Laws of Rising in the Morning — Halacha 1

"One should muster the strength of a lion to rise in the morning for the service of his Creator, so that he should be the one who awakens the dawn."Hagahah: "I have set Hashem before me always — this is a major principle of the Torah," etc.

For it is brought in the words of our Rebbe, of blessed memory (Likutay Moharan I, 282): when a person begins to search within himself and sees that he is very far from Hashem yisbarach, and he is full of sins and many blemishes, and it appears to him that he is far from good — then he must search and seek and find within himself some good. How is it possible that he has never done any good in all his days? And even though he sees that even the little good he did is full of wounds, for it is thoroughly mixed with much pesoaless [impurity/waste] — even so, it is impossible that there is not some nekudah tovah [good point] within it, at the very least. And similarly, he should search and find within himself yet more good. And even though this good is also mixed with much pesoaless, even so, at the very least there is some nekudah tovah within it. And so he should search and find within himself still more nekudos tovos [good points]. And through this — that he judges himself to the side of merit and finds within himself nekudos tovos still, even though he did what he did and blemished what he blemished — through this, he truly moves from the side of guilt and enters the side of merit in truth. And through this, he can merit teshuvah [repentance]. And this is the aspect of: "Yet a little while and there is no wicked one" (Psalms 37:10) — etc. Through that "yet a little" where he is not wicked, through this: "and you shall contemplate" — etc. See there. And through this, he can gladden himself, and then he can pray. And this is the aspect of: "Azamrah — I shall sing to my G-d with my odi [remaining]" (Psalms 146:2) — through the "yet a little" that he finds within himself, through this he can sing and give thanks to Hashem. And through this, nigunim [melodies] are fashioned, for the melodies are fashioned through sifting a good spirit from a despondent spirit, etc. And this is the meaning of "Azamrah" — precisely — an aspect of nigunim, etc. And similarly, one must judge others to the side of merit; even a complete rasha — one must search and find in him some nekudah tovah, etc. — see there. And whoever can accomplish this — to find a nekudah tovah even in the sinners of Israel — he can serve as a chazan and pray before the amud, etc. — see there. And know that each one of the tzadikim of the generation builds a Mishkan [Tabernacle], from which the schoolchildren receive the breath of their mouths which has no sin in it; for this reason they begin [their Torah study] from Vayikra, etc. — see there. And this tzadik, who can gather all the good found in each person, he knows all the aspects pertaining to this matter of the Mishkanos mentioned above that the tzadikim build, from which the schoolchildren receive the breath of their mouths which has no sin in it, etc. — see there, all of this well.

And this is the aspect of the awakening from sleep. For when a person sees that he is far from Hashem yisbarach, etc. — this is an aspect of shainah [sleep], which is one-sixtieth of death. And when he searches and seeks and finds within himself some nekudah tovah still, and revives and gladdens himself and arouses himself to the service of Hashem yisbarach through this — this is the aspect of awakening from sleep. And this is the aspect of: "Hashem, how numerous are my tormentors, the many…" (Psalms 3:2) — etc. That is, the tormentors of the soul, which are the sins and blemishes of each person — for this is the primary tribulation of a person. And when they overpower the person, G-d forbid, then they seek to fell him entirely, G-d forbid — as if there is no longer any hope for him, G-d forbid. And this is: "Many say of my soul: there is no salvation for him through G-d, selah" (Psalms 3:3). And then he is in the aspect of sleep, as above. And this is: "I lay down and I slept" (Psalms 3:6) — for this is the aspect of sleep, as above. But in truth, a person is forbidden to despair of himself. And he must muster strength to awaken from his sleep through the bit of good he still finds within himself, as above. And this is: "I awoke, for Hashem supports me" (Psalms 3:6) — that I muster strength and awaken from my sleep, for I do not despair of myself yet, for Hashem supports me. For the nekudah tovah that a person finds within himself — this is an aspect of G-dliness, as it were. For all good comes from Him, yisbarach. For Oraysa [Torah] and Yisrael and Kudsha Brich Hu [The Holy One, blessed be He] are all one (Zohar III, 73a). It follows that when there is within a Jew some nekudah tovah — that is, some mitzvah or good deed — that good is in complete unity with Him, yisbarach. For "Hashem is good to all" (Psalms 145:9), and as it is written: "Taste and see that Hashem is good" (Psalms 34:9). For all the good found anywhere is entirely from Him, yisbarach. And this is: "for Hashem supports me" — that is, the nekudah tovah that I find within myself — which is an aspect of G-dliness, an aspect of "Hashem is good to all" — this is what supports me and awakens me from the sleep. And then: "I shall not fear the myriads of people who have set upon me all around" (Psalms 3:7) — for I no longer fear them, even though they are myriads upon myriads of blemishes and sins standing against