Chasidut · Breslov

Likutei Halakhot, Orach Chaim, Laws of Morning Conduct 1:1/ליקוטי הלכות·אורח חיים·הלכות השכמת הבוקר א׳:א׳

איִתְגַּבֵּר כַּאֲרִי לַעֲמֹד בַּבֹּקֶר לַעֲבוֹדַת בּוֹרְאוֹ שֶׁיְּהֵא הוּא מְעוֹרֵר הַשַּׁחַר. הַגָ״ה: ״שִׁוִּיתִי ה׳ לְנֶגְדִּי תָמִיד״ זֶה כְּלָל גָּדוֹל בַּתּוֹרָה וְכוּ׳ (ארח חיים סימן א׳ סעיף א׳).

1A person should strengthen himself like a lion to rise up in the morning for the service of his Creator, so that it is he who awakens the dawn. Gloss: “I set HaShem before me always” (Tehillim 16:8)—this is a major principle in fulfillment of the Torah (Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chaim 1:1).

בכִּי אִיתָא בְּדִבְרֵי רַבֵּנוּ זַ״ל (בסימן רפב):

2KEY CONCEPTS FROM LIKUTEY MOHARAN¹ is atypical of Reb Noson’s “Halakhah 1” (aleph-series) discourses, which as a rule are shorter and less intricate than those he authored in later years (see Appendix B, p. 244). From Reb Noson’s manuscript we learn that this in fact was his teaching on Hashkamat HaBoker – Rising in the Morning from the “Halakhah 3” series, but was switched to here when Likutey Halakhot was brought to press. Apparently, Reb Noson wanted to give this discourse greater prominence since it is based on Rebbe Nachman’s seminal teaching of Azamra (LM I, 282(.In LM I, 282, Rebbe Nachman states as follows:

גשֶׁכְּשֶׁאָדָם מַתְחִיל לְחַפֵּשׂ עַצְמוֹ, וְרוֹאֶה שֶׁהוּא רָחוֹק מְאֹד מֵהַשֵּׁם־יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְהוּא מָלֵא חֲטָאִים וּפְגָמִים הַרְבֵּה, וְנִדְמֶה לוֹ שֶׁהוּא רָחוֹק מִטּוֹב, אֲזַי הוּא צָרִיךְ לְחַפֵּשׂ וּלְבַקֵּשׁ וְלִמְצֹא בְּעַצְמוֹ אֵיזֶה טוֹב, כִּי אֵיךְ אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁלֹּא עָשָׂה אֵיזֶה טוֹב מִיָּמָיו?

3When a person begins to examine himself and sees that he is very far from HaShem, full of many sins and blemishes, and it seems to him that he is far removed from all good, he must not despair. Rather, he should search and seek until he finds in himself some good. For how is it possible that he never did anything good in his life? Finding that good point will wake him from spiritual sleep and create in him a genuine feeling of closeness to HaShem.

דוְאַף שֶׁהוּא רוֹאֶה שֶׁגַּם מְעַט הַטּוֹב שֶׁעָשָׂה הוּא מָלֵא פְּצָעִים, כִּי מְעֹרָב בִּפְסֹלֶת הַרְבֵּה, אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן, אִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ אֵיזֶה נְקֻדָּה טוֹבָה עַל כָּל פָּנִים.

4And even if a person sees that also the little bit of good he has done is riddled with imperfections, mixed with many impurities, he should not get discouraged. He may have performed a mitzvah improperly or for the wrong reasons, yet it is impossible that his deed is totally flawed; that it does not contain at least some bit of good, some flawless point capable of enhancing HaShem’s glory.

