Chasidut · Breslov
Likutei Halakhot, Orach Chaim, Laws of Morning Conduct 5:3/ליקוטי הלכות·
אוְעַל־יְדֵי הַכָּבוֹד נִמְשַׁךְ נְבוּאָה, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁכָּלוּל מִכָּל הָעֲשָׂרָה מַדְרֵגוֹת שֶׁל נְבוּאָה וְכוּ׳, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי זֶה מִתְבָּרֵר הַמְדַמֶּה, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה עִקַּר הִתְגַּלּוּת הָאֱמוּנָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה.
1RENEWALHaving explained that as a judgment-prayer, Tikkun Chatzot brings us to a revelation of HaShem’s glory, Reb Noson expounds the next stage in the night’s devotions: learning Torah. He shows how this too aligns with the key concepts highlighted from Rebbe Nachman’s lesson, particularly emunah in chiddush ha-olam.And, as cited above from the Rebbe’s lesson,55 the magnification and revelation of HaShem’s glory causes the spirit of prophecy, the clarity of His Immanence, to be channeled into the world. This corresponds to the Torah, which is encapsulated in the Ten Commandments and includes all ten levels of prophecy. Through the spirit of prophecy, the medameh is refined, which in turn brings about the essential revelation of holy emunah.
בוְזֶהוּ בְּחִינַת עֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁצְּרִיכִין לַעֲסֹק אַחַר חֲצוֹת, שֶׁאָז עִקַּר הַזְּמַן הַמֻּבְחָר לַעֲסֹק בַּתּוֹרָה, כַּמּוּבָא. כִּי עֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה אָז זֶה בְּחִינַת הַמְשָׁכַת רוּחַ נְבוּאָה הַנַּ״ל, כִּי כָּל הַמַּדְרֵגוֹת שֶׁל נְבוּאָה כְּלוּלִים בַּתּוֹרָה כַּנַּ״ל.
2This is the very idea underlying the Torah study a person must engage in after midnight, which is the most ideal time for such study, as brought in Kabbalah.56 II, 27a; Pardes Rimonim, Shaar 8, Perek 19; see also Tur, Orach Chaim 238). Engaging in Torah study then, after the recital of Tikkun Chatzot has revealed HaShem’s glory, equates with channeling the spirit of prophecy, since all the levels of prophecy are included in the Torah.
גוְעַל־יְדֵי הַתּוֹרָה, בְּחִינַת נְבוּאָה, זוֹכִין לֶאֱמוּנַת חִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה זוֹכִין לִבְחִינַת חִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁל לֶעָתִיד, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת (תהלים צב, ג): ״לְהַגִּיד בַּבֹּקֶר חַסְדֶּךָ וֶאֱמוּנָתְךָ בַּלֵּילוֹת״, בְּחִינַת (איכה ג, כג): ״חֲדָשִׁים לַבְּקָרִים רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶךָ וְכוּ׳״, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְבֹאָר שָׁם.
3And through the Torah/prophecy, we merit attaining emunah in chiddush ha‑olam, namely that HaShem continuously renews the world yesh mei-ayin. By way of this emunah we merit the aspect of the chiddush ha-olam of the future, alluded to in the verses “To relate Your chesed in the morning, your emunah in the nights” and “They are renewed in the mornings; your emunah is great.” This is explained there in the Rebbe’s lesson and also in the opening section above.57 in the chiddush ha-olam of the future throughout the long “night” of exile.
דוְזֶה נַעֲשָׂה בְּכָל יוֹם, כִּי אוֹר הַבֹּקֶר בּוֹקֵעַ וְזוֹרֵחַ בְּכָל יוֹם אַחַר חֶשְׁכַּת לַיְלָה, עַל־יְדֵי כָּל הַתִּקּוּנִים הַנַּ״ל. כִּי כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוּא בִּכְלָלִיּוּת בְּעִנְיַן חִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁנִּקְרָא ״יוֹם״, שֶׁנִּמְשַׁךְ עַל־יְדֵי תִּקּוּן הָאֱמוּנָה בַּלַּיְלָה, בַּגָּלוּת שֶׁדּוֹמָה לְלַיְלָה, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל מְחַזְּקִין אֶת עַצְמָן בֶּאֱמוּנָה בְּתֹקֶף חֶשְׁכַּת לַיְלָה שֶׁהוּא הַגָּלוּת, וְהַכֹּל בְּכֹחַ הַצַּדִּיקֵי אֱמֶת, בַּעֲלֵי כֹּחַ הַנַּ״ל, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה זוֹכִין לְחִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם וְכוּ׳ כַּנַּ״ל.
