Chasidut · Breslov
Likutei Halakhot, Orach Chaim, Laws of Morning Conduct 4:5/ליקוטי הלכות·
אוְזֶה בְּחִינַת קִימַת חֲצוֹת.
1THE OHR HAPANIM AND THE BEIT HAMIKDASHHaving shown that rising early to “awaken the shachar” effects a rectification of lower wisdom, Reb Noson now explains that reciting Tikkun Chatzot invigorates Malkhut / lower wisdom with the Ohr HaPanim that shines in the Beit HaMikdash.This rectification of lower wisdom is a characteristic of rising at midnight, as will now be demonstrated.
בשֶׁצְּרִיכִין לְהִתְגַּבֵּר מְאֹד לָקוּם בַּחֲצוֹת לַיְלָה לְהִתְאַבֵּל מְאֹד עַל חֻרְבַּן בֵּית־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה עִקַּר עֲלִיַּת הַמַּלְכוּת מִן הַחִצּוֹנִים וְהַקְּלִפּוֹת הַנַּ״ל, כַּיָּדוּעַ בַּכַּוָּנוֹת (פרי עץ חיים חצות פרק א).
2For a person must strengthen himself greatly, exerting utmost willpower to rise from sleep at midnight and greatly mourn the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash. This is the primary means for elevating Malkhut from the impure extraneous forces and the kelipot, as is known from the Kavanot of the Arizal.
גכִּי כְּשֶׁמִּתְאַבֵּל עַל חֻרְבַּן בֵּית־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ כְּאִלּוּ עוֹסֵק בְּבִנְיָנוֹ, כִּי ״כָּל הַמִּתְאַבֵּל וְכוּ׳, זוֹכֶה וְרוֹאֶה בּשְִׂמחְתָהָּ״ (תענית ל.), וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה מַמְשִׁיךְ עַל עַצְמוֹ קְדֻשַּׁת הַבֵּית־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, שֶׁשָּׁם עִקַּר אוֹר הַפָּנִים שֶׁמַּמְשִׁיכִין בְּשָׁלֹשׁ רְגָלִים, שֶׁהָיוּ צְרִיכִין לַעֲלוֹת אֶל הַבֵּית־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ לִרְאוֹת אֶת פְּנֵי ה׳ כְּדֵי לְקַבֵּל אוֹר הַפָּנִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב שָׁם בְּהַתּוֹרָה הַנַּ״ל.
3Malkhut ascends through this because when one mourns over the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash, it is considered as if he is quite literally engaging in its rebuilding. Chazal expressed this in their statement “Whoever mourns [over Yerushalayim] merits to see her rejoicing.”40 30b. And through this mourning one draws upon himself the sanctity of the Beit HaMikdash, which is the primary source of the Ohr HaPanim that one draws down during the Shalosh Regalim. This is why we were required to make the pilgrimage to the Beit HaMikdash on the festivals, in order to, as written in the Torah, “see the Panim of HaShem”41 16:16 and 31:11.—in order to receive the Ohr HaPanim.42
דנִמְצָא, שֶׁעִקַּר אוֹר הַפָּנִים בְּבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, וְעַל־כֵּן צְרִיכִין לָקוּם בַּחֲצוֹת וּלְהִתְאַבֵּל מְאֹד עַל חֻרְבַּן בֵּית־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה יִזְכֶּה לְפִי בְּחִינָתוֹ לִרְאוֹת בְּשִׂמְחָתָהּ וּלְהַמְשִׁיךְ עַל עַצְמוֹ מִשָּׁם חִיּוּת מֵאוֹר הַפָּנִים שֶׁמֵּאִיר שָׁם – לְהַחֲיוֹת בְּחִינַת הַמַּלְכוּת, בְּחִינַת חָכְמָה תַּתָּאָה, כְּדֵי לִזְכּוֹת לְהַשָּׂגוֹת אֱלֹקוּת וְכַנַּ״ל.
4It follows that the Ohr HaPanim is mainly revealed in the Beit HaMikdash. Therefore one must rise at midnight and greatly mourn over its destruction. Through this he will merit, according to his spiritual level, “to see her rejoicing,” and to draw vitality upon himself from the Ohr HaPanim that shines there. With this he will be able to invigorate Malkhut/lower wisdom, in order to merit attaining perceptions of Godliness.