הוְכֵן יְחַפֵּשׂ וְיִמְצָא בְּעַצְמוֹ עוֹד אֵיזֶה טוֹב, וְאַף שֶׁזֶּה הַטּוֹב גַּם כֵּן מְעֹרָב בִּפְסֹלֶת הַרְבֵּה, אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן עַל כָּל פָּנִים יֵשׁ בּוֹ אֵיזֶה נְקֻדָּה טוֹבָה. וְכֵן יְחַפֵּשׂ וְיִמְצָא בְּעַצְמוֹ עוֹד אֵיזֶה נְקֻדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת.

5And so, just as he persevered and succeeded in finding that first good point, he should continue to search inside himself until he finds some other good. Even if that good too is mixed with many impurities, it has to have in it at least some good point. And in a similar manner he should keep on searching and finding still more good points inside himself.

ווְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה שֶׁדָּן אֶת עַצְמוֹ לְכַף זְכוּת וּמוֹצֵא בְּעַצְמוֹ נְקֻדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת עֲדַיִן, אַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁעָשָׂה מַה שֶּׁעָשָׂה וּפָגַם מַה שֶּׁפָּגַם, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה הוּא יוֹצֵא בֶּאֱמֶת מִכַּף חוֹבָה וְנִכְנַס בְּכַף זְכוּת בֶּאֱמֶת, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה יָכוֹל לִזְכּוֹת לִתְשׁוּבָה.

6By judging himself favorably² 1:6.and finding still more good points inside himself—even though he has done what he has done and blemished what he has blemished—a person genuinely crosses over from the side of guilt to the side of merit. And through this he can merit doing teshuvah. As long as he believes that he is bereft of good and so feels distant from HaShem, it is indeed very hard for him to sincerely return to Him in repentance. But after he finds his good points and feels genuinely close to HaShem, it is easy to do true teshuvah.

זוזְֶה בְּחִינַת (תהלים לז, י): ״וְעוֹד מְעַט וְאֵין רָשָׁע וְכוּ׳״, עַל־יְדֵי אוֹתוֹ הָ״עוֹד מְעַט״ שֶׁשָּׁם אֵינוֹ רָשָׁע, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה: ״וְהִתְבּוֹנַנְתָּ וְכוּ׳״, עַיֵּן שָׁם.

7David HaMelekh hints to the power of judging favorably in Tehillim. This is the significance of the verse “There is still a little bit in which the sinner is not ...” By virtue of that “still a little bit”—namely the good that is still in him—there he is not a sinner, and through this, “when you reflect …” When a person finds his good points, he tips the scales of justice in his favor and is no longer at his original place, so to speak. Consequently, “when you reflect upon his place,” he is already not there! Study the Rebbe’s words there.

חוְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה יָכֹל לְשַׂמֵּחַ אֶת עַצְמוֹ. וַאֲזַי יָכֹל לְהִתְפַּלֵּל, וְזֶה בְּחִינַת (שם קמו, ב): ״אֲזַמְּרָה לֵאלֹקַי בְּעוֹדִי״, עַל־יְדֵי הָ״עוֹד מְעַט״ שֶׁמּוֹצֵא בְּעַצְמוֹ, עַל־יְדֵי זֶה יָכוֹל לְזַמֵּר וּלְהוֹדוֹת לַה׳.

8And by this finding of his good points, a person can bring himself to joy. He will then be able to pray with enthusiasm and inspiration. This is the significance of the verse “I will sing to my God with what I still have left.” Through the “still a little bit”—namely the good he finds inside himself—he is able to sing to HaShem and praise Him.³ (146:2)—“I will sing to my God with what I still have be-ODee)”—with the verse from Tehillim ,בעודי) left (37:10) cited in the previous paragraph—“There is ve-OD me’at) in which the ,ועוד מעט) still a little bit sinner is not.” What is it that enables a person to sing to HaShem? It is the little bit of good that he still finds inside himself, the point in which he is not wicked. Reb Noson will bring this again in the next section (see also note 16 below), linking these two verses to a third verse from Tehillim that likewise alludes to the good point through the Hebrew word od (עוד, still).

טוְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נַעֲשִׂין נִגּוּנִים, כִּי הַנִּגּוּנִים נַעֲשִׂין עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁמְּבָרְרִין רוּחַ טוֹבָה מִן רוּחַ נְכֵאָה וְכוּ׳. וְזֶהוּ ״אֲזַמְּרָה״ דַּיְקָא, בְּחִינַת נִגּוּנִים וְכוּ׳.

9And this finding of the good points creates melodies. For melodies are made by selecting the good ruach from the ruach of gloom and despair.⁴ meanings: air/wind and spirit. Here Rebbe Nachman alternates between the two. A musical instrument creates sound when part of it vibrates rapidly, causing the air around it to vibrate. We hear this vibrating ruach, or sound waves, as musical notes. The skill is to play on the instrument in such a way as to select the “good ruach,” the music, and avoid the dissonance and noise, which the Rebbe equates with a melancholy spirit, a “ruach of gloom and despair.”The Rebbe explains that this is precisely the meaning of “I will sing,” which alludes to the concept of melodies and songs of prayer that one creates through finding the little bit of good he still has left.

יוְכֵן צְרִיכִין לָדוּן אֶת אֲחֵרִים לְכַף זְכוּת, אֲפִלּוּ רָשָׁע גָּמוּר צְרִיכִין לְחַפֵּשׂ וְלִמְצֹא בּוֹ אֵיזֶה נְקֻדָּה טוֹבָה וְכוּ׳ וְכוּ׳. עַיֵּן שָׁם.

10Now, it is not enough to search only for one’s own good points. A person should also judge others favorably. He must look for and find some good point in everyone, even in a person who is seen by others as thoroughly wicked. Study the Rebbe’s words there, that just as finding the good in himself lifts a person out of despair and into merit, finding the good inside another lifts up that other person into merit so that he too will feel closer to HaShem.⁵ 39a). In LH, Geirim 3:19, Reb Noson writes, “Each Jew has a responsibility to speak with others about how best to fulfill HaShem’s commandments and draw closer to Him.” In a second discourse (LH, Karchah VeKetovat Kaaka 3:1), Reb Noson reads Chazal’s maxim homiletically as “All Jews are included in one another.” In other words, in each Jew there is literally a part of every other Jew. Because of this, each Jew has the power to bring the entire Jewish people to repent, and thus has an obligation to endeavor to do so. From this we can understand how each Jew can lift up his fellow Jew by judging him favorably, even when they are physically very far apart. It is possible precisely because every Jew is included in and bound up with every other Jew (cf. Taamei HaMitzvot, Kedoshim: Mitzvat VeAhavta LeRei’akha Kamokha). Reb Noson teaches (ibid.) that in fact all Jewish souls are, at their root, a single soul. Therefore finding the good in another is, in essence, finding the good in oneself—it lifts one’s spirits and raises him up spiritually, to the side of merit.Every Jew is required to do this.⁶ (LM I, 282). Reb Nachman Tulchiner, who had heard his teacher talk about this lesson on numerous occasions, commented that finding the good in a fellow Jew was obviously something everyone must do. “So tell me,” Reb Noson rejoined, “how many people have you already gotten to repent by virtue of this teaching?” (Siach Sarfey Kodesh 2:527).

יאוּמִי שֶׁיָּכוֹל זֹאת, לִמְצֹא נְקֻדָּה טוֹבָה אֲפִלּוּ בְּפוֹשְׁעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, הוּא יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת חַזָּן וּלְהִתְפַּלֵּל לִפְנֵי הָעַמּוּד וְכוּ׳, עַיֵּן שָׁם.

11And whoever can do this, to find a good point even in Jewish sinners, can be the congregation’s chazan, who reveals the good points in each and every worshipper as he leads them in prayer.⁷ (lit. the people’s messenger or emissary), as he stands before HaShem representing all the members of the congregation. A congregation prays with enthusiasm as a result of their shaliach tzibbur finding and raising up their good points, which are all drawn to him and merged within him. Having explained that judging others favorably creates melodies, Rebbe Nachman refers to the individual who can gather up all the good points that are to be found even in Jewish sinners as the chazan, who leads the congregation in songful prayer.Study the Rebbe’s explanation there.

