Chasidut · Breslov
Likutei Halakhot, Orach Chaim, Laws of Morning Conduct 5:6/ליקוטי הלכות·
אוְזֶה בְּחִינַת נְטִילַת יָדַיִם שַׁחֲרִית כְּשֶׁקָּם מִשְּׁנָתוֹ.
1WASHING WITH DAATReb Noson now shows how the revelation of daat engendered by the nighttime devotions as clarified above is also the deeper reason for washing one’s hands when waking up from sleep. He begins by explaining that the water one washes with corresponds to daat.And this daily tikkun of daat also relates to the morning netilat yadayim, the ritual washing of the hands, upon arising from sleep.68, Shaar HaBerakhot 5, that one should do this immediately upon arising, in order to remove the spirit of impurity that settles upon the hands during sleep.
בכִּי הַמַּיִם טְהוֹרִים שֶׁל הַנְּטִילָה נִמְשָׁכִין עַל־יְדֵי בְּחִינַת הִתְגַּלּוּת הַדַּעַת שֶׁנִּמְשַׁךְ עַל־יְדֵי הַתְּפִלָּה־בִּבְחִינַת־דִּין הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת (ישעיה יא, ט): ״כִּי מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ דֵּעָה אֶת ה׳ כַּמַּיִם לַיָּם מְכַסִּים וְכוּ׳״, וּמִשָּׁם נִמְשָׁכִין הַמַּיִם הָאֵלּוּ שֶׁל הַנְּטִילָה כְּשֶׁקָּם מִשְּׁנָתוֹ.
2For the “pure waters” of the ritual washing are drawn down through the revelation of daat, which itself is drawn by means of the tzaddik’s prayer of din. This revelation of daat and its connection to water is alluded to in “for the earth will be filled with daat of HaShem, as the waters cover the seabed.” From that daat we draw these waters for the ritual washing upon arising from sleep.69, the root elements of the sefirah of Chesed that derive from Daat. Kabbalah links the chasadim with water, as both signify the qualities of outflowing and expansiveness (Eitz Chaim 23:1; see also above, p. 152, note 72). Washing one’s hands upon arising thus represents morning’s new revelation of daat.
גוְעַל־כֵּן צָרִיךְ לִטֹּל אֶת הַיָּדַיִם דַּיְקָא, כִּי עִקַּר הַכֹּחַ וְהַחִזּוּק צְרִיכִין לִיתֵּן לְהַיָּדַיִם, כְּדֵי שֶׁהֵם יִתְגַבְּרוּ עַל הָעָקֵב דְּסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא, בִּבְחִינַת (בראשית כה, כו): ״וְיָדוֹ אֹחֶזֶת בַּעֲקֵב עֵשָׂו״, ״וְיָדוֹ״ דַּיְקָא.
3Reb Noson explains that the water of netilat yadayim must be poured specifically over the hands, in order to conjoin its aspect of daat with the emunah aspect of the hands.This is why it is the hands in particular that we have to wash with the waters of daat. For power and might need to be given mainly to the hands, so that they can overpower the “heel” of the Sitra Achra, that is, the pull of the body, as in “his hand holding on to Esav’s heel.”70 The verse accentuates this by specifying “his hand,” when it would have sufficed to say, “Then his brother came out holding on to Esav’s heel.”
דכִּי עִקַּר הַתִּקּוּן עַל־יְדֵי הָאֱמוּנָה בְּחִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת יָדַיִם, בְּחִינַת (ישעיה מח, יג): ״אַף יָדִי יָסְדָה אֶרֶץ וִימִינִי וְכוּ׳״. וְעַל־כֵּן נִקְרֵאת הָאֱמוּנָה בְּחִינַת יָדַיִם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שמות יז, יב): ״ויַהְִי יָדָיו אֱמוּנָה וְכוּ׳״, כִּי עִקַּר הָאֱמוּנָה לְהַאֲמִין בְּהַשֵּׁם־יִתְבָּרַךְ שֶׁבָּרָא הָעוֹלָם יֵשׁ מֵאַיִן, בְּחִינַת יָדַיִם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (ישעיה מח, יג): ״אַף יָדִי יָסְדָה אֶרֶץ וִימִינִי וְכוּ׳״, וּלְהַאֲמִין בְּהַתּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת מַעֲשִׂיּוֹת שֶׁצְּרִיכִין לַעֲשׂוֹת בַּיָּדַיִם.
4With daat, man’s hands can overcome the body’s influence because the rectification of daat is achieved mainly through the emunah in chiddush ha-olam,71 refers to HaShem’s origination of the world, as the ensuing verse indicates. which is associated with the hands, as in “My hand has even laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand [has spread out the heavens].” Therefore emunah is itself referred to as “hands,” as in “His hands were emunah.”72” (Shemot 17:12). This is so because the essence of emunah is the belief that HaShem created the world yesh mei-ayin, the aspect of “hands,” as it is written, “My hand has even laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand …” And it also means believing in the Torah and the practical mitzvot, most of which we need to perform with the hands.
הוְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה זוֹכִין לְהַנִּגּוּן הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת יָדַיִם, בְּחִינַת (שמואל-א טז, טז): ״וְנִגֵּן בְּיָדוֹ וְטוֹב לָךְ״.
5Reb Noson now links the song of the future, the product of daat’s revelation, with the melody aspect of the hands.And through this we merit the melody of the future, because it too is the concept of the hands, as in “with his hand he will play [a melody] and you will feel better.”73
ווְעַל־יְדֵי כָּל זֶה מְקַבְּלִין כֹּחַ יְדֵי יַעֲקֹב לְהַכְנִיעַ עֲקֵב עֵשָׂו, בִּבְחִינַת ״וְיָדוֹ אוֹחֶזֶת בַּעֲקֵב עֵשָׂו״, ״וְיָדוֹ״ דַּיְקָא כַּנַּ״ל.
6And by means of all this—namely emunah, the performance of practical mitzvot, and the melody of the future—we receive the power of the “hands of Yaakov” to subjugate the “heel of Esav,” as in “his hand holding on to Esav’s heel.” The verse specifically says “his hand,” as that is where this power lies.
זוְכָל זֶה נִמְשָׁךְ עַל־יְדֵי מֵימֵי הַדַּעַת שֶׁנִּתְגַּלֶּה עַל־יְדֵי הַתְּפִלָּה שֶׁל הַבַּעַל כֹּחַ הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁבָּהֶם אָנוּ מְטַהֲרִין אֶת הַיָּדַיִם אַחַר הַשֵּׁנָה, וְעַל־כֵּן מְטַהֲרִין אֶת הַיָּדַיִם דַּיְקָא וְכוּ׳, וְכַנַּ״ל.
7Reb Noson concludes with the significance of purifying the hands with water.And all this power is channeled into the hands by virtue of our pouring onto them the waters of daat, the daat that is revealed by the prayer of the master of strength. With these waters we purify the hands after sleep. This explains why we purify the hands in particular, because the hands are the means for revealing daat, as explained above.