Chasidut · Breslov

Likutei Halakhot, Orach Chaim, Laws of Morning Conduct 4:3/ליקוטי הלכות·אורח חיים·הלכות השכמת הבוקר ד׳:ג׳

אוְזֶה בְּחִינַת הִתְעוֹרְרוּת הַשֵּׁנָה.

1THE BENEFIT OF SLEEPBefore explaining the devotion of strengthening oneself to rise early in the morning, Reb Noson clarifies how sleep, in the sense of removing one’s conscious intellect, plays a role in the attainment of perceptions of Godliness.And this idea, that perceptions of Godliness are attainable only through lower wisdom, is related to waking up from sleep.

בכִּי עִקַּר הַשֵּׁנָה נִמְשָׁךְ מֵחֲמַת שֶׁזֹּאת הַבְּחִינָה, שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת מַלְכוּת – הַשֵּׂכֶל הַתַּחְתּוֹן הַנַּ״ל, הִיא סְמוּכָה לַחִיצוֹנִים, כִּי הִיא מַדְרֵגָה הָאַחֲרוֹנָה שֶׁל הַקְּדֻשָּׁה, כַּיָּדוּעַ, עַל־כֵּן לִפְעָמִים הִיא נוֹפֶלֶת אֲלֵיהֶם כַּנַּ״ל, דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁנּוֹפֶלֶת לְתוֹךְ בְּחִינַת הָאַרְבַּע מַלְכֻיּוֹת, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת חָכְמוֹת חִיצוֹנִיּוֹת, שֶׁהֵם רוֹצִים לְהַמְשִׁיךְ זֶה הַשֵּׂכֶל אֲלֵיהֶם, לְהִתְגַּבֵּר עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה הַשֵּׂכֶל בְּחָכְמוֹת חִיצוֹנִיּוֹת שֶׁלָּהֶם וְכוּ׳, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב שָׁם. וַאֲזַי צְרִיכִין שֵׁנָה.

2The primary reason for sleep is to counteract the kelipot. These negative forces arise because Malkhut, namely lower intellect,²⁵) with “lower intellect” (seikhel tachton), which is the term Rebbe Nachman uses in his lesson to signify what is essentially the same thing (and see note 3 above). is adjacent to the impure extraneous forces. As is known from Kabbalah, Malkhut is the last outpost of holiness.²⁶, Malkhut functions as the boundary between all that is inherently holy and the realm of the Sitra Achra “below” it. For those who acknowledge HaShem’s kingship, Malkhut becomes the gateway into the spiritual realm, enabling them to perceive the light of Godliness. But for those who reject the yoke of Heaven, Malkhut becomes a barrier preventing their entry into the spiritual realm. On account of this Malkhut sometimes falls into their domain. It falls among the impure forces identified with the Four Kingdoms, particularly in their manifestation as extraneous wisdom. These forces seek to pull this holy lower intellect towards themselves, to gain strength by appropriating it into their extraneous wisdom, as explained there.²⁷ And so, to prevent the kelipot from overpowering the intellect, we need to completely relinquish our conscious intellect in sleep.

גהַיְנוּ כָּל זְמַן שֶׁיְּכוֹלִין לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ עִם זֶה הַשֵּׂכֶל בִּקְדֻשָּׁה, שֶׁיּוּכַל לְסַבֵּב עַל יָדוֹ לָבאֹ לְהַשָּׂגַת אֱלֹקוּת, הוּא מִצְוָה גְּדוֹלָה לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ עִמּוֹ כְּפִי מַה שֶּׁיּוּכַל – כָּל אֶחָד לְפִי עֶרְכּוֹ.

3Reb Noson now clarifies when sleep contributes to our spiritual progress and when it does not.To elaborate: As long as a person can use his intellect in a holy fashion, sleep is unnecessary. As long as he can continue to attain a perception of Godliness by indirect means—through the indirect explanations and hakdamot that constrain the highest levels of daat—it is a great mitzvah for him to use his intellect as much as he can, each person according to his spiritual level.

