Chasidut · Breslov
Likutei Halakhot, Orach Chaim, Laws of Morning Conduct 3:2/ליקוטי הלכות·
אוְזֶה בְּחִינַת ״יִתְגַּבֵּר כַּאֲרִי לַעֲמֹד בַּבֹּקֶר שֶׁיְּהֵא הוּא מְעוֹרֵר הַשַּׁחַר״. כִּי הָאֱמוּנָה הִיא בְּחִינַת ״מַלְכוּת״ (זהר בלק קצח:), שֶׁנִּקְרֵאת שַׁחַר, בְּחִינַת ״אַיֶּלֶת הַשַּׁחַר״, כַּיָּדוּעַ (זהר ויקרא כא:).
12 ■ RISING WITH EMUNAHReb Noson begins his discourse on the law that a person should strengthen himself to rise in the morning to serve HaShem by linking it with strengthening emunah, especially through studying Torah in the hours before dawn.Now, this teaching regarding strengthening emunah bears directly on the first law in the Shulchan Arukh, “A person should strengthen himself like a lion to rise up in the morning … so that it is he who awakens the dawn.” Awakening the shachar, rising before dawn, effectively “awakens” or strengthens emunah. For emunah is identified with the sefirah of Malkhut,35 #67, p. 97b; Zohar III, 198b. Kabbalah teaches that at night Malkhut, the sefirah synonymous with the Shekhinah, descends into the lower worlds in order to redeem the sparks of holiness that have fallen there on account of humanity’s sins (Shaar HaKavanot, Drushei HaAmidah 2; see also ibid. Drushei HaLailah 4). Malkhut is also identified as emunah, for by accepting HaShem’s kingship and sovereignty, one displays his emunah in Him (see LM I, 35:5). Thus in a world darkened by sin, faith is said to be trapped among the forces of evil. But at midnight, Malkhut / the Shekhinah / emunah begins to ascend (ibid. Drushei HaLailah 3), particularly through the spiritual devotions of those who, as Reb Noson will explain, “awaken the dawn.” which is termed shachar—as in the kabbalistic concept known as Ayelet HaShachar.36 is called Ayelet HaShachar. In the kabbalistic lexicon, Ayelet HaShachar is an appellation for the Shekhinah (Zohar II, 19b), namely Malkhut, Whose rectification and return to wholeness comes with the morning’s dawn.
בכִּי עִקַּר שְׁלֵמוּת הָאֱמוּנָה הוּא בַּבֹּקֶר, בִּבְחִינַת: ״חֲדָשִׁים לַבְּקָרִים רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶךָ״, שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת ״נַפְקַת בְּצַפְרָא״, כַּמְבֹאָר לְעֵיל בְּהַתּוֹרָה הַנַּ״ל, וּבִשְׁבִיל זֶה נִקְרֵאת הָאֱמוּנָה ״שַׁחַר״ כַּנַּ״ל.
2Moreover, emunah and morning’s dawn, the shachar, are conceptually related. For the main perfection of faith takes place in the morning, as expressed in “They are renewed in the mornings, your faith is great.” Every morning the power of emunah is regenerated. This relates to the Zohar’s teaching cited above, that emunah is the “beautiful maiden” who “emerges in the morning” and is revealed then. All of this was explained previously, in the concepts from the Rebbe’s lesson.37 cited in §1 above. It is for this reason, namely that the main perfection of emunah occurs in the morning, that emunah is termed shachar, the beginning of the morning.
