Chasidut · Breslov
Likutei Halakhot, Orach Chaim, Laws of Morning Conduct 4:14/ליקוטי הלכות·
אוְזֶה בְּחִינַת מִצְוַת בִּקּוּר חוֹלִים, כִּי צְרִיכִין לְבַקֵּר אֶת הַחוֹלֶה וּלְהַסְבִּיר לוֹ פָּנִים, דְּהַיְנוּ מַה שֶּׁבְּנֵי אָדָם נִכְנָסִין אֶצְלוֹ וּמְפַקְּחִין עַל עֲסָקָיו וְעוֹשִׂין לוֹ כָּל צְרָכָיו, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּשֻׁלְחָן עָרוּךְ (יורה דעה סימן שלה, סעיף ח׳). שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת הֶאָרַת פָּנִים, כִּי אֵין מַסְתִּירִים פְּנֵיהֶם מִמֶּנּוּ, וְאֵינָם נִטְמָנִים בְּבָתֵּיהֶם, רַק בָּאִים אֵלָיו וְעוֹשִׂין לוֹ צְרָכָיו וּמְדַבְּרִין עַל לִבּוֹ, שֶׁכָּל זֶה בְּחִינַת הֶאָרַת פָּנִים. וְעַל־ יְדֵי־זֶה מַמְשִׁיכִין עָלָיו חִיּוּת מִבְּחִינַת הֶאָרַת פָּנִים שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה, שֶׁמִּשָּׁם עִקַּר הַחִיּוּת לְהַחֲיוֹת אֶת הַחוֹלֶה, בִּבְחִינַת (משלי טז, טו): ״בְּאוֹר פְּנֵי מֶלֶךְ חַיִּים״, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּהַתּוֹרָה הַנַּ״ל.
1VISITING THE SICKHaving earlier explained that the defining feature of the exalted light of Chanukah is its power to illuminate even those on the lowest levels with perceptions of Godliness (see §10 and §11), Reb Noson shows how this idea connects with visiting the sick. Chazal teach that the light of the Shekhinah appears above the head of the sick person. Reb Noson likens the Shekhinah’s light to the light of the tzaddik that illuminates the spiritually ill.This also relates to the mitzvah of visiting the sick. We are required to visit the sick person and show him a cheerful countenance. In practice, this means that people should call on him, help supervise his affairs, and see to all his needs, as stated in the Shulchan Arukh.102 335:1-8; Tur, ibid. This is the concept of an “illumination of the panim.” People do not hide their panim from him or seclude themselves in their homes, but instead visit him, tend to his needs, and chat with him. All this is termed an “illumination of the panim.” In this way, they invest him with new life, drawing from the dimension of the illumination of the Supernal Panim. For the vitality that gives life to the sick comes mainly from there, as in the verse cited in the Rebbe’s lesson, “In the Light of the Panim of the King there is life.”103. As explained in note 55 there, this refers to light from the highest sefirah, Keter.
בוְעַל־כֵּן: ״שְׁכִינָה לְמַעְלָה מְרַאֲשׁוֹתָיו שֶׁל חוֹלֶה (שבת יב:), כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (תהלים מא, ד): ה׳ יִסְעָדֶנוּ עַל עֶרֶשׂ דְּוָי, כָּל מִשְׁכָּבוֹ הָפַכְתָּ וְכוּ׳״. הַיְנוּ בְּחִינָה הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁדַּיְקָא מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהוּא חוֹלֶה, עַל־כֵּן נִמְשָׁךְ עָלָיו אוֹר הַשְּׁכִינָה, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת אוֹר הַצַּדִּיק הָאֱמֶת שֶׁמַּשְׁגִּיחַ עַל כָּל הַחוֹלִים וּבִפְרָט עַל הַחוֹלִים בְּיוֹתֵר, שֶׁהֵם בִּבְחִינַת ״כָּל מִשְׁכָּבוֹ נֶהְפַּךְ בְּחָלְיוֹ״, שֶׁעֲלֵיהֶם מְפַקֵּחַ בְּיוֹתֵר לְהַמְשִׁיךְ לָהֶם רְפוּאוֹת – לְהַחֲיוֹתָם בְּגַשְׁמִיּוּת וְרוּחָנִיּוּת, בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁיּוּכַל לְהָאִיר בָּהֶם הַשָּׁגוֹת אֱלֹקוּת כַּנַּ״ל, כִּי זֶה עִקַּר גְּדֻלַּת הַצַּדִּיק וּמַעֲלָתוֹ – שֶׁמִּשְׁתַּדֵּל לְרַפְּאוֹת הַחוֹלִים בְּיוֹתֵר. וְעַל־כֵּן דַּיְקָא מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהוּא חוֹלֶה וְכָל מִשְׁכָּבוֹ נֶהְפַּךְ וְכוּ׳, מֵחֲמַת זֶה דַּיְקָא הַשְּׁכִינָה לְמַעְלָה מְרַאֲשׁוֹתָיו, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת אוֹר הַצַּדִּיק, כִּי הַצַּדִּיקִים הֵם שְׁכִינָתוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם (זהר תרומה קסג:).
