Chasidut · Breslov

Likutei Halakhot, Orach Chaim, Laws of Morning Conduct 3:1/ליקוטי הלכות·אורח חיים·הלכות השכמת הבוקר ג׳:א׳

איִתְגַּבֵּר כַּאֲרִי לַעֲמֹד בַּבֹּקֶר, שֶׁיְּהֵא הוּא מְעוֹרֵר הַשַּׁחַר (שלחן ערוך ארח חיים סימן א׳).

1KEY CONCEPTS FROM LIKUTEY MOHARANA person should strengthen himself like a lion to rise up in the morning … so that it is he who awakens the shachar, 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).This discourse is based on the lesson Vayaseiv Elohim (LM I, 62), in which Rebbe Nachman discusses how to strengthen one’s emunah in HaShem. Study the Rebbe’s words there.

בעַל פִּי הַתּוֹרָה ״וַיַּסֵּב אֱלֹהִים״, עַיֵּן שָׁם (בלקוטי מוהר״ן חלק א׳ סימן סב).

2The Rebbe clarifies there the distinction between the two types of questions of emunah. There are questions whose solution a person can readily comprehend. Concerning this Chazal stated, “Know what to answer…”¹ 2:14: “Be diligent in the study of Torah and know what to answer a heretic.” A Jew must know how to answer the heretic’s questions and theological challenges to faith (Rambam and Rabbeinu Yonah, loc. cit.). In fact, with regard to that which HaShem has placed within the grasp of the human mind, honing the intellect in order to comprehend the matter clearly is a great mitzvah. Hence the dictum: “Know what to answer a heretic.”

גמְבֹאָר שָׁם, שֶׁיֵּשׁ חִלּוּק בֵּין הַקֻּשְׁיוֹת, כִּי יֵשׁ קֻשְׁיָא, שֶׁיָּכוֹל הָאָדָם לְהָבִין תֵּרוּץ עַל קֻשְׁיָא זוֹ – עלַ זהֶ נאֱֶמַר (אָבות פרק ב): ״וְדַע מַה שֶּׁתָּשִׁיב וְכוּ׳״. כִּי הָאֱמֶת מַה שֶׁהִגְבִּיל הַשֵּׁם־יִתְבָּרַךְ לַשֵּׁכֶל הָאֱנוֹשִׁי שֶׁיּוּכַל לְהָבִין – הוּא מִצְוָה גְּדוֹלָה לְחַדֵּד הַשֵּׁכֶל לְהָבִין הַדָּבָר עַל בּוּרְיוֹ. וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר: ״וְדַע מַה שֶּׁתָּשִׁיב לָאֶפִּיקוֹרוֹס״.

3But there are also questions whose solution is unfathomable to the human intellect. Only in the future will the answer be revealed.² In the meantime, a person must not explore questions of this sort. Regarding someone who does rely on his intellect to delve into such questions, it is written, “Whoever goes to her will not return”—i.e. to his previous level of devoutness and simple faith.³ 17a). For when it comes to questions of this sort, one is forbidden to rely on his intellect. Instead, he must stand firm in emunah.

דאֲבָל יֵשׁ קֻשְׁיָא שֶׁאֵינוֹ בְּאֶפְשָׁרִי לַשֵּכֶׂל הָאֱנוֹשִׁי לְהָבִין תֵּרוּץ עַל קֻשְׁיָא כָּזוֹ, רַק לֶעָתִיד לָבאֹ יִתְגַּלֶּה הַתֵּרוּץ – אָסוּר לָאָדָם לְעַיֵּן בָּהֶם, וְכָל מִי שֶׁסּוֹמֵךְ עַל שִׂכְלוֹ וּמְעַיֵּן בָּהּ, עַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (משלי ב, יט): ״כָּל בָּאֶיהָ לֹא יְשׁוּבוּן״, כִּי עַל קֻשְׁיָא כָּזוֹ אָסוּר לִסְמֹךְ עַל שִׂכְלוֹ, רַק לְהַעֲמִיד עַל אֱמוּנָה.