גוְעַל־כֵּן צָרִיךְ כָּל אֶחָד לְהִתְגַּבֵּר כַּאֲרִי, וּלְהִשְׁתַּדֵּל מְאֹד שֶׁיַּעֲמוֹד בַּבֹּקֶר הַשְׁכֵּם קֹדֶם עֲלוֹת הַשַּׁחַר כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּעֲסוֹק בְּתוֹרָה וּתְפִלָּה, לְהַעֲלוֹת וּלְהַשְׁלִים לְגַדֵּל אֶת הָאֱמוּנָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה, שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת: ״שֶׁיְּהֵא הוּא מְעוֹרֵר הַשַּׁחַר״, בְּחִינַת (תהלים נז, ט): ״אָעִירָה שָׁחַר״, הַיְנוּ שֶׁיִּזְכֶּה עַל־יְדֵי עֲבוֹדָתוֹ קֹדֶם אוֹר הַיּוֹם לְעוֹרֵר הַשַּׁחַר, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת הָאֱמוּנָה, שֶׁצְּרִיכָה לְהַגְדִילָהּ וּלְהַשְׁלִימָהּ עַד אוֹר הַיּוֹם, שֶׁאָז עִקַּר עֲלִיָּתָהּ וּשְׁלֵמוּתָהּ, בִּבְחִינַת ״חֲדָשִׁים לַבְּקָרִים וְכוּ׳״, בְּחִינַת ״נַפְקַת בְּצַפְרָא״ כַּנַּ״ל.
3And so, in order for emunah to be revealed, every person must “strengthen himself like a lion” and exert great effort to rise up early in the morning, before daybreak, in order to study Torah and pray, and to elevate, complete and magnify holy faith. Perfection of emunah depends on his serving HaShem. This is the meaning of “so that it is he who awakens the shachar,” corresponding to the verse “I will awaken the shachar.” In other words, through a person’s pre-dawn devotions, he merits awakening the shachar in its identity as emunah, which needs to be magnified and completed up until daybreak. For morning is the main time of emunah’s elevation and perfection, as indicated in “They are renewed in the mornings,” and in the passage cited from Saba d’Mishpatim, “She emerges in the morning.”
דוְעִקַּר שְׁלֵמוּת הָעֲבוֹדָה הוּא לְהִתְגַּבֵּר מְאֹד לַעֲמֹד בְּכָל לַיְלָה בַּחֲצוֹת הַלַּיְלָה, כַּמְבֹאָר בַּזֹּהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בְכַמָּה וְכַמָּה מְקוֹמוֹת (זהר לך לך צב:, בא כז:, בשלח מו.), מִגֹּדֶל הָאַזְהָרָה שֶׁמְחֻיָּב כָּל מִי שֶׁנָּגַע יִרְאַת ה׳ בְּלִבּוֹ לַעֲמֹד בַּחֲצוֹת לַיְלָה דַּוְקָא.
4Thus far Reb Noson has explained that emunah is renewed every morning, and that we therefore get up before dawn to elevate and magnify emunah through our Torah study and prayer. He next specifies that the optimal time to engage in perfecting emunah is after midnight, through the daat one acquires by studying the rulings of Jewish law.Now, the consummate and most effective devotion for strengthening emunah is to strengthen oneself greatly, exerting utmost willpower, to rise each night at midnight. The holy Zohar, in many places, is clear about how extremely vigilant one must be regarding this. It teaches that anyone whose heart has been touched by fear and awe of HaShem is obligated to rise specifically at midnight.38 I, 77b and 92b; Zohar II, 46a. See also Reishit Chokhmah, Shaar HaKedushah 7, which cites many additional passages from the Zohar on the importance of rising at midnight to serve HaShem.
הכִּי עִקַּר שְׁלֵמוּת הָאֱמוּנָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה הוּא עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁמְּבַטְּלִין וּמְשַׁבְּרִין וּמְבַעֲרִין מִדַּעְתּוֹ שְׁנֵי מִינֵי קֻשְׁיוֹת וּכְפִירוֹת הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁהֵם הַקֻּשְׁיוֹת שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהָשִׁיב עֲלֵיהֶם שׁוּם תְּשׁוּבָה וְתֵרוּץ, כִּי עֲלֵיהֶם נֶאֱמַר: ״כָּל בָּאֶיהָ לֹא יְשׁוּבוּן״, וּצְרִיכִין לִסְמֹךְ רַק עַל אֱמוּנָה לְבַד וְכַנַּ״ל. וְעוֹד יֵשׁ קֻשְׁיוֹת שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר לְיַשְּׁבָם וְכוּ׳, וְגַם אֵלּוּ הַקֻּשְׁיוֹת, לִפְעָמִים נִסְתְּמוּ שְׁבִילֵי הַשֵּׂכֶל וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְיַשְּׁבָן. וְאֵלוּ הַקֻּשְׁיוֹת הֵם לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד לְפִי בְּחִינָתוֹ, לְפִי הַשֵּׂכֶל שֶׁל כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד.
