יז

And in Breslov too they witnessed wondrous providences [hashgachos] in those days. And I heard from our friend the Rav Michl of Yass who was in Breslov during the time of the dispute, and told me that there was in Breslov an opponent who greatly multiplied in cursing and abusing Moharan"as. One of Moharan"as's people asked him: "How are you not afraid to disgrace and revile a man attached to Torah and prayer such as him, and what benefit will come to you from your curses?" And yet more words like these. But this opponent hardened his neck and persisted in his insults. And after some days the aforementioned opponent fell ill and died. And immediately afterward one of his young children fell ill and died; then another child fell ill and died; then the third child died; then the fourth and last child fell ill — for he had no more than these four children. And his widow, the widow, longed with all her heart to run to Moharan"as's home to appease him, for she saw literally with her own eyes that this affliction was solely because of the insults of her husband. But she did not know whether the appeasement would help her, given the extent of the pursuit and the insults with which her husband had pursued and insulted him to his very face. Nevertheless, from the great pain of her heart over the death of her children and the weakness of this last child, she took the child with her and brought him to Moharan"as's home as he was in his weakness, and said to Moharan"as in these very words: "I myself am not guilty of my husband's insults, and he has already passed away — as have three sons; and only this child remains to me, the one eye in my head, and now he too has become weak." And immediately Moharan"as began to assure her that he would recover. She answered him: "In a danger such as this, I want no more assurances — let this child lie in your home, and if he dies, he will die in your home." And she immediately ran out of Moharan"as's home and refused to go back to the child — until they came and told her that the child had begun to return to health; and then she came to Moharan"as's home to take the child. And so it was, that he was completely healed.

And there was also in Breslov a young man [avrech] who was the son-in-law of the agent in the house of the aforementioned opponent Moshe. He joined with his companions in a scheme to kill Moharan"as when he returned from Uman to his home — for he had been delayed in Uman until before Rosh Chodesh Nissan. Their intention was to strike and kill him outright; only there arose a debate among them as to which of them would be the first to begin in such a terrible matter. And the aforementioned young man said that he accepted upon himself to be the first to deliver the first blow. And through G-d's compassion for Moharan"as, the illness of coughing immediately struck this young man, and he and his household immediately understood that his life was in danger, and he was compelled to travel to his father's home in Bershid. And after some weeks a letter arrived from him that he had recovered and was healthy; and his father-in-law immediately sent a special carriage to bring him to Breslov. But when the messenger arrived there with the carriage, he found and saw that they were attending to him — for he had died suddenly and unexpectedly. Such and similar things did Hashem Yisborach Himself take vengeance — a little — until some measure of fear fell upon them, and they did not succeed in killing Moharan"as. Yet nevertheless, from the great intensification of the Samach Mem who had grown strong (as Moharan"as himself wrote in the letters in these very words: that the Samach Mem himself girded his loins to battle — see there) — the brazen ones renewed themselves in tormenting Moharan"as and his people with various sufferings, as explained in the book of Moharan"as's letters in the letter.