4Now, even regarding those questions that do have an answer, it sometimes happens that the pathways of a person’s intellect become blocked, and he does not know how to respond to the question. On account of this, the heresy of the question becomes injected into him. This sort of heresy exists in everyone, in each person relative to his spiritual level. If he looks within, he will be able to understand how to a greater or a lesser degree he too has been affected by heresy.⁴, constricted consciousness—he should rely on emunah. But when the pathways are unblocked, so that he is in the state of mochin d’gadlut, expanded consciousness, it is a mitzvah for him to explore the questions and seek to answer them.

הוַאֲפִלּוּ אֵלּוּ הַקֻּשְׁיוֹת שֶׁיֵּשׁ עֲלֵיהֶם תְּשׁוּבָה, לִפְעָמִים נִסְתְּמוּ שְׁבִילֵי הַשֵּׂכֶל וְאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ לְהָשִׁיב, וְנִזְרְקָה בּוֹ אֶפִּיקוֹרְסוּת וְכוּ׳. וְזֹאת הָאֶפִּיקוֹרְסוּת הִיא לְכָל אֶחָד לְפִי בְּחִינָתוֹ יָכוֹל לְהָבִין בֵּין רַב למִעְָט.

5One should serve HaShem with both of his inclinations, with the yetzer hara, evil inclination, subservient to the yetzer tov, good inclination.⁵ In truth, if a person would really know with his whole heart that “the whole world is filled with His glory,” then the pathways of his intellect would never be blocked and he would not succumb to heresy. The extent of this awareness of HaShem’s Immanence is reflected in his conduct during prayer. If he would know and internalize that HaKadosh Barukh Hu stands over him when he prays, and that He listens to every single word of the prayer, he would surely pray with great fervor and be extremely meticulous about concentrating on his words. But, in general, because a person does not know this with a whole heart, he is neither very fervent nor meticulous.

וכִּי צָרִיךְ לַעֲבֹד אֶת ה׳ בִּשְׁנֵי יְצָרִין וְכוּ׳, וּבֶאֱמֶת אִם הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ הָאָדָם יְדִיעָה בְּלֵב שָׁלֵם שֶׁ״מְּלֹא כָל הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדוֹ״ (ישעיה ו, ג), וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עוֹמֵד בִּשְׁעַת הַתְּפִלָּה וְשׁוֹמֵעַ הַתְּפִלָּה וַדַּאי הָיָה מִתְפַּלֵּל בְּהִתְלַהֲבוּת גָּדוֹל, וְהָיָה מְדַקְדֵּק מְאֹד לְכַוֵּן אֶת דְּבָרָיו. וּבִשְׁבִיל שֶׁהָאָדָם אֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ זֹאת יְדִיעָה בְּלֵב שָׁלֵם, בִּשְׁבִיל זֶה אֵינוֹ מִתְלַהֵב כָּל־כָּךְ וְאֵינוֹ מְדַקְדֵּק כָּל־כָּךְ וְכוּ׳.

6And all of this is due to the concealment of the knowledge of HaShem’s Immanence. This concealment stems from the element of machloket—the dispute in a person’s heart caused by the ascending power of his yetzer hara—as expressed in “their heart is chalak.”⁶ devotion to HaShem and yielding to his yetzer hara, his division or dispute) indicates ,מחלקת) inner maChLoKet an absence of deep spiritual knowledge, i.e. daat, and thus an inability to answer the “personal” heresies that plague his heart and distance him from HaShem. This refers to questions that arise because the pathways of his intellect have become blocked and “divide” his heart, to the point that he does not know what to answer to the heresy in his own heart.

זוְכָל זֶה נִמְשָׁךְ מֵהַסְתָּרַת הַיְדִיעָה, מִבְּחִינַת מַחֲלֹקֶת, בְּחִינַת (הושע י, ב): ״חָלַק לִבָּם״, בְּחִינַת הַקֻּשְׁיוֹת שֶׁבָּאִין עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁנִּסְתְּמוּ שְׁבִילֵי הַשֵּׁכֶל עַד שֶּׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ לְהָשִׁיב עַל אֶפִּיקוֹרְסִית שֶׁבְּלִבּוֹ.

