Chasidut · Breslov
Likutei Halakhot, Orach Chaim, Laws of Morning Conduct 5:12/ליקוטי הלכות·
אוְעַל־כֵּן הָיָה עִקַּר יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם בַּחֲצוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב שָׁם (שמות יא, ד): ״כַּחֲצֹת הַלַּיְלָה אֲנִי יוֹצֵא בְּתוֹךְ מִצְרָיִם״. כִּי עִקַּר יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם הָיָה עַל־יְדֵי מַטֵּה מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת תְּפִלָּה־בִּבְחִינַת־דִּין, בְּחִינַת (שם ז, ט): ״וְהַשְׁלֵךְ לִפְנֵי פַּרְעֹה יְהִי לְתַנִּין וְכוּ׳״, כַּנַּ״ל, עַל־כֵּן הָיָה עִקַּר יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם בַּחֲצוֹת הַלַּיְלָה, כִּי אָז מִתְעוֹרֵר כֹּחַ הַתְּפִלָּה־בִּבְחִינַת־דִּין, כַּנַּ״ל.
1WAKING REDEMPTIONEarlier Reb Noson explained that the light of redemption is drawn in the morning through the devotion of chatzot, the midnight prayer. In this vein, he explains why the redemption from Egypt occurred specifically at midnight.And because the tikkun of daat begins each time at midnight, the main Exodus from Egypt occurred at midnight, as it is written, “Around midnight, I will go out into the midst of Egypt.”104 33:3), this verse states that at midnight HaShem delivered the final plague, striking dead every firstborn in Egypt, thus effectively commencing the Exodus (see also Devarim 16:1 and Berakhot 9a). The Exodus from Egypt was achieved mainly via the staff of Moshe and Aharon, which represents the tzaddik’s judgment-prayer. This is alluded to in the words “cast it down before Pharaoh. It will become a snake.” The “staff,” signifying the prayer of din, sticks inside the throat of “Pharaoh,” the Sitra Achra, until all the swallowed holiness is redeemed.105 Thus the main Exodus from Egypt occurred at midnight, when the power of the prayer of din is awakened.106 In light of all that he has explained, Reb Noson expounds Chazal’s teaching that Moshe was unable to determine the exact moment of midnight, whereas David could.
בוְזֶה שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זַ״ל (ברכות ג:): מִכְדֵי, מֹשֶׁה לֹא יָדַע חֲצוֹת אֵימַת, דָּוִד הֵיכֵי יָדַע? אֶלָּא דָּוִד סִימָנָא הַוֵי לֵיהּ, כִּי כִּנּוֹר הָיָה תָּלוּי לְמַעְלָה מִמִּטָּתוֹ שֶׁל דָּוִד וְכוּ׳.
2And this relates to what Chazal taught regarding midnight, that since Moshe did not know when it was exactly midnight, how could David possibly know? But David had a sign, because a harp hung over David’s bed. The moment midnight arrived, the north wind would cause the harp to play, rousing David from sleep.
גכִּי בִּימֵי מֹשֶׁה עֲדַיִן לֹא נִשְׁלַם בִּשְׁלֵמוּת הַתִּקּוּן שֶׁל הַתְּפִלָּה־בִּבְחִינַת־דִּין הַנַּ״ל, וְעַל־כֵּן הָיָה עֲדַיִן אַחֲרֶיהָ גָּלוּת, וְעַל־כֵּן לֹא הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ עֲדַיִן לְכַוֵּן הֵיטֵב בְּחִינַת חֲצוֹת אֵימַת, שֶׁנִּמְשַׁךְ מֵהַתְּפִלָּה הַנַּ״ל כַּנַּ״ל.
3The explanation is that in Moshe’s time, the rectification implemented by the prayer of din, extracting holy daat from the Sitra Achra, had yet to be fully realized. Consequently, the redemption from Egypt was destined to be followed by exile, as the Sitra Achra was still in control. This is the reason Moshe did not yet know how to accurately determine the time of midnight, since the power of chatzot derives from the judgment-prayer that defeats the Sitra Achra and so elicits the revelation of daat.
