With G-d's Help
Midnight of the Third Day [to Shabbat]
25 Tishray 5720
Tel Aviv

My heart and soul, Mr. Zalman Shazar, who purifies and polishes his soul with the exalted and completely new wonders that were revealed in these generations. Peace and life and all good.

Even one who merits to find himself a true friend, who received from the True Tzaddik words of Truth that genuinely help his soul, even so still one needs great exertion and much searching until he can find and comprehend the truth of his holy advice, upon which depends the essence of his Judaism. For it is very difficult to help a person with free will, except with the very very awesome kindnesses of Hashem [G-d] that the True Tzaddik draws down all the time. But one needs for this at least some arousal from below, and therefore the task of working with people to draw them to the Ultimate Truth is very very deep: deep deep who can find it. And one needs for this much searching and seeking, both from the friend and from the student, and then if they truly will search, certainly they will find!

Rabbeinu [Our Teacher], may the memory of the Tzaddik be for a blessing, told Rabbi Yudel, of blessed memory, from Medvidevka, at the beginning of his attachment [to Rebbe Nachman], that when one desires to draw near to the Truth then the falsehood becomes powerful. And when one overcomes the obstacles and breaks them then the letters of the word SHeKeR [falsehood] are rearranged to form KeSHeR [attachment]. "You will already be attached to me all the days of your life." The Rav and Tzaddik, Rabbi Yekutiel, the Maggid [Preacher] of Terhovitza, may his memory be blessed, merited more than all the famous leaders of his generation to subdue himself under Rabbeinu [Rebbe Nachman], may the Tzaddik's memory be a blessing, and to stand before his splendid holiness with awe and fear. And through him his relatives and desendants also drew near to Rabbeinu, may his memory be blessed! The Tzaddik Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac, also was a follower of the Preacher mentioned above. And he was a businessman, in the occupation of a money changer, and when he came to Rabbeinu, may the Tzaddik's memory be a blessing, he inflammed his heart literally like a flame of fire for the service of G-d, and commanded upon him special practises, according to the root of his soul. And one practise that he commanded upon him, that was heavier and more difficult than all the rest, was for a full year not to speak even one word to any person. And afterwards he travelled to his house, and as soon as he arrived he completely separated himself and his place from matters of this world, and he did not speak with any person, as he commanded him, until his lips never ceased from Torah and Tefilla [prayer]. And immediately very great arguments and harassments were stirred up upon him from his whole family, and especially from his father-in-law and his wife, and they went to great lengths to speak and express to him expressions that literally cut like a sword. And Rabbeinu, may his memory be blessed, saw with his holy spirit the great bitterness of [Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac's] heart because of their evil words, and he became very afraid that he not fall from his service, G-d forbid, because of this. And immediately he called speedily to one of his men and ordered him immediately to hire for him a carriage to Terhovitza. And he raced there with speed and reached there at night, and stood with the carriage near the house of the father-in-law of Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac, may his memory be blessed, who dwelled together with him. And he knocked on the door that they open up for him, and he entered into the house. And the father-in-law lifted up his eyes and saw that, behold, Rabbeinu, may the Tzaddik's memory be a blessing, had come to his house, and he was very amazed and dumbstruck by this. And Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac, may his memory be blessed, was in his room and was then reciting Kriyat Shema [the Shema prayer] before going to sleep with great power, with strong and very wondrous devotion. And Rabbeinu, may the Tzaddik's memory be a blessing, heard and did not want to enter his room and to appear before him, in order not to confuse him lest he stop in the middle of his prayer. And during this Rabbeinu, may his memory be blessed, began to rebuke the father-in-law about his evil path, in that he was afflicting his son-in-law with such harsh afflictions. Also Rabbeinu, may his memory be blessed, asked him: "Is it not so that in the morning, when you put on Tefillin [prayer phylacteries], and with your hand you wrap yourself in straps of leather from an animal, and with your mouth you are quiet and silent, and then you do not want to speak a word. Then if some uncircumcised person were to stand before you at that moment, who had never before seen or heard such a thing, would he not say about you that you are going out of your mind? So too are your words that you say about your son-in-law: that he is going out of his mind because he is doing the Will of the Blessed Creator, according to His hidden ways that He informs to us through His faithful servants." And with other similar words like these he spoke and rebuked him, until his father-in-law was very regretful about this, and he accepted upon himself not to afflict him further from that day onwards. And after Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac, may his memory be blessed, finished the Shema, [Rabbeinu] appeared before him, and his heart became very filled with joy and happiness until he literally restored his life. And in the morning Rabbeinu, may his memory be blessed, arose early and returned to his home, and from then on Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac, may his memory be blessed, toiled in G-d's service without an obstructer or adversary!

Rabbi Yitzchak Yehuda, may his memory be blessed, from Teplik, before his attachment to Rabbeinu, may the Tzaddik's memory be a blessing, was very famous in many towns, and people would give him redemption money [charity money given to a Tzaddik to achieve expiation]. And afterwards, when he recognized the truth of Rabbeinu, may his memory be blessed, abandoned and rejected from himself his celebrated behavior and took upon himself the yoke of serving the Blessed One with sincerity and simplicity. And he did not turn his face away also from all the shame and embarassment that he had because of this. And he returned to Hashem with all his heart and soul, like the other men of Rabbeinu, may his memory be blessed!

The faith alone, in that one believes in the Tzaddik and draws himself near to him, even if he will not get anything from him, this itself is very good. For through the faith and the attachment alone his evil is consummed and he is transformed into the substance of the Tzaddik, with the stipulation that his intent be for Heaven. Rabbeinu, may his memory be blessed, rebuked one person who was close to him and became distant and afterwards returned and came to him. He answered and said: "Even if many years pass by and one does not move and rise in his level, and just remains at his first level as in the beginning, and even if he is worse than before, as long as he is connected to the True Tzaddik, the attachment itself is very good, without measure or value. Behold there are people with me about whom I do not know if the deepest part of Hell was enough for them, and through me they became close to Hashem Yisborach...!"

The one who seeks your peace and success with fierce love, with all my heart and soul.

Yisroel Dov Odesser