7The way to remedy this machloket in the heart is by studying the rulings of Jewish law that cite the disputes between the various legal authorities and come to a clear conclusion.⁷ itself. By studying the disputes of the Sages and how these disputes are resolved as rulings of Jewish law, one fosters inner peace. The daat he acquires in learning to distinguish between prohibited and permitted, kosher and unkosher, pure and impure eliminates the machloket that divides and plagues his heart with conflict. For a more extensive explanation, see §2 of the Rebbe’s lesson and the notes there. Through this study a person attains both daat and inner peace, and so merits eliminating the questions in his heart.⁸ Mishnah’s dictum (Avot 2:14): “Ve-da Mah She-tashiv Know what to ,ודע מה שתשיב לאפיקורוס) Le’epikoros answer a heretic)” (see note 1 above). for “your (לבבך) He will then be able to pray with a whole heart, as in Chazal’s exposition of the verse “with all levavekha” as meaning to pray to HaShem “with both your inclinations.”⁹ .(לבך) heart” rather than the more common libkha Chazal (Berakhot 54a) see the doubling of the letter in leVaVekha as an allusion to the heart’s two (ב) vet inclinations: “You shall love HaShem your God with both your inclinations,” using the energy generated by your yetzer hara to serve the objectives of your yetzer tov. This praying with both inclinations of the heart is also alluded to in “I will praise You with an upright leivav when I study Your just laws.”¹⁰” (see previous note), heart) also has the letter vet doubled. Here ,לבב) leiVaV too this indicates that one should pray to HaShem with both of the heart’s inclinations. How does one achieve a whole heart? By studying “Your just laws,” namely the rulings of Jewish law. Reb Noson will further expound this second proof-text in §3 below. Study the Rebbe’s words there.¹¹

חוְהַתִּקּוּן לְזֶה הַמַּחֲלֹקֶת שֶׁבַּלֵּב הוּא לִלְמֹד פּוֹסֵק, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה זוֹכֶה לְשָׁלוֹם וְכוּ׳, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה יִזְכֶּה לְבַטֵּל הַקֻּשְׁיוֹת שֶׁבְּלִבּוֹ, וְזוֹכֶה לְהִתְפַּלֵּל בְּלֵב שָׁלֵם, בִּבְחִינַת: ״בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ״ (דברים ו, ה) – ״בִּשְׁנֵי יְצָרֶיךָ״ (ברכות נד.). וְזֶהוּ (תהלים קיט, ז): ״אוֹדְךָ בְּיֹשֶׁר לֵבָב בְּלָמְדִי מִשְׁפְּטֵי צִדְקֶךָ וְכוּ׳״, עַיֵּן שָׁם.

8However, studying the rulings of Jewish law is effective only in dealing with questions whose answer a person can readily comprehend, whereas it is forbidden to explore those questions for which there are no answers. Rather, one must strengthen oneself with emunah.

טאֲבָל הַקֻּשְׁיוֹת שֶׁאֵין עֲלֵיהֶם תֵּרוּץ – אָסוּר לְעַיֵּן בָּהֶם, רַק לְחַזֵּק אֶת עַצְמוֹ בֶּאֱמוּנָה.