4Now, this renewal of the world occurs daily. The early-morning rays break through and shine each day following the darkness of night by virtue of all the aforementioned tikkunim.58 begins with reciting Kriat Shema al HaMitah with kavanah before resting one’s mochin through sleep, followed by rising at midnight and reciting Tikkun Chatzot, and finally studying Torah during the remaining hours until dawn. For just as there will be a universal chiddush ha-olam in the World to Come, so too there is a specific chiddush ha-olam that takes place daily in this world. The universal chiddush ha-olam of the future, termed “day,” is evoked and realized through the rectification of emunah at “night,” i.e. in exile, which is comparable to night.59 1:48 teaches: “To relate Your chesed” alludes to the World to Come, which is comparable to the “mornings,” as in “They are renewed in the mornings; your emunah is great.” And “your emunah in the nights” alludes to this world, which is comparable to the “nights.” By virtue of the Jewish people holding firm in emunah during the dark night of exile—entirely by means of the strength of the true tzaddikim, the masters of strength—they merit attaining the chiddush ha-olam of the World to Come, a world governed not by the dictates of nature but the wonders of hashgachah.
הוּכְמוֹ כֵן נַעֲשָׂה בִּפְרָטִיּוּת בְּכָל יוֹם, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי הַתִּקּוּנִים הַנַּ״ל שֶׁמַּמְשִׁיכִין עַל־יְדֵי קִימַת חֲצוֹת וְעֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה אָז וְכוּ׳, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה מִתְרַבֶּה כְּבוֹדוֹ וְזוֹכִין לֶאֱמוּנָה, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה מֵאִיר אוֹר הַבֹּקֶר, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת חִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת בֹּקֶר, שֶׁמִּשָּׁם נִמְשַׁךְ אוֹר בֹּקֶר בְּכָל יוֹם, שֶׁכָּל זֶה הוּא בְּחִינַת: ״לְהַגִּיד בַּבֹּקֶר חַסְדֶּךָ וֶאֱמוּנָתְךָ בַּלֵּילוֹת״, בְּחִינַת: ״חֲדָשִׁים לַבְּקָרִים רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶךָ״, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר עַל חִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם, וְכִפְשׁוּטוֹ נֶאֱמַר עַל לַיְלָה וּבֹקֶר מַמָּשׁ, כִּי שְׁנֵיהֶם אֶחָד וְכַנַּ״ל.
5In a similar way, a specific chiddush ha-olam takes place each day, through the aforementioned tikkunim that rectify daat.60 These are the rectifications we evoke by rising at midnight and studying Torah at that time, through which HaShem’s glory is increased and we merit emunah. This causes the light of morning to shine; it is the concept of the future chiddush ha-olam, which is itself the concept of morning, for from there the light of morning—the light of daat—is channeled anew each day. All this is alluded in “To relate Your chesed in the morning, your emunah in the nights” and “They are renewed in the mornings; your emunah is great,” as both these verses refer to emunah in chiddush ha-olam. And though according to their simple meaning these verses speak of night and morning in the literal sense, the two—the concept of night and morning, and that of exile and redemption—are essentially one and the same.
ווְכָל אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, כְּפִי מַה שֶּׁזָּכָה לְהִתְקָרֵב לְצַדִּיק הָאֱמֶת הַבַּעַל כֹּחַ הַנַּ״ל, וְלַעֲסֹק בְּכֹחוֹ בַּתִּקּוּנִים הַנַּ״ל, לָקוּם בַּחֲצוֹת וְכוּ׳ כַּנַּ״ל, כְּמוֹ־כֵן יִזְכֶּה לְאוֹר בֹּקֶר, לִבְחִינַת חִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם, וְאָז יַגִּיד חַסְדּוֹ וְטוּבוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ שֶׁגָּמַל עִמּוֹ וְכוּ׳, בְּחִינַת: ״לְהַגִּיד בַּבֹּקֶר חַסְדֶּךָ וֶאֱמוּנָתְךָ בַּלֵּילוֹת וְכוּ׳״, כַּנַּ״ל.
6And every single Jew can attain this level according to the closeness he has merited to the true tzaddik, the master of spiritual strength. To the extent that he engages in the above tikkunim through this tzaddik’s power—rising at midnight to recite Tikkun Chatzot and study Torah—so will he merit the light of morning, a dimension of emunah in chiddush ha-olam. Then he will be able to genuinely tell of HaShem’s chesed and of the goodness that He has granted him, as in “To relate Your chesed in the morning, your emunah in the nights.”