יבוְדַע, שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד מִצַּדִּיקֵי הַדּוֹר בּוֹנֶה מִשְׁכָּן. שֶׁמִּשָּׁם מְקַבְּלִין תִּינוֹקוֹת שֶׁל בֵּית רַבָּן הֶבֶל פִּיהֶם שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ חֵטְא, בִּשְׁבִיל זֶה הֵם מַתְחִילִין מִן ״וַיִּקְרָא וְכוּ׳״, עַיֵּן שָׁם.

12This is the primary spiritual work of the tzaddikim of the generation. Thus the Rebbe teaches: Know that by gathering up all the good points, each of the tzaddikim of the generation constructs a mishkan, a place of holiness for the Shekhinah to manifest.⁸ of his generation, collected all the contributions made by the Jewish people and erected the Mishkan from their gifts. Rebbe Nachman teaches that the donation each individual brought was a reflection of his personal good point. In this sense, the Mishkan was constructed out of the good points of the entire Jewish people. By revealing the good points of the Jewish souls identified with his own soul, each tzaddik constructs this mishkan, and from there the little schoolchildren receive the undefiled breath of their mouths.⁹ 119b and Maharsha, s.v. eino domeh). The merit of his Torah study lacks the power to mitigate the judgments that undermine the world’s continued existence (see LM I, 37:4 and note 40). Rebbe Nachman adds that pure breath—namely the ability to study Torah in purity and holiness—derives from the spiritual mishkan that the tzaddik builds out of the good points of the Jewish people (see also note 72 below).The Midrash says of these schoolchildren, “Let those who are pure come and occupy themselves with that which is pure.” To this end, the teachers who introduce little schoolchildren to Torah start from Vayikra. Study there.¹⁰ 7:3) states that when a child begins reading and is introduced to the study of Torah, he begins not with Bereishit but with the opening verse of Vayikra. Vayikra is the book of the Torah that primarily addresses the issues of purity. It opens with HaShem speaking from the just-completed Mishkan: “He called (Vayikra) to Moshe.” In a Torah scroll, the word Vayikra is traditionally written with an aleph ze’ira, In Aramaic, aleiph means “teach” .ויקרא : a small aleph or “study.” Therefore the first verse of Vayikra is the first verse we teach the small children who, with the pure breath they draw from the Mishkan, sustain the world through the merit of their Torah study. (For a deeper see LH, Eiruvei ,ויקרא in א explanation of the small Techumin 6:6.)

יגוְזֶה הַצַּדִּיק שֶׁיָּכוֹל לְלַקֵּט כָּל הַטּוֹב שֶׁנִּמְצָא בְּכָל אֶחָד, הוּא יוֹדֵעַ כָּל הַבְּחִינוֹת שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּעִנְיָן זֶה שֶׁל הַמִּשְׁכָּנוֹת הַנַּ״ל שֶׁבּוֹנִין הַצַּדִּיקִים, שֶׁמִּשָּׁם מְקַבְּלִין הַתִּינוֹקוֹת הֶבֶל פִּיהֶם שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ חֵטְא וְכוּ׳ וְכוּ׳, עַיֵּן שָׁם כָּל זֶה הֵיטֵב.

13Aside from the aforementioned tzaddikim, each of whom reveals the good points of those in his charge, there is also a universal tzaddik whose encompassing soul is inclusive of all Jewish souls. Because he is capable of gathering up the good that is found in everyone, this Moshe-like tzaddik is acquainted with and can apply all the aspects of the mishkanot that the tzaddikim construct, from which the children receive the undefiled breath of their mouths. Study all this well in LM I, 282.