Chasidut · Breslov

Likutei Halakhot, Orach Chaim, Laws of Morning Conduct 5:7/ליקוטי הלכות·אורח חיים·הלכות השכמת הבוקר ה׳:ז׳

אוְזֶה בְּחִינַת יָארצַייט, שֶׁהוּא הַיּוֹם שֶׁמֵּת בּוֹ אָבִיו אוֹ אִמּוֹ, שֶׁאוֹמְרִים אָז קַדִּישׁ (יורה דעה סימן שעו, סעיף ד ברמ״א), וּמִתְעַנִּין בּוֹ (ארח חיים סימן תקסח, סעיף ח).

1SAYING KADDISH ON A YAHRTZEITBefore clarifying how the concepts he has developed thus far apply to our morning devotions and prayers, Reb Noson introduces the topics of yahrtzeit and the recital of Kaddish, and shows how these connect to revealing daat.Now, all this that we have said about the revelation of daat following sleep is conceptually related to yahrtzeit, the anniversary of the passing of one’s father or mother, when one recites Kaddish and fasts.⁷⁴ 376:4, and ibid. Orach Chaim 568:8. Although it is customary to fast on the yahrtzeits of one’s parents, in our time rabbinical authorities are lenient regarding this. Instead, they recommend increased tzedakah and Torah study in memory of the deceased.

בכִּי אָז עוֹסְקִין הַבָּנִים לְתַקֵּן וּלְהַעֲלוֹת נֶפֶשׁ אֲבִיהֶם וְאִמָּם שֶׁמֵּתוּ, וְהַמִּיתָה הִיא בְּחִינַת שֵׁנָה, וּכְשֶׁמְּתַקְּנִים וּמַעֲלִין אוֹתָם – זֶה בְּחִינַת תְּחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת הִתְעוֹרְרוּת הַשֵּׁנָה, בְּחִינַת (דניאל יב, ב): ״וְרַבִּים מִיְּשֵׁנֵי אַדְמַת עָפָר יָקִיצוּ״, בְּחִינַת: ״וּמְקַיֵּם אֱמוּנָתוֹ לִישֵׁנֵי עָפָר״.

2In carrying out the customs associated with the yahrtzeit, the son awakens the “sleeping” soul of the parent—revives it from the dead, as it were—by infusing it with new daat.For at that time, the sons engage in rectifying and elevating the souls of their deceased parents. Death corresponds to sleep, as Chazal teach that sleep is one-sixtieth of death.⁷⁵ 57b. Thus when the sons implement a tikkun and elevate their parent’s souls, it is akin to a revival of the dead, which in turn is comparable to waking up from sleep with its renewal of daat.⁷⁶ This comparison between the revival of the dead and waking up from sleep is expressed in Daniel’s prophecy regarding the Resurrection, “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awaken.” It is also expressed in the Shemoneh Esrei blessing regarding HaShem’s faithfulness in reviving the dead, in which we say, “He maintains His emunah to those asleep in the dust.”

גוְעַל־כֵּן בִּרְכַּת ״מְחַיֵּה הַמֵּתִים״ מַתְחִילִין: ״אַתָּה גִבּוֹר לְעוֹלָם אֲדֹנָי״, כִּי עִקַּר תְּחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת חִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם הוּא עַל־יְדֵי הַתְּפִלָּה־בִּבְחִינַת־דִּין הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת ״אַתָּה גִּבּוֹר״, וְכוּ׳. [ְכַמְבֹאָר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר (הלכות יום טוב הלכה ג׳ אות ג; ועבודת אלילים הלכה א׳ אוֹת ז), שֶׁבְּכָל הַתְּפִלּוֹת צְרִיכִין לְהַמְשִׁיךְ כֹּחַ הַתְּפִלָּה־בִּבְחִינַת־דִּין הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁהוּא בִּרְכַּת ״אַתָּה גִבּוֹר וְכוּ׳״].

3Earlier Reb Noson discussed the essential role of the gevurah aspect of the tzaddik’s judgment-prayer in one’s waking from sleep. Here he shows that this is paralleled in the role of the yahrtzeit Kaddish in “waking” the souls of one’s deceased parents.This is why we begin this blessing of “Who restores the dead to life” with “You are mighty forever, God.” For the revival of the dead is essentially the same idea as chiddush ha-olam, which comes about through the prayer of din associated with gevurot, as explained above.⁷⁷, and the tzaddik’s judgment-prayer in §2 above. Hence the blessing begins, “You are gibor.”⁷⁸ expresses through reviving the dead. Thus in this Mighty) and as ,גבור) blessing we address Him as GiBoR Master of Strengths). ,בעל גבורות) Baal GeVuRot [This is as explained elsewhere, that with each of the prayers one should draw the power of the judgment-prayer, the aspect of “You are mighty.”⁷⁹ 3:3.]

