אורח חיים, הלכות השכמת הבוקר 5

וְהַיּוֹצֵא לָנוּ מִשָּׁם בְּקִצּוּר לְעִנְיָנֵנוּ, שֶׁעִקַּר הַתִּקּוּן הוּא עַל־יְדֵי הַצַּדִּיק הַבַּעַל כֹּחַ גָּדוֹל שֶׁיָּכוֹל לְהִתְפַּלֵּל תְּפִלָּה־בִּבְחִינַת־דִּין, כְּמוֹ פִּנְחָס בְּעֵת שֶׁהָיָה מַעֲשֵׂה זִמְרִי וְכוּ׳.

In brief, what emerges from that lesson¹Reb Noson opens with concepts from §3 of Rebbe Nachman’s lesson. relevant to our topic is that the essential tikkun for blemished daat²Daat, man’s internalized knowledge and awareness of HaShem, is the keystone of his spiritual existence. Guided by daat, he possesses the know-how to properly serve HaShem as well as the inner strength to fend off the many worldly desires that would lure him away from Divine service. But when daat is blemished, his mind falls into a state of mochin d’katnut, constricted consciousness, and so is in need of tikkun, a spiritual remedy. comes through the tzaddik, the master of great spiritual strength, who can successfully pray a prayer of din, a “judgment-prayer.” This is a prayer of protest and complaint, recited as a call for justice, similar to the prayer Pinchas prayed at the time of the incident with Zimri.³Commenting on the verse (Tehillim 106:30) “Then Pinchas stood up vayephalel, and the plague stopped,” Rabbi Elazar taught: The verse does not say vayitpalel he disputed). ,ויפלל) he prayed) but vayephalel ,ויתפלל) Pinchas engaged in debate with his Creator. Throwing down before HaShem the corpses of Zimri and the Midianite princess with whom Zimri had sinned, he declared, “Master of the Universe! Is it justice that 24,000 people of Israel should perish on account of these two?” (Sanhedrin 82b). See also LM I, 36:4, note 63.

כִּי כָּל הַקִּלְקוּלִים, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, הֵם עַל־יְדֵי בְּחִינַת ״וְהַנָּחָשׁ הָיָה עָרוּם וְכוּ׳״ (בראשית ג, א), שֶׁעלַ־יְדֵי־זֶה מִתְגַּבֵּר תַּאֲוַת נִאוּף, שֶׁהוּא עַל־יְדֵי קִלְקוּל הַמֹּחַ.

For in matters of holiness, all damage is the result of blemished daat. This is exemplified by the Serpent’s perversion of wisdom, as in “Now, the Serpent was cunning.”⁴Rebbe Nachman equates the cunning of the Serpent in Gan Eden with the blemished daat that strengthens the Sitra Achra, the Other Side that stands opposite holiness. To win over Chavah, the Serpent employed twisted logic, telling her that HaShem did not want rivals and so had forbade her and Adam to eat from the Eitz HaDaat, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which would give them the Godlike ability to create worlds (Rashi on Bereishit 3:5). Because of this corruption of wisdom, which spoils and blemishes the mind, the locus of daat in the body, man’s holiness is damaged and his desire for immorality grows stronger.⁵See §2 of the Rebbe’s lesson (and note 62 there), where he cites in this regard Chazal’s teaching that a person does not sin unless he is overcome by a spirit of foolishness (Sotah 3a). When a person falls from holy daat into foolishness, immoral desires follow. Chazal also teach that HaShem had appointed the Serpent as ruler over all the animals in creation, but the Serpent desired what did not belong to it (ibid. 9b). Thus on the verse “Now, the Serpent was cunning,” Rashi comments that the Serpent desired the first woman, and so schemed to do away with Adam so it might take Chavah for itself. This relates to the Rebbe’s teaching here linking immoral desire with eating from the Eitz HaDaat—i.e. blemished daat.

כִּי הַדַּעַת שֶׁבַּמֹּחַ שֶׁכָּלוּל מִשְּׁלשָׁה מֹחִין, הוּא בְּחִינַת שָׁלשׁ מְחִיצוֹת פְּרוּסוֹת בִּפְנֵי הַתַּאֲוָה הַזֹּאת, אַךְ כְּשֶׁהַסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא יוֹנֵק מֵהָרַחֲמָנוּת, שֶׁהוּא הַדַּעַת וְכוּ׳, אֲזַי נִקְטַן הַדַּעַת וְכוּ׳, וּמִשָּׁם הִתְגַּבְּרוּת הַתַּאֲוָה הַזֹּאת, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם.

For the mind, which houses daat, is comprised of three mochin.⁶Kabbalistic teaching aligns the different parts of the human form with the ten sefirot. The head or brain corresponds to the upper three sefirot—Chokhmah (Wisdom), Binah (Understanding), and Daat (Knowledge). The Zohar (III, 129a) refers to these three mental faculties collectively as mochin. In the realm of human consciousness, each of these mental faculties serves as a separate barrier shielding the mind from immoral thoughts and desires (see note 64 of the Rebbe’s lesson). These mental faculties act as three partitions, or barriers, arrayed against this desire for immorality. However, when the Sitra Achra feeds on compassion, namely daat,⁷From §2 of Rebbe Nachman’s lesson we see that compassion is both a prerequisite for and also a product of daat. The truly enlightened person is a compassionate person. Yet one cannot be truly compassionate unless his compassion is guided by HaShem. Thus Kabbalah associates compassion and chesed with mochin d’gadlut, expanded consciousness, and conversely, mochin d’katnut with misguided compassion and din (see Eitz Chaim 22:1). For a lengthier explanation see LM II, 7:1, where the Rebbe brings an example of misguided compassion due to a lack of daat as showing compassion for a convicted murderer. Although setting the killer free seems to be an act of compassion, it is in fact an act of cruelty. then daat itself becomes diminished, causing this desire to be strengthened, chas ve-shalom.⁸A person’s sins and wrongful deeds empower the kelipot, the evil forces of the Sitra Achra, and enable them to feed on his compassion, turning it into cruelty. Even one’s mitzvot and good deeds, if they are lacking in any way, strengthen the Sitra Achra’s ability to undermine one’s compassion and daat. This is explained in greater detail in LM I, 139 and ibid. I, 277:4 (see also notes 65-71 there).

וְאָז הַתְּפִלָּה־בִּבְחִינַת־דִּין, וְהַסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא רוֹצָה לְבוֹלְעָהּ, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, וַאֲזַי צְרִיכִין בַּעַל כֹּחַ גָּדוֹל שֶׁיּוּכַל לְהִתְפַּלֵּל תְּפִלָּה־בִּבְחִינַת־דִּין וְכוּ׳.

Then, with compassion diminished and daat blemished, all prayer is in the category of din. Only a judgment-prayer can be offered.⁹Based on Rabbi Shimon’s advice in the Mishnah (Avot 2:13), “When you pray, do not make your prayer rote, but rather compassion and supplication,” the Rebbe teaches in his lesson (§2) that the ideal prayer is one formulated as an entreaty, a plea for compassion. This requires a person to be in a state of mochin d’gadlut, expanded consciousness, cognizant that HaShem’s compassion positively impacts every aspect of his life. When a person’s daat is blemished, he is incapable of recognizing the magnitude of HaShem’s compassion and consequently cannot entreat HaShem and plead for Him to show compassion. Then only judgmentprayers are possible, as all the prayers that people pray are from a state of mochin d’katnut—complaint rather than supplication, protestation rather than plea. But the danger is that the Sitra Achra, since it shares the same root as judgment, will desire to “swallow” this kind of prayer.¹⁰When a person lacks the daat to recognize the influence of HaShem’s compassion on his life, he prays from a place of constriction and din—sometimes even with anger at HaShem for some presumed injustice he has suffered, or good he has been denied. Mostly he insists that HaShem show him compassion as he understands it. The Sitra Achra is able to take advantage of this. It feeds on his prayer of din, until eventually it consumes it altogether. This prevents a person’s prayers from being answered by HaShem. See note 75 on the Rebbe’s lesson. At such a time, a master of great spiritual strength is required, one who can pray a prayer of din that the Sitra Achra is incapable of swallowing.¹¹At a time of din the tzaddik too prays a judgmentprayer, without any overt sign of his recognition that HaShem is compassionate. This convinces the Sitra Achra that it can swallow his prayers just as it has swallowed everyone else’s. In truth, the tzaddik never loses sight of HaShem’s compassion. This awareness is his great spiritual strength, so that even in times of powerful din the tzaddik is able to stand firm against the Sitra Achra. Instead, the tzaddik’s judgment-prayer, termed “staff of your strength,” sticks in its throat and the Sitra Achra is forced to disgorge all the elements of holiness that it has previously swallowed.¹²In §3 of his lesson, Rebbe Nachman cites Tehillim 110:2 that “HaShem will dispatch from Tzion the ,בקרב) staff of your strength, for you to rule be-kerev lit. “inside”) your enemies.” The word “inside” seems superfluous. The Rebbe explains that “staff of your strength” refers to the tzaddik’s judgment-prayer. When the “enemy,” i.e. the Sitra Achra, attempts to swallow the master of strength’s staff of strength, the prayer sticks “inside” its throat, causing it to vomit up not just that prayer but also all the elements of holiness in the daat, compassion and prayers that it previously ingested. The Rebbe also links this to Iyov’s observation concerning the ephemeral nature of a wicked person’s success: “He swallowed wealth and vomits it out; God flushes it out of his innards” (Iyov 20:15; see note 109 below.)

וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נַעֲשִׂין גֵּרִים וְנִתְרַבֶּה כְּבוֹדוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ.

In this process, the Sitra Achra is also compelled to vomit up its very life-force—particularly the holy souls born into this world as non-Jews.¹³The souls of future converts are fallen sparks of holiness ordained by HaShem to (temporarily) sustain the realm of the Sitra Achra. But when the Sitra Achra tries to swallow the tzaddik’s prayer of din, and that prayer sticks in its throat and forces it to disgorge any holiness that it has in its innards, the holy sparks/souls are redeemed. They return to the realm of holiness as non-Jews who convert and as baalei teshuvah, penitent Jews, who return to HaShem. (It is axiomatic of the Rebbe’s lessons that his teachings regarding converts apply to baalei teshuvah as well.) Previously, these souls were its substance; the Sitra Achra fed on their holiness. But once set free, many of them become converts to Judaism, and the public sensation stirred by this causes HaShem’s glory to be magnified.¹⁴In his lesson Rebbe Nachman cites the verse (Tehillim 96:7) “Bring to HaShem families of the nations, bring to HaShem glory and might.” The act of redeeming the souls of converts from the Sitra Achra and bringing those sparks of holiness to HaShem correspond to bringing the “families of the nations” to attach themselves to the faith of Israel. In this way, we “bring to HaShem glory and might.”

שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נִמְשָׁךְ נְבוּאָה וְכוּ׳, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה מִתְבָּרֵר הַמְדַמֶּה.