me to fell me, G-d forbid. For since I find within myself yet some nekudah tovah, through this I awaken from the sleep, and through this I truly enter the side of merit, and through this I will merit teshuvah, etc., as above. For all the evil is repelled before the bit of good that one finds within himself, and through this he revives and lifts himself. For a little light dispels much darkness, as is known. And this is the aspect of: "I awoke, and I am still with You" (Psalms 139:18) — through the "od" [remaining], the "yet a little" that is mine — that is, the nekudah tovah, as above — the aspect of "Azamrah — I shall sing to my G-d with my odi" as above. And this is: "and my 'od' is with You" — that is, the "yet a little" of mine that is still with You, as above — through this, "I awoke," for this is the aspect of awakening from sleep, as above.

And this is the aspect of: "Awake, my glory! Awake, O nevel and kinor! I shall awaken the dawn!" (Psalms 57:9). That is, a person must arouse himself from his sleep and from his fallen state. And through what will he arouse himself? Through the nekudos tovos that he still finds within himself. And this is: "I shall awaken the dawn [shachar]" — for the nekudah tovah is in the aspect of shachar, in the aspect of: "I am black [shechorah] but comely, O daughters of Jerusalem" (Song of Songs 1:5). For since this nekudah is intermingled with much pesoaless and with many blemishes that this person has committed, therefore it appears as though she is shechorah — for she lies in gloom and darkness, G-d forbid, within him. But when one judges himself to the side of merit and arouses and finds within himself the nekudah tovah, as above, then she declares: "I am black but comely — do not gaze upon me that I am swarthy," etc. — for the darkness is not from me, etc., as Rashi explained there. For the nekudah tovah itself that exists within a person — even within the sinners of Israel — is comely and beautiful exceedingly. Only the darkness covers over her. But when one arouses her, she declares: "I am black but comely — do not gaze upon me that I am swarthy" — for on my own account, I am comely exceedingly. And this is the aspect of what our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Midrash Shir HaShirim 1): "I am black" — through the deed of the [Golden] Calf; "and I am comely" — through the making of the Mishkan. That is, even though I have many sins and have become very distant from Him, yisbarach — and this is the aspect of the deed of the Calf, which encompasses all the sins in the world, for "anyone who acknowledges idolatry is as if he denies the entire Torah" (Chullin 5a) — even so: "I am comely through the making of the Mishkan" — that is, the aspect of the little bit of good that I still find within myself. For immediately after the deed of the Calf they were commanded regarding the work of the Mishkan, since Hashem yisbarach became appeased toward Israel through Moshe, who devoted his very life on their behalf and prayed for them. For Moshe was able to find a nekudah tovah even in the most lowly of the lowly, as is explained in the words of our Rebbe, of blessed memory, many times (Likutay Moharan I, 282; II, 8). And through this he was able to pray on their behalf, even when they had blemished the entire Torah through the deed of the Calf; nevertheless, he found nekudos tovos within them. And therefore Moshe said: "Why, Hashem, should Your anger flare against Your people?" (Exodus 32:11) — etc. For he found the good within them, and then the evil is completely repelled, as above. And therefore he said: "Why, Hashem, should Your anger flare against Your people?" — for the evil is not considered at all in comparison to the bit of good that is still within them. And Hashem yisbarach was appeased by him: "and Hashem relented regarding the evil" (Exodus 32:14), etc. And then Hashem yisbarach taught Moshe the order of prayer, and arranged before him the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy. And this is: "and He said: I shall cause all My goodness to pass before you" (Exodus 33:19) — etc. That He taught him and revealed to him all of His goodness, yisbarach, as it were — so that he should know that Hashem yisbarach is good to all, always, and one can awaken the good in the worst of the worst, and bring him to the side of merit, and return him in teshuvah. And this is the aspect of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, the aspect of: "Hashem, Hashem, G-d, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger" (Exodus 34:6) — etc. That Hashem yisbarach is full of mercy and good to all, and extends patience to the righteous and to the wicked alike. For He inclines toward chesed and judges everyone to the side of merit, and finds a nekudah tovah even in the sinners of Israel. And through this, He tips the scale to the side of merit, as above. And this is the aspect of: "He preserves chesed for thousands" (Exodus 34:7) — that the aspect of chesed, His inclining toward chesed, yisbarach, and judging to the side of merit, and finding a nekudah tovah, etc. — this chesed is preserved and sweetens for "thousands" — that is, even though there are thousands and myriads of blemishes that this person committed standing against it, even so, the little bit of good that is found through the chesed repels everything, as above. And through this: "He bears iniquity and transgression" (Exodus 34:7) — etc. For through this, one truly enters the side of merit, etc., as above.

