Chasidut · Breslov
Likutei Halakhot, Orach Chaim, Laws of Morning Conduct 4:18/ליקוטי הלכות·
אוְזֶה שֶׁחָלַם (שם לז, ז): ״וְהִנֵּה אֲנַחְנוּ מְאַלְּמִים אֲלֻמִּים בְּתוֹךְ הַשָּׁדֶה״, שֶׁפֵּרוּשׁוֹ: קְשָׁרִים. הַיְנוּ בְּחִינַת צִמְצוּמִים הַנַּ״ל שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת קְשָׁרִים, כִּי הַצִּמְצוּם בְּחִינַת קֶשֶׁר, הַיְנוּ שֶׁכֻּלָּם הָיוּ עוֹסְקִים בָּזֶה, שֶׁהָיוּ מְאַלְּמִים אֲלֻמִּים וְעוֹשִׂים קְשָׁרִים וְצִמְצוּמִים כְּדֵי לִמְשֹׁךְ עַל יָדָם הַשָּׂגַת אֱלֹקוּת.
1YOSEF, THE TZADDIK OF VALORHere, Reb Noson expounds Yosef’s dream as alluding to his unique ability to create the constrictions that enable others to perceive Godliness. Reb Noson also shows how this is alluded to in the verses from the Book of Mishlei in praise of the “woman of valor.”This relates to what Yosef dreamed: “Look, we were binding alumim in the field,” where the explanation of the word alumim is “binds.” This signifies the concept of constrictions, which are synonymous with bindings, because a constriction is a binding. In other words, Yosef dreamed that all of the Shevatim engaged in this; they were “binding alumim” and creating bindings and constrictions in order to draw through them a perception of Godliness.
באֲבָל הַצִּמְצוּמִים וְהַכֵּלִים שֶׁל יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק עָלוּ עַל כֻּלָּם, בִּבְחִינַת (שם) ״והְִנּהֵ קָמָה אֲלמָֻּתִי וגְםַ נִצָּבָה וְכוּ׳״ – שֶׁהַקֶּשֶׁר וְהַצִּמְצוּם שֶׁלּוֹ קָמָה וְגַם נִצָּבָה לָעַד וְלָנֶצַח. ״וְהִנֵּה תְסֻבֶּינָה אֲלֻמֹּתֵיכֶם וַתִּשְׁתַּחֲוֶיןָ לַאֲלֻמָּתִי״ – שֶׁכֻּלָּם צְרִיכִין לְקַבֵּל מִמֶּנּוּ הַשָּׂגוֹת אֱלֹקוּת עַל־יְדֵי הַצִּמְצוּמִים נִפְלָאִים שֶׁעָשָׂה בְּחָכְמָתוֹ הָעֲמֻקָּה, עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁעָסַק לְקָרֵב נְפָשׁוֹת תָּמִיד, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה זָכָה, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ הַצַּדִּיקִים הַגְּדוֹלִים שֶׁעוֹסְקִין בָּזֶה – לְהַשִּׂיג הַשָּׂגוֹת אֱלֹקוּת עַל־יְדֵי הַצִּמְצוּמִים, גַּם הֵם צְרִיכִין לְקַבֵּל מִמֶּנּוּ.
2Nevertheless, Yosef HaTzaddik’s constrictions and vessels surpassed all of theirs, as in “look, my sheaf arose and even remained standing”—his binding and constriction arose and even remained standing forever and for all eternity. “And look, your sheaves encircled my sheaf and bowed down to it.” This indicates that everyone, including the Shevatim, must receive perceptions of Godliness from him, by means of the wondrous constrictions that he creates with his profound wisdom. As a result of his having constantly engaged in drawing souls near to HaShem, he merited that even the great tzaddikim who engage in attaining perceptions of Godliness via constrictions also need to receive from him.
גכִּי שֶׁלּוֹ עוֹלֶה עַל כֻּלָּם, בִּבְחִינַת (משלי לא, כט): ״רַבּוֹת בָּנוֹת עָשׂוּ חָיִל וְאַתְּ עָלִית עַל כֻּלָּנָה״, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר עַל הַצַּדִּיק הָאֱמֶת הַגָּדוֹל בְּיוֹתֵר הָעוֹסֵק לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּלִים וּלְבוּשִׁים וּלְהַמְשִׁיךְ תּוֹרָה בְּחָכְמָה אֲמִתִּית כָּזֹאת, עַד שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ לְהִתְקָרֵב הַכֹּל לְהַשֵּׁם־יִתְבָּרַךְ, שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת הַשֶּׁבַח שֶׁל ״אֵשֶׁת חַיִל וְכוּ׳״, בְּחִינַת (שם פסוק יג): ״דָּרְשָׁה צֶמֶר וּפִשְׁתִּים״ – שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת כֵּלִים וּלְבוּשִׁים לְהַשָּׂגַת אֱלֹקוּת וְכוּ׳.
3This idea that the tzaddik’s perceptions and constrictions rise above everyone else’s is expressed in “Many women have excelled, but you surpass them all.” This verse from the Book of Mishlei speaks of the greatest true tzaddik—the one who engages in creating vessels and garments, and in drawing Torah with such genuine wisdom that everyone can come closer to HaShem. This dovetails with the praise in Mishlei for the “woman of valor,” as “she looks for wool and flax” alludes to the vessels and garments required for perceiving Godliness.137 ,מצר) wool) can be rearranged to spell MeitZaR ,צמר) constriction).
