Chasidut · Breslov
Likutei Halakhot, Orach Chaim, Laws of Morning Conduct 4:13/ליקוטי הלכות·
אוזְֶה בְּחִינַת (משלי ו, כג): ״כִּי נֵר מִצְוָה וְתוֹרָה אוֹר, וְדֶרֶךְ חַיִּים תּוֹכְחוֹת מוּסָר״. כִּי מְבֹאָר שָׁם בְּהַתּוֹרָה הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי הַתּוֹכֵחָה מִתְגַּלֶּה הַחֶסֶד, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נִתְתַּקֵּן הַמַּלְכוּת חָכְמָה תַּתָּאָה, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה זוֹכִין לְהַשָּׂגוֹת אֱלֹקוּת, עַיֵּן שָׁם, כִּי עַל־יְדֵי הַחֶסֶד חוֹתְכִין אוֹתָהּ מֵהָאַרְבַּע מַלְכֻיּוֹת וּמְחַיִּין אוֹתָהּ מֵאוֹר הַפָּנִים וְכוּ׳.
1A MITZVAH IS A CANDLE, TORAH IS LIGHTReb Noson next shows that the Torah, synonymous with light, represents perceptions of Godliness; while the mitzvot, synonymous with a candle, the containment of light in physicality, represent the constrictions needed in order to reveal those perceptions.Meriting a perception of Godliness through constrictions is also alluded to in the verse “For a mitzvah is a candle and Torah is light; and moral rebuke is the path of life.” As explained there in Rebbe Nachman’s lesson, chesed is revealed through rebuke. This in turn causes Malkhut/lower wisdom to be rectified and we thereby merit perceptions of Godliness. Study the Rebbe’s words there, that through chesed we sever Malkhut from the Four Kingdoms and animate it with life from the Ohr HaPanim.101 This enables us to merit such perception.
בוְזֶהוּ ״כִּי נֵר מִצְוָה וְתוֹרָה אוֹר״ – זֶה בְּחִינַת הַשָּׂגַת אֱלֹקוּת עַל־יְדֵי הַצִּמְצוּמִים, שֶׁמִּשָּׁם כָּל הָאוֹרוֹת וְהַדְלָקַת כָּל הַנֵּרוֹת הַקְּדוֹשִׁים כַּנַּ״ל, שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת נֵר חֲנֻכָּה כַּנַּ״ל. וְזֶה זוֹכִין עַל־יְדֵי ״וְדֶרֶךְ חַיִּים תּוֹכְחוֹת מוּסָר״; הַיְנוּ עַל־יְדֵי תּוֹכַחַת מוּסָר, בְּחִינַת תּוֹכֵחָה הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה זוֹכִין לְחֶסֶד כַּנַּ״ל, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה יְכוֹלִין לְהַחֲיוֹת אֶת הַמַּלְכוּת כַּנַּ״ל.
2This is the meaning of “For a mitzvah is a candle and Torah is light.” This alludes to attaining a perception of Godliness by means of constrictions, from which all lights and kindling of all holy candles—the concept of “Chanukah candles”—derive. We merit this through “moral rebuke is the path of life.” In other words, through “moral rebuke,” the aforementioned rebuke by the tzaddik, we merit chesed and so are able to invigorate Malkhut.
גוְזֶהוּ ״וְדֶרֶךְ חַיִּים תּוֹכְחוֹת מוּסָר״ – שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי תּוֹכַחַת מוּסָר מַמְשִׁיכִין חַיִּים לְהַחֲיוֹת הַמַּלְכוּת, חָכְמָה תַּתָּאָה הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה זוֹכִין לְהַשָּׂגַת אֱלֹקוּת עַל־יְדֵי הַצִּמְצוּמִים, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת ״כִּי נֵר מִצְוָה וְתוֹרָה אוֹר״, כַּנַּ״ל.
3And this is the meaning of “moral rebuke is the path of life.” By means of moral rebuke we draw the Ohr HaPanim, which is called “life,” in order to infuse vitality into Malkhut/lower wisdom. Through this we merit attaining a perception of Godliness via constrictions, as expressed in “a mitzvah is a candle and Torah is light.”
דוְזֶהוּ שֶׁמְּכַנֶּה אֶת הַמִּצְוָה בְּשֵׁם ״נֵר״, וְהַתּוֹרָה בְּשֵׁם ״אוֹר״, כִּי אַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁהַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוָה שְׁנֵיהֶם הֵם בְּחִינַת צִמְצוּמִים לְהַשָּׂגַת אֱלֹקוּת כַּנַּ״ל, אֲבָל גַּם בְּעִנְיַן הַצִּמְצוּמִים וְהַשִּׂכְלִיִּים יֵשׁ גַּם כֵּן כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה בְּחִינוֹת, כִּי צְרִיכִין לְהָאִיר מִשֵּׂכֶל לְשֵׂכֶל וּמִצִּמְצוּם לְצִמְצוּם כַּמּוּבָן שָׁם. וְעַל־כֵּן הַתּוֹרָה לְגַבֵּי הַמִּצְוָה הִיא בִּבְחִינַת אוֹר לְגַבֵּי נֵר, כִּי צְרִיכִין כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה צִמְצוּמִים וְשִׂכְלִיִּים כְּדֵי לִזְכּוֹת לְהַשָּׂגוֹת אֱלֹקוּת, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת אוֹר וְנֵר שֶׁמְּאִירִין לָאָדָם מַה שֶּׁמְּאִירִין, אַשְׁרֵי הַזּוֹכֶה לָהֶם.
4This is why Scripture identifies a mitzvah as a “candle,” a lesser illumination, and Torah as “light,” a greater illumination. This nomenclature conveys that although both the Torah and the mitzvah are considered constrictions for perceiving Godliness, there are many, many aspects and different levels when it comes to constrictions and conceptualizations. For we have to radiate Divine wisdom downwards, from conceptualization to conceptualization and from constriction to constriction. Therefore the Torah relative to the mitzvah is like light relative to a candle, because so many levels of constrictions and conceptualizations are needed in order to attain perceptions of Godliness, which are themselves a “light” and a “candle” that illuminate a person. Fortunate is one who merits this.