Chasidut · Breslov
Likutei Halakhot, Orach Chaim, Laws of Morning Conduct 1:8/ליקוטי הלכות·
אוְזֶה בְּחִינַת (מגלה ג.): ״כֹּהֲנִים בַּעֲבוֹדָתָם וּלְוִיִּם בְּדוּכָנָם וְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמַעֲמָדָם״.
1GOOD POINTS, OFFERINGS AND MELODIESReb Noson next cites Chazal’s account of the communal korban tamid, daily-offering, brought in the Beit HaMikdash. Representatives of all three branches of the Jewish people—the Kohanim, Leviim and Yisraelim—participated. Reb Noson will explain how this mirrors beirur of the good points, creating melodies, and elevating the good points as the dibbur of prayer.Now, this refining of the good points from the animalistic desires finds expression in Chazal’s statement: “[There were] Kohanim with their sacrificial service, presenting the offering; Leviim on their platform, chanting and playing music; and the appointed group of Yisraelim, the maamad delegation, standing at their station and reciting passages of Torah.”54 3a; Taanit 26a ff. Chazal teach that legislation instituted in the days of David HaMelekh divided the Kohanim into mishmarot (lit. “watches”), 24 family groupings tasked with performing the service in the Beit HaMikdash in rotating shifts, a week at a time. Twenty-four mishmarot of Leviim were likewise appointed, tasked with providing musical accompaniment in rotating shifts from a nearby platform while the Kohanim presented the korbanot. The Yisraelim too were divided into 24 groups, known as maamadot (lit. “standing groups”). A delegation of each group of Yisraelim, known as anshei maamad, men of standing, would ascend to Yerushalayim as emissaries of all the people. From their station near the korbanot during the service, the anshei maamad would pray that HaShem receive the offering of their fellow Jews with favor. Meanwhile, the remainder of each maamad of Yisraelim would gather in their towns to pray, fast, and recite from the Torah’s account of Creation, showing that the world exists in the merit of the korbanot. Over time, this collection of special prayers and Torah readings came to be known as Maamadot.
בכִּי עִקַּר תִּקּוּן הַקָּרְבָּן, שֶׁהוּא לִמְצֹא וּלְבָרֵר הַנְּקֻדָּה טוֹבָה מִתּוֹךְ הַפְּסֹלֶת, מִבְּחִינַת הַבַּהֲמִיּוּת, הוּא עַל־יְדֵי הַכֹּהֵן אִישׁ הַחֶסֶד, כִּי עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁמַּטֶּה כְּלַפֵּי חֶסֶד וְדָן לְכַף זְכוּת, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה מוֹצְאִין נְקֻדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת בְּכָל מַדְרֵגוֹת הַתַּחְתּוֹנוֹת, שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת כַּנַּ״ל. וְעַל־כֵּן כָּל תִּקּוּנֵי הַקָּרְבָּן נַעֲשִׂין עַל־יְדֵי הַכֹּהֵן אִישׁ הַחֶסֶד, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת אַבְרָהָם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (תהלים קי, ד): ״אַתָּה כֹּהֵן לְעוֹלָם״ וְכַנַּ״ל.
2For the primary tikkun brought about by presenting a korban—finding and refining the good point from the impurities and animalistic desires—comes through the Kohen, who is called “the man of chesed.” Since he inclines towards kindness and judges favorably, he finds good points on all the lower levels, the same objective in presenting korbanot. Therefore all the tikkunim accomplished through presenting a korban come about through the Kohen, “the man of chesed,” which is the trait exemplified by Avraham, as it is written in reference to him, “You will be a Kohen forever.”55, Rashi explains that it refers to Avraham. HaShem promised Avraham that the kehunah would come from his descendants. See §5 and note 31 above, which connect Avraham with chesed, the quality linked here with the Kohanim.
גוְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נַעֲשִׂין נִגּוּנִים כַּנַּ״ל. וְזֶה בְּחִינַת ״וּלְוִיִּם בְּדוּכָנָם״, שֶׁהָיוּ מְנַצְּחִים בְּשִׁיר עַל הַדּוּכָן בִּשְׁעַת הַקְרָבַת הַקָּרְבָּן, כִּי עַל־יְדֵי בְּחִינַת הַקָּרְבָּן הַנַּעֲשֶׂה עַל־יְדֵי הַכּהֵֹן אִישׁ הַחֶסֶד, שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת שֶׁמְּבָרְרִין וּמוֹצְאִין טוֹב עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁמַּטִּין כְּלַפֵּי חֶסֶד, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נַעֲשִׂין נִגּוּנִים כַּנַּ״ל.
