Chasidut · Breslov

Likutei Halakhot, Orach Chaim, Laws of Morning Conduct 1:6/ליקוטי הלכות·אורח חיים·הלכות השכמת הבוקר א׳:ו׳

אנִמְצָא, שֶׁעִקַּר בְּחִינַת הִתְעוֹרְרוּת הַשֵּׁנָה הוּא עַל־יְדֵי הַנְּקֻדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת שֶׁמּוֹצְאִין בְּעַצְמוֹ, אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁהוּא, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, בַּמַּדְרֵגָה הַתַּחְתּוֹנָה מְאֹד וְכוּ׳, כַּנַּ״ל, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נַעֲשִׂין נִגּוּנִים וְכוּ׳ כַּנַּ״ל. כִּי בַּלַּיְלָה שֶׁהוּא זְמַן הַשֵּׁנָה, אֲזַי הַשְּׁכִינָה מְבָרֶרֶת בֵּרוּרִים, כַּיָּדוּעַ. וְזֶה מְרַמֵּז עַל הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁכְּשֶׁמִתְגַּבֵּר בְּחִינַת הַשֵּׁנָה עַל הָאָדָם, אֲזַי צָרִיךְ לְבַקֵּשׁ וּלְחַפֵּשׂ לִמְצֹא בְּעַצְמוֹ נְקֻדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה יִתְעוֹרֵר מִשְּׁנָתוֹ כַּנַּ״ל.

1MELODIES AND PRAYERReb Noson will now expand his earlier discussion of creating melodies to include the melodies a person creates through the good points he finds by arising in the middle of the night. To that end, Reb Noson introduces here the kabbalistic concept of beirur, spiritual refinement, through which we raise up the fallen sparks of holiness.It follows that the concept of waking up from spiritual sleep comes about primarily through the good points that a person finds inside himself even when he is on a very low spiritual level, chas ve-shalom. As we have seen, doing so creates melodies.³⁵ 5:6). For during the night, the time allocated for sleep, the Shekhinah performs beirurim,³⁶ (pl. beirurim; lit. “sifting”) refers to the extrication and refinement of the sparks of the Light of the Infinite One imprisoned among the kelipot, the demonic forces of the Other Side. At Creation, the sefirah-vessels meant to contain this light shattered (see Appendix A, p. 231). Sparks of the light, or nitzotzot, became trapped inside the shards of those metaphysical vessels, and as a result became embedded in the material world in each of the four levels of physical reality (see note 48 below). Every Jew has a role in the spiritual task of beirur—discovering and redeeming the nitzotzot, primarily through Torah study, mitzvot and prayer, but also by engaging in life’s mundane affairs with thoughts, words and deeds directed towards holiness. raising the sparks of holiness that have fallen among the kelipot.³⁷, Drushei HaLailah 4. The Arizal teaches that at night the Shekhinah descends into the lower worlds in order to elevate the souls (these are the nitzotzot) that, as a result of mankind’s sins, fall ever deeper into the realm of impurity and evil. This act of spiritual refinement is analogous to playing music, which entails selecting the good ruach from the ruach of gloom and despair. This hints to what was discussed above, that when the spiritual aspect of sleep, which corresponds to the dark of night, overcomes a person, he must then seek and search in order to find good points inside himself.³⁸ Through this act of beirur, of refining the good points concealed in darkness, he will wake up from his sleep.

בוזְֶה בְּחִינַת (שם עז, ז): ״אֶזְכְּרָה נְגִינָתִי בַּלָּיְלָה עִם לְבָבִי אָשִׂיחָה וַיְחַפֵּשׂ רוּחִי״ – שֶׁבְּלַּיְלָה וְחֹשֶׁךְ, בְּחִינַת שֵׁנָה, אָז ״עִם לְבָבִי אָשִׂיחָה וַיְחַפֵּשׂ רוּחִי״, שֶׁאֲנִי מְחַפֵּשׂ וּמְבַקֵּשׁ הָרוּחַ טוֹבָה, בְּחִינַת נְקֻדָּה טוֹבָה, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נַעֲשִׂין נִגּוּנִים כַּנַּ״ל, בְּחִינַת ״אֶזְכְּרָה נְגִינָתִי בַּלָּיְלָה״, וְכַנַּ״ל.