דאֲבָל כְּשֶׁהַשֵּׂכֶל מַתְחִיל לִפּוֹל, וּמִתְגַּבְּרִים עָלָיו בִּלְבּוּלִים, שֶׁזֶּה נִמְשָׁךְ מִבְּחִינָה הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁבְּחִינַת הַחָכְמוֹת חִיצוֹנִיּוֹת שֶׁהֵם הָאַרְבַּע מַלְכֻיּוֹת רוֹצִים לְהִתְגַּבֵּר לְהַמְשִׁיךְ זֶה הַשֵּׂכֶל אֲלֵיהֶם, אָז צְרִיכִים לִישַׁן, שֶׁהוּא הִסְתַּלְּקוּת הַדַּעַת, דְּהַיְנוּ לְסַלֵּק דַּעְתּוֹ לְגַמְרֵי, וּמִשָּׁם עִקַּר בְּחִינַת הַשֵּׁנָה.

4But when the intellect begins to decline and confusing thoughts overwhelm a person, sleep becomes absolutely necessary. This confusion is caused by the aforementioned element of extraneous wisdom, namely the Four Kingdoms that seek to gain power by pulling this holy intellect towards themselves. A person must sleep then, for sleep is the departure of daat. He must completely relinquish his daat, this being the fundamental element of sleep.²⁸.

הוְעַל־כֵּן בִּשְׁעַת שֵׁנָה, הַנְּשָׁמָה, שֶׁהִיא הַשֵּׂכֶל, בָּאָה בְּתוֹךְ אֱמוּנָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (איכה ג, כג): ״חֲדָשִׁים לַבְּקָרִים רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶךָ״, כִּי אָז צְרִיכִים לְסַלֵּק הַשֵּׂכֶל לְגַמְרֵי וְלִסְמֹךְ רַק עַל אֱמוּנָה לְבַד.

5Reb Noson explains how a person must give up his intellect for emunah, faith in HaShem, at the time of sleep, and how this emunah then protects him while he sleeps.And this is why during sleep the neshamah, which is the higher intellect, enters into emunah. This is as in the verse “They are new in the mornings; your emunah is great,” alluding to the emunah of the person himself.²⁹” refers to HaShem’s faithfulness. Reb Noson’s reading here follows Rebbe Nachman’s reading of this verse in LM I, 62:5, as referring to a person’s faith emerging anew each morning. Emunah is renewed every morning as a result of the intellect’s inclusion into it during the preceding night. This inclusion is necessary because at the time of increased confusion, a person must completely set aside his intellect and rely solely on emunah.

ווְעַל־כֵּן בִּשְׁעַת שֵׁנָה – סִטְרָא דְמוֹתָא שַׁלִּיט, כַּמּוּבָא בַּזֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ (במדבר קיט.). כִּי אָז מִסְתַּלֵּק הַחַיִּים שֶׁנִּמְשָׁךְ מֵאוֹר הַפָּנִים, וּמִתְגַּבְּרִים בְּחִינַת הָאַרְבַּע מַלְכֻיּוֹת שֶׁהֵם סִטְרָא דְמוֹתָא. וְאָז עִקַּר הַקִּיּוּם עַל־יְדֵי אֱמוּנָה, עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁקּוֹרִין קְרִיאַת־שְׁמַע שֶׁעַל הַמִּטָּה בְּכַוָּנָה, שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת אֱמוּנָה.

6And so during sleep the power of death holds sway, as cited in the holy Zohar.³⁰ I, 207b; see also above, p. 91, note 32. For at that time, the vitality drawn from the Ohr HaPanim to invigorate lower wisdom³¹ disappears, and the Four Kingdoms/extraneous wisdom, which are associated with the power of death, take control. Thus at that time, with higher and lower wisdom concealed, the world exists mainly through emunah—on the strength of our reciting Kriat Shema al HaMitah, a declaration of our emunah in HaShem’s absolute unity, with kavanah, focused intent.