3And through this beirur that reveals the good points, melodies are made, as explained above. This is reflected in “The Leviim were positioned on their platform,” when they would play music on the platform while the korban was being presented. For it is through the concept of the korban, which is offered by the Kohen, “the man of chesed”—this being the concept of finding and refining good by inclining towards kindness—that melodies are made.
דוְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמַעֲמָדָן, שֶׁהָיוּ עוֹסְקִין בַּתּוֹרָה, זֶה בְּחִינַת הַדִּבּוּר, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי זֶה הָיוּ מַעֲלִים הַטּוֹב לְהַדִּבּוּר, שֶׁזֶּה עִקַּר עֲלִיָּתוֹ כַּנַּ״ל.
4“And the Yisraelim, the maamad delegation, stood nearby at their station,” where they would engage in reciting passages of Torah while the offering was being presented. This is the dimension of dibbur. By reciting these Torah passages they would elevate the good extracted via the korban to dibbur, which is its essential ascent.
הוְעַל־כֵּן הָיוּ אַנְשֵׁי הַמַּעֲמָד קוֹרִין בְּפָרָשַׁת בְּרֵאשִׁית וּבְפָרָשַׁת הַאֲזִינוּ (תענית כו.).
5Therefore the maamad delegation would read the Act of Creation in Parashat Bereishit (Bereishit 1:1-2:3) and the Song of Moshe in Parashat Haazinu (Devarim 32:1-43).56 delegation reflect the idea of revealing the good points.
וכִּי מַעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית עִקָּרוֹ עַל־יְדֵי בֵּרוּר הַטּוֹב, בִּבְחִינַת ״וּבְטוּבוֹ מְחַדֵּשׁ בְּכָל יוֹם תָּמִיד מַעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית״. וְזֶה בְּחִינַת ״כִּי טוֹב״ הַנֶּאֱמַר בְּכָל שֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי בְּרֵאשִׁית.
6They read from Parashat Bereishit because the Act of Creation came about primarily through beirur of the good, as in “With His good He renews each day, continuously, the Act of Creation.”57 1:5). In LH, Minchah 4:1, Reb Noson explains that renewing the Act of Creation alludes to HaShem constantly constricting His light and then filling the Vacated Space with the creation, just as He did in the beginning (see Appendix A, p. 226). In §9 below, Reb Noson relates renewing the Act of Creation to the third part of the Shacharit liturgy, the blessings of Kriat Shema. It is specifically through the extraction and revelation of the Divine good that HaShem renews the creation daily. This beirur of the good is also implicit in the words “[God saw] that it was good”—meaning that the good is now perceivable because it has been extracted and revealed—which is written about each of the six days of Creation.58 12a). This connects with Reb Noson’s teaching here, in which he cites the Torah’s use of the same expression in depicting God’s reaction upon seeing the “newborn” light of Creation: “God saw the light, that it was good.” In both cases, Reb Noson shows that this expression is an allusion to the good point.
זכִּי קדֶֹם תִּקוּן מַעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית נֶאֱמַר (בראשית א, ב): ״וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תהֹוּ וָבהֹוּ וְחשֶֹׁךְ״ – זֶה בְּחִינַת הִתְגַּבְּרוּת הָרַע שֶׁחוֹפֶה עַל הַטּוֹב, וְהַתִּקּוּן הָיָה עַל־יְדֵי בְּחִינַת (שם): ״וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים מְרַחֶפֶת – דָּא רוּחוֹ שֶׁל מָשִׁיחַ״ (בראשית רבה ב, ד), שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת הַטּוֹב.
