nonetheless there are counsels in his holy words for how to give life to oneself even at this time — namely through will and yearning and longing for Hashem Yisborach and for His Torah — as explained in his holy books. And to pour out one's speech before Hashem Yisborach like a son before his father. And in particular one who is not on the line of health — whose heart is broken within him — it is natural for him to pour out his speech even before people with a broken heart — how much more so before Hashem Yisborach, who has struck and who will heal.
And accustom yourself and strengthen yourself with all your might to gladden your soul with everything possible. For all illnesses come through sadness — and joy is a great medicine for every kind of illness — as explained in Likutay Tinyana, section 24 — see there. And how can every person gladden his soul? Through what he has merited — that G-d has not made him a gentile — and has separated us from those who go astray, and so forth.
Hope to Hashem and He will save you — for surely not lost, G-d forbid, is every single step and every single movement and every single perutah (coin) that you toiled with your body and your means in order to draw close to such a true, awesome, and most exalted Tzaddik, of blessed memory. And all is remembered for your good. And his merit will shield you — to rescue you from all evil and return you to your full former strength — and straighten your heart toward him in truth — and cause you to succeed in all that you turn to — to do you good in your end. May your end grow greater than your beginning [cf. Iyov 8:7].
The words of one who loves you in truth for eternity — who awaits your salvation speedily.
Nussun of Breslov.
I also extend greetings of peace to all of you with great love. For the sake of Hashem — strengthen yourselves to rejoice in the coming holy festival that is upon us for good — to fulfil completely and you shall rejoice in your festival [Devarim 16:14]. And already known to you is that, thank G-d, we have wherewith to rejoice — and this is the truth, in truth. And take care to gather together with love and brotherhood and peace and friendship — without any grudge between one and his fellow — for our Master, of blessed memory, warned us with many warnings regarding the love of friends. And from the greatness of the urgency it is impossible to elaborate.
The words of one who loves you in truth for ever and ever.
Nussun, as above.
Overview: Written just eight days after Letter 25 — still in the weeks of the omer, approaching Shavuos — this tender letter to the gravely ill Rabbi Naftali is one of the most compassionate in the collection. Reb Nussun had just heard a hopeful report of improvement — and then within hours receives a letter revealing the illness has worsened. He pours out a full prayer, a teaching on giving life to oneself even when too weak for Torah and prayer, and the great declaration that joy is the medicine for all illness, cited to Likutay Tinyana 24.
I was genuinely displeased with you, my son, my dear one — for you gave no thought to write me even a few words to gladden my soul — especially at this time, when you know my grief to the depths of my soul.
Please, my beloved son — look carefully and carefully at all that passes over a person in this world all his days — and in particular what passes over you and over us. Set your heart carefully to look upon all the hints that Hashem Yisborach hints to us at every time — to draw close to Him — in every place that one may be — for there is no excuse in the world whatsoever, as is known to you. And I longed greatly to converse with you at length — but the time does not allow at all.
The words of your father — who awaits your wellbeing and your true and eternal success in this world and the next — and who awaits seeing you speedily.
Nussun of Breslov.
Your letter I received — and you gave me life with every single word from your letter, written from the walls of your heart. But my grief is very great from what I saw in your letter sent to Rabbi Naftali — may his light shine — that your wife is weak at present. May Hashem support her speedily.
And to respond to your letter there is no free time at all now — for many press upon me at this time. And for now, these few words of mine that hold much strengthening — which I wrote to your elder brother, may he live — suffice you as well. And these words were spoken to all our anshay shlomaynu as well. And you have already heard much from me beyond this. And I hope and trust in Hashem that you will yet hear more such things — until there is revealed to you the abundance of the good hidden and stored in my heart —
May Hashem Yisborach grant us merit to walk in His ways and to spend our days in his holy books — which contain everything.
The words of your father — greatly preoccupied now — who awaits seeing you in joy.
But I came to warn you and urge you — for the sake of Hashem — to strengthen yourself to gladden your soul with everything possible, however it may be — and the freedom of choice is always free. And I am also glad that you study at all events a page of Shulchan Aruch each day. Blessed be Hashem that I merited to hear this.
The words of your father — who longs for the love of all of you.
Nussun, as above.
And abundant peace with great and mighty love to all our anshay shlomaynu — small and great alike. May Hashem be with you — and begin from now, fresh, to walk in the ways of our Master, of blessed memory. And let each person from his own place attach himself to Hashem Yisborach with everything he can. And may he merit to bind himself always to the point that belongs to his heart at this very time — as I have already spoken greatly with you about this. He who has already heard — has heard. And he who has not heard this discourse — let him endeavour to hear it from his fellow — and they shall receive from one another, each from the other. As explained there in that same Torah teaching. Set your hearts carefully to every single word in his books — and to what you hear from my mouth always — for it is your life, and so forth.
The words of one who loves you in truth for eternity.
Nussun, as above.
Overview: Written from Uman itself — on Erev Shabbos of Parshas Re'eh, the Shabbos of seeing — this brief but multi-part letter captures Reb Nussun at Rebbe Nachman's resting place in the late summer before Rosh Hashana. He is preoccupied, grieving, and yet pours out life-giving words to both sons and the whole community. The most striking moment is his allusion to the hidden good stored in his heart — received from "Him from whom I received" — which "has no measure."
This is the first letter in the collection explicitly dated from Uman itself — written at Rebbe Nachman's holy resting place, on the eve of Parshas Re'eh (the portion of seeing). Reb Nussun is there in the final days of Av, preparing for Rosh Hashana — the annual pilgrimage he declared in Letter 19 to be a fixed law not to be transgressed.