2Therefore Chazal teach, “The Shekhinah is present above the head of one who is ill,”104104 Shabbat 12b; Rashi on Bereishit 47:31. as expressed in the verse “HaShem will sustain him on his sickbed, [even though] You have wholly disturbed his repose…” This relates to our point above, that precisely because one is ill, the light of the Shekhinah is drawn over him. This light conceptually equates with the light of the true tzaddik who looks after all the spiritually ill, especially the most ill, who are in the category of “You have wholly disturbed his repose with his illness.” The tzaddik looks after them the most, to bring them healing and invigorate them physically and spiritually, in a manner that enables him to infuse them with perceptions of Godliness. This is the essence of the tzaddik’s greatness and his virtue: he strives to heal the most spiritually ill. And so, precisely because a person is so ill and his repose has been wholly disturbed, the Shekhinah is present above his head. This refers to the Indwelling Presence of HaShem, which is identified with the light of the tzaddik, because the tzaddikim are the shekhinah, dwelling place, of the Omnipresent One.105 (II, 163b), which teaches that seeing the panim of the tzaddik is like seeing the Panim of the Shekhinah, the Indwelling Presence of HaShem. In context here, HaShem, as the Omnipresent One (HaMakom), dwells with the tzaddik and thereby enables him to illuminate people with the Light of the Panim.
גוזְֶהוּ בְּחִינַת (בראשית יח, א): ״וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו ה׳״ – ״לְבַקֵּר אֶת הַחוֹלֶה״ (רש״י שם), כִּי דַּיְקָא מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהוּא חוֹלֶה וּצְרִיכִים לְבַקְּרוֹ, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה דַּיְקָא: ״וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו ה׳״, בְּחִינַת הַשָּׂגוֹת אֱלֹקוּת שֶׁזּוֹכִין הַחוֹלִים עַל־יְדֵי אוֹר הַצַּדִּיק שֶׁהוּא הַשְּׁכִינָה, וְכַנַּ״ל.
3This is the meaning of Rashi’s comment on the verse regarding Avraham, “‘HaShem appeared to him’—to visit the sick.” For it is precisely because one is ailing and people need to visit him that “HaShem appeared to him.” This alludes to perceptions of Godliness that the sick merit as a result of the light of the tzaddik, which is representative of the Shekhinah.
דוְזֶה בְּחִינַת חֲנֻכָּה וּפוּרִים, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת מִצְוַת בִּקּוּר חוֹלִים. כִּי הֵם יָמִים קְדוֹשִׁים וְטוֹבִים מְאֹד, וְאַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן הֵם בִּימֵי הַחוֹל, כִּי אֵינָם אֲסוּרִים בִּמְלָאכָה, וְהֵם בִּבְחִינָה הַנַּ״ל, בִּבְחִינַת הֶאָרַת הַשָּׂגוֹת אֱלֹקוּת עַל הַחוֹלִים בְּיוֹתֵר, עַל־יְדֵי גֹּדֶל כֹּחַ הַצַּדִּיק שֶׁיָּכוֹל לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּלִים וְצִמְצוּמִים נִפְלָאִים כָּאֵלֶּה וְכוּ׳, כַּנַּ״ל.