This magnification of HaShem’s glory and the increase in daat that accompanies it inspires an awakening in the souls of the Jewish people, channeling into the world an influx of the spirit of prophecy.¹⁵See §5 of the Rebbe’s lesson, where he explains that prophecy is rooted in the souls of the Jewish people, which are themselves rooted in HaShem’s glory. Thus the return of many souls to their original holiness generates both greater recognition of HaShem’s glory in the world and a concomitant stirring in Jewish souls, resulting in the spread of prophecy. Here, “prophecy” refers to a spirit of holiness that instills man with awareness of HaShem’s Immanence—i.e. knowing with a whole heart, with perfect emunah, that “the whole world is filled with His glory” (see above, p. 103 and p. 117 ff ). In this sense, every Jew is potentially a prophet. On a deeper level, the Arizal teaches that the Jewish soul emanates from Beriah, the world also identified in the kabbalistic lexicon as HaShem’s Throne of Glory (see Appendix A, p. 235). He cites in this regard Chazal’s teaching that all the Jewish neshamot were hewn from the Throne of Glory, and so declare, “Blessed is our God, Who created us for His glory” (Shaar HaKavanot, Drushei Ashrei/Pitum HaKetoret/Aleinu 1). Elsewhere, the Arizal explains that prophecy is formulated in Beriah (Sefer HaLikutim, Shemot 6). Thus when the souls are stirred, and so seek greater connection to their source on high, their spiritual yearning draws down the spirit of prophecy from that very same source. And this in turn leads to the refinement and rectification of the medameh, man’s imaginative faculty,¹⁶In the most general sense, the prophetic experience is said to consist of two distinct stages. The first entails the inflow from on high of what, for lack of a better term, is referred to as Divine light or energy. The inflow that fills the prophet’s mind is ineffable, too numinous to even identify. The latter can happen only in the second stage (Beriah; as in previous note), when the prophet employs ko’ach ha-medameh, his power of imagination. Through the ability of his mind to create mental images, the Divine light takes on definition and an image forms in his mind (see Sefer HaBrit I, 17:17; cf. Radak on Yirmiyahu 23:28). so that worldly illusions cannot deceive it.¹⁷As mentioned in note 15 above, prophecy here is to be understood in the wider sense as awareness of HaShem’s Immanence—namely daat. This achievement is not the reserve of the biblical prophet, but the purpose of every Jew. In the process of giving form to the awareness of HaShem’s Immanance (Divine light), the medameh itself is purified. The metaphoric visions, dreams and symbols of prophecy purge the medameh of its “imaginariness” which gives rise to false images, impressions and beliefs. The most stubbornly persistent illusion is the belief that the dictates of nature, not HaShem Himself, govern our world, as discussed in note 25 below. But when the tzaddik’s prayer of din causes many to convert, and the ensuing revelation of HaShem’s glory causes the spirit of prophecy to spread in the world, the imaginative faculty is rectified.

שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה מִתְבָּרֶרֶת הָאֱמוּנָה לְהַאֲמִין בְּחִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁעִקָּרוֹ נִתְגַּלָּה עַל־יְדֵי מַתַּן תּוֹרָה שֶׁאָז זָכוּ כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל לְרוּחַ נְבוּאָה וְכוּ׳.

As a result, emunah, a product of the medameh, is refined¹⁸In §7 of his lesson Rebbe Nachman explains that emunah derives from the medameh. Anything a person can comprehend with his intellect requires no emunah. Emunah comes into play only in relation to something whose logical reason one does not know or cannot understand. For when a person’s intellect is incapable of comprehending a matter, it is said to be “constricted” (katnut); he must then rely on the medameh. The mental images that his medameh creates bring him to emunah in that thing or idea (see following note). Thus when prophecy spreads and as a result the medameh is refined and rectified, emunah is also rectified. All false emunah is then eliminated.—especially one’s belief in chiddush ha-olam. This is the idea that HaShem created the world yesh mei-ayin, “something from nothing,” and even now continues to do so through its perpetual renewal.¹⁹The most essential emunah is faith in chiddush haolam—that HaShem brought the world into existence out of absolute nothingness (ex nihilo), and that even now each moment is a new creation, as we say in our daily prayers, “Who in His goodness renews daily, continuously, the works of Creation.” Intellectually, it is impossible to comprehend how something can come from nothing. Therefore chiddush ha-olam is a matter of emunah, the faith we received from our ancestors, free of all philosophical inquiry and scientific speculation. Thus the Midrash teaches: HaShem says, “With emunah I created the world; with emunah I govern it; and with emunah I will renew it in the future” (Otiyot d’Rebbi Akiva, Ot Heh). A more thorough discussion of yesh mei-ayin can be found in notes 184-186 on the Rebbe’s lesson (and see Appendix A, p. 235). The core of this belief was revealed at the Giving of the Torah, when the entire Jewish people merited a spirit of prophecy.²⁰Chazal teach that dvar is one of the ten terms the Torah uses to connote prophecy, as in (Bereishit 15:1) “The dvar (word) of HaShem came to Avram in a vision, saying …” (Bereishit Rabbah 44:6; see also Shabbat 138b). In §7 of his lesson Rebbe Nachman links the “DVaR ,עשרת הדברות) of HaShem” with Aseret HaDiBRot (דבר) the Ten Commandments), which embody all the mitzvot of the Torah (see Rashi on Shemot 24:12). The Rebbe then links both prophecy and the Torah with the Ten Utterances through which heaven and earth were created (see Rosh HaShanah 32a). This is alluded to in the verse “By the dvar of HaShem were the heavens made” (Tehillim 33:6), which in our context relates to our emunah that He created the world yesh mei-ayin. This teaches that the spread of the spirit of prophecy brings to perfected emunah—i.e. the emunah the Jewish people attained at the Giving of the Torah, when “HaShem spoke) to you face-to-face” (Devarim 5:4) ,דבר) DiBeiR and so they merited the spirit of prophecy.

וְעַל־יְדֵי אֱמוּנָה זוֹכִין לְחִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁל לֶעָתִיד, בִּבְחִינַת (תהלים צב, ג): ״לְהַגִּיד בַּבֹּקֶר חַסְדֶּךָ וֶאֱמוּנָתְךָ בַּלֵּילוֹת״, בְּחִינַת (איכה ג, כג): ״חֲדָשִׁים לַבְּקָרִים רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶךָ״.

And through our emunah in chiddush ha-olam in this world we will also merit the renewal of the world in the future, as the World to Come. This is reflected 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,”²¹Rashi on Eikhah 3:23 comments that “they are renewed” refers to HaShem’s acts of chesed. Reb Noson will relate to this in §11 below, where he explains that HaShem builds the world anew (chiddush ha-olam) through chasadim, the elements of Chesed (and see notes 99 and 100 there). alluding to the emunah of the person himself.²²According to their literal meaning, both “Your emunah in the nights” (Tehillim 92:3) and “Your emunah is great” (Eikhah 3:23) refer to HaShem’s faithfulness. However, in his lesson Rebbe Nachman reads them as alluding to a person’s faith in chiddush ha-olam (see also LM I, 62:5). See Rashi on each of these verses. In both verses the first clause is predicated on the second. The “morning,” i.e. the future redemption and renewal of the world, will come about because of the fortitude of our emunah, that is, the faith we maintain in chiddush ha-olam throughout the dark “night” of exile.²³See §9 of the Rebbe’s lesson (also §11 below) where he cites the words of the psalmist “The world will be built on chesed” (Tehillim 89:3) as further proof of the link between chesed/morning and the future renewal of the world. Also, having taught that emunah is rooted in the medameh, a constriction of the intellect (see note 18 above), the Rebbe links emunah with the night and nighttime dreams, which are similarly connected with constricted intellect (sleep) and the medameh.

וְחִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם הוּא בִּבְחִינַת אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁהוּא לְגַלּוֹת הַהַשְׁגָּחָה וְכוּ׳.

And the chiddush ha-olam of the future will be brought about through the unique attribute of Eretz Yisrael, namely the power to reveal hashgachah, Divine providence.²⁴Regarding hashgachah, see above, p. 86, note 5. Rebbe Nachman addresses the link between the future chiddush ha-olam and hashgachah in §10 of his lesson. This future revelation will make clear to all that the world is governed not by the dictates of nature, but directly by the hand of HaShem, through miracles and wonders. Then the mistaken emunah that people have in the natural order will be voided altogether.²⁵Rebbe Nachman explains that the distinctive holiness of Eretz Yisrael derives from the continuous manifestation of HaShem’s hashgachah there, as the verse states, “The eyes of HaShem your God are upon it continuously, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year” (Devarim 11:12). In LM I, 9:5, he shows that Eretz Yisrael is synonymous with miracles, HaShem’s hashgachah through the supra-natural—i.e. Divine will countermanding the dictates of nature (see also LM II, 4:5 and note 54 there). At present, HaShem’s will is concealed and people believe in determinism, that existence follows the laws of nature. But in the future, when the entire world will be renewed through the unique attribute of Eretz Yisrael, it will be obvious to all that everything is governed solely by hashgachah.

וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נִמְשַׁךְ הַשִּׁיר חָדָשׁ שֶׁל נִפְלָאוֹת וְכוּ׳, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת הַקּוֹל הַמַּשְׁקֶה אֶת הַגָּן.

Through this future revelation, when hashgachah will be obvious and recognized by all, a new song, telling of HaShem’s wonders, will be channeled into the world.²⁶At present, HaShem governs the world from behind the cloak of nature, as it were, by means of the agencies of cause and effect. Thus the song we presently sing in praise of HaShem relates to the natural order: “The heavens declare the glory of HaShem, and the firmament proclaims His handiwork” (Tehillim 19:2). His Immanence and glory are for the most part concealed from those whose medameh and emunah have yet to be rectified. But with the chiddush ha-olam of the future, His Immanence and glory will be seen by all. A new song will burst forth from everyone’s lips, extolling Him for His hashgachah/wonders, as in “Sing to HaShem a new song, for He has performed wonders” (ibid. 98:1). This song is the concept of the voice that waters the garden,²⁷Referring to the earliest stages of Creation, the Torah relates, “A river runs out of Eden to water the garden” (Bereishit 2:10). The link between the voice and the river’s water appears in a second verse, “HaShem, the rivers rose up, the rivers lifted their voices” (Tehillim 93:3). Thus the Rebbe speaks of the voice that waters the garden and causes the “flora” that grows there to flourish. drawing people closer to HaShem.²⁸The Rebbe discusses this in §1 of his lesson. He explains that this “voice” is the melody of the new song that will be sung when HaShem renews His creation in the future, the song telling of His wonders. It is the voice of the tzaddik whose moral guidance instills Jewish souls with a pleasant scent—i.e. spiritual sustenance for the soul, which Reb Noson discusses next.

שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה מִתְגַּבֵּר מְזוֹנָא דְּנִשְׁמָתָא, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת רֵיחַ, בְּחִינַת יִרְאָה, עַל מְזוֹנָא דְּגוּפָא וְכוּ׳, בִּבְחִינַת (בראשית כה, כו): ״וְיָדוֹ אוֹחֶזֶת בַּעֲקֵב עֵשָׂו וְכוּ׳״.