5For holy emunah is mainly perfected through voiding, crushing and eradicating from one’s mind the two types of questions and heresies discussed above. As we have seen, there are the questions that are intrinsically unanswerable and insolvable. Regarding these the Torah states, “Whoever goes to her will not return.” Rather, one must rely exclusively on emunah. In addition, there are the questions that can be resolved, for which honing one’s intellect is a great mitzvah. But with these questions too there are pitfalls. It sometimes happens that the pathways of the intellect become blocked and so even these questions cannot presently be answered. As a result, an element of heresy enters his heart. And for each person, these questions that are unresolvable because the pathways have become blocked are relative to his spiritual level, commensurate with each person’s intellect.
ווְהַתִּקּוּן לָזֶה לִזְכּוֹת לִפְתֹּחַ אֶת הַדַּעַת וּלְגַלּוֹת שְׁבִילֵי הַשֵּׂכֶל הוּא עַל־יְדֵי לִמּוּד פּוֹסְקִים וְכוּ׳ כַּנַּ״ל. וְאָז זוֹכִין לְשָׁלוֹם וְנִתְבַּטֵּל הַמַּחֲלֹקֶת, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת כְּפִירוּת וְאֶפִּיקוֹרְסִית, וְזוֹכִין לָדַעַת לְהָשִׁיב עַל אֶפִּיקוֹרְסִית שֶׁבְּלִבּוֹ וְכוּ׳ כַּנַּ״ל.
6The tikkun for this, to merit opening the mind and revealing the pathways of the intellect, is through study of the rulings of Jewish law. One then merits peace, and the machloket—the dispute in the heart caused by one’s yetzer hara, such that the heart is plagued with denial and heresy—is eliminated. Moreover, through the daat a person acquires by studying the rulings of Jewish law, he merits knowing how to answer the heresy in his heart, as discussed above.
זוּבִשְׁבִיל זֶה צְרִיכִין לְהִתְגַּבֵּר לָקוּם בַּחֲצוֹת לַיְלָה, כִּי יוֹם וְלַיְלָה שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת אוֹר וְחשֶׁךְ, הֵם בְּחִינַת דַּעַת וּכְסִילוּת שֶׁהוּא הַסְתָּרַת הַיְּדִיעָה, כַּמְבֹאָר בְּדִבְרֵי רַבֵּנוּ זַ״ל בְּהַתּוֹרָה ״דִּרְשׁוּ וְכוּ׳״ (סימן לז), שֶׁהַדַּעַת הוּא בְּחִינַת אוֹר, וְהַכְּסִילוּת, בְּחִינַת הַסְתָּרַת הַיְּדִיעָה, הוּא בְּחִינַת חֹשֶׁךְ, כִּי הַחֹשֶׁךְ נִמְשָׁךְ מֵחֶשְׁכַּת הַדַּעַת, שֶׁהוּא הַסְתָּרַת הַיְּדִיעָה, שֶׁמִּשָּׁם נִמְשָׁכִין אֵלּוּ הַקֻּשְׁיוֹת הַנַּ״ל.
7Reb Noson now explains that the darkness of night symbolizes the concealment of daat.For the truth is that everyone has a bit of heresy in his heart. This is why a person needs to strengthen himself to rise at midnight. For day and night, with respect to their characteristics of light and darkness, represent daat and foolish ignorance, namely the concealment of knowledge. Rebbe Nachman explains this in the lesson Dirshu,39 that daat corresponds to the revelation of light, whereas foolish ignorance, being the concealment of knowledge, corresponds to darkness. For the physical darkness of night stems from the darkening of daat, the concealment of the knowledge one must have of HaShem’s Immanence, from whence the heretical questions of emunah derive.