דוְעַל־כֵּן אוֹמְרִים אָז קַדִּישׁ, כִּי קַדִּישׁ הוּא שֶׁבַח נִפְלָא וְנוֹרָא מְאֹד, כַּמּוּבָא, ״כִּי תָּבַר כָּל גְזִיזִין דְפַּרְזְלָא וְכוּ׳״, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּזֹּהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ (תרומה קכט:). כִּי הַקַּדִּישׁ נִמְשָׁךְ מִבְּחִינַת הַשִּׁיר שֶׁיִּתְעַר לֶעָתִיד, וְעַל־כֵּן מַתְחִילִין בּוֹ: ״בְּעָלְמָא דִּי בְרָא כִּרְעוּתֵיהּ״, הַיְנוּ בְּחִינַת אֱמוּנַת חִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁאָנוּ מַאֲמִינִים שֶׁבָּרָא הָעוֹלָם כִּרְצוֹנוֹ.

4Having previously linked chiddush ha-olam with the new song of the future (§4), and now having linked chiddush ha-olam with the revival of the dead, Reb Noson explains that the yahrtzeit Kaddish recited over the dead connotes the future song of praise that will burst forth from everyone’s lips when HaShem renews the world one final time.And so on the yahrtzeit, because it is an element of reviving the dead, we recite Kaddish. Kabbalah teaches that Kaddish is a very amazing and awesome praise, which, as the holy Zohar states, “shatters all the shackles of iron.”⁸⁰ II, 129b. In distinguishing the uniqueness of the Kaddish, the Zohar notes that its sanctity spreads in all directions, shattering bolts and shackles of iron and also the most pernicious forces of evil. For the Kaddish is drawn from the new song that will burst forth in the future. Thus we begin with the words “in the world that He created according to His will,” meaning a dimension of emunah in chiddush ha-olam—that we believe HaShem created the world as He willed, yesh mei-ayin.

הוְיַמְלִיךְ מַלְכוּתֵיהּ, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת חִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁל לֶעָתִיד, שֶׁאָז יְגַלֶּה מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעֵין כֹּל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (זכריה יד, ט): ״וְהָיָה ה׳ לְמֶלֶךְ עַל כָּל הָאָרֶץ, בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וְכוּ׳״.

5We follow this with “May He establish His Kingdom.” This refers to the chiddush ha-olam of the future, when, with the creation renewed and finally rectified, HaShem will reveal His sovereignty for all to see, as it is written, “HaShem will be King over the entire world. On that day...”⁸¹ prayer, which was apparently added to the daily prayers to instill emunah in HaShem’s sovereignty (cf. Metzudat David ).

ווְזֶהוּ ״אָמֵן יְהֵא שְמֵיהּ רַבָּא מְבָרַךְ לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּא יִתְבָּרַךְ וְיִשְׁתַּבַּח וְכוּ׳, לְעֵלָּא מִן כָּל בִּרְכָתָא וְשִׁירָתָא תֻּשְׁבְּחָתָא וְנֶחֱמָתָא״, שֶׁכָּל זֶה הוּא בְּחִינַת הַשִּׁיר שֶׁיִּתְעַר לֶעָתִיד הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁהוּא לְעֵלָּא מִן כָּל בִּרְכָתָא וְשִׁירָתָא וְכוּ׳.

6And this is why we then say, “Amen. May His Great Name be blessed forever and for all eternity. Blessed and praised … more exalted than any blessing and song, praise and consolation.” All of this corresponds to the song that will burst forth in the future, which is likewise “more exalted than any blessing and song.”

זוְעַל־כֵּן אוֹמְרִים הַבָּנִים הַשֶּׁבַח הַנּוֹרָא הַזֶּה בִּשְׁבִיל נֶפֶשׁ אֲבִיהֶם וְאִמָּם – לְהַעֲלוֹתָם וּלְתַקְּנָם, כִּי עִקַּר תִּקּוּנָם הוּא בִּבְחִינַת תְּחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים, חִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁזֶּה נִתְעוֹרֵר עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁבַח הַנּוֹרָא שֶׁל הַקַּדִּישׁ, שֶׁהוּא שִׁיר הַנַּ״ל שֶׁל לֶעָתִיד, שֶׁהוּא הָאֹשֶׁר הַמְקֻוֶּה, כִּי אָז יַכִּירוּ אוֹתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ וְיֵדְעוּ מַה שֶּׁפָּעֲלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל הַכְּשֵׁרִים וְהַצַּדִּיקִים בַּעֲבוֹדָתָם, אַשְׁרֵי הַמְחַכֶּה לָזֶה.

7Therefore the sons recite this awesome praise for the benefit of their father’s and mother’s souls, in order to elevate and rectify them. Their main tikkun is to enable their souls to awaken with a more elevated level of daat, this being an aspect of the revival of the dead/chiddush ha-olam, which is triggered by the awesome praise contained in the Kaddish. As the song of the future, the Kaddish is representative of the longed-for bliss of the World to Come, for at that time we will recognize HaShem and be cognizant of everything that the pious Jews and the tzaddikim have accomplished through their spiritual devotions. Fortunate is the one who eagerly awaits this.Reb Noson has shown how reciting Kaddish on a yahrtzeit relates to the revival of the dead, the renewal of daat, the gevurah characteristic of the judgment-prayer, belief in chiddush ha-olam, and the new song of the future. He next shows that fasting on a yahrtzeit similarly effects a tikkun.