This voice, the soul’s sustenance, which is associated with fragrance and the fear of HaShem,²⁹The Tikkuney Zohar teaches that each person receives the sustenance he deserves [according to the shefa, bounty, he elicits through his prayers]. For some this shefa is Torah, sustenance for the soul. For others the shefa that descends becomes bread, sustenance for the body (Tikkuney Zohar #21, p. 45b; ibid. #69, p. 101b). The Rebbe teaches that the soul is sustained by the “flora” that grows in the garden watered by the voice—namely fragrance and the fear of HaShem. Chazal teach that fragrance is the source from which the soul derives pleasure in this world (Berakhot 43b), as the power of scent is the most spiritual of the physical senses (Maharsha, loc. cit., s.v. taharah). Also growing in this garden is the fear of HaShem, which is associated with fragrance, as in “He will be imbued with the scent of the fear of HaShem” (Yeshayahu 11:3). overpowers the body’s sustenance, namely food and drink.³⁰Antithetical to the soul’s sustenance is the body’s sustenance, the food and drink that, when eaten in excess, nourish physical desire. An increase in the power of one produces a commensurate decrease in the power of the other. So, for example, increasing the influence of the body’s sustenance weakens the soul’s connection on high and its ability to draw spiritual bounty, making gluttony a major hindrance to the attainment of spiritual goals. This mastery of the spiritual over the material is expressed in the verse regarding Yaakov, who is associated with the voice and scent.³¹This is as in “The voice is the voice of Yaakov” (Bereishit 27:22). Yitzchak also blessed Yaakov, saying, “See, my son’s fragrance is like the scent of the field” (ibid. 27:27). Rashi (loc. cit.) adds that HaShem instilled into Yaakov the fragrance of Gan Eden. In context here, this was because Yaakov represents the voice that waters the garden. The Torah relates that Yaakov was born with “his hand holding on to Esav’s heel,” which, as the back part of the foot and lowest part of the body, signifies utmost physicality.³²Yaakov is the voice, and thus associated with the soul’s sustenance. Esav corresponds to the body and its desires (Rabbeinu Bachya al HaTorah, Bereishit 25:27), and thus he is associated with the body’s sustenance, the physical food and drink that when eaten in excess “empowers the heel of the Sitra Achra,” as the Rebbe explains in his lesson. When soul and body enter the world together, the spiritual subdues the physical, represented by Yaakov’s “hand holding on to Esav’s heel.”

עַיֵּן שָׁם כָּל זֶה הֵיטֵב הֵיטֵב, כִּי נוֹרָא הוּא מְאֹד.

Study all this very well in LM II, 8, for it is a most awesome teaching.³³See Tzaddik #169 (end), where Reb Noson writes that all the concepts and tikkunim discussed in Rebbe Nachman’s lesson, his last teaching before his passing, “contain the deepest, most awesome and exalted secrets.” He mentions there that when the Rebbe cited the verse (Ruth 4:14) “Blessed is HaShem, Who has not left you without a redeemer,” he sang the words, so that it appeared as though he was praising and thanking HaShem for giving them a redeemer to rectify and redeem Jewish souls and draw down the spirit of Mashiach through such awesome and wondrous tikkunim.

וְכָל זֶה הוּא בְּחִינַת הִתְעוֹרְרוּת הַשֵּׁנָה, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת תְּחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים, בְּחִינַת חִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּבָרְכִין בְּכָל יוֹם עַל הִתְעוֹרְרוּת הַשֵּׁנָה: ״הַמַּחֲזִיר נְשָׁמוֹת לִפְגָרִים מֵתִים״.

Reb Noson has highlighted some of the major topics of Rebbe Nachman’s lesson on awakening daat. This effort requires a tzaddik capable of praying a judgment-prayer that forces the Sitra Achra to surrender all the holiness it has devoured. With the elements of holiness set free, HaShem’s glory becomes magnified and this leads to the spread of belief in HaShem—most especially belief in His renewal of the world in the future. By dint of this chiddush ha-olam, a new song will be heard in the creation, a song that relates HaShem’s wonders and draws everyone closer to Him. For in that future world, the supernatural will be the stuff of everyday existence. Reb Noson will show that even now, in this world, it is possible to hear that song in the merit of our nighttime and daytime devotions in serving HaShem.

THE JUDGMENT-PRAYER OF GEVURAH
Reb Noson opens his discourse by linking man’s personal renewal when waking from sleep with the renewal of the world that will coincide with the revival of the dead. In a deeper sense, both signify the awakening of daat.

All this that we have excerpted from Rebbe Nachman’s lesson regarding the tikkun of daat relates to waking up from sleep. The return of the sentient soul to the body each morning is analogous to the future revival of the dead, which itself exemplifies chiddush ha-olam.³⁴See following note. This is supported by the wording of the blessing we recite daily upon waking from sleep, “Blessed are You … Who restores souls to dead bodies.”³⁵See Yaarot Devash 1:1, that when reciting this blessing we should have in mind that HaShem restores souls to dead bodies in this world (when we wake from sleep, which Chazal teach is one-sixtieth of death), and will do so again in the future when He will revive the dead. Moreover, the person who yearns for and looks forward to the latter will find his emunah in yesh meiayin growing stronger, since creating something from nothing is itself a form of giving life to the dead.

כִּי עִקַּר בְּחִינַת הִתְעוֹרְרוּת הַשֵּׁנָה נִמְשַׁךְ בְּשָׁרְשׁוֹ מִכָּל בְּחִינַת הַתִּקּוּנִים הַנַּ״ל, כִּי הַשֵּׁנָה הוּא עַל־יְדֵי הִתְמַעֲטוּת הַמֹּחִין וּבִלְבּוּלָם, שֶׁנִּמְשַׁךְ מִבְּחִינַת: ״וְהַנָּחָשׁ הָיָה עָרוּם״, שֶׁכָּרוּךְ אַחַר הַמֹּחַ עַל־יְדֵי חֵטְא אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן וְכוּ׳.

Reb Noson emphasizes the benefit of waking up from sleep, inasmuch as sleep is essentially the restriction of daat. Yet he also recognizes the value of sleep as a rest for the mind.

At its root, waking up from sleep mainly derives from all the tikkunim mentioned in the above lesson. Conversely, the need for sleep results from a restriction of the mochin and their disorientation as a consequence of the Sitra Achra blemishing daat. This follows from “the Serpent was cunning,”³⁶See above and note 4. for the Serpent/Sitra Achra even now adheres to the human mind on account of the sin of the first man.

שֶׁכָּל אָדָם צָרִיךְ לִלְחֹם הַרְבֵּה עִם הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת שֶׁבַּמֹּחַ, לְבָרְרָם מֵאֲחִיזַת ״הַנָּחָשׁ הָיָה עָרוּם״, וּמֵחֲמַת זֶה צְרִיכִין לְשֵׁנָה, שֶׁכְּשֶׁהַמֹּחַ מִתְבַּלְבֵּל, שֶׁהוּא עַל־יְדֵי מִלְחָמָה זֹאת, אֲזַי צְרִיכִין לִישֹׁן, שֶׁהוּא נַיְחָא לַמֹּחִין, וְאָז ״סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא שַׁרְיָא עַל יְדוֹהִי״ (זהר וישלח קסט:), כִּי עִקַּר הִתְגַּבְּרוּתוֹ הוּא עַל־יְדֵי הִסְתַּלְּקוּת הַמֹּחִין כַּנַּ״ל.

Every person must battle greatly with the thoughts in his mind in order to purify them from the hold of the Sitra Achra, from “the Serpent was cunning.” This explains the need for sleep. For at the point that the mind becomes taxed and confused due to this mental battle with evil, it is necessary to sleep, which is a rest for the mochin. But then the “Sitra Achra settles upon his hands,”³⁷Zohar I, 169b. In §6 below, Reb Noson will explain why the hands in particular. since its power is most ascendant with the departure of the mochin.

וְאָז עִקַּר הַתִּקּוּן עַל־יְדֵי הַבַּעַל כֹּחַ הַנַּ״ל – שֶׁיָּכוֹל לְהִתְפַּלֵּל תְּפִלָּה־בִּבְחִינַת־דִּין וְכוּ׳, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה מוֹצִיא כָּל הַדַּעַת וְהַמֹּחִין וְכוּ׳ מֵהַסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא, וְנִתְגַּלּוּ מֵימֵי הַדַּעַת, בְּחִינַת (ישעיה יא, ט): ״כִּי מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ דֵּעָה כַּמַּיִם לַיָּם מְכַסִּים וְכוּ׳״.

Reb Noson reveals how, by reciting Kriat Shema al HaMitah and binding oneself to the tzaddikim, one can mitigate the restriction of daat during sleep.

And so at that time, the main tikkun comes through the master of spiritual strength who can successfully pray a prayer of din. Through this he extracts all the daat and mochin from the Sitra Achra, and the waters of daat are revealed.³⁸See note 69 below. This revelation and the connection between daat and water are alluded to in the prophet’s depiction of the World to Come, at which time compassion will replace all evil and destruction, “for the earth will be filled with daat, as water covers the seabed.”

שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת הִתְעוֹרְרוּת הַשֵּׁנָה, עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁהוֹצִיאוּ הַדַּעַת מֵהַסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא, וְחָזַר לִמְקוֹמוֹ בְּהִתְחַדְּשׁוּת נִפְלָא, בִּבְחִינַת: ״חֲדָשִׁים לַבְּקָרִים וְכוּ׳״.

Thus revelation of daat is comparable to waking up from sleep, when the mind returns to full consciousness. It takes place through extracting the daat from the Sitra Achra so that it returns it to its place wonderfully refreshed, as expressed in “They are renewed in the mornings.”³⁹See §1 and note 21 above. Here, Reb Noson reads “they” as referring not to HaShem’s acts of chesed and the chasadim, but to the mochin, whose renewal in the morning parallels chiddush ha-olam on a microcosmic scale. This is not contradictory, as chasadim are actually core elements of the mochin.

וְעַל־כֵּן עִקַּר תִּקּוּן הַשֵּׁנָה הוּא עַל־יְדֵי קְרִיאַת־שְׁמַע שֶׁעַל הַמִּטָּה, שֶׁצְּרִיכִין לִקְרוֹתָהּ בְּכַוָּנָה גְּדוֹלָה כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּכַוָּנַת הָאֲרִ״י זַ״ל (שער הכונות דרושי הלילה דרוש ז).

And since the Sitra Achra seeks to control the daat when the mochin depart, therefore the primary tikkun for this negative consequence of sleep is the recital of Kriat Shema al HaMitah. For this reason, one must recite the bedtime Shema with abundant concentration, as taught in the Kavanot of the Arizal.⁴⁰Shaar HaKavanot, Drushei HaLailah 7-8.

כִּי קְרִיאַת־שְׁמַע שֶׁעַל הַמִּטָּה הוּא בְּחִינַת תְּפִלָּה־בִּבְחִינַת־דִּין, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זַ״ל (ברכות ה.): ״כָּל הַקּוֹרֵא קְרִיאַת־שְׁמַע עַל מִטָּתוֹ כְּאִלּוּ אוֹחֵז חֶרֶב פִּיפִיּוֹת בְּיָדוֹ״. וְהָעִקָּר לְקַשֵּׁר עַצְמוֹ לְצַדִּיקֵי הַדּוֹר, בְּחִינַת בַּעֲלֵי כֹּחַ הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁיְּכוֹלִים לְהִתְפַּלֵּל תְּפִלָּה־בִּבְחִינַת־דִּין.

For Kriat Shema al HaMitah has the quality of a prayer of din, as Chazal state, “Whoever recites the Shema at his bedside is considered as though he grasps a double-edged sword in his hand.”⁴¹Berakhot 5a. And so the main thing is to bind oneself in thought to the tzaddikim of the generation, the masters of spiritual strength, who can successfully pray a prayer of din.

וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה יוּכַל לְהִתְגַּבֵּר לָקוּם בַּחֲצוֹת, כִּי עִקַּר קִימַת חֲצוֹת הוּא עַל־יְדֵי כֹּחַ הַצַּדִּיקִים הַנַּ״ל שֶׁיְּכוֹלִים לְהִתְפַּלֵּל הַתְּפִלָּה־בִּבְחִינַת־דִּין, שֶׁמִּשָּׁם נִמְשַׁךְ ״הַהוּא שַׁלְהוֹבָא דְּאֶשָׁא דְּבָטַשׁ בְּגַדְפוֹהִי דְּתַרְנְגוֹלָא וְכוּ׳״ (זהר לך לך עז:), שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת גְּבוּרוֹת, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה קָמִים בַּחֲצוֹת וּמְקוֹנְנִים עַל חֻרְבַּן בֵּית־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ.