2This is the idea expressed in the verse “I recall my melody in the night; I commune with my heart, and my ruach searches.” In the spiritual night and the dark, which are characteristic of sleep, that is when “I commune with my heart, and my ruach searches.” I search for and seek out the good ruach, which corresponds to the good point, and this creates melodies, as in “I recall my melody in the night.”

גוְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה שֶׁמִּתְגַּבֵּר לְהִתְעוֹרֵר מִשְּׁנָתוֹ עַל־יְדֵי הַנְּקֻדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת שֶׁמּוֹצֵא בְּעַצְמוֹ כַּנַּ״ל, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה עִקַּר תִּקּוּן הַתְּפִלָּה, כִּי עִקַּר הַתְּפִלָּה הוּא רַק כְּשֶׁזּוֹכֶה לִמְצֹא בְּעַצְמוֹ הַנְּקֻדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת, בִּבְחִינַת ״אֲזַמְּרָה לֵאלֹהַי בְּעוֹדִי״ כַּנַּ״ל.

3In addition to a spiritual awakening, discovering one’s good points also helps a person pray. As explained above, by overcoming the desire for sleep and waking himself up from his slumber through the good points that he finds inside himself, a person brings about the essential tikkun of prayer. For prayer is principally rectified and has its greatest ascent only when a person merits finding the good points he still has inside himself, as in “I will sing to my God with what I still have left.” The “little bit” of good that each person finds within enables him to pray to HaShem and sing His praises.

דוְזֶהוּ בְּחִינַת סֵדֶר הַתְּפִלָּה, שֶׁבַּתְּחִלָּה אוֹמְרִים קָרְבָּנוֹת וּקְטֹרֶת, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת בֵּרוּרִים, שֶׁמּוֹצְאִין וּמְבָרְרִין נְקֻדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת אֲפִלּוּ מִבְּחִינַת בְּהֵמִיּוּת, מִתַּכְלִית הָעֲשִׂיָּה, כַּיָּדוּעַ, כִּי זֶה עִקַּר בְּחִינַת הַקָּרְבּןָ להְַעלֲוֹת מִבּהְֵמָה לאְָדָם.

4After introducing the topic of prayer, Reb Noson next shows its connection to beirur of the good points.This finding and refining of the good points is alluded to in the order of the Shacharit prayer.³⁹ and ketoret passages. By reciting Pesukei d’Zimrah, the second section of Shacharit, we enter the World of Yetzirah. With the blessings of Kriat Shema, the third section, we ascend to the World of Beriah. Finally, with the Shemoneh Esrei we advance to the World of Atzilut (see Appendix A, p. 236). In the remainder of this section of his discourse (and from the concluding paragraph of §8 to the end of §9), Reb Noson will demonstrate that the order in which Chazal arranged the four sections of Shacharit parallels the four stages of the good points’ ascent from the kelipot and transformation into dibbur, perfected speech. We begin by reciting korbanot and ketoret, the passages about animal- and incense-offerings which are themselves manifestations of the concept of beirurim. In regard to the animal-offerings, these beirurim are the finding and refining of the good points, the fallen sparks of holiness, even those trapped inside the animalistic desires of the nethermost level of the World of Asiyah.⁴⁰ 3. For the primary purpose of presenting the korban is to elevate the fallen sparks of holiness from the level of animal to the level of man.⁴¹ embedded in each of the four levels of physical reality. See also §7 and notes 48 and 49 below.