חכּיִ אִיתָא בּזַּהַֹר (עין בסדור קול יעקב הנהגת הלילה): ״כַּד פָּרִישׂ לֵילְיָא גַדְפָהָא, אֲזַי מִסְתַּתְּמִין תַּרְעִין דְּגַן עֵדֶן, וְנִימוּסֵי גַרְדוּנִין נָפְקִין בְּעָלְמָא, וְעָלְמָא אִתְנַהֵג עַל יְדָא דְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא״.
8This idea, that night suggests spiritual darkness and heresy, is brought in the Zohar: “When night spreads its wings, the gates of Gan Eden close shut. The forces of darkness40 I, 203b, that when night falls, the forces of darkness sent to execute harmful decrees are given free rein to spread dinim, elements of judgments, across the world. When day breaks, they return to their places. are released into the world, and the world is then governed through the Matron.”41 14:4), and so the Divine persona of Malkhut, the source of Jewish souls, is also called the Matron and Holy Queen. Being the lowest of the sefirot, Malkhut interfaces between the Supernal Worlds and this lower world of corporeality, and thus serves as the agent between HaShem and man. This agency is depicted in the following passage from the Zohar (II, 51a) on the relationship between the Holy King (HaKadosh Barukh Hu) and His Queen (the Shekhinah / Malkhut): “Every mission that the King wishes issues from the house of the Matron. Every mission from below to the King ascends first to the house of the Matron, and from there to the King. Thus the Matron is the agent of all, from above to below and from below to above.” Consequently, a world, a time, or a situation governed by the Matron is one that calls for emunah rather than daat.
טהַיְנוּ כִּי בַּלַּיְלָה אָז מִתְגַּבֵּר הַחֹשֶׁךְ, שֶׁהוּא הֶעְדֵר הַדַּעַת, שֶׁהוּא סְתִימַת תַּרְעִין דְּגַן עֵדֶן, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת שְׁבִילֵי הַשֵּׂכֶל, וְאָז נִימוּסֵי גַרְדוּנִין נַפְקִין בְּעָלְמָא, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת הַדִּינִים וְהַקְּלִפּוֹת, שֶׁעִקַּר אֲחִיזָתָם בִּכְפִירוֹת וְקֻשְׁיוֹת הַנִּמְשָׁכִין עַל־יְדֵי הִסְתַּלְּקוּת הַדַּעַת בַּלַּיְלָה, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת סְתִימַת תַּרְעִין דְּגַן עֵדֶן כַּיָּדוּעַ, וְכַנַּ״ל.
9As we understand it, this means that at night spiritual darkness becomes overpowering. This is the absence of daat, the shutting of the gates of Gan Eden, which are the gates and pathways of the intellect.42). Of the four planes of existence (spiritual, mental, emotional and physical), Beriah corresponds to the mental plane and the mind’s mochin, mental faculties. Hence Reb Noson’s link here between the gates of Gan Eden and the pathways of the intellect. This is when “the forces of darkness are released into the world.” These forces signify dinim and kelipot, the forces of judgment and evil. Their hold is primarily through the heresies and questions that arise due to the departure of daat at night, which corresponds to the closing of the gates of Gan Eden.43, Drushei HaLailah 3, where the Arizal teaches that at night the mochin depart entirely. In context here, these are the pathways of the intellect, the gates of Gan Eden that close shut.
יוּכְדֵין ״עַלְמָא אִתְנַהֵג עַל־יְדָא דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא״, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת הַמַּלְכָּה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת הָאֱמוּנָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה, כִּי בַּלַיְלָה, בְּעֵת הַחֹשֶׁךְ, הִסְתַּלְּקוּת הַדַּעַת, אָז צְרִיכִין לְהִתְחַזֵּק רַק בֶּאֱמוּנָה לְבַד, שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת מַלְכוּת, בְּחִינַת מַטְרוֹנִיתָא הַנַּ״ל, וְזֶה בְּחִינַת (תהלים צב, ג): ״וֶאֱמוּנָתְךָ בַּלֵּילוֹת״, וְכַמּוּבָא בְּדִבְרֵי רַבֵּנוּ זַ״ל בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר (בלקוטי מוהר״ן חלק א׳ סימן לה), עַיֵּן שָׁם.