Reb Noson details an additional benefit to reciting Kriat Shema al HaMitah: the acquisition of gevurah, strength, to rise at chatzot and recite the kinnot, elegies, in the Tikkun Chatzot.

And subsequent to this—i.e. to reciting Kriat Shema al HaMitah and binding oneself to the tzaddikim—a person will be able to overcome the grip of sleep to get up at midnight and serve HaShem. For the essence of rising at midnight stems from the power of those tzaddikim who can pray a prayer of din. From that attribute of gevurah extends “the flame that strikes the wings of the rooster,” which then crows at midnight.⁴²See Zohar I, 218b, which teaches that at a time of extreme din, the gevurot (severities; see following note), in the form of a fire from the north, strike the wings of the “rooster” on high, which is likewise a symbol of gevurah (and so in rabbinic teaching is called “gever”; see Yoma 20b). Rabbi Meir ibn Gabbai links this to the rooster’s crowing at midnight, at the height of the rule of din in the world (Tolaat Yaakov, Sod Birkhot HaShachar). This signifies the ascension at that time of the gevurot, on account of which people rise at midnight and lament the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash.⁴³Gevurot, the root elements of the sefirah of Gevurah (Strength), represent constriction and severity (see above, p. 96, note 52, and p. 122, note 75). Reb Noson explains here that it is the strength associated with the gevurot that enables a person to break the grip of sleep and rise at midnight. Below (§5), he will link the gevurot with the prayer of din of the master of spiritual strength.

וְכָל הַקִּינוֹת הֵם בִּבְחִינַת תְּפִלָּה־בִּבְחִינַת־דִּין, כִּי בְּכִיָּה וְקִינוֹת הֵם בְּחִינַת דִּינִים, עַל־כֵּן טוֹעֲנִים שָׁם הַרְבֵּה עִם הַשֵּׁם־יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְעוֹשִׂים פְּלִילוֹת עִמּוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאוֹמְרִים (ישעיה סג, טו-יז): ״לָמָּה תַתְעֵנוּ ה׳ מִדְּרָכֶיךָ, תַּקְשִׁיחַ לִבֵּנוּ מִיִּרְאָתֶךָ וְכוּ׳, אַיֵּה קִנְאָתְךָ וּגְבוּרֹתֶיךָ, הֲמוֹן מֵעֶיךָ וְרַחֲמֶיךָ אֵלַי הִתְאַפָּקוּ״, וְכֵן הַרְבֵּה.

Reb Noson now explains the significance of reciting Tikkun Chatzot: to extract the daat and all the holiness swallowed by the Sitra Achra.

In fact, all the kinnot recited over the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash share the characteristic of a prayer of din, because weeping and lamentation are manifestations of dinim and gevurot. Therefore in the kinnot we strongly contend with HaShem and demand justice from Him. For example, we say in Tikkun Chatzot, “Why, HaShem, have You made us stray from Your ways? [Why have You] hardened our hearts so that we do not fear You?” And we ask, “Where are Your vengeance and Your might? Your abundant yearning and Your compassion for us have been withheld!”⁴⁴See Rashi and Metzudat David on these verses. Indeed, many of the kinnot continue in this vein.

וְזֶה שֶׁאוֹמְרִים אַחַר־כָּךְ (תהלים כד, ז): ״וְיָבֹא מֶלֶךְ הַכָּבוֹד וְכוּ׳״. כִּי עַל־יְדֵי הַתְּפִלָּה בְּחִינַת דִּין הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁהוּא תִּקּוּן הַמֹּחַ, בְּחִינַת הִתְעוֹרְרוּת הַשֵּׁנָה כַּנַּ״ל, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה מוֹצִיאִין מֵהַסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא כָּל הַדַּעַת וְכָל הָרַחֲמָנוּת וְכָל הַנְּפָשׁוֹת וְהַנִּצּוֹצוֹת שֶׁבָּלַע וְכוּ׳, עַד שֶׁעוֹשִׂין בַּעֲלֵי תְשׁוּבָה וְגֵרִים וְכוּ׳.

And this is why we say after the kinnot the more hopeful “Let the King of glory enter,” since by reciting the kinnot—the prayer of din that is a tikkun of the mind, correlating to waking up from sleep—we extract from the Sitra Achra all the daat and all the compassion. We extract too all the souls and holy sparks that it swallowed, until we actually make baalei teshuvah and converts,⁴⁵The inclusion here of baalei teshuvah is explained in note 13 above. and though this reveal and magnify HaShem’s glory.

שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת מַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב בַּכַּוָּנוֹת (פרי עץ חיים שער תקון חצות פרק ב): שֶׁבַּחֲצוֹת לַיְלָה הָרִאשׁוֹן בְּעֵת הַשֵּׁנָה, אֲזַי בְּחִינַת הַמַּלְכוּת יוֹרֶדֶת בָּעוֹלָמוֹת הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים, בְּעִמְקֵי הַקְּלִפּוֹת, לְבָרֵר וּלְהַעֲלוֹת מִשָּׁם כָּל הַנְּפָשׁוֹת וְהַנִּצּוֹצוֹת שֶׁנָּפְלוּ וְיָרְדוּ לְשָׁם וְכוּ׳, עַד שֶׁבַּחֲצוֹת לַיְלָה הִיא שׁוֹאֶגֶת – (תהלים מב, ב): ״כְּאַיָּל תַּעֲרֹג וְכוּ׳״. הַיְנוּ כָּל הַנַּ״ל.

Reb Noson cites the kabbalistic source for all of the foregoing.

This set of nighttime devotions corresponds to what is taught in the Kavanot,⁴⁶Pri Eitz Chaim, Shaar Tikkun Chatzot 2. that during the first half of the night, at the time of sleep, the sefirah of Malkhut descends into the lower worlds. It goes down into the depths of the kelipot in order to refine and elevate all the souls and holy sparks that have fallen and descended to there. This continues until midnight, when Malkhut, the soul, wishing to return to its place in holiness, cries out, “Like the deer cries longingly … so my soul.”⁴⁷This is the Shekhinah (Malkhut) crying out to be reunited with HaKadosh Barukh Hu (Shaar HaKavanot, Tikkun Chatzot 1). Therefore as part of Tikkun Chatzot we recite Tehillim 42, in which this verse appears., ⁴⁸Kabbalah identifies man’s nefesh, soul, with the sefirah of Malkhut (Shaarei Orah, Shaar HaShemini; Eitz Chaim 5:5).In light of the above, Reb Noson next explains why we recite the verses of Tehillim 24 after the kinnot of Tikkun Chatzot. He shows how the references to HaShem’s glory in these verses allude to the increase and enhancement of that glory when converts and baalei teshuvah—the souls and holy sparks swallowed by the Sitra Achra—return to Him.

כִּי הַכֹּל נַעֲשָׂה עַל־יְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת הַצַּדִּיקִים בַּעֲלֵי כֹּחַ הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁהֵם בִּבְחִינַת (שם קג, כ): ״גִּבּוֹרֵי כֹּחַ עוֹשֵׂי דְּבָרוֹ וְכוּ׳״.

This takes places in the Heavenly sphere, but also dovetails with all of the aforementioned earthly tikkunim which are all actuated through the devotions of the tzaddikim, the masters of strength who pray a prayer of din. The tzaddikim are the mighty emissaries of HaShem, as in “mighty warriors who do His bidding.” Like Malkhut, they descend into the realm of the Sitra Achra in order to extract the fallen souls and sparks.

וְעַל־יְדֵי אֵלּוּ הַנְּפָשׁוֹת וְכוּ׳ שֶׁעוֹלִין, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נִתְרַבֶּה כְּבוֹדוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ מְאֹד וְכוּ׳. וְעַל־כֵּן אוֹמְרִים תֵּכֶף אַחַר הַקִּינוֹת, שֶׁהֵם בִּבְחִינַת הַתְּפִלָּה־בִּבְחִינַת־דִּין כַּנַּ״ל, אוֹמְרִים אַחַר־כָּךְ (שם כד, ז): ״שְׂאוּ שְׁעָרִים רָאשֵׁיכֶם וְכוּ׳ וְיָבֹא מֶלֶךְ הַכָּבוֹד וְכוּ׳״. כִּי אָז עִקַּר הִתְגַּלּוּת כְּבוֹדוֹ עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁקָּמִים בַּחֲצוֹת, עַל־יְדֵי ״הַהוּא שַׁלְהוֹבָא דְּאֶשָׁא דְּבָטַשׁ בְּגַדְּפוֹי דְּתַרְנְגוֹלָא וְכוּ׳״, וְאוֹמְרִים הַקִּינוֹת עַל חֻרְבַּן בֵּית־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, שֶׁכָּל זֶה נִמְשַׁךְ מֵהַתְּפִלָּה־בִּבְחִינַת־דִּין שֶׁל בַּעַל כֹּחַ הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי כָּל זֶה מִתְרַבֶּה וּמִתְגַּדֵּל כְּבוֹדוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְעַל־כֵּן מִתְפַּלְּלִין אָז עַל זֶה הַרְבֵּה וְיָבֹא מֶלֶךְ הַכָּבוֹד כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים.

And the ascent of those souls and sparks from the grip of the Sitra Achra brings converts and baalei teshuvah, whose return leads to an increase of HaShem’s glory. Consequently, right after the recital of the kinnot, which are characteristic of a judgment-prayer, we say, “Lift up your heads, O gates… Let the King of glory enter.” For it is primarily then that His glory is revealed by virtue of our rising at midnight—that is, by virtue of “the flame that strikes the wings of the rooster” and our recital of the kinnot over the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash. All of this, our rising on account of the gevurot and reciting the kinnot, stems from the judgment-prayer of the master of strength. All this increases and magnifies His glory. And so at that time, after the kinnot of Tikkun Rachel, we pray greatly for this revelation of HaShem’s glory by reciting Tikkun Leah, repeating the phrase “Let the King of glory enter.”⁴⁹Tikkun Chatzot consists of two sections. The first, Tikkun Rachel, is comprised primarily of the vidui, confessional, and selected kinnot, lamentations over the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash. The second section, Tikkun Leah, is almost entirely a collection of psalms expressing our longing for the final redemption, including Tehillim 24, in which this phrase appears.

וְזֶהוּ: ״מִי זֶה מֶלֶךְ הַכָּבוֹד וְכוּ׳״. שֶׁאֵין לוֹ פֵּרוּשׁ כְּלָל, מַהוּ עִנְיַן הַשְּׁאֵלָה הַזֹּאת? וּמִי הוּא הַשּׁוֹאֵל? וּמִי הוּא הַמֵּשִׁיב?

And this is the meaning of the verse “Who is this King of glory?” which follows the previously cited verse from Tehillim and seemingly has no explanation whatsoever. After all, what is the subject of this question? Who is the questioner and who is the responder?