4Reb Noson next shows how Chanukah and Purim—the “exile” festivals of the Jewish people—symbolize visiting the sick and drawing the Ohr HaPanim upon ourselves and into our homes.This illumination of the sick with the light of the tzaddik relates to the revelation of light on Chanukah and Purim. These festivals are associated with the mitzvah of visiting the sick in the sense that, despite being very holy and special days, they are nevertheless “weekdays,” since they are not times when work is prohibited.106, when the melakhot, creative works, are prohibited (other than for okhel nefesh, food preparation), the festivals of Chanukah and Purim carry no such restrictions. All melakhot are permitted, as on regular weekdays when, as mentioned above (§10), Malkhut/lower wisdom cannot be elevated completely. The explanation for this is that they both possess the abovementioned characteristic— the capacity to enlighten even the most ill people with perceptions of Godliness by means of the great power of the tzaddik, who can fashion such marvelous vessels and constrictions.
הוְהוּא כְּמוֹ לְמָשָׁל: כְּשֶׁהָאָדָם בָּרִיא, בְּוַדַּאי אֵין הַמֶּלֶךְ בָּא אֶל הָאָדָם לְהַרְאוֹת לוֹ פָּנָיו, רַק כָּל מִי שֶׁרוֹצֶה לְקַבֵּל פְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וּלְהִתְעַדֵּן מֵאוֹר פָּנָיו, הוּא צָרִיךְ לְנַקּוֹת וּלְטַהֵר עַצְמוֹ יָפֶה יָפֶה, וּלְקַשֵּׁט עַצְמוֹ כָּרָאוּי, וְלִשְׁקֹד עַל דַּלְתֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ, וּלְבַקֵּשׁ מֵאֵת רוֹאֵי פְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ שֶׁיְּקַבְּלוּ רְשׁוּת שֶׁיִּכְנוֹס, וְלַעֲשׂוֹת כָּל הַתַּחְבּוּלוֹת הַשַּׁיָּכִים לָזֶה, עַד שֶׁיִּזְכֶּה לָבֹא לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ כְּפִי מַדְרֵגָתוֹ, אִם לִכְנֹס לַחֲצַר הַמֶּלֶךְ, אוֹ לַבַּיִת, אוֹ לַהֵיכָל וְכוּ׳, כְּדֵי שֶׁיָּאִיר בּוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ פָּנָיו הַמְּאִירוֹת.
5This can be explained by way of analogy. When a person is healthy, the king will certainly not go to him to show him his panim. Rather, whoever wants to greet the king and bask in the radiance of his panim must first cleanse and purify himself very well, and put on appropriate attire. Then he has to position himself at the king’s gates and beg the king’s personal guards107.” to obtain permission for him to enter. He will have to employ all the relevant strategies, until he is finally allowed to appear before the king, in accordance with his status—whether this means being granted entry to the royal courtyard, or to the palace, or to the inner chamber—so that the king should shine into him the light of his radiant panim.
ואֲבָל כְּשֶׁאֶחָד מֵאַנְשֵׁי הַמֶּלֶךְ חוֹלֶה, וּמֻטָּל עַל עֶרֶשׂ דְּוָי, רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלָן, אֲזַי כְּשֶׁנִּתְעוֹרְרִין רַחֲמֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ לְהַחֲיוֹתוֹ מֵאוֹר פָּנָיו, אֲזַי מֻכְרָח הַמֶּלֶךְ לֵילֵךְ אֶצְלוֹ לְבֵיתוֹ לְהָאִיר בּוֹ פָּנָיו וּלְהַחֲיוֹתוֹ. וְזֶה בְּחִינַת: ״שְׁכִינָה לְמַעְלָה מְרַאֲשׁוֹתָיו שֶׁל חוֹלֶה״, וְכַנַּ״ל.
6But it is a different story when one of the king’s entourage falls ill and is confined to his sickbed, may HaShem save us. Then, when the king’s compassion is aroused to revive that person with the light of his panim, the king is compelled to go visit him in his home in order to shine into him the light of his panim and revive his spirits. This is the idea that “the Shekhinah is present above the head of one who is ill.”