And then, when Hashem yisbarach became appeased by Moshe — through his finding good in all of Israel even after the deed of the Calf, as above — for Moshe was entirely good, in the aspect of: "and she saw him, that he was good" (Exodus 2:2), and therefore he always had the power to find the good in each person, even in the sinners of Israel, as above — through this, Hashem yisbarach was appeased, as above. And then He commanded them regarding the work of the Mishkan: that each one should bring the donation of his heart for the work of the Mishkan. For He was arousing the good within each person, and each one, according to the good he possessed, brought the donation of his good heart for the work of the Mishkan. For the Mishkan was built from all the good that was sifted and clarified from each individual of Israel. And this is the aspect of: "gold and silver and copper, and turquoise and purple and scarlet thread" (Exodus 25:3–4) — etc. — that each and every person brought according to the nekudah tovah that was his. For gold, silver, copper, and turquoise, etc. are aspects of the supernal colors, which are aspects of the good that exists within each Jew. And this is the aspect of: "Israel, in whom I take glory" (Isaiah 49:3) — that they are comprised of many colors — that is, the nekudos tovos that exist in each Jew. There is a nekudah tovah even in the most lowly among them, which his fellow does not possess, as is explained elsewhere (Likutay Moharan I, 34). And Hashem yisbarach takes glory in them, as above. And this is the aspect of the colors in the Bais HaMikdash and the Mishkan, the aspect of gold and silver, etc., that each one brought from the donation of his good heart. For there, all the nekudos tovos were gathered — which are the aspect of the supernal colors that exist in each Jew. And therefore, after the deed of the Calf, when Moshe needed to search and find the nekudos tovos in each Jew, as above — therefore at that time specifically they were commanded regarding the work of the Mishkan. For the Mishkan was built from this — from the nekudos tovos, as above. And this is: "I am black" — through the deed of the Calf; "and I am comely" — through the work of the Mishkan — that is, through the nekudos tovos that I find within myself, which are the aspect of the work of the Mishkan, as above. And similarly it is understood from the words of our Rebbe mentioned above: that through the good found in each Jew, the Mishkan is built. And therefore, he who can find all the good in Israel — who is the aspect of the chazan, as above — he knows all the aspects pertaining to the Mishkanos of each of the tzadikim mentioned above — see there. For the essential building of the Mishkan is through this — through the good mentioned above. And in this, the words of our Rebbe mentioned above are beautifully connected — see there well.

And this is: "Awake, my glory! Awake…" (Psalms 57:9) — etc. And through what can I awaken? Through "I shall awaken the dawn [shachar]" — through my arousing the shachar, that is, the nekudah tovah, which is the aspect of shachar, the aspect of "I am black [shechorah] but comely" — through this I can awaken from my sleep and from my fallen state, etc., as above. And this is the aspect of: "Awake, O nevel" — etc. For through this, nigunim are fashioned, the aspect of "Azamrah — I shall sing to my G-d with my odi" as above.