אַךְ הַכֹּל הוּא עִנְיַן הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁהַסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא, בְּחִינַת ״הַנָּחָשׁ הָיָה עָרוּם״, מִתְגַּבֵּר בְּכָל פַּעַם מְאֹד לְהַעֲלִים וּלְהַסְתִּיר כְּבוֹדוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁרוֹצֶה לִינֹק מֵהַדַּעַת, וּמִתְגַּבֵּר בַּתַּאֲוָה הַנַּ״ל, וּמְבַטֵּל וּמְבַלְבֵּל הַתְּפִלָּה וְכוּ׳, שֶׁכָּל זֶה הוּא בְּחִינַת הַעֲלָמַת כְּבוֹדוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, כִּי כְּמוֹ שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי הַתִּקּוּן הַנַּ״ל שֶׁמּוֹצִיאִין מֵהַסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא חִיּוּתָהּ וְכוּ׳ – נִתְרַבֶּה וְנִתְגַּדֵּל כְּבוֹדוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, כֵּן לְהֵפֶךְ, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, כְּשֶׁהָיוּ הֵם מִתְגַּבְּרִין הָיָה מִתְעַלֵּם כְּבוֹדוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ.

However, all this is in line with and explained by the subject matter we have discussed thus far. For the Sitra Achra—the concept of “the Serpent was cunning”—is empowered time and again to conceal and obscure HaShem’s glory by feeding on daat and gaining strength through the desire for immorality, thereby distracting and confusing people’s prayer. All this represents the concealment of HaShem’s glory. For just as the tikkun of extracting the life-force from the Sitra Achra increases and magnifies HaShem’s glory, so too the opposite occurs once the forces of evil have been strengthened. HaShem’s glory is then concealed.

וְעַל־כֵּן אַחַר חֲצוֹת שֶׁמַּתְחִילִין לַעֲסֹק בַּתִּקּוּן הַנַּ״ל עַל־יְדֵי גִּבּוֹרֵי כֹּחַ הַנַּ״ל, אֲזַי אוֹמְרִים: ״שְׂאוּ שְׁעָרִים רָאשֵׁיכֶם וְהִנָּשְׂאוּ פִּתְחֵי עוֹלָם״ – שֶׁהֵם הַשְּׁעָרִים וְהַפְּתָחִים שֶׁל הַבֵּית־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת הַשְּׁעָרִים וְהַפְּתָחִים שֶׁבְּדַעַת הָאָדָם, שֶׁכֻּלָּם יִהְיוּ נִפְתָּחִין וְיָבֹא בָּהֶם מֶלֶךְ הַכָּבוֹד -שֶׁיִּתְגַּלֶּה אֱלֹקוּתוֹ וּכְבוֹדוֹ בָּעוֹלָם בִּכְלָל, וּבִפְרָטִיּוּת בְּמֹחַ וּבְלֵב כָּל הָאָדָם, שֶׁכֻּלָּם יַכִּירוּ וְיֵדְעוּ אֶת כְּבוֹדוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ.

Therefore after midnight, when we begin to engage in this tikkun of daat by binding ourselves to the tzaddikim, who are “mighty warriors,” we then say, “Lift up your heads, O gates; be uplifted, O you everlasting doors.” These are the gates and doors of the Beit HaMikdash, which represent the gates and doors of the human mind.⁵⁰Zohar I, 103b. See also LM I, 30:8 (and note 153 there), where Rebbe Nachman teaches that each person’s perception of HaShem’s greatness is commen , שער) gates) / ShAeR ,שערים) surate with the She’ARim assessments) of his mind. We request that they all be opened and “let the King of glory enter” so that His Godliness and glory will be revealed. We pray for this revelation to manifest in the world at large, through the public sensation generated by the return of baalei teshuvah and converts, and individually, in the mind and heart of each person, so that when all one’s daat and compassion is restored, everyone will recognize and be aware of HaShem’s glory.

ואֲַזיַ תֵּכףֶ שׁוֹאֵל מִי שֶׁשׁוֹאֵל, שֶׁהֵם הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת הָרָעוֹת והְַזּרָוֹת שֶׁבּלְבֵ הָאָדָם הַנּמִשְָׁכיִן מִמָּקוֹם שֶׁנִּמְשָׁכִין, מִבְּחִינַת ״וְהַנָּחָשׁ הָיָה עָרוּם״ הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁפִּתָּה לְאָדָם וְחַוָּה וּלְכָל הַכְּרוּכִים אַחֲרָיו, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּזֹּהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ (בראשית דף נב.): ״וַי לְחִוְיָּא קַדְּמָאָה דְּקָטִיל לְאָדָם וּלְכָל דָּרִין דְאָתִין אַבַּתְרֵיהּ״. וְהֵם שׁוֹאֲלִים: ״מִי זֶה מֶלֶךְ הַכָּבוֹד?״ – כִּי נִדְמֶה לָהֶם שֶׁכְּבָר הֶעֱלִימוּ כְּבוֹדוֹ לְגַמְרֵי, עַד שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְגַלּוֹתוֹ שֶׁיָּבֹא בְּדַעְתֵּנוּ וּבְלִבֵּנוּ וּבְכָל הָעוֹלָם.

But then immediately the unidentified questioners ask, “Who is this King of glory?” These questioners are the evil and foreign thoughts drawn into a man’s heart from daat blemished by the influence of “the Serpent was cunning.” This is the Serpent that seduced Adam and Chavah and that continues to seduce all those who follow it. As it is written in the holy Zohar, “Woe to the primordial Serpent that brought death to Adam and all the generations destined to come after him.”⁵¹Zohar I, 52b. So these questioners ask, “Who is this King of glory?” because they assume that they have already completely concealed His glory such that it is now impossible to reveal it, impossible for it to ever again enter our minds and hearts or into the world at large.

וְאָז מְשִׁיבִין לָהֶם מִיָּד: ״ה׳ עִזּוּז וְגִבּוֹר, ה׳ גִּבּוֹר מִלְחָמָה״ – ״עִזּוּז וְגִבּוֹר״ דַּיְקָא, ״גִּבּוֹר מִלְחָמָה״ דַּיְקָא, שֶׁמַּזְכִּירִין עַתָּה רַק תֹּקֶף גְּבוּרָתוֹ וֶעֱזוּזוֹ, הַיְנוּ בְּחִינַת גְּבוּרוֹת וְתֹקֶף הַתְּפִלָּה, בִּבְחִינַת דִּין וּגְבוּרָה הַנַּ״ל שֶׁל הַבַּעֲלֵי כֹּחַ כַּנַּ״ל, שֶׁהֵם מוֹסִיפִין כֹּחַ בִּגְבוּרָה שֶׁל מַעְלָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זַ״ל (איכה רבה א, לג), כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (תהלים קח, יד): ״בֵּאלֹהִים נַעֲשֶׂה חָיִל״. הַיְנוּ שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי עִזּוּז גְּבוּרַת הַתְּפִלָּה הַנַּ״ל, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה עִקַּר גְּבוּרַת הַמִּלְחָמָה, בְּחִינַת: ״ה׳ גִּבּוֹר מִלְחָמָה״ – שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה מוֹצִיאִין מֵהַסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא כָּל חִיּוּתָהּ, כָּל הַנְּפָשׁוֹת וְכוּ׳, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה מִתְרַבֶּה וּמִתְגַּדֵּל וּמִתְגַּלֶּה כְּבוֹדוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ מְאֹד לְעֵין כֹּל.

At that point we gird ourselves and answer them without hesitation, “HaShem, Who is powerful and mighty! HaShem, Who is mighty in battle!” We especially emphasize that HaShem is “powerful and mighty” and “mighty in battle,” mentioning at this time of din only the force of His might and His power.⁵²HaShem’s might and power, but not His compassion and chesed. See note 9 above, which speaks of recognizing HaShem’s compassion when praying. This alludes to the gevurot and the forceful prayer of din and might that the masters of spiritual strength pray. In the words of Chazal, “[These tzaddikim] add strength to the mighty host on high,⁵³Eikhah Rabbah 1:33: “When Jews fulfill the will of the Holy One, they add strength to the gevurah on high.” as it is written, ‘Through Elohim we will be valorous.’”⁵⁴The Holy Name Elohim connotes the attribute of din (Rashi on Bereishit 8:1). Whenever the world is beset by judgment, the tzaddikim, who are masters of spiritual strength, attach themselves to “Elohim” and pray a judgment-prayer to mitigate the dinim. See Maharsha on Shabbat 119b, that through their prayers the tzaddikim provide strength and might to the Heavenly host, meaning that HaShem annuls His decree of judgment. In other words, the powerful mightiness of the tzaddik’s prayer of din supplies the principal strength needed for battle, as in “HaShem, Who is mighty in battle!” Through this we extract from the Sitra Achra its entire life-force, namely all the souls that it swallowed, and HaShem’s glory is thereby greatly increased, magnified and revealed in everyone’s eyes.

וְעַל־כֵּן אוֹמְרִים תֵּכֶף אַחַר־כָּךְ עוֹד הַפַּעַם: ״וְיָבֹא מֶלֶךְ הַכָּבוֹד״, עַד שֶׁמְּסַיְּמִין בְּפֵרוּשׁ – ״ה׳ צְבָאוֹת הוּא מֶלֶךְ הַכָּבוֹד סֶלָה״. כִּי בְּוַדַּאי יִגְמֹר אֶת שֶׁלּוֹ וְיִתְגַּלֶּה כְּבוֹדוֹ לְעֵין כֹּל, וְהַכֹּל עַל־יְדֵי בְּחִינַת ״עִזּוּז וְגִבּוֹר״, וְכוּ׳, עַל־יְדֵי הַתְּפִלָּה־בִּבְחִינַת־דִּין וּגְבוּרָה הַנַּ״ל.

This is why immediately afterwards we again say, “Let the King of glory enter,” and finally conclude with an explicit response, “HaShem, the Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory, selah.” For HaShem will certainly finish His part and reveal His glory to everyone, entirely through the attribute of “powerful and mighty”—by means of the prayer of judgment and might.

וְעַל־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.

RENEWAL
Having 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,⁵⁵See §1 and notes 15 and 20 above. The Rebbe discusses these topics in §5-§8 of his lesson. 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.

THE NEW SONG
After exploring the deeper meaning of the nighttime devotions, Reb Noson turns to the final subject of the Rebbe’s lesson: the new song of the future that emerges by dint of our perfection of emunah in chiddush ha-olam. Although this new song will fully manifest only in the future world, through the power of the tzaddik’s prayer of din we can awaken it even now, in the melodies and songs of praise in our morning prayers.

Sing to HaShem a new song, for He has performed wonders”— is channeled into the world. All the songs and praises that we recite in the morning, in the Shacharit prayer, stem from this song of the World to Come, since all the present-day songs and praises are channeled from the voice⁶¹See note 28 above, that “voice” here refers to the melody of the new song that will be sung when HaShem renews His creation in the future. of the song that will burst forth in the future.

וזְֶה בְּחִינַת (איוב לח, ז): ״בְּרָן יַחַד כֹּכְבֵי בֹּקֶר״, בְּחִינַת הָרִנּוֹת וְהַתִּשְׁבָּחוֹת שֶׁנִּתְעוֹרְרִין בְּכָל יוֹם בַּבֹּקֶר, שֶׁנִּמְשַׁךְ מֵהַבֹּקֶר שֶׁל לֶעָתִיד, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת חִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם וְכוּ׳, שֶׁנִּמְשַׁךְ עַל־יְדֵי הַתְּפִלָּה־בִּבְחִינַת־דִּין כַּנַּ״ל.

This relates to “when the morning stars sing together,” referring to the songs and praises that are roused daily, in the morning, by the stars and angels.⁶²This is as Targum Yonatan renders the verse: “When the morning stars sing praise together and all the divisions of angels sound forth.” These songs are channeled from the song that will be sung on the morning of the future, the concept of chiddush ha-olam, which in turn derives from the judgment-prayer of the tzaddik who extracts all holiness from the Sitra Achra.