9And when a person has complete emunah, free of all questions and doubts, his eating has the power to effect a yichud, unification,¹² is the union of the masculine and feminine aspects of Divinity, HaKadosh Barukh Hu and His Shekhinah, respectively, so that by virtue of their union an abundance of HaShem’s compassion and goodness are revealed in the creation. For yichud to transpire, both of these aspects must be in a state of wholeness, which the Kabbalists refer to as panim (see note 22 below), i.e. positioned facing each other rather than back-to-back (see Shaar Maamarei Rashbi 105 ff ). The mitzvot that a Jew performs are the primary vehicle for bringing about this union. between HaKadosh Barukh Hu and His Shekhinah,¹³, HaShem’s Infinite Essence, in order to directly supervise and govern creation (see Appendix A, p. 225). Whereas the nonbeliever attributes the governance of creation to nature and human agency (see LH, Masa u-Matan 4:8), one who possesses complete emunah ascribes the supervision of creation—namely the Shekhinah—to HaKadosh Barukh Hu. Such a person therefore eats with full recognition and emunah that his sustenance comes from HaShem alone, through the agency of His Indwelling Presence, and in this way effects a yichud between HaKadosh Barukh Hu and His Shekhinah (see further, notes 14 and 15). since food is spiritually refined and elevated through emunah¹⁴, the food has to have already been refined of the forces of spiritual impurity that were mixed in with it as a result of Adam’s eating from the Tree of Knowledge. Conversely, eating food that contains an admixture of good and evil can cause a person to sin, and sin separates HaKadosh Barukh Hu from the Shekhinah.—through the faith in HaShem displayed by eating in holiness.¹⁵ eats in order to better serve HaShem. He is not gluttonous, eats only kosher food, recites blessings with kavanah, studies Torah at the meal, and so on. No less significantly, when a person with complete emunah eats, he is grateful to HaShem and acknowledges His hashgachah, Divine providence, as the agency through which he obtains his sustenance.

יוּכְשֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ אֱמוּנָה בִּשְׁלֵמוּת – יוּכַל לִהְיוֹת עַל־יְדֵי אֲכִילָתוֹ יִחוּד קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ וְכוּ׳. כִּי הַבֵּרוּר שֶׁל הַמַּאֲכָלִים הוּא עַל־יְדֵי אֱמוּנָה וְכוּ׳.

10Now, emunah is perfected and adorned mainly by bringing closer to HaShem precisely those who are most distant from Him.¹⁶, those distant from faith in HaShem are the addition that makes it whole. To perfect and adorn emunah, they must be brought to belief in HaShem. This is true not just of the nonbelievers among the nations of the world, but also of Jews whose lack of emunah in HaShem resembles that of the nations. In neglecting the faith of their forefathers, they have become distant from HaShem and need to be drawn closer. Their newfound recognition of HaShem enhances emunah. However, to achieve this, one must be able to elevate the sparks of holiness in the letters of speech.¹⁷ 18:4). In an alternate account of the Breaking of the Vessels, the Arizal identifies the letters of speech with the sefirah-vessels that house the Light of Ein Sof from which all the worlds were formed (Eitz Chaim 5:5). At the shevirah, these letter-vessels broke into countless shards bearing sparks of the Light, which then fell into the lower realms (see LM I, 54:3; see also Appendix A, p. 231). Man furthers the fall of these holy sparks when he employs his faculty of speech improperly, including reciting the words of his arid, absentminded prayers.. Only the redemption of these holy sparks creates the speech of holiness needed to restore emunah to the world. Then, once these holy sparks begin to ascend,¹⁸ the faculty of speech turns itself around and gathers up the remaining sparks of holiness from the kelipot, the forces of evil.¹⁹ of Malkhut and the Shekhinah.

יאוְעִקַּר שְׁלֵמוּת וְקִשּׁוּטֵי אֱמוּנָה הַיְנוּ לְקָרֵב דַּוְקָא הַמְרֻחָקִים וְכוּ׳. וְלָזֶה צְרִיכִין לְהַעֲלוֹת נִיצוֹצֵי הַדִּבּוּר, וְאָז הוֹפֵךְ אֶת עַצְמוֹ הַדִּבּוּר וּמְלַקֵּט שְׁאֵרֵי נִיצוֹצוֹת הַקְּדֻשָּׁה מִן הַקְּלִפּוֹת וְכוּ׳.