7We see that evil—and the good it contains, requiring beirur— existed before Creation. Thus, regarding what preceded the tikkun brought about by the Act of Creation, the Torah states, “The earth was without form and void, with darkness …”— this is the kabbalistic concept of the ascendancy of evil when it covers and conceals the good, in this case evil preventing the emergence of the universe. And the tikkun came about through the concept of “the ruach of God hovering.” Chazal say, “Know that this is the ruach of Mashiach”59 2:4. The Midrash homiletically interprets these opening verses of Bereishit as alluding to the four empires under whose rule the Jewish people would be exiled. “Without form” alludes to the Babylonians, “void” to the Persians, “darkness” to the Greeks, and “the deep” to the “evil empire,” Rome. Like the deep, exile under Rome will appear to be without end. Nevertheless, just as the Torah preordains the Jewish people’s exile, it preordains their tikkun and redemption through the hovering ruach of Mashiach. The Zohar (I, 192b), which likewise links the hovering ruach of Creation with Mashiach, also links the ruach of Mashiach with the renewal of the moon, which Reb Noson discusses in §12A below.—namely the concept of the good, the sum totality of all good, having emerged from the evil of the void and darkness.
חכִּי כָל הַנְּקֻדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת שֶׁמּוֹצְאִין בְּכָל אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל – זֶה בְּחִינַת הִתְנוֹצְצוּת מָשִׁיחַ, כִּי עִקַּר הַטּוֹב הוּא מָשִׁיחַ, בְּחִינַת מֹשֶׁה, בִּבְחִינַת (רות ג, יג): ״וְהָיָה בַבֹּקֶר אִם יִגְאָלֵךְ טוֹב יִגְאָל״. וְעַל־יְדֵי בְּחִינַת רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים, רוּחַ טוֹבָה, בְּחִינַת רוּחוֹ שֶׁל מָשִׁיחַ, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה עִקַּר קִיּוּם וּבִנְיַן הָעוֹלָם.
8The ruach of Mashiach is synonymous with good, because the good points that we find in every single Jew are all “sparks of Mashiach.” For Mashiach, in his redemptive capacity, is the essence of good. He is identified with the redeemer Moshe,60 who is the aspect of Moshe-Mashiach. He is called “good” by virtue of his ability to find the good in every single Jew. In LM I, 79, Rebbe Nachman teaches that the tzaddik who possesses the qualities of Moshe-Mashiach has the power to transform all evil into good and thus eliminate evil entirely. and also with the redeemer Boaz, of whom it is stated, “Then, in the morning, if he is willing to redeem you, good! Let him redeem.”61 (#31, p. 75b) interprets the conversation between Boaz and Ruth homiletically, as HaKadosh Barukh Hu informing the Shekhinah that Her ascent and redemption will come in the “morning,” through the light that will shine from the good deeds of the Jewish people. We learn from this verse that Mashiach, the redeemer of Israel, is identified with good, and that good is the catalyst for redemption.62 2:4). Thus it is through the “ruach of God”—namely the good ruach, the ruach of Mashiach—that the world essentially continues to exist and evolve.
טוְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה, עַל־יְדֵי הַנְּקֻדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת שֶׁמּוֹצְאִין מִתּוֹךְ תֹּהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְחֹשֶׁךְ, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה (בראשית א, ג): ״וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי אוֹר וְכוּ׳״. וַאֲזַי (שם): ״וַיַּבְדֵּל אֱלֹהִים בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ וְכוּ׳״, כִּי עַל־יְדֵי הַנְּקֻדָּה טוֹבָה נִכְנַס בֶּאֱמֶת לְכַף זְכוּת, וַאֲזַי נִתְגַּלֶּה הָאוֹר וְנִבְדַּל וְנִפְרַשׁ הַחֹשֶׁךְ מִן הָאוֹר, הָרַע מִן הַטּוֹב וְכוּ׳, וְכַנַּ״ל.
9For it is on account of the good points that are found within the formlessness, void and darkness that “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” Subsequently, as the Torah states, “God separated the light from the darkness.” Because by rousing the good point a person genuinely moves to a position of merit. And then the light is revealed, and the darkness is correspondingly separated and set apart from the light, the evil from the good, and so on, as explained above.63
ינִמְצָא, שֶׁעִקַּר מַעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁמּוֹצְאִין וּמְבָרְרִין הַנְּקֻדָּה טוֹבָה כַּנַּ״ל. וְזֶה בְּחִינַת: ״צִיּוּרָא דְמַשְׁכְּנָא כְּצִיּוּרָא דְעוֹבָדָא דִּבְרֵאשִׁית״ (תקוני זהר יג.). כִּי הַמִּשְׁכָּן הוּא גַּם כֵּן מִבְּחִינַת הַטּוֹב שֶׁנִּתְבָּרֵר וְכוּ׳ כַּנַּ״ל, וְעַל־כֵּן הָיוּ עוֹסְקִים אַנְשֵׁי הַמַּעֲמָד שֶׁהָיוּ עוֹמְדִין עַל הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת בְּמַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית, כִּי הַקָּרְבָּן הוּא בִּבְחִינַת מַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת בֵּרוּר הַטּוֹב וְכוּ׳ כַּנַּ״ל.