וזְֶהוּ (שם): ״וְיָרִיעוּ כָּל בְּנֵי אֱלֹהִים״, כִּי כָּל זֶה נִמְשַׁךְ עַל־יְדֵי בְּחִינַת ״בְּנֵי אֱלֹהִים״, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת דִּין וּגְבוּרָה דִּקְדֻשָּׁה, הַיְנוּ עַל־יְדֵי הַצַּדִּיקִים גִּבּוֹרֵי כֹּחַ הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁיְּכוֹלִים לְהִתְפַּלֵּל תְּפִלָּה־בִּבְחִינַת־דִּין, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נִתְעוֹרֵר הַשִּׁיר שֶׁל לֶעָתִיד, שֶׁמִּשָּׁם הוּא בְּחִינַת ״בְּרָן יַחַד כֹּכְבֵי בֹּקֶר״, וְכַנַּ״ל.

And this aligns with the rest of the verse, “and all the angels of Elohim shout for joy.” Elohim is the Name of HaShem that connotes din.⁶³See note 54 above. All song and praise are drawn by means of “the angels of Elohim,” namely din and holy strength—meaning through those tzaddikim, the mighty ones of strength, who can pray a prayer of din. In turn, this judgment-prayer awakens the song of the future, on account of which “the morning stars sing together.”

וְזֶהוּ ״יִתְגַּבֵּר כַּאֲרִי לַעֲמֹד בַּבֹּקֶר וְכוּ׳״ – ״יִתְגַּבֵּר״ דַּיְקָא, כִּי צָרִיךְ הִתְגַּבְּרוּת גָּדוֹל לָזֶה, כִּי עִקַּר הִתְעוֹרְרוּת הַשֵּׁנָה נִמְשַׁךְ מִגְּבוּרוֹת, מִבְּחִינַת הַתְּפִלָּה־בְּחִינַת־דִּין שֶׁל הַבַּעַל כֹּחַ, כַּנַּ״ל.

RISING WITH STRENGTH
Reb Noson now shows how all the above devotions of the night and day are reflected in the words of the Shulchan Arukh.

Now, this is the meaning of the opening words of the Shulchan Arukh: “Yitgaber like a lion to rise up in the morning.” The emphasis here is on the word yitgaber, because great willpower is needed for this rising. For the power to rouse from sleep derives mainly from gevurot⁶⁴See §2 and note 43 above. Here Reb Noson shows that the wording of the Shulchan Arukh is precise, in which indicates that a person ,(יתגבר) that yitGaBeR has to “strengthen himself” in order to wake up, has the root ,(גבורות) the same root letters as GeVuRot elements of the sefirah of Gevurah that stem from Daat.—that is, from the judgmentprayer of the master of spiritual strength, as explained above.⁶⁵Reb Noson explained in §2 above that, ultimately, the ability to strengthen oneself comes from binding oneself to the tzaddikim of the generation, as they are the ones who can pray the prayer of din that will wake him from sleep.

וְזֶה ״שֶׁיְּהֵא הוּא מְעוֹרֵר הַשַּׁחַר״ – בְּחִינַת (תהלים נז, ט): ״עוּרָה כְבוֹדִי עוּרָה הַנֵּבֶל וְכִנּוֹר אָעִירָה שָׁחַר״, הַיְנוּ לְעוֹרֵר הַנִּגּוּן הַנַּ״ל שֶׁמְּזַמֶּרֶת אַיֶּלֶת הַשַּׁחַר בַּבֹּקֶר, עַל־יְדֵי כֹּחַ הַצַּדִּיקִים הַנַּ״ל, עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁהֵם מְגַלִּים כְּבוֹדוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ.

And this daily tikkun of daat is also the explanation of what the Shulchan Arukh says next: “so that it is he who awakens the shachar.” This relates to “Awake, my kavod! Awake the harp and lyre! I will awaken the shachar.” The word shachar alludes to the Ayelet HaShachar.⁶⁶When the first rays of dawn burst forth out of the ,איילה) darkness, they resemble the antlers of an AYaLah mountain deer); see Bekhor Shor on Shemot 34:30. Thus איילת) the light of shachar is called AYeLet HaShachar In the kabbalistic lexicon, Ayelet HaShachar .(השחר is an appellation for the Shekhinah (Zohar II, 19b), Whose rectification and return to wholeness comes with the morning’s dawn. This means that a person should be the one to awaken the melody, the song of the future mentioned above, which Ayelet HaShachar, the Shekhinah, sings in the morning.⁶⁷Commenting on this verse, the Zohar (II, 46a) teaches that at chatzot the Shekhinah /Ayelet HaShachar arises to sing. Then, with the break of dawn, HaKadosh Barukh Hu delights with the Shekhinah and with all those whose spiritual devotions in the night ensured Her ascent. This is facilitated by the power of the tzaddikim, who wake us up by dint of their revealing HaShem’s kavod when they extract daat from the grip of the Sitra Achra.

שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת ״עוּרָה כְבוֹדִי עוּרָה הַנֵּבֶל וְכִנּוֹר אָעִירָה שָׁחַר״. אַשְׁרֵי! אַשְׁרֵי! מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ חֵלֶק בָּזֶה! וְהָעִקָּר עַל־יְדֵי הִתְקָרְבוּת לְצַדִּיקֵי אֱמֶת בֶּאֱמֶת לַאֲמִתּוֹ בִּשְׁבִיל כְּבוֹדוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, לֹא בִּשְׁבִיל כְּבוֹד עַצְמוֹ, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם.

This then is the meaning of “Awake, my kavod!”—arouse the glory/soul by arising at midnight, reciting Tikkun Chatzot and studying Torah—“Awake the harp and lyre!”—thereby waking the new song of the future—“I will awaken the shachar”— that Ayelet HaShachar rouses to sing. Fortunate indeed is he who has a part in this. That said, the most important thing is to genuinely draw close to the true tzaddikim for the sake of HaShem’s glory, and not for one’s own glory, chas ve-shalom.

וְזֶה בְּחִינַת נְטִילַת יָדַיִם שַׁחֲרִית כְּשֶׁקָּם מִשְּׁנָתוֹ.

WASHING WITH DAAT
Reb 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.⁶⁸See also Pri Eitz Chaim, 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.

כִּי 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.

For 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.⁶⁹These “waters” are the chasadim, 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.

וְעַל־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.

Reb 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.”⁷⁰See §1 and note 32 above. 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.”

כִּי 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.

With 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,⁷¹Here, chiddush ha-olam 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.”⁷²During the battle against Amalek, “Moshe’s hands grew heavy … Aharon and Chur supported his hands, one on each side, and so his hands were emunah” (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.

וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה זוֹכִין לְהַנִּגּוּן הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת יָדַיִם, בְּחִינַת (שמואל-א טז, טז): ״וְנִגֵּן בְּיָדוֹ וְטוֹב לָךְ״.

Reb 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.”⁷³Shaul HaMelekh’s courtiers advised him to find a skilled musician who would play a melody and so relieve the king of his melancholy. The verse implies that music is made through the power of the hands, which according to Rebbe Nachman entails selecting the good wind (tones) from the winds of gloom and despair (see above, p. 24, note 4).

וְעַל־יְדֵי כָּל זֶה מְקַבְּלִין כֹּחַ יְדֵי יַעֲקֹב לְהַכְנִיעַ עֲקֵב עֵשָׂו, בִּבְחִינַת ״וְיָדוֹ אוֹחֶזֶת בַּעֲקֵב עֵשָׂו״, ״וְיָדוֹ״ דַּיְקָא כַּנַּ״ל.

And 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.

וְכָל 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.

Reb 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.

וְעַל־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.

Therefore 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.

וְעַל־כֵּן מִתְעַנִּין בְּיוֹם הַיָארצַייט – לְהַכְנִיע מְזוֹנָא דְּגוּפָא עַל־יְדֵי הַתַּעֲנִית, כִּי עַל־יְדֵי כָּל הַנַּ״ל זוֹכִין לְהַכְנִיעַ מְזוֹנָא דְּגוּפָא לְגַבֵּי מְזוֹנָא דְּנִשְׁמָתָא, כַּמְבֹאָר שָׁם בְּהַתּוֹרָה הַנַּ״ל, עַיֵּן שָׁם הַתּוֹרָה הַנַּ״ל מִתְּחִלָּתוֹ לְסוֹפוֹ, וְאָז תָּבִין דְּבָרֵינוּ בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם־יִתְבָּרַךְ.

FASTING ON A YAHRTZEIT
Reb Noson briefly relates the practice of fasting on a yahrtzeit to another key element in the Rebbe’s lesson: increasing the power of the soul over the body. This is a fundamental component in the revelation of daat and will be most evident when the world will be renewed in the future.

Therefore one refrains from food and drink on the day of the yahrtzeit, in order to subdue the influence of the body’s sustenance through the fast. For by means of all the above tikkunim we merit subduing the body’s sustenance in relation to the soul’s sustenance, as explained in the Rebbe’s lesson.⁸²See §1 of the Rebbe’s lesson; also §1 and notes 29 and 30 above. Study well that lesson from start to finish, and then with HaShem’s help you will understand what we have discussed.

וְעַל־כֵּן נוֹהֲגִין זֹאת בְּכָל שָׁנָה בַּיּוֹם שֶׁמֵּת בּוֹ אָבִיו אוֹ אִמּוֹ, כִּי תְּקוּפוֹת הַשָּׁנָה שֶׁמְּסַבֵּב הַשֵּׁם־יִתְבָּרַךְ וּמַקִּיף הַגַּלְגַּלִּים בְּכָל שָׁנָה הוּא בְּחִינַת תְּקוּפוֹת הַיָּמִים, כִּי כְּמוֹ שֶׁבְּכָל יוֹם יֵשׁ יוֹם וְלַיְלָה עֶרֶב וּבֹקֶר, כְּמוֹ־כֵן בִּכְלָלִיּוּת הַשָּׁנָה יֵשׁ קַיִץ וָחֹרֶף, שֶׁהֵם בִּבְחִינַת יוֹם וָלַיְלָה. כִּי בַּחֹרֶף – הַלֵּילוֹת אֲרֻכִּים, וְנֶחֱשָׁב לְגַבֵּי קַיִץ לִבְחִינַת לַיְלָה, וְהַקַּיִץ – שֶׁבּוֹ הַיָּמִים אֲרֻכִּים, הוּא בִּבְחִינַת יוֹם לְגַבֵּי הַחֹרֶף. וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (תהלים עד, טז): ״לְךָ יוֹם אַף לְךָ לַיְלָה וְכוּ׳, אַתָּה הִצַּבְתָּ גְּבֻלוֹת אָרֶץ, קַיִץ וָחרֶֹף אַתָּה יְצַרְתָּם״.

TIME CYCLES
Reb Noson explains why the tikkun that the son effects for his parent’s soul takes place precisely once a year. Like the diurnal cycle, the annual cycle is a recurring sequence of darkness and light, exile and redemption, symbolic of the soul’s renewal of daat on the yahrtzeit.