הוְזֶה בְּחִינַת קְטֹרֶת שֶׁהָיוּ בָּהֶם חֶלְבְּנָה, דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁמְּבָרְרִין וּמוֹצְאִין הַטּוֹב אֲפִלּוּ בְּפוֹשְׁעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, בִּבְחִינַת חֶלְבְּנָה, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁלָּמְדוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זַ״ל מִזֶּה (כריתות ו:): ״כָּל תְּפִלָּה שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ מִתְּפִלַּת פּוֹשְׁעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל – אֵינָה תְּפִלָּה״, כִּי עִקַּר הַתְּפִלָּה בִּבְחִינַת קְטֹרֶת, עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁמְּבָרְרִין וּמוֹצְאִין נְקֻדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת אֲפִלּוּ בְּפוֹשְׁעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, בִּבְחִינַת חֶלְבְּנָה כַּנַּ״ל.

5This concept of beirur of the good points also relates to the incense-offering, which included among its ingredients the foul-smelling chelbenah.⁴² חלבנה) galbanum) is a malodorous gum resin. The ketoret signifies finding and refining the good even in Jewish sinners, who are likened to chelbenah. This is similar to what Chazal teach, that “any prayer that does not also include the prayers of Jewish sinners is not a suitable prayer.”⁴³, had an unpleasant odor. Why, then, was the chelbenah included in the ketoret? Chazal teach that “a congregation is not a congregation”—its fasts and prayers are ineffective— unless its number also includes sinners. Just as the chelbenah is necessary to give the other spices exactly the right pungency, for a congregation’s prayers to be efficacious they must include the prayers of someone who has fallen and now yearns to do teshuvah. Nothing brings greater glory to HaShem than when those who are far away return to Him (see Kritot 6b and Rabbeinu Bachya al HaTorah, Shemot 30:34). For the ketoret dimension of prayer is primarily fulfilled by finding and refining good points even in Jewish sinners, who are represented by the chelbenah.

ווְזֶה בְּחִינַת אַחַד עָשָׂר סַמָּנֵי הַקְּטֹרֶת, הַיְנוּ עֲשָׂרָה סַמָּנִים חוּץ חֶלְבְּנָה, זֶה בְּחִינַת עֲשָׂרָה מִינֵי זִמְרָה, שֶׁהֵם נַעֲשִׂין עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁמְּבָרְרִין וּמוֹצְאִין הַטּוֹב שֶׁבְּפוֹשְׁעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, בִּבְחִינַת חֶלְבְּנָה כַּנַּ״ל.

6This is also the significance of the ketoret being comprised of eleven spices—that is, ten spices aside from the chelbenah. These ten fragrant substances represent the Ten Types of Melody,⁴⁴ includes ten separate styles of praise of HaShem (Pesachim 117a). The Zohar (III, 101a) refers to the various styles as “types of melody” (see also LM II, 94 and note 4). Maharsha (Pesachim, op. cit., s.v. be’asarah) explains that there are ten such melodies because it takes ten to establish the holiness of anything (e.g. ten Jews to form a minyan). This is consistent with the kabbalistic axiom that the realm of holiness is comprised of ten sefirot. The Tikkuney Zohar (#13) details how each melody type corresponds to a specific sefirah. In LM I, 205, Rebbe Nachman explains that reciting ten psalms invokes the power of the Ten Types of Melody, the sefirot of holiness, which effect tikkun and remedy for immoral sexual behavior. The ten styles and their relationship to the ten psalms that make up the Tikkun HaKlali are discussed in detail in Rebbe Nachman’s Tikkun, ch. 5. the melodies made by finding and refining the good in Jewish sinners, who themselves signify the eleventh ingredient, the chelbenah.⁴⁵ (#5 and #8) explains: Chazal teach that people’s prayers are pleasing to HaShem only when they also include the prayers of Jewish sinners. This relates to beirur, extracting the good points from evil. That is, prayers are whole and pleasing to HaShem only when they include good that has been uncovered and drawn out from the evil that envelops it. The ten spices, other than the chelbenah, correspond to the Ten Types of Melody. When a person sifts and separates the good points from evil, his words acquire the qualities of the Ten Types of Melody, enabling him to pray and sing praises to HaShem.