11In order to elevate the holy sparks of speech, one needs to fast. Man’s cravings for food and drink are the primary physical desires.²⁰ When these desires become overpowering, chas ve-shalom, they draw the letters of speech into the exile of Egypt, making it impossible to speak words of holiness.²¹ They also undermine holy emunah, and so people’s questions of faith increase. At that point it is necessary to attach the back of holiness,²² and achor, “front” and “back.” Here, the “back of holiness” signifies holiness of a lesser intensity and level. Holiness that is in any sense incomplete or inferior needs to be concealed from the evil and impure forces, lest they exploit its imperfection for their own benefit. The idea of attaching the back of holiness derives from the kabbalistic teaching regarding Ze’ir Anpin (the masculine principle) and Malkhut (the feminine principle). In their rectified state of gadlut (lit. “maturity”), these Divine personas (see Appendix A, pp. 233-4) stand face-to-face in preparation for yichud. Prior to reaching this wholeness they are in a state of deficiency, katnut (lit. “immaturity”). Their “backs”—their elements of lesser holiness—are then exposed to the kelipot. In order to safeguard holiness and keep the power of the kelipot in check (see following note), it is necessary to conceal holiness by attaching Ze’ir Anpin and Malkhut back-toback (Eitz Chaim 8:6). to conceal it, so as to prevent the kelipot from drawing any more than a bare minimum of sustenance from this lesser holiness.²³ are sustained by nitzotzot, sparks of holiness, the life-force without which they could not exist (Pri Eitz Chaim, Shaar HaPurim 6; see Appendix A, p. 231 ff ). However, because HaShem does not want the forces of evil to become overly powerful, their access is limited to the back of holiness, and even there only to the bare minimum of life-force needed to insure their continued survival. Yet there are certain times and situations in which the back of holiness becomes especially vulnerable to the kelipot. Then, to insure that their ability to overpower holiness is held in check, the back of holiness must be concealed. And the way to conceal the back of holiness is through fasting. Unlike indulging one’s desires for food and drink, fasting denies the kelipot access to their source of sustenance, and so breaks any hold they have over holy speech.²⁴, and so thwarts their attempts to prevent the words of holiness from passing through the throat.

יבוּלְהַעֲלוֹת נִצּוֹצֵי הַדִּבּוּר צָרִיךְ לְתַעֲנִית וְכוּ׳, כִּי עַל־יְדֵי תַּאֲוַת אֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּה, שֶׁהֵם רָאשֵׁי הַתַּאֲווֹת, כְּשֶׁמִּתְגַּבְּרִים, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, הֵם מַמְשִׁיכִין אֶת הַדִּבּוּר לְגָלוּת מִצְרַיִם וְכוּ׳, וְאָז צְרִיכִין לְדַבֵּק אֲחוֹרֵי הַקְּדֻשָּׁה שֶׁלֹּא יִינְקוּ, וּדְבֵקוּת אֲחוֹרֵי הַקְּדֻשָּׁה הוּא עַל־יְדֵי הַתַּעֲנִית וְכוּ׳.

12In addition to subjugating physical desire, fasting is also valuable because it expresses a new beginning.²⁵, fasting expresses one’s desire for a new beginning. Reb Noson fleshes out this idea in §5 below. This is important because the essence of all things is their beginning, and because “all beginnings are difficult.”²⁶ 2:5. Rebbe Nachman gives two reasons why the beginning of a devotional practice is more meritorious than its continued performance: 1) The beginning is the foundation on which whatever one subsequently accomplishes is built; and 2) “All beginnings are difficult,” since it takes greater effort to change oneself than to maintain a change once it has been instituted and routinized.

יגגַּם כִּי עִקַּר כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הֵן הַהַתְחָלָה, כִּי כָּל הַהַתְחָלוֹת קָשׁוֹת וְכוּ׳ וְכוּ׳.

