Likutei Halakhot on the Shulchan Arukh Orach Chayim

First Part: Halakhot Hashkamat Haboqer (Laws of Early Rising in the Morning)

Halakhah 3

 

1.       "One should strengthen himself like a lion to stand up in the morning that he should be the one to wake up the dawn."  In relation to the Torah on “and God turned the people” [Ex. 13] (LM 62), see there.  It is explained there that there is a difference between [types of] contradictions.  For there is a contradiction whose solution a man could understand.  On this is said (Avot 2) "And know what to answer" etc.  For the truth is that since the Lord, Blessed-be-He, limited the human intellect in what it can understand, it is a great mitzvah to sharpen the intellect to understand a thing according to its nature.  And upon this is said, "And know what to answer an apostate."  But there is a paradox, that it is not possible for the human intellect to understand the solution on such a contradiction; only in the future to come will the solution be revealed.  It is forbidden for a man to look into them and whoever relies on his intellect and probes into it -- on this it is said (Prov. 2) Whoever comes to her returns not.  For in such a paradox it is forbidden to rely on his intellect, only to stand on faith, and even those paradoxes that have an answer -- sometimes the paths of intellect are stopped up and one knows not how to answer, and apostasy is thrown at him etc.  And this apostasy is for each one according to his aspect; one can distinguish between great and small.  For one must serve the Lord with the two wills.  And in truth if a man knew the knowledge in all his heart that the whole world is full of His glory and the Lord, Blessed-be-He, attends at the time of prayer and listens to the prayer -- certainly he would pray in great ardor and would be very careful to direct his words.  But because a man does not know this knowledge in all his heart -- therefore he does not flame up so much and does not take so much precision etc.  And all this is from the knowledge being hidden, from the aspect of disputes, like (Hosea 10) Their hearts have become detached [from God], like the contradictions that come through the paths of wisdom being congested to the point that he cannot answer the apostasy that is in his heart.  And the remedy for this dispute in the heart is to learn decided halakhah [Torah laws].  For through this he merits peace etc.  And through this he merits to annul the contradictions in his heart and merits to pray with a whole heart, like with all your hearts (b’khol levavcha)) explanation: with both of your wills (Berakhot 54) and this is (Ps. 119) I will praise you with uprightness of hearts (levav), when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments etc., see there.  But the paradoxes that have no solution – it is forbidden to look into them.  One can only hold himself in faith.    And when he has faith in wholeness, there can be through his eating the unification of the Holy One, Blessed-be-He, and his Presence etc.  For the selection of the food is through faith.  And the main completion and adornment of faith – i.e. to draw specifically the far people etc.  And for this one needs to raise up the sparks of speech.  And then the speech reverses itself and collects the remaining sparks of holiness from the klipot (spiritual husks and impediments) etc.; and to raise up the sparks of speech, one needs fasting, etc.  For through the lust of eating and drinking, which are the leading lusts when they rise up, God forbid, they draw  the speech into Egyptian exile etc.  And also because the root of all things is in their start.  For “all beginnings are difficult…” etc.  And then when the backs of the holinesses stick together, so that it is impossible for the klipot to enter in and to suck from them – then the face of holiness is revealed etc.  In order to take out what they swallowed from their mouths etc.  And then all the distant ones turn to the faith of Israel, as in (Tzefaniah 3) For then will I turn to the people a pure language.  “Turn” specifically, that the pure language, like the speech that is clarified from among them, turns its face to the people.  In order to collect from them the remaining sparks of holiness.  And then it will be fulfilled “that they may all call upon the name of the LORD” etc.  And this is like the adornments of faith as mentioned above.  And this is (Sabba Mishpatim) “The beautiful world that has no eyes … it went out in the morning and was covered in the day.  Because the faith is renewed in a man every morning, like (Lam. 3) They are new every morning: great is Your faithfulness.   And is its “covered in the day” because the toil of involvement in this world covers up the faith etc.  And then the faith recommends before the Lord, blessed-be-He, concerning the far people, that He should draw them close etc.  And this is (Gen. 44) Then Judah came near unto him – this is the drawing near of one king to another king etc. (Zohar Vayigash) -- for as you are as Pharaoh.  [Explanation:] Just as Pharaoh decrees a thing and it does not come to be, likewise you decree and you shall not fulfill it.  For the Tzaddik cancels [a harsh decree] etc.  Look well there at all this:

2.       And this is like “One should overcome in the morning like a lion to stand up in the morning, that he should be the one to awaken the dawn.”  For the faith is like Dominion which is called “dawn.”  Like gazelle of the dawn as is known.  Like They are new every morning: great is Your faithfulness.  For this is like “You went out in the morning” as explained above in the Torah mentioned above.  And because of this the faith is called dawn as mentioned above and therefore everyone must overcome like a lion and make great effort to stand up in the morning early before the break of dawn.  In order to delve in Torah and prayer.  And to grow the holy faith.   For this is the aspect of “that he should be to one to wake up the dawn, like (Ps. 57) I will awaken the dawn.  I.e. that he should merit via his service before the light of day to awaken the dawn which is like faith which needs to be grown and completed until the light of day which is its main time of elevation and completion like “They are new every morning” etc., like “You went out in the morning” as mentioned above.  And the main completion of the service is to overcome greatly to stand up each night at midnight and explained in the Holy Zohar and several places due to the great admonition that whoever the awe of the Lord touches his heart is obligated to arise at midnight specifically for the main completion of the holy faith is through canceling and breaking and burning out of his mind two kinds of contradictions and heresies mentioned above which are the paradoxes that are impossible to bring any answer or solution to.  For about them it is said whoever comes unto her returns not and one must rely only on faith alone and as mentioned above.  And also there are paradoxes that are possible to answer etc.  And also with these paradoxes sometimes the paths of intellect are stopped up and it is impossible to answer them.  And these difficulties are for each and every person according to his aspect according to the intellect of each and every one.  And the rectification for this, to merit to open the mind and to reveal the paths of intellect, is via learning poskim (decided laws) etc. as mentioned above.   And then one merits to peace and to annul the dispute which are the forces of apostasy and heresy and merits to know what to answer the apostasy in his heart etc. as mentioned above.  And this is why one must overcome and get up at midnight.  For day and night which are like light and darkness are like consciousness and foolishness, which is the hiding of consciousness.  As explained in the words of Rabbeinu Z”L in the Torah “Darshu etc.” (LM 37) that consciousness is like light.  And ignorance, like hiding of the consciousness, is like darkness.  For darkness is drawn from darkening of the consciousness which is hiding the consciousness, which is where the difficulties come from, mentioned above.  For it is brought in the Zohar  “When Lilith spread her wings then the gates of the Garden of Paradise closed, which are the aspect of the paths of intellect.  And then decrees of torture places go out in the world which are like the judgements and the husks whose main grasp is in apostasy and contradictions that are drawn down through removal of consciousness at night which is like stopping up the gates of the Garden of Paradise as is known and as mentioned above  and then the world is directed through the noble women (queen/ shechina

 

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http://nissim.lbox.org/breslev – Nissim’s Breslev translations
http://breslov.com/library/ -- many Breslov books online in Hebrew.