And so we do this year after year, reciting the Kaddish and fasting on the day one’s father or mother passed away. The reason the soul requires a yearly tikkun is that tekufot ha-shanah, the annual cycle—i.e. the year-long revolutions made by the celestial bodies at HaShem’s direction⁸³Reb Noson’s view of the universe presupposes the geocentric model, and so the celestial bodies referred to here are the sun, moon, planets and stars, which annually complete their revolutions around Earth. This annual cycle is referred to in Shemot 34:22, which states that the festival of Sukkot is at tekufat ha-shanah, the cycle of the year. Rashi explains that this means at the “return” of the year, the point at which the next year begins.—parallels tekufot ha‑yamim, the diurnal cycle—i.e. the day-long circuit of the celestial bodies across the sky at His command.⁸⁴The term “tekufot ha-yamim,” the cycles of days, appears in I Samuel 1:20 (albeit in a different context); see also LM II, 7:6. Tehillim 19:7 states regarding the daily motion of the sun, “Its origin is at one end of the heavens, and tekufato (its cycle or circuit) takes it to the [opposite] end.” Over the course of each day, as a result of the diurnal rotation of Earth on its axis, the sun and the stars appear to cross the sky from east to west. Thus just as each 24‑hour period has a daytime and a nighttime, an evening and a morning, so too the composite of the year has a summer and a winter. These seasons parallel day and night. For in winter the nights are long and so, relative to summer, the winter is identified with night. Correspondingly, the summer, whose days are long, is identified with day relative to winter. This is also the meaning of what is written in Tehillim, “The day is Yours, the night is also Yours … You are the One Who fixed [all] the boundaries of the earth; You are the One Who created summer and winter.”

וְכָל סִבּוּב הַשָּׁנָה הוּא בִּבְחִינַת סִבּוּב הַיּוֹם וְהַלַּיְלָה עֶרֶב וָבֹקֶר, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת חֶשְׁכַת הַגָּלוּת שֶׁדּוֹמֶה לְלַיְלָה, וְאוֹר הַגְּאֻלָּה שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת בֹּקֶר, בְּחִינַת כְּלָלִיּוּת הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה שֶׁנִּקְרָא לַיְלָה, כְּנֶגֶד חִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת עוֹלָם הַבָּא, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת אוֹר יוֹם, כַּמּוּבָן לַמַּשְׂכִּיל, שֶׁכָּל הַנַּ״ל הֵם בִּבְחִינָה אַחַת.

Thus each annual cycle mirrors the cycle of day and night, evening and morning. As for the diurnal cycle itself, it represents the darkness of exile, which is comparable to night, and the light of redemption, which is comparable to morning. The diurnal cycle also represents the totality of this world, which is governed by nature and so is called “night”; in contrast to chiddush ha-olam, which corresponds to the World to Come, a wondrous existence paralleling the light of day. The intelligent person understands that all these—day and night, summer and winter, exile and redemption, this world and the next—are essentially one and the same concept.

וְעַל־כֵּן כְּשֶׁמְּסַבֵּב שָׁנָה עַל נֶפֶשׁ הַמֵּת – צְרִיכִין הַבָּנִים לַעֲסֹק בְּתִקּוּנוֹ בִּגְמַר הַשָּׁנָָה, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת סִבּוּב לַיְלָה וָיוֹם, שֶׁבָּהֶם נַעֲשָׂה בְּחִינַת תִּקּוּן שֶׁל חִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת אוֹר יוֹם שֶׁבָּא אַחַר חֶשְׁכַּת לַיְלָה, עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁהִתְחַזְּקוּ בֶּאֱמוּנָה בְּכָל תֹּקֶף הַחֹשֶׁךְ שֶׁל הַלַּיְלָה, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת הַגָּלוּת, בְּחִינַת הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, שֶׁזֶּה הַמֵּת שֶׁהָיָה בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, וְעַכְשָׁיו הוּא צָרִיךְ לַעֲלוֹת לִמְקוֹמוֹ לְכָל הַבְּחִינוֹת הַנַּ״ל שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת אוֹר כַּנַּ״ל, וְעַל־כֵּן אָז עוֹסְקִין הַבָּנִים בְּתִקּוּנוֹ עַל־יְדֵי הַקַּדִּישׁ וְכוּ׳ וְכַנַּ״ל.

Therefore once a period of a year cycles over the soul of the deceased, the sons must again apply themselves to the soul’s tikkun at the year’s completion. This yearly cycle of the soul parallels the cycle of night and day, through which a dimension of the rectification of emunah in chiddush ha-olam is implemented. This is the idea that the light of day that shines in the morning always appears after the darkness of night by dint of our having bolstered ourselves with emunah throughout the darkest darkness of the night,⁸⁵See §3 above. which is synonymous with exile and this world. For this deceased person had been in this world of darkness, and now he must ascend to his station in order to attain all the aforementioned concepts— clarifying the imagination, achieving emunah in chiddush ha-olam, and hearing the new song of the future—which are comparable to light. Thus the sons engage once again in the soul’s tikkun by reciting the Kaddish, and so on.

גַּם בְּכָל שָׁנָה וְשָׁנָה יֵשׁ רֹאשׁ־הַשָּׁנָה, שֶׁאָז עִקַּר כָּל הַתִּקּוּנִים, וְכַמְבֹאָר הֵיטֵב בְּהַתּוֹרָה הַנַּ״ל, כִּי מֵרֹאשׁ־הַשָּׁנָה נִמְשָׁכִין הַתִּקּוּנִים הַנַּ״ל עַל כָּל הַשָּׁנָה כֻּלָּהּ, וְעַל־כֵּן בְּכָל הַתְחָלַת שָׁנָה שֶׁל נֶפֶשׁ הַמֵּת, שֶׁהוּא בְּיוֹם הַיָארצַייט, צְרִיכִין לַעֲסֹק בַּתִּקּוּנִים הַנַּ״ל וְכַנַּ״ל.

Reb Noson provides another reason why the soul’s tikkun must be renewed each year.

Moreover, each and every year has a Rosh HaShanah, which, as clarified amply in the Rebbe’s lesson, is the main time for all the tikkunim,⁸⁶See §11 there, where Rebbe Nachman discusses the tikkunim implemented on Rosh HaShanah through the prayer of din—namely the extraction of the life-force of the Sitra Achra, revealing daat, chiddush ha-olam, etc. since these rectificationsextend from Rosh HaShanah across the entire year. Therefore at each beginning of the year for the soul of the deceased—on the day of the yahrtzeit, which is its Rosh HaShanah—the sons must devote themselves to the soul’s rectification, and by doing so renew the above tikkunim for yet another year.

כִּי עַל הַבָּנִים חָל הַתִּקּוּן, כִּי עִקַּר הוּא הַדַּעַת דִּקְדֻשָּׁה שֶׁצְּרִיכִין לְתַקְּנוֹ עַל־יְדֵי בְּחִינָה הַנַּ״ל. וְהַדַּעַת הוּא בְּחִינַת רַחֲמָנוּת שֶׁנִּמְשַׁךְ מֵאָב לְבֵן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְבאָֹר שָׁם עַל מַאֲמָר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זַ״ל (בראשית רבה נד, ב): ״עַד כָּאן רַחֲמֵי הָאָב עַל הַבֵּן״. וְזֶהוּ (ישעיה לח, יט): ״אָב לְבָנִים יוֹדִיעַ אֶל אֲמִתֶּךָ״, כִּי הַדַּעַת וְהָרַחֲמָנוּת הֵם בְּחִינָה אַחַת כַּנַּ״ל.

THE CHAIN OF DAAT
Reb Noson next shows why the revelation of daat—the pivotal feature of the yahrtzeit— devolves specifically upon the son of the deceased.

Now, responsibility for implementing the tikkun of a parent’s soul falls specifically upon the sons. The reason is that the main objective is the tikkun of holy daat, which must be rectified by means of the abovementioned method. Daat is identified with compassion,⁸⁷See above, §1 and note 7, linking daat with compassion. particularly the compassion that extends from father to son, as explained in the Rebbe’s lesson in regard to Chazal’s statement: “Thus is the extent of a father’s compassion for a son.”⁸⁸Bereishit Rabbah 54:2. In §2 of his lesson Rebbe Nachman cites this Midrash regarding Avimelekh’s request of Avraham, “Swear to me here by HaShem that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my grandchildren” (Bereishit 21:23). The Midrash teaches that this indicates the extent of paternal compassion that a man feels; it does not reach beyond three generations. See Rashi, loc. cit. will make known) and ,יודיע) And this is the meaning of “Fathers yodee’a Your truth to their sons,”⁸⁹The words yoDee’A knowledge) come from the same root. Reb ,דעת) DaAt Noson reads this verse as teaching that a father passes his daat on to his son. for daat and compassion are a single concept, so that instilling in them one instills in them the other.

וְעַל־כֵּן הַבֵּן דַּיְקָא עוֹסֵק בְּתִקּוּן אֲבוֹתָיו, כִּי הוּא צָרִיךְ לְתַקֵּן הַדַּעַת הַנִּמְשָׁךְ מֵאָב לַבֵּן שֶׁמִּשָּׁם נוֹלָד, שֶׁהַכֹּל נִתַּקֵּן עַל־יְדֵי בְּחִינָה הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה זוֹכִין לְהַנִּגּוּן וְהַשִּׁיר שֶׁל חִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהוּא עִקַּר הַתִּקּוּן, שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל זֶה בָּא הָאָדָם לָעוֹלָם.

Therefore the son is specifically the one who carries out the tikkun for his late father, because he needs to rectify the daat that extends from father to son, for from that daat in his father’s mind he originated.⁹⁰Tikkuney Zohar #18, p. 35a; Shaarei Orah, Shaar HaShemini; Shnei Luchot HaBrit, Toldot Adam: Beit HaShem. In LM II, 7:8, Rebbe Nachman similarly teaches, “The son extends entirely from the father’s mind and so merits his father’s perceptions precisely.” Everything is rectified by revelation of this daat through the prayer of din, by which we merit the melody and the song of chiddush ha-olam of the future. This is the soul’s most important tikkun, because this is the purpose for which man comes into the world: to know HaShem as He will be revealed in the future world.

וּבִשְׁבִיל זֶה עִקַּר הַחִיּוּב וְהַמִּצְוָה לְהַשְׁאִיר בָּנִים אַחֲרָיו, הַכֹּל בִּשְׁבִיל תִּקּוּן הַדַּעַת הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁהוּא תִּקּוּן הָאֱמוּנָה שֶׁמִּתְבָּרֶרֶת מִדּוֹר לְדוֹר, בִּבְחִינַת (תהלים ק, ה): ״וְעַד דֹּר וָדֹר אֱמוּנָתוֹ״, בְּחִינַת (שם קמה, ד): ״דּוֹר לְדוֹר יְשַׁבַּח מַעֲשֶׂיךָ וְכוּ׳״, בְּחִינַת (שם קיט, צ): ״לְדֹר וָדֹר אֱמוּנָתֶךָ כּוֹנַנְתָּ אֶרֶץ״, שֶׁעִקַּר קִיּוּם הָעוֹלָם מִדּוֹר לְדוֹר, בְּחִינַת ״כּוֹנַנְתָּ אֶרֶץ וַתַּעֲמֹד״, הוּא רַק בִּשְׁבִיל בֵּרוּר הָאֱמוּנָה שֶׁמִּתְבָּרֶרֶת מִדּוֹר לְדוֹר, בְּחִינַת ״לְדוֹר וָדוֹר אֱמוּנָתֶךָ״ וְכַנַּ״ל.

In light of the above, Reb Noson explains why there is a mitzvah for a person to leave behind sons in the world after his death.

