עד

Thanks to G-d for our lives — blessed be G-d, blessed be G-d — all of us here in the line of life and peace. May I merit to hear from you life and peace and good tidings from you and from the diaspora — as my soul desires — without limit.

After the holy Purim I was watching for your letter — how the joy of Purim went with you — which sweetens all the harsh judgments. And in the end — I have not merited to give life to my soul with the joy of my precious brothers — whose love is tied and attached in my heart. For I blessed be G-d was in joy — and I tied my joy to your joy and to the joy of all the Anash. And beyond this — I have suffering because of what you wrote to me about your wife — that she is not in good health.

And also I want to know — perhaps you have any letter from your co-parent-in-law, our beloved precious one — perhaps through him there is some news about our friend your son-in-law Reb Tzvi, may his candle shine. For my soul is utterly spent with yearning to hear some news from him. And also from you I have had no news for some days — and I have grief — for they are engraved in my heart truly as children. And particularly since there is a great business between us — in the partnership formed between us through Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciple. Therefore we must know at all times how I am engaged in the partnership — and how you are engaged in the partnership — so that each one according to his capacity not be idle, G-d forbid, in our business in whatever he can do. And the main thing of this business is prayer and supplication and joy.

For thus I heard from our master and teacher Reb Nosson ז"ל — before his holy and pure departure — and thus he said in his holy language — that blessed be G-d we now have three clarified laws: for Rosh Hashana one must travel; and Shulchan Aruch one must study; and seclusion-prayer one must do every day — and specifically from all preoccupations and all confusions and all mixings — one must make from this prayer. For on that account it is called prayer — praise. And I settled my mind — to arouse myself and arouse you — to begin this anew — to hearken and obey Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciple — to fix each day a set time for seclusion-prayer — a statute that shall not be transgressed [חק ולא יעבר — "a statute and it shall not be transgressed" — the specific biblical phrase from Psalms 148:6 and Proverbs 8:29: the immutable decree of G-d that cannot be crossed; the daily seclusion-prayer is fixed as immutably as the laws of nature]. And even to say only "Master of the World, have mercy on me" — for solid, unbroken hours [שעה רצופים — "unbroken, pressed-together hours" — from ratzuf — pressed together, continuous, without interruption; the hours should be solid and unbroken, each pressed against the next]. And surely Hashem Yisbarach will help us — and the spirit of Hashem will speak through us — for it is no empty word — these are the words of Rabbainu ז"ל.

And our master and teacher Reb Nosson ז"ל — who merited what he merited — and revealed such new teachings — and composed such prayers — it was only because he set aside and nullified his holy mind before Rabbainu ז"ל — and performed in wholeheartedness everything that Rabbainu ז"ל commanded — and engaged in seclusion-prayer — both with few words and with many words — and did not allow a single day without seclusion-prayer. And faith and prayer are one thing — namely: through our being believers in the words of Rabbainu ז"ל — we will surely engage in prayer every day. For this is the foundation of Rabbainu ז"ל — for the main weapon of the Messiah is prayer — and through it one can conquer all the battles — both in the physical and in the spiritual. And G-d willing surely everything will be properly set aright — for Hashem is good to all.

And greetings of peace to our beloved, my strong friend, your dear father, may his candle shine — and to our beloved the Chassid, the wondrous one, Morainu v'Rabbainu Nachman, may his candle shine — and to our beloved the Chassid Reb Dov, may his candle shine, together with his son, may his candle shine — and to Reb Yoel Tzvi, may his candle shine, together with his son, may his candle shine — and to his brother, our beloved, Reb Nussun, may his candle shine.

And I do not know what this is — that I wrote him a letter about the two Napoleon-coins and the two small lamps — and he also has not written me a letter since his son was born — congratulations. And surely when he writes to me — I will certainly also write to him — for I want to draw him close and he distances himself from me. And I know that his distancing is because of his despondency of spirit. But Rabbainu ז"ל and his holy disciple already cried out: זייט זיך ניט מיאש קיין יאוש איז גאר ניט פאר האנדין גאט איז מיט דיר גאט איז בא דיר גאט איז לייבן דיר אין שרעק דיך נישט [Yiddish: "Do not despair! Despair does not exist at all! G-d is with you — G-d is by you — G-d is next to you — do not be afraid!"]. And since Rabbainu ז"ל does not despair of us — we ourselves certainly need not despair of ourselves. On both this and that there is no news — only life and peace and the fullness of good.

Your friend, your truly beloved, Nussun from Breslov

Written Thursday, Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei, 5640 (February or March 1880), from Teverya. The three settled laws of Reb Nosson ז"ל. The weapon of the Messiah is prayer. The Yiddish call against despair.

Know that I sent you a letter on Friday, the eve of the holy Shabbos of Pekudei — did you receive it properly? And I sent you my letter and a letter from Moldva [a letter forwarded from Moldova/Moldavia bearing news of the writer's diaspora family] — and I sent them through the nagid Reb Chaim Yehoshua, may his candle shine. And also the document [הפיסאליס — ha'pisalis — a specific item sent alongside the letters; the word may be Yiddish or a regional term — possibly a financial receipt, a promissory note, or a specific document; it is sent as a third item alongside the two letters; whatever it was, the writer asks whether it too was received]. And I asked Reb Dov, may his candle shine, several times about letters — and he told me he has nothing. And yesterday toward evening he opened his shop and himself brought me the letters. And now I am writing to you that Reb Dov himself wrote to Reb Chaim Yehoshua, may his candle shine, to receive the money from you and give him a draft [אוו"ז — avez — a financial bill of exchange or draft; a negotiable promissory note used in this period's commerce; Reb Dov will receive the money in Tzfas through this instrument, and the writer settles the corresponding amount in Tiberias] — and I will settle here.