זוְזֶה בְּחִינַת חֲנֻכָּה וּפוּרִים, שֶׁהֵם מוֹעֲדִים קְדוֹשִׁים שֶׁנִּתְּנוּ לָנוּ לְהַחֲיוֹתֵנוּ כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה, בִּימֵי הַגָּלוּת הַמַּר, שֶׁכְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל נִקְרֵאת חוֹלָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּזֹּהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ (שמיני דף מ.), בִּבְחִינַת (שיר־השירים ב, ה): ״סַמְּכוּנִי בָּאֲשִׁישׁוֹת רַפְּדוּנִי בַּתַּפּוּחִים, כִּי חוֹלַת אַהֲבָה אָנִי״.
7This relates to Chanukah and Purim in the sense that they are holy festivals that were given to us in order to revive us until this very day—in this time of bitter exile when, as the holy Zohar writes, the Jewish people are called “sick,” as alluded to in “Sustain me [in exile] with dainty cakes, drape me in [the fragrance of] apples, for I am sick with love.”108 III, 40a.
חוּמֵעֹצֶם חֳלְיֵינוּ הַכָּבֵד – אֵין אָנוּ יְכוֹלִים לַעֲלוֹת וְלִרְאוֹת וּלְהִשְׁתַּחֲווֹת לְפָנָיו בְּשָׁלֹשׁ פַּעֲמֵי רְגָלֵינוּ לִכְנֹס לְבֵיתוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ, שֶׁהוּא הַבֵּית־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, לְקַבֵּל אוֹר הַפָּנִים, כִּי ״מִפְּנֵי חֲטָאֵינוּ גָּלִינוּ מֵאַרְצֵנוּ וְנִתְרַחַקְנוּ וְכוּ׳ וְאֵין אָנוּ יְכוֹלִים וְכוּ׳״.
8And owing to the immense severity of our spiritual illness, we are unable to make the pilgrimage, to appear and prostrate ourselves in worship before HaShem on our Shalosh Regalim. We are unable to enter His sacred House, the Beit HaMikdash, to receive the Ohr HaPanim, as we say in the Mussaf prayer for the festivals, “Because of our sins we have been exiled from our land and distanced… We are unable [to ascend to appear and to prostrate ourselves before You].”
טעַל־כֵּן חָמַל עָלֵינוּ בַּעַל הָרַחֲמִים בְּרַחֲמָיו הָעֲצוּמִים, וְהוֹסִיף לָנוּ שְׁנֵי הַיָּמִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים הָאֵלּוּ, שֶׁהֵם חֲנֻכָּה וּפוּרִים, שֶׁתִּקְּנוּ לָנוּ הַצַּדִּיקִים הַגְּדוֹלִים, שֶׁהֵם אַנְשֵׁי כְּנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה, כְּדֵי לְהַמְשִׁיךְ לָנוּ אוֹר הַפָּנִים לְתוֹךְ בֵּיתֵינוּ בְּתֹקֶף גָּלוּתֵינוּ, שֶׁיִּזְכֶּה כָּל אֶחָד בְּבֵיתוֹ בַּחֲנֻכָּה לְהַדְלִיק נֵר חֲנֻכָּה, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת אוֹר הַפָּנִים, בְּחִינַת (תהלים קד, טו): ״לְהַצְהִיל פָּנִים מִשָּׁמֶן״, שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת הַשָּׂגַת אֱלֹקוּת כַּנַּ״ל.
9And so, in His tremendous compassion, the Master of Compassion took pity on us. For our benefit He added these two holy days of Chanukah and Purim— instituted for us by the great tzaddikim, the Anshei Knesset HaGedolah—in order to draw the Ohr HaPanim upon us and into our homes, even in the depth of our exile. He did this so that on Chanukah each person, in his home, can merit kindling the Chanukah light. This light corresponds to the Ohr HaPanim, as expressed in “He brightens the panim with oil,” which alludes to a perception of Godliness.109
יוְכֵן בְּפוּרִים, כָּל אֶחָד מַמְשִׁיךְ עַל עַצְמוֹ בְּחִינַת קַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁמְּקַבְּלִין אָז בְּכָל שָׁנָה בְּתֹקֶף הַגָּלוּת, בִּבְחִינַת (אסתר ט, כז): ״קִיְּמוּ וְקִבְּלוּ״.