And so it is with the aim of knowing HaShem that man’s primary obligation and mitzvah is to ensure that he leaves behind sons. This is entirely for the sake of a tikkun of daat, namely a tikkun of emunah, which becomes ever more refined with each succeeding generation. This idea appears again and again in the verses of Tehillim, as in “His emunah is from generation to generation,” “One generation will praise Your works to the next,” and “Your emunah is from generation to generation. You established the earth …” The end of this last verse explains its beginning, in that the continued existence of the world from generation to generation—as expressed in “You established the earth and it endures”— is for the sole purpose of refining emunah. It becomes increasingly refined from one generation to the next, from father to son, as in “Your emunah is from generation to generation.”

בָּרוּךְ ה׳ לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן.

“Blessed is HaShem forever; amen and amen.”⁹¹Reb Noson most often cites this verse from Tehillim (89:53) to signal the end of a discourse. Apparently, he was intending that here as well, but then decided, perhaps at a later date, to add the following insights on the topic of rectifying daat.

וְזֶהוּ מַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ, זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ברכות טו.): ״כָּל הַנִּפְנֶה, וְנוֹטֵל יָדָיו, וּמַנִּיחַ תְּפִלִּין, וְקוֹרֵא קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע, וּמִתְפַּלֵּל, כְּאִלּוּ קִבֵּל עוֹל מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם שְׁלֵמָה״.

THE MORNING’S PROTOCOL
Reb Noson returns to the main topic of the law cited from the Shulchan Arukh: arising from sleep in the morning. After clarifying the order of going to sleep and the nighttime devotions, he now addresses the morning activities and their connection to the themes of the Rebbe’s lesson.

This tikkun of daat each morning relates to what Chazal teach, that upon rising in the morning, “whoever relieves himself and washes his hands, dons tefillin, and then recites the Kriat Shema and prays the Shemoneh Esrei—it is as if he has wholeheartedly accepted the yoke of the sovereignty of Heaven.”

הַנִּפְנֶה – וְדוֹחֶה הַמּוֹתָרוֹת, זֶה בְּחִינַת הַכְנָעַת וּבִטּוּל מְזוֹנָא דְּגוּפָא, שֶׁמִּשָּׁם כָּל הַמּוֹתָרוֹת.

“Relieves himself.” This refers to expelling the excesses that are the body’s waste matter. In the context of our discourse, this is the idea of subjugating and eliminating the body’s sustenance,⁹²See §1 above and notes 29 and 30. the waste component of food whose negative spiritual effect is the root of all excesses.⁹³See Shaar HaMitzvot, Parashat Eikev, that the waste matter from food derives from the kelipot and evil that have become intermixed with the good in creation. Thus the first thing we do in the morning to reveal daat is eliminate this superfluous sustenance, so that what remains as nourishment is only the spiritual component of the food, the soul’s sustenance.

וְנוֹטֵל יָדָיו – זֶה בְּחִינַת נְטִילַת יָדַיִם הַנַּ״ל עַל־יְדֵי מֵימֵי הַדַּעַת.

“And washes his hands.” This refers to the ritual washing of the hands discussed above. We wash the hands, which signify the power of faith and the performance of mitzvot, in order to purify them by means of the waters of daat.⁹⁴Reb Noson earlier explained the deeper reason for the ritual washing of the hands when arising from sleep; see §6 and note 69 above.

וּמַנִּיחַ תְּפִלִּין – זֶה בְּחִינַת דַּעַת וּמֹחִין שֶׁזּוֹכִין עַכְשָׁיו עַל־יְדֵי הַצַּדִּיק הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁהוֹצִיא הַדַּעַת מֵהַסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא וְכוּ׳ כַּנַּ״ל.

“Dons tefillin.” In Kabbalah the tefillin symbolize the mochin.⁹⁵Shaar HaKavanot, Drush Tefillin 5. Thus “dons tefillin” alludes to the daat and mochin that we now merit through the tzaddik who, by praying a prayer of din and carrying out the other nighttime rectifications, has extracted the daat from the grip of the Sitra Achra.⁹⁶See §1 and §2 above.

וְקוֹרֵא קְרִיאַת־שְׁמַע – זֶה בְּחִינַת תִּקּוּן הָאֱמוּנָה שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה כַּנַּ״ל.

“And recites the Kriat Shema.” This equates with the rectification of emunah in chiddush ha-olam made by this revelation of daat, as explained above.⁹⁷See §1 above.

וּמִתְפַּלֵּל – כִּי עַכְשָׁיו הוּא תִּקּוּן הַתְּפִלָּה בִּשְׁלֵמוּת, כִּי אַחַר־כָּךְ, אַחַר שֶׁהֻכְרַח לְהִתְפַּלֵּל בִבְחִינַת דִּין, כְּדֵי לְהוֹצִיא הַדַּעַת מֵהַסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא כַּנַּ״ל, אַחַר־כָּךְ מְתַקֵּן תִּקּוּן הַתְּפִלָּה כְּתִקּוּנוֹ, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת רַחֲמִים וְדַעַת, שֶׁזֶּה עִקַּר תִּקּוּן הַתְּפִלָּה כַּנַּ״ל.

“And prays.” Now that daat has been revealed and faith in chiddush ha-olam has been rectified, the time has come for the complete tikkun of prayer. For afterwards— meaning after it has become necessary to pray a prayer of din in order to extract the daat from the Sitra Achra—then one can effect to perfection the tikkun of prayer. For prayer corresponds to compassion and daat, which, when revealed, constitute the primary rectification of prayer.⁹⁸See note 9 above; also Berakhot 20b.

כִּי עִקַּר הַתְּפִלָּה לְהַמְשִׁיךְ חֲסָדִים, לְעוֹרֵר בְּחִינַת חִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם, בְּחִינַת ״עוֹלָם חֶסֶד יִבָּנֶה״ (תהלים פט, ג), לְעוֹרֵר הַשִּׁיר שֶׁל חֶסֶד שֶׁיִּתְעַר אָז, שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת רִבּוּי הַשִּׁירוֹת וְתִשְׁבָּחוֹת שֶׁאוֹמְרִים בִּשְׁעַת הַתְּפִלָּה וְכַנַּ״ל.

For the essence of prayer is to draw into the world elements of chesed,⁹⁹These are the chasadim (see above, p. 96, note 52). Kehillat Yaakov (Erekh: Hashkeim) states that the essence of prayer is to draw down chasadim. He brings in this regard Chazal’s teaching that likens the prayers of the tzaddikim to a pitchfork. Just as a pitchfork turns over the grain on a threshing floor, so too the prayers of the tzaddikim overturn the attribute of din, judgment, so that it is replaced by the attribute of rachamim, compassion (Sukkah 14a). through which to arouse belief in the future renewal of the world, as indicated in “The olam will be built with chesed.”¹⁰⁰In §9 of his lesson Rebbe Nachman cites this verse in connection with both verses that speak of chiddush ha-olam: “To relate Your chesed in the morning, your emunah in the nights” and “They are renewed in the mornings; your emunah is great.” See note 22 above. In LM II, 4:3, Rebbe Nachman cites the kabbalistic teaching that an arousal from above must be precipitated by an arousal from below, and asks: How then did HaShem create the entire world yesh meiayin, when nothing existed through which to effect an arousal from below, nothing to awaken His will to create? He answers that the Act of Creation was catalyzed solely by HaShem’s chesed. This, the Rebbe explains, is the deeper meaning of “The world will be built [alternatively: ‘is continually being built anew’] with chesed”—that is, as an expression of His lovingkindness, without any arousal from below. Prayer also functions to arouse the song of chesed that will burst forth at that future time, which is itself a more perfect version of the many songs and praises that we currently recite when praying.¹⁰¹See §4 above.

וַאֲזַי הוּא מְקַבֵּל עוֹל מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם שְׁלֵמָה בְּוַדַּאי, כִּי עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁמַּמְשִׁיךְ בְּחִינַת הַתִּקּוּן שֶׁל חִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם כַּנַּ״ל, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה מִתְגַּלֶּה מַלְכוּתוֹ וּמֶמְשַׁלְתּוֹ וְכוּ׳ בִּשְׁלֵמוּת. כִּי עִקַּר הִתְגַּלּוּת מַלְכוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ יִהְיֶה אָז, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (זכריה יד, ט): ״וְהָיָה ה׳ לְמֶלֶךְ עַל כָּל הָאָרֶץ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וְכוּ׳״, וּכְתִיב (תהלים צז, א): ״ה׳ מָלָךְ תָּגֵל הָאָרֶץ״; (שמות טו, יח): ״ה׳ יִמְלֹךְ לְעֹלָם וָעֶד״, וְכֵן הַרְבֵּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר עַל הִתְגַּלּוּת מַלְכוּתוֹ לֶעָתִיד, וּמִשָּׁם אָנוּ מַמְשִׁיכִין קַבָּלַת עוֹל מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם שְׁלֵמָה עַתָּה כְּפִי עֲבוֹדָתֵנוּ, שֶׁהַכֹּל בִּשְׁבִיל זֶה לְהַמְשִׁיךְ עָלֵינוּ קְדֻשַּׁת חִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם בְּזֶה הָעוֹלָם הַמַּעֲשֶׂה דַּיְקָא, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה יִזְכֶּה כָּל אֶחָד כְּפִי חֶלְקוֹ לְהַשִּׁיר וְכוּ׳ שֶׁל חִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהוּא חֶלְקוֹ לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא.

And then, having completed the morning devotions and prayed, one certainly accepts the yoke of the sovereignty of Heaven wholeheartedly. For by drawing down the tikkun of chiddush ha-olam of the future, HaShem’s sovereignty and dominion are fully revealed, since the main revelation of His sovereignty will be at that future time, as it is written, “HaShem will be King over the entire world. On that day…”¹⁰²See §9 and note 81 above. and “When HaShem will reign, the world will rejoice”¹⁰³Translation of this verse follows Rashi and Metzudat David, that it refers to HaShem’s reign in the future. and “HaShem will reign for all time.” There are many verses in this vein that speak of the future revelation of HaShem’s sovereignty. Even so, now too we draw from that future revelation a complete acceptance of the yoke of the sovereignty of Heaven, in accordance with our spiritual devotions in this world. This is the purpose of all our devotions: to draw upon ourselves the holiness of chiddush ha-olam specifically in this world of action. Through this, each person, according to his portion earned by his devotions, will merit hearing the song and melody of chiddush ha-olam, this being his portion and reward in the World to Come.

וְעַל־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.

WAKING REDEMPTION
Earlier 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.”¹⁰⁴Although the Jews departed from Egypt in the daytime (see Bamidbar 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.¹⁰⁵See §1 and note 12 above. Thus the main Exodus from Egypt occurred at midnight, when the power of the prayer of din is awakened.¹⁰⁶Reb Noson discussed this in §2 above. 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.

וְזֶה 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׳.

And 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.

כִּי 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.

The 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.

אֲבָל דָּוִד הוּא מָשִׁיחַ, שֶׁהוּא יִזְכֶּה לְזֹאת הַתְּפִלָּה בְּתַכְלִית הַשְּׁלֵמוּת, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה תִּהְיֶה הַגְּאֻלָּה שְׁלֵמָה שֶׁאֵין אַחֲרֶיהָ גָּלוּת.

The 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.

שֶׁזֶּהוּ 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׳.

This 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,¹⁰⁸See LM I, 2:1. 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,¹⁰⁹In §3 there, Rebbe Nachman teaches that the staff of strength is the prayer of din 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,”¹¹⁰Tanna d’Bei Eliyahu Rabbah 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,¹¹¹Paradigmatically, man faces eastward, towards east] is ,קדם] HaShem. (The Hebrew word KeDeM 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)., ¹¹²This reference to salvation coming from the “right”/chesed 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.