דוזְֶהוּ בְּחִינַת (פסוק יד): ״הָיְתָה כָּאֳנִיּוֹת סוֹחֵר מִמֶּרְחָק וְכוּ׳, וַתָּקָם בְּעוֹד לַיְלָה וַתִּתֵּן טֶרֶף לְבֵיתָהּ וְכוּ׳״. שֶׁבְּתֹקֶף חֶשְׁכַּת לֵיל הַגָּלוּת שֶׁל נַפְשׁוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל הִיא נוֹתֶנֶת לָהֶם טֶרֶף וְכוּ׳. וְכֵן הוֹלֵךְ וְסוֹבֵב כָּל הַשֶּׁבַח הַקָּדוֹשׁ הַזֶּה.
4This connection to the tzaddik is also expressed in “She is like the merchant ships, [bringing her food] from afar. She rises while it is still night and provides food for her household.” This means that in the deepest darkness of the night of exile for Jewish souls, she provides them with food—that is, the tzaddik provides them with perceptions of Godliness. And so on for the rest of the holy praise in Mishlei for the “woman of valor”/tzaddik.
הוזְֶה בְּחִינַת (פסוק כג): ״נוֹדָע בַּשְּׁעָרִים בַּעְלָהּ״ – שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת ״שִׁעוּרִין דְּאַתְוָון דְּאוֹרַיְתָא״ (תקוני זהר דף קכב.), הַיְנוּ בְּחִינַת צִמְצוּמִים הַנַּ״ל שֶׁהוּא מַמְשִׁיךְ בְּחָכְמָתוֹ, עַל יָדָם נוֹדָע הַשֵּׁם־יִתְבָּרַךְ בָּעוֹלָם, בְּחִינַת ״נוֹדָע בַּשְּׁעָרִים בַּעְלָהּ וְכוּ׳״.
5This also relates to “Her husband is renowned in the she’arim.” The word she’arim alludes to the “shiurim, measurements, of the letters of Torah.”138 This signifies the idea of constrictions of the Torah as manifested in its letters, which the tzaddik draws with his wisdom. By dint of these constrictions, HaShem, “Her Husband,” is renowned in the world. This then is the meaning of “Her husband is renowned in the she’arim”—Her Husband is known through the constrictions, i.e. the shiurim of the letters.
ווְזֶהוּ: ״פִּיהָ פָּתְחָה בְּחָכְמָה וְתוֹרַת חֶסֶד עַל לְשׁוֹנָהּ״, וְדָרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זַ״ל (סוטה מט:): ״זֶה הַלּוֹמֵד תּוֹרָה עַל מְנַת לְלַמְּדָהּ״, הַיְנוּ כַּנַּ״ל, שֶׁמְּלַמֵּד תּוֹרָתוֹ לַאֲחֵרִים לְקָרְבָם לְהַשֵּׁם־יִתְבָּרַךְ.
6And this is “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the Torah of chesed is on her tongue.” Interpreting this homiletically, Chazal state, “This refers to the one who studies Torah in order to teach it.”139 49b. This is the tzaddik, who teaches his torah to others in order to draw them near to HaShem.
זוְזֶהוּ: ״צֹפִיָּה הֲלִיכוֹת בֵּיתָהּ״ – שֶׁצּוֹפֶה הִלּוּךְ בֵּיתוֹ אֵיךְ יִתְנַהֵג לְעוֹלָם בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁלֹּא תִכְבֶּה נֵרוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה נִשְׁאַר הַשְׁאָרַת חָכְמָתוֹ לְדוֹרֵי דּוֹרוֹת לָנֶצַח. כִּי: ״וְלֶחֶם עַצְלוּת לֹא תֹאכֵל״, כִּי לַחְמוֹ וְתוֹרָתוֹ אֵינוֹ לֶחֶם עַצְלוּת, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, כִּי הָיָה זָרִיז מְאֹד מְאֹד בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ.
7And this is “She oversees the ways of her household.” For the tzaddik oversees the ways of his household—how he should always conduct himself so that his light will never be extinguished, so that a vestige of his wisdom remains for generations to come, forever. For “she does not partake of the bread of idleness”—his bread and his torah are not “the bread of idleness,” chas ve-shalom, since the tzaddik has always been extremely alacritous in serving HaShem.
חעַל־כֵּן: ״קָמוּ בָּנֶיהָ וַיְאַשְּׁרוּהָ״ – הֵם הַתַּלְמִידִים שֶׁנִּקְרָאִים בָּנִים שֶׁקֵּרְבָם לְהַשֵּׁם־יִתְבָּרַךְ. ״בַּעְלָהּ וַיְהַלְלָהּ״ – זֶה הַשֵּׁם־יִתְבָּרַךְ, כִּי הַשֵּׁם־יִתְבָּרַךְ מַסְכִּים עַל זֶה, כִּי חָפֵץ בָּזֶה שֶׁיְּקָרֵב כֻּלָּם אֵלָיו, ״כִּי חָפֵץ חֶסֶד הוּא״. וְעַל־כֵּן: ״רַבּוֹת בָּנוֹת עָשׂוּ חָיִל וְאַתְּ עָלִית עַל כֻּלָּנָה״, וְכַנַּ״ל.
8Therefore “her children rise and laud her.” These are the students, who are called “children”—those whom the tzaddik has drawn near to HaShem. “[Also] her husband, and he praises her.” This refers to HaShem, because He approves of this devotion of the tzaddik. HaShem yearns for the tzaddik to draw everyone close to Him, “because He desires chesed.” And so HaShem praises the tzaddik, saying, “Many women have excelled, but you surpass them all.”