And this is alluded to in the words of the Shulchan Aruch: "One should muster the strength of a lion to rise in the morning for the service of his Creator" — that a person must muster strength and awaken from his sleep and from his fallen state. And through what will he awaken? Through "he should be the one who awakens the dawn [shachar]" — that is, as above: that he should awaken the nekudos tovos, which are aspects of shachar, the aspect of "I shall awaken the dawn" — and through this he will awaken from his sleep and his fallen state, etc., as above. And this is the aspect of: "to rise in the morning [baboker]" — for the essential awakening from the sleep mentioned above is through the aspect of "the morning of Avraham" (Zohar, Meekaitz 203a), the man of chesed. That is, through inclining toward chesed and judging himself to the side of merit, as above. And therefore Avraham used to convert converts — for he would incline toward chesed and find a nekudah tovah in each person, and through this he would draw everyone close to Hashem yisbarach, as above. And this is why the Hagahah is juxtaposed: "I have set Hashem before me always" — that is, I constantly place and set Hashem before my eyes. For even though I am far from Him, yisbarach, nevertheless, Hashem is before me always, in every place — for I find within myself a nekudah tovah, as above. And this is the meaning of the verse: "I have set Hashem before me always, for He is at my right hand, I shall not falter" (Psalms 16:8). That is, I constantly set Hashem before me, even in the lowest levels, G-d forbid. For "He is at my right hand, I shall not falter" — for through the aspect of the yameen, the aspect of Avraham, the aspect of chesed — through this I shall not falter, in the aspect of: "If I said, my foot has slipped — Your chesed, Hashem, supported me" (Psalms 94:18). For through the chesed — through inclining toward chesed and judging himself to the side of merit, and finding within himself some nekudah tovah still — through this he can find Hashem yisbarach always, and through this he will never falter. And this is: "When my troubling thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul" (Psalms 94:19) — that is, when the multitude of thoughts confuse me and seek to fell me, G-d forbid, through the multitude of blemishes, etc. — then "Your consolations delight my soul" — that is, that Hashem yisbarach consoles him through helping him find some nekudah tovah within himself. And this is his consolation, and through this he delights his soul, etc., as above.

It emerges that the essential aspect of the awakening from sleep is through the nekudos tovos that one finds within himself, even when he is, G-d forbid, in the very lowest level, etc., as above. And through this, nigunim are fashioned, etc., as above. For at night, which is the time of sleep, then the Shechinah performs berurim [clarifications/siftings], as is known. And this alludes to the above: that when the aspect of sleep overpowers a person, then he must seek and search to find within himself nekudos tovos, and through this he will awaken from his sleep, as above. And this is the aspect of: "I recall my melody in the night; with my heart I converse and my spirit searches" (Psalms 77:7) — that in the night and darkness, the aspect of sleep, then "with my heart I converse and my spirit searches" — that I search and seek the good spirit, the aspect of the nekudah tovah. And through this, nigunim are fashioned, as above, the aspect of "I recall my melody in the night." And through this — that one musters strength to awaken from his sleep through the nekudos tovos he finds within himself, as above — through this is the essential rectification of prayer. For the essential prayer is only when one merits to find within himself the nekudos tovos, in the aspect of "Azamrah — I shall sing to my G-d with my odi" as above. And this is the aspect of the order of the prayer service: that first we recite the Korbanos [sacrificial passages] and Ketores [incense passage], which are aspects of berurim — finding and sifting nekudos tovos even from the aspect of animality, from the very lowest level of asiyah, as is known. For this is the essential aspect of the korban — to elevate from animal to human. And this is the aspect of the Ketores, which included chelbonah [galbanum — a foul-smelling spice]. That is, one sifts and finds the good even in the sinners of Israel, in the aspect of chelbonah. And as our Sages, of blessed memory, derived from this (Kerisus 6b): "Any fast [prayer] in which the sinners of Israel do not participate, is not a [valid] fast [prayer]." For the essential prayer, in the aspect of Ketores, is through sifting and finding nekudos tovos even in the sinners of Israel in the aspect of chelbonah, as above. And this is the aspect of the eleven spices of the Ketores: that is, ten spices apart from chelbonah — this is the aspect of the ten types of melody, which are fashioned through sifting and finding the good within the sinners of Israel in the aspect of chelbonah, as above.