זכִּי בְּעֵת שֶׁחָכְמוֹת חִיצוֹנִיּוֹת, שֶׁהֵם כְּלַל כָּל מִינֵי בִּלְבּוּלִים שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְכָל אָדָם שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם, וְכָל הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת רָעוֹת וְזָרִים וְהִרְהוּרִים וְרַעְיוֹנִים רָעִים, שֶׁכֻּלָּם נִמְשָׁכִין מִבְּחִינַת הַקְּלִפּוֹת, שֶׁהֵם הָאַרְבַּע מַלְכֻיּוֹת, שֶׁהֵם חָכְמוֹת חִיצוֹנִיּוֹת, כְּשֶׁהֵם מַתְחִילִים לְהִתְגַּבֵּר עַל הַשֵּׂכֶל, אֲזַי צְרִיכִין לְסַלֵּק הַדַּעַת לְגַמְרֵי וְלִסְמֹךְ עַל אֱמוּנָה. שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת שֵׁנָה, שֶׁהוּא הִסְתַּלְּקוּת הַדַּעַת, שֶׁאָז בָּאָה הַנְּשָׁמָה בְּתוֹךְ אֱמוּנָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר (לקוטי מוהר״ן חלק א׳ סימן לה).

7Thus sleep is necessary whenever the influence of extraneous wisdom increases. This wisdom includes all the many kinds of mental confusion that everyone in the world experiences at one time or another, all the negative and strange thoughts, untoward musings and ideas. All these derive from that aspect of the kelipot that is the Four Kingdoms/extraneous wisdom. When this wisdom, in any of its manifestations, begins to overwhelm the intellect, one must completely remove daat and rely on emunah. This is the reason for sleep, which is the departure of daat, when the neshamah, namely the intellect, enters into emunah, as explained elsewhere.³²

חוְאַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁהַשֵּׁנָה הִיא טוֹבָה גְּדוֹלָה, אֲבָל צְרִיכִין לְהִתְגַּבֵּר שֶׁלֹּא יִישַׁן יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי, וְעַל־כֵּן צְרִיכִין לְהִתְגַּבֵּר כַּאֲרִי לַעֲמֹד בַּבֹּקֶר – לְשַׁבֵּר הַשֵּׁנָה, וְלַעֲסֹק בְּתוֹרָה וּתְפִלָּה, כְּדֵי לַחְתּוֹךְ וּלְהַעֲלוֹת אֶת הַמַּלְכוּת חָכְמָה תַּתָּאָה מֵהֶם, כְּדֵי לִזְכּוֹת עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה לְהַשָּׂגוֹת אֱלֹקוּת כַּנַּ״ל.

8Reb Noson now concludes his explanation of the importance of strengthening oneself to rise early in the morning, and why Rama juxtaposes this law with the verse “I set HaShem before me always.”Now, even though sleep is of great benefit in preventing the reinforcement of the kelipot, one must nevertheless be strong-willed to avoid sleeping too much. For the goal is not to suppress the intellect, but to expand it with perceptions of Godliness. To this end, a person needs “to strengthen himself like a lion to rise up in the morning.” He must break the grip of sleep and rise to engage in Torah study and prayer. This in order to sever and elevate Malkhut/lower wisdom from the Four Kingdoms/extraneous wisdom and thereby merit attaining perceptions of Godliness.

טוְזֶה (הַגָּ״ה): ״שִׁוִּיתִי ה׳ לְנֶגְדִּי תָמִיד״ – שֶׁיִּזְכֶּה לְהַכִּיר אֶת הַשֵּׁם־יִתְבָּרַךְ, דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁיַּשִּׂיג אֱלֹקוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, עַד שֶׁיְּשַׁוֶּה אוֹתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ לְנֶגְדּוֹ תָמִיד, וְלֹא יִשְׁכַּח אוֹתוֹ כְּרֶגַע.

9This is why the gloss “I set HaShem before me always” immediately follows the opening statement in the Shulchan Arukh that one should strengthen himself to get up early in the morning. The purpose of strengthening is so he will merit awareness of HaShem—that is, attaining perceptions of His Godliness—to the extent that he is ever mindful of HaShem’s presence, not forgetting Him for a moment.