עד

For Shavuos all the men of our circle gathered to him as was our way always. But he did not wish to say Torah. And I urged him somewhat on Shabbos — which was the second day of Shavuos — that he say Torah. But he replied that he certainly would not say Torah in any manner whatsoever. At Motzai Shabbas he said witty words: "You do not sin as much" — as explained in the recorded conversations [Chayay Moharan §202].

On the first day — Isru Chag Shavuos — he entered the house of Rabbi Yosef-Shmuel, who had rented him the lodging there. And I had rented lodging there. And up to that day I had been with him in Uman. On that day of Isru Chag mentioned above I traveled to my home — and did not remain long. And I returned and came to Uman — for Rabbi Naftali sent me a letter on his command that I should come there. And I came back close to Shabbas Nachamu [the Shabbos of Consolation]. And I remained until after Shabbas Nachamu. And before Shabbas Nachamu he went out from the house of Rabbi Yosef-Shmuel mentioned above and entered another house — the house of the Lukatcher — where he passed away peacefully. And in all of this there is much to tell. But in writing it is impossible to portray everything that glimmers in my mind — the wonders of Hashem in each matter. And at first — while he was still sitting in the house of Rabbi Nachman-Nussun — a man from the Lukatcher's house came and greatly requested that he come and lodge there. And the matter could not be immediately arranged for him to enter there. And he said at that time that this too would be a story that people would tell afterward — how he sat in that house and suddenly a man he did not know at all came and requested that he enter his house, and so on. And after Shabbas Nachamu I traveled home.

On the Tuesday of Selichos I came to Uman for Rosh Hashana. And I sat there until he passed away peacefully. And I merited to be present at his holy and awesome passing. And something of the matter of his passing is already explained elsewhere [Chayay Moharan].

And at that Shabbas Nachamu — several guests gathered for him for that Shabbos. And he came from his room into the large room — where they ate — and made kiddush over the wine with feeble strength. For he was already very weak — for it was close to his passing. And he sat at the table after kiddush — before he had washed his hands for the meal — and began to speak with the assembled. He answered and said: "Why did the assembled come here? After all — now I do not know at all. When I say Torah — it is certainly worthwhile to come. But now in truth I do not know at all — for I am now a complete simple person — prastok — and I do not know at all." And he elaborated somewhat in this conversation — that he is now a prastok completely and does not know at all in truth. And he said that he sustains himself now only through the journey he had made to Eretz Yisroel. And he also elaborated somewhat in this conversation. And from within this holy conversation — that he told of not knowing at all and of being a complete simple person and of sustaining himself only through the journey to Eretz Yisroel — from within this conversation he entered into a wondrous Torah teaching: how it is precisely through the journey to Eretz Yisroel that the Tzaddik sustains himself in his time of simplicity — and so on — as already printed [Likutay Tinyanna §78]. But it is impossible to explain in writing the entire matter of how this Torah was revealed and flowed forth — truly from nothing. For at first he truly did not know at all — for whenever he said he did not know, he truly did not know at all. As once he swore about this on Shabbos: "Da shver ich bay Shabbas" — on this very matter — that he does not know at all. And he said in truth about himself that his "not knowing" is a wondrous innovation. And now he elaborated much about how he does not know now at all. And in the midst of this he entered into a wondrous conversation — until through this very matter he revealed a wondrous Torah about this very matter — that he sustains himself through the journey to Eretz Yisroel in his time of simplicity.

And afterward he came into great joy — and commanded much music. And we sang before him Azamrah l'Elokai. And all of this — before the washing of hands — which had never happened previously. For at all times when he sang this song, it was always after washing and after the blessing of HaMotzi. For between kiddush and washing of hands we never heard from him any conversation or Torah whatsoever. And now he spoke the entire conversation and Torah mentioned above — and also commanded that Azamrah l'Elokai be sung — all before the washing of hands. And afterward he washed his hands and sat at the table in great joy — and commanded much music. And he said wondrous things at the table. And he said: "What do we have to be ashamed of?" "Vos hobn mir zikh tzu shemen?" "For our sake the world was created." And he then said the witty words in the original language: "Mi she'ayno yachol — phe zi — ayni yachol — phazye" — and so on. (These words Reb Nussun left in their original mixed Hebrew-Yiddish form as he heard them, being of an untranslatable nature.)