10The same is true regarding Purim. Each person merits drawing upon himself an aspect of the receiving of the Torah, which one does anew every year on Purim, even in the depths of exile. This renewed acceptance of the Torah is alluded to in “[The Jews] confirmed and accepted.”110 88a, where Chazal teach that in the days of Achashveirosh the Jewish people voluntarily re-accepted the Torah; they confirmed what they had long before accepted under duress when they received the Torah at Sinai.
יאוְעַל־כֵּן חֲנֻכָּה וּפוּרִים הֵם בִּבְחִינַת רַגְלִין [כִּי הֵם בְּחִינַת נֶצַח וָהוֹד (פרי עץ חיים חנכה פרק ד), שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת רַגְלִין, כַּיָּדוּעַ (תקוני זהר יז.)]. וְזֶהוּ בְּחִינַת מִצְוַת בִּקּוּר חוֹלִים שֶׁהַמִּצְוָה בָּרַגְלִין, הַיְנוּ בְּחִינָה הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁהַשֵּׁם־יִתְבָּרַךְ מְרַחֵם עָלֵינוּ וְהוֹלֵךְ לְבַקְּרֵנוּ, וּמֵאִיר לָנוּ פָּנָיו הַקְּדוֹשִׁים בְּתֹקֶף גָּלוּתֵינוּ, שֶׁאָנוּ חוֹלִים כָּאֵלֶּה, כַּאֲשֶׁר יוֹדֵעַ כָּל אֶחָד בְּנַפְשׁוֹ, וְהוּא בְּרַחֲמָיו מְבַקְּרֵנוּ, וּמְחַיֶּה אוֹתָנוּ בְּאוֹר פָּנָיו הַקְּדוֹשִׁים עַל־יְדֵי קְדֻשַּׁת הַיָּמִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים הָאֵלּוּ שֶׁנָּתַן לָנוּ, שֶׁהֵם חֲנֻכָּה וּפוּרִים, שֶׁהֵם מוֹעֲדִים קְדוֹשִׁים בִּימֵי הַחוֹל, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת יְמֵי הַגָּלוּת, שֶׁאָז אֵין בָּנוּ כֹּחַ לַעֲלוֹת אֵלָיו לְבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ לְקַבֵּל מֵאוֹר הַפָּנִים, רַק הוּא יִתְבָּרַךְ מַמְשִׁיךְ לָנוּ אוֹר הַפָּנִים לְתוֹךְ בֵּיתֵינוּ כְּדֵי לְהַחֲיוֹתֵנוּ עַל־ יְדֵי הַצַּדִּיקִים הַגְּדוֹלִים הָאֲמִתִּיִּים שֶׁבְּכָל דּוֹר שֶׁהֵם עוֹסְקִים בְּתִקּוּנֵנוּ, שֶׁהֵם מִשְׁתַּדְּלִים בְּיוֹתֵר לְהַחֲיוֹת הַחוֹלִים בְּיוֹתֵר וְכַנַּ״ל.
11Now, Kabbalah identifies Chanukah and Purim with the concept of feet,111). An editorial insert to the text here adds: Chanukah and Purim “parallel the sefirot of Netzach and Hod, which correspond to the raglin” (Tikkuney Zohar, Introduction, p. 17a; see Charts, p. 257). the lowest levels of spirituality. This corresponds to the mitzvah of visiting the sick, a mitzvah we fulfill with the feet by going to be with the sick person. And this relates to what we said above, that on Chanukah and Purim, HaShem shows us compassion. He comes to visit us and illuminates us with His holy Panim, even in the depths of our exile, for we are so spiritually ill, as each of us knows in his soul. In His mercy, He visits us and revives us with the light of His holy Panim through the sanctity of these holy days that He gave us, namely Chanukah and Purim. For these are holy festivals celebrated specifically on weekdays, which are akin to the days of exile, when we are incapable of ascending to Him, of going up to the Beit HaMikdash in order to receive the Ohr HaPanim. Rather, HaShem draws down the Ohr HaPanim to us, into our homes, so that we may be invigorated by the true and great tzaddikim in every generation who are engaged in our spiritual rectification—those who endeavor mightily to revive the most spiritually ill.