And when we recite the passage of the Korbanos, it is as if we have offered them, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "Whoever engages in the Torah [study] of the oalah-offering, it is as if he offered an oalah" (Menachos 110a) — etc. For the essential rectification of the Korbanos is through the aspect of dibur [speech] — to elevate from doamaim [inanimate], tzoamayach [vegetative], chay [animate] to midabair [speaking]. For the nekudos tovos, when they ascend from where they ascend — from the lowest levels — the essential thing is that they should ascend to the level of dibur. For initially, when the good is not yet clarified and recognized — because the evil covers over it — then one is in the aspect of a mute who has no speech, in the aspect of: "I was mute with silence, I was still, [deprived] of good" (Psalms 39:3) — etc. And when one reveals the good, as above, then the essential revelation and elevation of the good is the aspect of dibur. And this is the aspect of: "My dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the concealment of the cliff" (Song of Songs 2:14) — this is the aspect of the nekudah tovah, which is the aspect of a faithful dove that is devoted to her mate and never abandons him, etc., as our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Midrash Shir HaShirim 4). For the nekudah tovah within each person — even within the most lowly — is always attached to Hashem yisbarach, in every place that she is. And when she falls, G-d forbid, into the depths of the kleepoas, which surround her from every side, in the aspect of "my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the concealment of the cliff" — in the ultimate concealment — then Hashem yisbarach says to her: "Show me your countenance, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet and your countenance is comely" (Song of Songs 2:14). For even though you are in "the concealment of the cliff," nevertheless, you yourself are exceedingly comely, in the aspect of "I am black but comely," as above. And therefore, reveal yourself and show your countenance, for you are still comely — for the nekudah tovah is always comely. And therefore: "Show me your countenance, let me hear your voice" — that is, reveal and discover the beauty of the nekudah tovah, and through this: "let me hear your voice" — for through this one merits dibur, for then one can speak, to give thanks and to praise Hashem yisbarach. For previously, he could not speak at all, as above. And this is the aspect of: "You who dwell in the gardens, companions listen for your voice — let me hear it!" (Song of Songs 8:13). And Rashi explained: "You who dwell in the gardens" — among the nations, etc. That is, the aspect of the nekudos tovos that dwell and lie among the nations — which are the evil desires and blemishes, etc. — which are the aspect of the nations of the world, as brought elsewhere (Likutay Moharan I, 36). And Hashem yisbarach yearns for their voice. And this is: "companions listen for your voice — let me hear it!" — for Hashem yisbarach yearns that the nekudos tovos be revealed and make their voices heard in song and praise to Hashem yisbarach, as above. And this is the aspect of the korban — that one elevates the nekudos tovos to the level of medaber, as above. And therefore, one who engages in the Torah [study] of the oalah — it is as if he offered it, etc. For the essential rectification of the korban is through the aspect of dibur, as above.