13Once the back of holiness has been concealed through fasting, the kelipot are unable to enter there and draw sustenance from the power of holiness. And with the capacity of the kelipot impaired, the face of holiness—the radiance of consummate emunah—is then revealed. HaShem engineers this in order to extract from the mouths of the kelipot the holiness that they have swallowed. And then all those who are spiritually distant turn to the emunah of the Jews, as expressed in “Then I will turn the nations to a pure language.” The emphasis is on “turn,” as the verse can also be read, “I will turn a pure language to the nations.” It is the “pure language,” meaning the faculty of speech that has been refined and extracted from the midst of the kelipot, which turns its face to the nations. It does this in order to gather up from them the remaining sparks of holiness. Then the continuation of the verse, “that they all proclaim in the Name of HaShem,” is realized. All those who were spiritually distant are drawn closer to HaShem—this being the adornment of emunah.

ידוְאָז כְּשֶׁנִּתְדַּבְּקִין אֲחוֹרֵי הַקְּדֻשָּׁה שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהַקְּלִפּוֹת לִכָּנֵס לְשָׁם וְלִינקֹ, וְאָז נִתְגַּלִין הַפָּנִים שֶׁל הַקְּדֻשָּׁה וְכוּ׳, כְּדֵי לְהוֹצִיא בִּלְעָם מִפִּיהֶם וְכוּ׳, וְאָז פּוֹנִים כָּל הָרְחוֹקִים לְאֱמוּנַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, בִּבְחִינַת (צפניה ג, ט): ״אָז אֶהֱפֹךְ אֶל כָּל הָעַמִּים שָׂפָה בְרוּרָה״, ״אֶהֱפֹךְ״ דַּיְקָא, שֶׁהַשָּׁפָה בְּרוּרָה, בְּחִינַת הַדִּבּוּר שֶׁנִּתְבָּרֵר מִבֵּינֵיהֶם, הוּא הוֹפֵךְ פָּנָיו אֶל הָעַמִּים כְּדֵי לְלַקֵּט מֵהֶם שְׁאֵרֵי נִצּוֹצוֹת הַקְּדֻשָּׁה, וְאָז נִתְקַיֵּם: ״לִקְרֹא כֻלָּם בְּשֵׁם ה׳ וְכוּ׳״, וְזֶהוּ בְּחִינַת קִשּׁוּטֵי הָאֱמוּנָה כַּנַּ״ל.

14This perfecting and adorning of emunah is alluded to in Saba d’Mishpatim,²⁷ recounts the deep mysteries that were revealed to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his disciples by several very exalted souls. This section of Zohar (II, 94a-14a) is known as Saba d’Mishpatim. which states: Emunah is like “the beautiful maiden who has no eyes, i.e. she is concealed… She emerges and is revealed in the morning, but over the day becomes covered.” For man’s emunah renews itself each morning, as in a rereading of the verse “They are renewed in the mornings; your emunah is great,” where it is “your emunah,” a person’s faith, that the psalmist is alluding to.²⁸, “Your emunah is great” refers to HaShem’s faithfulness. Rebbe Nachman reads this as referring to a person’s faith—to his emunah that emerges anew each morning, having been strengthened and made great by his nighttime devotions. See also Rashi’s commentary on this verse in Eikhah. But subsequently, “over the day [it] becomes covered”—due to the burdens of daily existence, emunah becomes obscured and concealed.

טווְזֶהוּ ״עוּלֵימְתָּא שַׁפִּירְתָא דְּלֵית לָהּ עֵינִין וְכוּ׳, נַפְקַת בְּצַפְרָא וְאִתְכַּסְיָא בִּימָמָא״ (זהר משפטים צה:). כִּי הָאֱמוּנָה מִתְחַדֶּשֶׁת אֵצֶל הָאָדָם בְּכָל בֹּקֶר, בִּבְחִינַת (איכה ג, כג): ״חדֲשִָׁים לבַּקְ רִָים רַבּהָ אֱמוּנָתֶךָ״, ״וּמִתְכַסְּיָא בִּימָמָא״ – מֵחֲמַת טִרְדַת עִסְקֵי הָעוֹלָם נִתְכַּסָּה הָאֱמוּנָה וְכוּ׳.

15Thus we need to engage in the tikkun of emunah by drawing the spiritually distant towards holiness. Once perfected, all the questions that would undermine emunah are eliminated, and HaKadosh Barukh Hu and His Shekhinah are joined in a state of yichud. Emunah, the Shekhinah, then pleads and advocates before HaShem on behalf of the spiritually distant ones, asking that He draw them closer.