דאֲבָל דָּוִד הוּא מָשִׁיחַ, שֶׁהוּא יִזְכֶּה לְזֹאת הַתְּפִלָּה בְּתַכְלִית הַשְּׁלֵמוּת, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה תִּהְיֶה הַגְּאֻלָּה שְׁלֵמָה שֶׁאֵין אַחֲרֶיהָ גָּלוּת.
4The soul of David, on the other hand, is the soul of Mashiach, the one who redeems from exile. He will merit executing this prayer of din with absolute perfection and so redeem all holiness from the Sitra Achra. Through this the redemption will be complete, followed by no further exile.
השֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת (תהלים מה, ד): ״חֲגוֹר חַרְבְּךָ עַל יָרֵךְ גִבּוֹר וְכוּ׳״, עַד ״עַמִּים תַּחְתֶּיךָ יִפְּלוּ בְּלֵב אוֹיְבֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ״. וְכֵן הַפָּסוּק (שם קי, ב): ״מַטֵה עֻזְּךָ יִשְׁלַח ה׳ מִצִּיּוֹן וְכוּ׳״, שֶׁמֵּבִיא שָׁם בְּהַתּוֹרָה הַנַּ״ל לְעִנְיַן הַתְּפִלָּה הַנַּ״ל, נֶאֱמַר עִקָּרוֹ עַל דָּוִד מָשִׁיחַ, שֶׁעָלָיו נֶאֱמַר (שם קי, א): ״נְאֻם ה׳ לַאדֹנִי שֵׁב לִימִינִי עַד אָשִׁית אֹיְבֶיךָ הֲדֹם לְרַגְלֶיךָ, מַטֵּה עֻזְּךָ וְכוּ׳״, כִּי הוּא יִגְמֹר הַגְּאֻלָּה בִּשְׁלֵמוּת, כִּי הוּא יוֹשֵב לִימִין הַשֵּׁם־יִתְבָּרַךְ, עַד יָשִׁית אוֹיְבָיו הֲדוֹם לְרַגְלָיו וְכוּ׳.
5This final redemption brought about through the might of Mashiach is referenced in “O mighty warrior, gird your sword upon your thigh,” alluding to the sword of prayer,108 until such time that “nations fall beneath you, [and your arrows pierce] the hearts of the king’s enemies.” In a similar vein, the verse “HaShem will dispatch from Tzion the staff of your strength,” which is cited in the Rebbe’s lesson in regard to prayer,109 that the master lit. ,בקרב) of strength prays in order to rule be-kerev “inside”) the Sitra Achra and flush all holiness “out of its innards” (see note 12 above). was said mainly about David-Mashiach. He is also the subject of the preceding verse, “The word of HaShem to my master: ‘Sit at My right, until I make your enemies your footstool’… the staff of your strength…” Mashiach will fully complete the redemption, for he sits at HaShem’s “right,”110 18 (s.v. davar acher shifkhi) states that in the future HaShem will reward David for his virtuous deeds by seating him to the right of the Shekhinah. the side of chesed,111 ancient], and so alludes to ,קדום] similar to KaDuM HaShem, the Holy Ancient One.) When facing east, south is on one’s right and north on one’s left (see also Rashi on Bamidbar 34:15). In Kabbalah, the right side is emblematic of Chesed and the qualities of kindness, while the left side is emblematic of Gevurah and judgment (see Charts, p. 252)., 112 can be understood as relating to the verse Reb Noson cited in §4 above regarding the song of the future: “Sing to HaShem a new song, for He has performed wonders; His [people’s] salvation He wrought by His right hand”—signifying Divine chesed. until He makes his enemies his footstool.
ווְעַל־כֵּן דָּוִד הִשִּׂיג זְמַן חֲצוֹת שֶׁהוּא מִתְעוֹרֵר עַל־יְדֵי הַתְּפִלָּה הַנַּ״ל, כַּנַּ״ל.