And this is the aspect of: "the Kohanim at their service, and the Levi'im on their platform, and the Israelites at their post [ma'amad]" (Megillah 3a). For the essential rectification of the korban — which is to find and sift the nekudah tovah from within the pesoaless, from the aspect of animality — is through the Kohen, the man of chesed. For through inclining toward chesed and judging to the side of merit, through this one finds nekudos tovos in all the lowest levels — and this is the aspect of the Korbanos, as above. And therefore, all the rectifications of the korban are performed through the Kohen, the man of chesed, who is the aspect of Avraham, as it is written: "You are a Kohen forever" (Psalms 110:4) — and as above. And through this, nigunim are fashioned, as above. And this is the aspect of: "the Levi'im on their platform" — who would conduct the singing on the platform at the time of the offering of the korban. For through the aspect of the korban performed by the Kohen, the man of chesed — which is the aspect of sifting and finding good through inclining toward chesed — through this, nigunim are fashioned, as above. And: "the Israelites at their post" — who would engage in Torah study — this is the aspect of dibur; for through this, the good is elevated to dibur, which is the essential elevation, as above. And therefore, the men of the ma'amad would read from Parshas Beraishis (Ta'anis 26a) and from Parshas Ha'azinu. For Ma'aseh Beraishis is essentially [accomplished] through the sifting of the good, in the aspect of: "and in His goodness, He renews each day, constantly, the act of Creation." And this is the aspect of "kee tov" [that it was good] stated throughout each of the six days of Creation. For before the rectification of Ma'aseh Beraishis, it is stated: "and the earth was tohu vavohu and darkness" (Genesis 1:2) — this is the aspect of the overpowering of the evil that covers over the good. And the rectification was through the aspect of: "and the spirit of G-d hovered" (Genesis 1:2) — "this is the spirit of Mashiach" (Beraishis Rabbah 2:4) — which is the aspect of the good. For all the nekudos tovos found in each Jew — this is an aspect of the radiance of Mashiach. For the essential good is Mashiach, the aspect of Moshe, in the aspect of: "And it shall be in the morning: if he will redeem you — good, he shall redeem" (Ruth 3:13). And through the aspect of the spirit of G-d, the good spirit, the aspect of the spirit of Mashiach — through this is the essential sustenance and building of the world. And through this — through the nekudos tovos found from within tohu vavohu and darkness — through this: "And G-d said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light" (Genesis 1:3). And then: "And G-d separated between the light and the darkness" (Genesis 1:4) — etc. For through the nekudah tovah, one truly enters the side of merit, and then the light is revealed, and the darkness is separated from the light, the evil from the good, etc. — as above. It emerges that the essential Ma'aseh Beraishis is through finding and sifting the nekudah tovah, as above. And this is the aspect of: "the form of the Mishkan corresponds to the form of the act of Creation" (cf. Introduction to Tikunay Zohar) — for the Mishkan is also from the aspect of the good that is sifted, etc., as above. And therefore, the men of the ma'amad — who stood at the Korbanos — would engage in [reading] Ma'aseh Beraishis. For the korban is in the aspect of Ma'aseh Beraishis — which is the aspect of sifting the good, etc., as above. And therefore, the korban was performed in the Mishkan or in the Bais HaMikdash, for the Mishkan and the Bais HaMikdash are also built through the sifting of the good, etc., as above. And this is the aspect of: "this good mountain" (Deuteronomy 3:25) — which is said regarding the Bais HaMikdash. And this is the aspect of Parshas Ha'azinu that the men of the ma'amad would read. For Parshas Ha'azinu is the shirah about which Moshe Rabbeinu promised that through this song, the Torah would never be forgotten, as it is written: "And this song shall speak up" (Deuteronomy 31:21) — etc. That even in the ultimate concealment, in the aspect of "and I shall surely hide [haster astir]" (Deuteronomy 31:18), the song shall endure forever. For the song alludes to the fact that even if Israel are very distant from Hashem yisbarach, in the ultimate concealment — nevertheless, they are close to Him, yisbarach. For nekudos tovos are still found within them — even within the most lowly — as above. And this is the aspect of: "for the portion of Hashem is His people, Yaakov… He found him in a desert land" (Deuteronomy 32:9–10) — that even in a desert land and in tohu, one finds "the portion of Hashem is His people" — that is, the aspect of nekudos tovos, which are the aspect of "the portion of Hashem is His people," etc. And therefore, Parshas Ha'azinu is read over the Korbanos, as above. For this is why Parshas Ha'azinu is called a "song," as it is written: "And this song shall speak up" — etc. For from the nekudos tovos mentioned above, which are found in a desert land and in tohu, etc. — from this, a song and melody is fashioned, as above. And after the recitation of the Korbanos and Ketores — which are the aspect of sifting and finding nekudos tovos even in the very lowest levels, as above — afterwards, we recite Pesukay DiZimrah. For through the nekudos tovos, nigunim are fashioned, the aspect of "Azamrah — I shall sing to my G-d with my odi" — "Azamrah" precisely, as above. And this is the aspect of Pesukay DiZimrah, which are the aspect of the zemiros and nigunim that are fashioned through sifting and finding nekudos tovos in the lowest levels, as above. And therefore, within Pesukay DiZimrah we recite the verse "Azamrah — I shall sing to my G-d with my odi" mentioned above — and as above.