10“And then, at night, the world is governed through the Matron,”44 I, 20b and Matok MiDevash there. The Torah relates that HaShem set two great luminaries in the sky to light up the earth and “to have dominion by day and night” (Bereishit 1:18). Commenting on this verse, the Zohar teaches that dominion of the day belongs to Man (Ze’ir Anpin), and dominion of the night belongs to Woman (Malkhut/the Matron). namely the spiritual aspect of sovereignty, “the Holy Queen,” which corresponds to holy emunah. For at night, at the time of darkness—with the departure of daat—a person has to strengthen himself exclusively with emunah. Earlier we saw that emunah is identified with Malkhut,45 the sefirah of Sovereignty, corresponding to the Matron. This is the idea expressed in “your emunah in the nights”—that to survive the darkness, a person must rest his mind and instead rely solely on his emunah in HaShem46, that it refers to a person’s emunah in HaShem’s faithfulness (cf. §1 and note 28 above).—as the Rebbe discusses elsewhere. Study there.47
יאוְזֶהוּ בְּחִינַת הַשֵּׁנָה שֶׁבַּלַּיְלָה, כִּי בַּלַּיְלָה אָז נִמְשַׁךְ הַחֹשֶׁךְ בָּעוֹלָם, וְעִקַּר הַחשֶׁךְ נִמְשַׁךְ מֵהַחֹשֶׁךְ הָעֶלְיוֹן, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת עֹמֶק הַמֻּשָּׁג, בְּחִינַת (תהלים יח, יב): ״יָשֶׁת חֹשֶׁךְ סִתְרוֹ״, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת הַקֻּשְׁיוֹת שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְיַשְּׁבָן, וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לִמְצֹא עֲלֵיהֶם תֵּרוּץ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה בְּשׁוּם אֹפֶן. שֶׁאֵלּוּ הַקֻּשְׁיוֹת הֵם בְּחִינַת חֹשֶׁךְ הַמַּסְתִּירִין הִתְגַּלּוּת אֱלֹקוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ. וְזֶה הַחֹשֶׁךְ אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְסַלֵּק עַל־יְדֵי שׁוּם דַּעַת כִּי אִם עַל־יְדֵי אֱמוּנָה לְבַד כַּנַּ״ל, כִּי אִי אֶפְשָׁר לִמְצֹא תֵּרוּץ עַל אֵלּוּ הַקֻּשְׁיוֹת, וּצְרִיכִין לִסְמֹךְ רַק עַל אֱמוּנָה לְבַד כַּנַּ״ל.
11After clarifying that the darkness of night alludes to the darkening of daat and so to the heretical questions that undermine faith, Reb Noson addresses the spiritual dimension of sleep and its connection to emunah.Now, this idea of total reliance on emunah at night relates to nighttime sleep. For at night darkness is drawn into the world. The primary source of this darkness is Supernal Darkness, which signifies the depth of the matter. It indicates that Divine daat is deep and very distant from us,48 as expressed in “He made darkness His concealment.” HaShem’s “concealment” alludes to the questions that are impossible to answer, and for which it is absolutely impossible to find a solution in this world. For these questions are an aspect of darkness, in that they conceal the revelation of His Godliness. And it is impossible to remove this darkness by means of any daat, but solely by means of emunah, since it is impossible to find an answer for these questions. Instead, we need to rely on emunah alone.