10It follows from all of the above that the Act of Creation occurred primarily as a result of finding and refining the good point. This corresponds to the Zohar’s teaching: “The design of the Mishkan matched the design of the Act of Creation.”64, Introduction, p. 13a. For the Mishkan too involved beirur; conceptually, it was constructed from the spiritually refined good contributed by the Jewish people. This is why the maamad delegation that stood by the korbanot as they were being presented would engage in reciting the account of Creation. As explained, presenting the korban is akin to the Act of Creation, in its shared characteristic of beirur of the good from evil.
יאוְעַל־כֵּן הָיָה הַקָּרְבָּן נַעֲשֶׂה בַּמִּשְׁכָּן אוֹ בְּבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, כִּי הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְהַבֵּית־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ הֵם גַּם כֵּן נִבְנִים עַל־יְדֵי בֵּרוּר הַטּוֹב וְכוּ׳ כַּנַּ״ל. וְזֶה בְּחִינַת (דברים ג, כה) ״הָהָר הַטּוֹב הַזּהֶ״ הַנּאֱֶמַר בּבְיֵת הַמִּקְדָּשׁ (עין גטין נו: ובמהרש״א שם).
11Therefore the korban was offered exclusively in the Mishkan or the Beit HaMikdash. Presenting a korban is an act of beirur. The Mishkan and the Beit HaMikdash likewise involved beirur, as they were built through beirur of the good. A hint to this is the Torah’s reference to the site of the Beit HaMikdash as “this good mountain,” as it was there that the good was separated from evil.65 56b. Below, Reb Noson will link this to the future Beit HaMikdash in the time of Mashiach (see also note 70).
יבוְזֶה בְּחִינַת פָּרָשַׁת הַאֲזִינוּ שֶׁהָיוּ קוֹרִין אַנְשֵׁי הַמַּעֲמָד. כִּי פָּרָשַׁת הַאֲזִינוּ הִיא הַשִּׁירָה שֶׁהִבְטִיחַ מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת לֹא תִשָּׁכַח הַתּוֹרָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שם לא, כא): ״וְעָנְתָה הַשִׁירָה הַזֹּאת וְכוּ׳״, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ בְּתַכְלִית הַהַסְתָּרָה, בְּחִינַת (שם לא, יח-יט) ״וְאָנֹכִי הַסְתֵּר אַסְתִּיר ... תִּהְיֶה הַשִּׁירָה לְעֵד״, כִּי הַשִּׁירָה מְרַמֶּזֶת, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ אִם יִשְׂרָאֵל רְחוֹקִים מְאֹד מֵהַשֵּׁם־יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּתַכְלִית הַהַסְתָּרָה, אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן הֵם קְרוֹבִים אֵלָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ, כִּי עֲדַיִן נִמְצָאִים בָּהֶם אֲפִלּוּ בְּהַפְּחוּתִים, נְקֻדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת, וְכַנַּ״ל.
12Reb Noson first explained that offering a korban is an act of beirur since it refines the good points and extracts them from impurity. He then linked this to the maamad delegation’s recitation of the Torah’s account of Creation, since Creation itself came about through beirur of the good from evil. He will next show that the delegation of Yisraelim also read from Parashat Haazinu because that parashah too relates to finding and refining good, turning it into melody and song.This is also the idea of Parashat Haazinu, whose verses the maamad delegation would recite. For Parashat Haazinu is the song by which Moshe Rabbeinu reassured the Jewish people that by dint of this song the Torah would never be forgotten, as it is written, “This song will testify [that it will not be forgotten]”—even in the greatest concealment, as when HaShem says, “I will utterly hide … this song will be a witness.” For the song implies that even if the Jewish people are very far from HaShem, and so have fallen into the greatest concealment, they are nevertheless close to Him. Good points can be still found in them, even the lowliest of them.66
יגוזְֶה בְּחִינַת (שם לב, ט-י): ״כִּי חֵלֶק ה׳ עַמּוֹ יַעֲקֹב וְכוּ׳, יִמְצָאֵהוּ בְּאֶרֶץ מִדְבָּר״, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ בְּאֶרֶץ מִדְבָּר וּבְתֹהוּ מוֹצְאִין ״חֵלֶק ה׳ עַמּוֹ״, הַיְנוּ בְּחִינַת נְקֻדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת ״חֵלֶק ה׳ עַמּוֹ וְכוּ׳״. וְעַל־כֵּן קוֹרִין בְּפָרָשַׁת הַאֲזִינוּ עַל הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת וְכַנַּ״ל.