6Consequently, David was able to apprehend that which Moshe could not—namely the precise time of midnight, since the power of midnight is aroused through the tikkun brought about by the judgment-prayer, a tikkun David-Mashiach can implement.
זוְזֶהוּ בְּעַצְמוֹ מַה שֶׁאָמְרוּ שָׁם: ״דָּוִד כִּנּוֹר הָיָה תָּלוּי לְמַעְלָה מִמִּטָּתוֹ, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעַ חֲצוֹת לַיְלָה רוּחַ צְפוֹנִית מְנַשֶּׁבֶת בּוֹ וְהָיָה מְנַגֵּן מֵאֵלָיו״, הַיְנוּ בְּחִינַת הַנִּגּוּן הַנִּפְלָא הַמְבֹאָר שָׁם, שֶׁהוּא נִמְשַׁךְ עַל־יְדֵי הַתְּפִלָּה הַנַּ״ל כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב שָׁם. וְעַל־כֵּן הוּא מִתְעוֹרֵר עַל־יְדֵי רוּחַ צְפוֹנִית דַּיְקָא, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת גְּבוּרוֹת, בְּחִינַת הַתְּפִלָּה־בִּבְחִינַת־דִּין הַנַּ״ל.
7And this is itself the meaning of what Chazal say there: “David had a harp hung over his bed. The moment midnight arrived, the north wind would blow upon it and the harp would play of itself.” This refers to the wondrous melody of the future, which, as clarified above, is drawn through the aforementioned prayer of din.113 through the tzaddik’s judgment-prayer, by which we merit the melody and song of chiddush ha-olam of the future. This is why the song of the future is aroused specifically by means of the north wind, a manifestation of gevurot, which are characteristic of the prayer of din.114, song and music, which are identified with the Leviim (see above, p. 44 and note 54), are also conceptually associated with judgment and a prayer of din.
חוּמִשָּׁם הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ דָּוִד חֲצוֹת אֵימַת, כִּי עִקַּר בְּחִינַת חֲצוֹת, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת הִתְעוֹרְרוּת הַשֵּׁנָה, שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת הַגְּאֻלָּה, כִּי הַגָּלוּת נִקְרָא שֵׁנָה, חֶשְׁכַּת לַיְלָה, וְהַגְּאֻלָּה נִקְרָא הִתְעוֹרְרוּת הַשֵּׁנָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שם עח, סה): ״וַיִּקַץ כְּיָשֵׁן ה׳״.
8And from the melody played by the north wind, David knew when it was midnight. For the quintessential aspect of midnight is the awakening from sleep, which, as the tikkun of daat, corresponds to the final redemption, when everyone will know HaShem as He will be revealed in the future. For the exile is termed “sleep,” “the darkness of night,”115 whereas the redemption is called “waking from sleep,” as it is written, “Then God awoke like one who had been asleep.”116 and Rashi, loc. cit.).
טכָּל זֶה נִמְשָׁךְ עַל־יְדֵי הַתְּפִלָּה־בִּבְחִינַת־דִּין הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁזֶּה הַכֹּחַ מִתְעוֹרֵר בַּחֲצוֹת לַיְלָה כַּנַּ״ל, שֶׁמִּשָּׁם מִתְעוֹרֵר קוֹל הַנִּגּוּן הַנַּ״ל בַּכִּנּוֹר שֶׁל דָּוִד, עַל־יְדֵי רוּחַ צְפוֹנִית דַּיְקָא, וְעַל־כֵּן עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה דַּוְקָא הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ חֲצוֹת אֵימַת, וְהָיָה קָם וְעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה, כִּי הַכֹּל בְּחִינָה אַחַת כַּנַּ״ל.
9All this—the power to wake up from sleep and the power to arouse redemption—is drawn into the world by means of the prayer of din, namely the power awakened at midnight. From there the voice of the melody of the future is aroused to play on David’s harp, explicitly through the gevurot of the north wind. Therefore it was through this melody in particular that David knew when it was midnight. He would get up then and study Torah, since rising at midnight, reciting Tikkun Chatzot, and studying Torah are essentially one and the same concept.117