טזוַאֲזַי הָאֱמוּנָה הִיא מַמְלֶצֶת עַל הָרְחוֹקִים לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם־יִתְבָּרַךְ שֶׁיְּקָרֵב אוֹתָם וְכוּ׳.

16This yichud is alluded to in the verse “Then Yehudah approached [Yosef].” The commentaries explain that this is “the drawing close of one king to another king,”²⁹ 93:2. hinting to the unification of HaKadosh Barukh Hu with the Shekhinah.³⁰ (I, 206b) explains this meeting of kings, Yosef and Yehudah, as the yichud of Ze’ir Anpin/ HaKadosh Barukh Hu and Malkhut / the Shekhinah. Yosef, as the Biblical exemplar of the tzaddik, personifies Yesod, the component of Ze’ir Anpin that engages in union. Yehudah, as progenitor of the Davidic dynasty, personifies Malkhut, Ze’ir Anpin’s mate. Their drawing close signifies the face-to-face yichud of these Divine personas.

יזוזְֶהוּ (בראשית מד, יח): ״וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה״ – ״דָּא תִּקְרֻבְתָּא דְּמַלְכָּא בְּמַלְכָּא וְכוּ׳״ (זהר ויגש רו.). ״כִּי כָּמוֹךָ כְּפַרְעֹה״.

17When joined in yichud, the Shekhinah pleads with HaKadosh Barukh Hu to show compassion for the spiritually distant ones. She says, “For you are just like Pharaoh.” In other words, “You are known only from pheraoh, what is revealed³¹ 32:25), “Moshe realized that the nation was exposed, for Aharon pheraoh (had exposed) has the ,פרְָעהֹ) exposed them).” PheRaOH Pharaoh). This indicates ,פּרְַעהֹ) same letters as PaROH that the name Pharaoh implies revealing (see also Metzudat Tzion on II Divrei HaYamim 28:19).—namely a world ostensibly governed by nature, in which Your hashgachah is hidden. It is this concealment that causes people to err in emunah.” Thus the Shekhinah begs HaKadosh Barukh Hu to make His hashgachah known to them. How? By allowing those who are distant from Him to witness the tzaddik overturning the laws of nature.³² rules through the fear of God’” (II Shmuel 23:3). Chazal interpret this verse as HaShem saying, “I am the Ruler of men. And who rules over Me? The tzaddik! For I issue a decree and he nullifies it” (Moed Katan 16b). Owing to the tzaddik’s fear of HaShem, his prayers have the power to annul HaShem’s decrees of illness, poverty, and the like, thereby overriding the laws of nature through which HaShem governs the world.

יחמַה פַּרְעֹה גּוֹזֵר וְאֵינוֹ מְקַיֵּם וְכוּ׳, אַף אַתָּה גּוֹזֵר וְאֵינְךָ מְקַיֵּם (בראשית רבה צג, ו), כִּי הַצַּדִּיק מְבַטֵּל וְכוּ׳, עַיֵּן שָׁם כָּל זֶה הֵיטֵב.

18This is the meaning of the Midrash’s teaching “Just as Pharaoh decrees, i.e. nature dictates a certain course of cause and effect, but fails to carry out its program when a tzaddik nullifies it, You too decree that the world now be governed by nature but fail to carry this out,” since the tzaddik prays and nullifies that too. Seeing You nullify Your will to the will of the tzaddik strengthens the emunah of those who are distant and brings them closer to You.³³ performs through his prayers prove that the natural order is subject to a Higher Will. People see that in response to the tzaddik’s prayers to HaShem, some constant of nature acts inconstantly or some law of physics is inexplicably contravened. From this they deduce that HaShem exists and that everything in creation conforms to His will. Were it otherwise, the tzaddik’s prayers would be helpless to effect a change in the set rules of nature. Study all this well in the Rebbe’s words there.³⁴