13This is the import of the verse in Haazinu: “But HaShem’s portion is His people; Yaakov … He discovered them in a desolate land.” Even in a desolate land and in formlessness, we find “HaShem’s portion is His people.” This alludes to the good points. Conceptually, they are “HaShem’s portion inside His people”—that is, the good points are His people’s portion of Godliness. Therefore they would recite from Parashat Haazinu while the sacrifices were being presented, as it is through bringing the korban that the good points undergo beirur, as explained above.67
ידכִּי עַל־כֵּן נִקְרֵאת פָּרָשַׁת הַאֲזִינוּ ״שִׁירָה״, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״וְעָנְתָה הַשִּׁירָה וְכוּ׳״, כִּי מֵהַנְּקֻדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת הַנַּ״ל שֶׁמּוֹצְאִין בְּאֶרֶץ מִדְבָּר וּבְתֹהוּ וְכוּ׳ כַּנַּ״ל, מִזֶּה נַעֲשֶׂה שִׁירָה וְנִגּוּן כַּנַּ״ל.
14Therefore Parashat Haazinu is called a “song,” as it is written, “[This] song will testify.” For, as explained above, it is from the good points that we find in a desolate land and in formlessness that songs and melodies are made.
טווְאַחַר אֲמִירַת הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת וּקְטֹרֶת, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת שֶׁמְּבָרְרִין וּמוֹצְאִין נְקֻדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת אֲפִלּוּ בַּמַּדְרֵגוֹת הַתַּחְתּוֹנוֹת מְאֹד כַּנַּ״ל, אַחַר־כָּךְ אוֹמְרִים פְּסוּקֵי דְּזִמְרָה, כִּי עַל־יְדֵי הַנְּקֻדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת הַנַּ״ל, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נַעֲשִׂין נִגּוּנִים, בְּחִינַת ״אֲזַמְּרָה לֵאלֹהַי בְּעוֹדִי״, ״אֲזַמְּרָה״ דַּיְקָא כַּנַּ״ל. וְזֶה בְּחִינַת פְּסוּקֵי דְּזִמְרָה, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת הַזְּמִירוֹת וְהַנִּגּוּנִים שֶׁנַּעֲשִׂין עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁמְּבָרְרִין וּמוֹצְאִין נְקֻדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת שֶׁבַּמַּדְרֵגוֹת הַתַּחְתּוֹנוֹת כַּנַּ״ל, וְעַל־כֵּן אוֹמְרִים בְּתוֹךְ פְּסוּקֵי דְּזִמְרָה פָּסוּק ״אֲזַמְּרָה לֵאלֹהַי בְּעוֹדִי״ הַנַּ״ל וְכַנַּ״ל.
15In the final paragraph of this section, Reb Noson resumes his comparison of the progression of the four parts of Shacharit to the four stages of the good point’s ascent.And so, after reciting the passages of the korbanot and ketoret—which correspond to finding and refining the good points even on the very lowest levels—we then recite the second section of Shacharit, Pesukei d’Zimrah. Selecting the good points creates melodies, as hinted in the verse “Azamra to my God with what I still have left,” with the emphasis on “Azamra.” This alludes to Pesukei d’Zimrah,68 (פסוקי דזמרה, Verses of Song) and aZaMRa (אזמרה, I will sing) the concept of songs and melodies made by our finding and refining the good points that are on the lowest levels. Beirur of that “little bit” of good enables us to sing and give praise to HaShem. This is why we say in the Pesukei d’Zimrah the verse “I will sing to my God with what I still have left.”