יבוְזֶהוּ בְּחִינַת שֵׁנָה שֶׁל לַיְלָה, כִּי שֵׁנָה הוּא בְּחִינַת הִסְתַּלְּקוּת הַדַּעַת. וְאָז בִּשְׁעַת שֵׁנָה נִכְנַס הַדַּעַת לְתוֹךְ אֱמוּנָה וְנִתְחַדֵּשׁ שָׁם, בִּבְחִינַת: ״חֲדָשִׁים לַבְּקָרִים רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶךָ״, כַּמְבֹאָר בְּדִבְרֵי רַבֵּנוּ זַ״ל בְּהַתּוֹרָה ״אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם וְכוּ׳״ (בלקוטי מוהר״ן חלק א׳ סימן לה), עַיֵּן שָׁם.
12Thus this relates to nighttime sleep, since sleep indicates the departure of daat. During sleep the mind is at rest, and so daat then enters the realm of emunah and becomes renewed there. This is the meaning of “They are renewed in the mornings; your emunah is great,” as Rebbe Nachman explains in the lesson Ashrei HaAm. Study his words there.49 (I, 213b) that from this verse we learn that when man’s intellect—which he equates there with the soul— is overtaxed, sleep refreshes and renews it.
יגהַיְנוּ בִּשְׁעַת חֶשְׁכַּת לַיְלָה, דְּהַיְנוּ כְּשֶׁמַּתְחִילִין לִשְׁלוֹט בָּעוֹלָם אֵלּוּ הַקְּלִפּוֹת וְהַכְּפִירוֹת וְהַקֻּשְׁיוֹת שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְיַשְּׁבָן, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת חֶשְׁכַּת לַיְלָה, אָז צְרִיכִין לְשֵׁנָה, שֶׁהִיא תִּקוּן וְנַיְחָא לַמֹּחִין, כִּי אָז צְרִיכִין לְסַלֵּק דַּעְתּוֹ לְגַמְרֵי, שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת שֵׁנָה, הִסְתַּלְּקוּת הַדַּעַת, וְלִסְמֹךְ רַק עַל אֱמוּנָה לְבַד.
13In other words, sleep possesses a spiritual dimension linking it to the darkness of night, when the forces of darkness begin to rule the world. These forces are the kelipot, heresies and insolvable questions associated with the darkness of night. One must sleep at that time, because sleep is a tikkun and a rest for the mochin, the mental faculties. For then, with the onset of night, a person needs to completely remove his daat—this is the idea of sleep being the departure of daat—and rely solely on emunah.
ידשֶׁזֶּהוּ עִקַּר בְּחִינַת שֵׁנָה שֶׁמְּסַלְּקִין אָז הַדַּעַת לְגַמְרֵי וְסוֹמְכִין רַק עַל אֱמוּנָה, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת קַבָּלַת עוֹל מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם שֶׁמְּקַבְּלִין עַל עַצְמָן קֹדֶם הַשֵּׁנָה עַל־יְדֵי קְרִיאַת־שְׁמַע שֶׁעַל הַמִּטָּה, שֶׁהוּא אֱמוּנַת הַיִּחוּד, כִּי בִּשְׁעַת שֵׁנָה נִכְנָסִין הַמֹּחִין לְתוֹךְ אֱמוּנָה, כִּי כְּנֶגֶד אֵלּוּ הַקֻּשְׁיוֹת שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְיַשְּׁבָן, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת תֹּקֶף הַחֹשֶׁךְ שֶׁל לַיְלָה, שָׁם צְרִיכִין לְסַלֵּק דַּעְתּוֹ לְגַמְרֵי בִּבְחִינַת שֵׁנָה מַמָּשׁ, וְלִסְמֹךְ רַק עַל אֱמוּנָה לְבַד.
14For this is the fundamental purpose of sleep: that we completely remove daat at that time, and rely solely on emunah. This is the idea behind “accepting the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven” before sleep. We do this by reciting Kriat Shema al HaMitah, through which we declare our emunah in HaShem’s sovereignty and absolute unity. Affirming our submission to HaShem and releasing our souls into His care are necessary then because at the time of sleep the mochin enter into emunah. For in the face of those questions that are impossible to answer—which correspond to the power of the darkness of night—there we need to completely release and remove our daat, as in actual sleep, and rely solely on emunah.