הוְזֶה שֶׁמַּזְכִּירִין עֲלִיַּת רְגָלִים בְּתִקּוּן חֲצוֹת, בַּמִּזְמוֹר ״כְּאַיָּל תַּעֲרֹג״ (תהלים מב), כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שם ה): ״אֵלֶּה אֶזְכְּרָה וְכוּ׳ כִּי אֶעֱבֹר בַּסָּךְ אֶדַּדֵּם עַד בֵּית אֱלֹהִים״; שֶׁהוּא מַה שֶּׁהָיוּ עוֹלִין בָּרֶגֶל לְבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרֵשׁ רַשִׁ״י שָׁם.
5This connection between mourning and the festivals is why we mention the festival pilgrimage to the Beit HaMikdash in the Tikkun Chatzot prayer, in the psalm KeAyal Taarog.43 42. The verse states, “These do I recall [and pour out my soul]: how I passed with the throng when I would walk in the procession to the House of God.” This refers to how the Jewish pilgrims would ascend to the Beit HaMikdash on the festivals, as Rashi expounds the verse there.
ווְזֶה בְּחִינַת שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים ״פָּנִים״ שֶׁמַּזְכִּירִין שָׁם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב שָׁם: ״מַה תִּשְׁתּוֹחֲחִי נַפְשִׁי וְכוּ׳ כִּי עוֹד אוֹדֶנּוּ יְשׁוּעוֹת פָּנָיו וְכוּ׳״. וְכֵן שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים (שם יב, ובמזמור מג, ה), כְּנֶגֶד שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים בַּשָּׁנָה, שֶׁהֵם הַשָּׁלֹשׁ רְגָלִים שֶׁהָיוּ עוֹלִין בָּהֶם לְקַבֵּל אוֹר הַפָּנִים, כַּנַּ״ל.
6And this is the reason that we mention the word panim three times there.44 42:6 and 12, and 43:5. Although not identical, all three verses mention the panim, which Reb Noson links here to the Ohr HaPanim. As it is written there, “Why are you downcast, my soul … for I will yet thank Him for the salvations of His Panim.” Panim is accordingly mentioned three times, corresponding to the three times of pilgrimage during the year, namely the Shalosh Regalim on which the Jewish people would ascend to receive the Ohr HaPanim.
זוְעַל־כֵּן צְרִיכִין לַעֲסֹק בַּתּוֹרָה בַּחֲצוֹת, כִּי כָּל אוֹת וְאוֹת שֶׁל הַתּוֹרָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה כֻּלָּם הֵם שִׁעוּרִים וְצִמְצוּמִים קְדוֹשִׁים לְהַשִּׂיג אֱלֹקוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב שָׁם (באות ג׳).
7Therefore after reciting Tikkun Chatzot and drawing vitality from the Ohr HaPanim, we need to now study Torah at midnight. For all the letters of the holy Torah are holy measurements and constrictions of Divine wisdom through which we are able to attain a perception of His Godliness,4545 See §3 of the Rebbe’s lesson. as the Rebbe writes there in his lesson.
חוְעַל־יְדֵי הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁעוֹסְקִין אָז בַּלַּיְלָה נִמְשָׁךְ עָלָיו חוּט שֶׁל חֶסֶד בַּיּוֹם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זַ״ל (חגיגה יב:), וְעַל־יְדֵי הַחֶסֶד הַזֶּה קוֹצְרִין וְחוֹתְכִין אֶת הַמַּלְכוּת וּבוֹנִין אוֹתָהּ בִּשְׁלֵמוּת בַּעֲלִיַּת השַַּׁחַר, בִּבְחִינַת (ישעיה טז, ה): ״וְהוּכַן בַּחֶסֶד כִּסֵּא״, כַּנַּ״ל בְּהַתּוֹרָה הַנַּ״ל (אות ו), וְכַמּוּבָן בַּכַּוָּנוֹת (פרי עץ חיים שם).
8And, as Chazal teach: Through the Torah a person studies at that time of night, “he is endowed with a touch of chesed during the day.”46 12b states, “Whoever engages in Torah study at night, HaShem endows him with (lit. ‘draws upon him a string’) of chesed during the day, as it is written, ‘By day HaShem will command His chesed, [because] in the night His song [of Torah] is with me’” (Tehillim 42:9). By means of this chesed we are able to sever and disconnect Malkhut from extraneous wisdom, and build it to perfection with the arrival of dawn. This is alluded to in the verse “A throne is established with chesed.”47, sovereignty, was firmly established because he performed many acts of kindness, as Rashi on this verse explains. In context here, this alludes to the power of chesed to invigorate Malkhut / lower wisdom. As stated in the Rebbe’s lesson and inferred from the Kavanot of the Arizal, this refers to the enthronement of Malkhut.48, Drushei HaLailah 4, where the Arizal teaches that Torah study before daybreak rectifies Malkhut.