And afterwards, we recite Birchos Krias Shema, and we bless Hashem yisbarach for the renewal of Ma'aseh Beraishis — that He renews in His goodness each day, constantly — this is the aspect of the work of the Mishkan, which was built from the good mentioned above, as above. For "the form of the Mishkan corresponds to the form of the act of Creation," as above. And there is the essential rectification of prayer, as it is written: "For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations — declares Hashem, G-d, Who gathers the dispersed of Israel" (Isaiah 56:7–8) — etc. For the essential building of the Bais HaMikdash is through Hashem yisbarach gathering the dispersed of Israel — through finding even in the dispersed and the lost, nekudos tovos, and gathering them into the holiness. And through this good that will be gathered at the time of the coming of the redeemer, speedily in our days — through this will be the building of the Bais HaMikdash, the aspect of "this good mountain," as above. And there is the essential rectification of prayer, as above. For the essential prayer is only through this — through the good that is found, as above. And therefore, before the prayer we recite Korbanos and Pesukay DiZimrah — that is, we sift the nekudos tovos, etc. — and from this, nigunim and zemiros are fashioned, as above. And afterwards, we build from this a Mishkan, where the essential rectification of prayer takes place. And this is the aspect of Birchos Krias Shema, which are the aspect of the haichalos [celestial chambers] of holiness, the aspect of the Mishkan, the aspect of the Bais HaMikdash — for they are the haichalos of holiness. And therefore we say then: "and in His goodness, He renews each day, constantly, the act of Creation" — for "the form of the Mishkan corresponds to the form of the act of Creation," as above. And from there — from the aspect of the Mishkan — the schoolchildren receive the breath of their mouths that has no sin in it. And this is the aspect of Krias Shema, the aspect of: "And you shall teach them to your children" (Deuteronomy 6:7) — etc. — "and you shall teach them to your children, to speak of them" (Deuteronomy 11:19) — etc. For the essential aspect of Krias Shema is from the aspect of the good that was sifted, as above. And through this, Kudsha Brich Hu [The Holy One, blessed be He] and the Shechinah are unified — through the ha'alas ma"n [raising of the feminine waters], that the Shechinah takes pride, as it were: "See with what kind of children I come before You." And all this is through finding nekudos tovos even in the sinners of Israel, for this is the aspect of the ha'alas ma"n — to raise the holiness from the deepest depths of the kleepoas. And through this, [the Shechinah] takes even greater pride, for this is the essential honor of Hashem yisbarach, as our Rebbe, of blessed memory, wrote many times, as it is written in the Zohar (Yisro 67a): "When Yisro came — specifically then — the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, was elevated and glorified above and below." For specifically when the nekudos tovos that were lying very low are elevated and raised up, through this specifically the Shechinah takes pride, as it were, even more so. And through this, Kudsha Brich Hu and the Shechinah are unified, the aspect of "Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is One" — as is known. And this is the aspect of: "and the Mishkan was one" (Exodus 26:6) — that all the nekudos tovos are subsumed within His unity, yisbarach. And then we begin to pray the Shemoneh Esreh, and we begin: "My L-rd, open my lips" (Psalms 51:17) — etc. For through all of the above, specifically, one is able to pray — through finding the good and making a Mishkan, etc., as above. And then one can open his mouth to speak, for this is the essential elevation of the good — that it should ascend to the level of dibur. And therefore we beseech for this: "My L-rd, open my lips" — etc.

And this is the aspect of the donning of garments: that one must grasp the garment with the right side and always give precedence to the right over the left. For the essential matter depends upon the aspect of yameen — that is, through inclining toward chesed and finding within himself some nekudos tovos. And through this, one awakens from the sleep, as above. And through this, garments are fashioned — to clothe one's soul, which had been naked until now, throughout the time that the good was not yet revealed, when one was in the aspect of sleep. And this is the aspect of the blessing "Malbish Arumim" — Who clothes the naked — that we bless each morning, as is brought. For through the nekudos tovos that are revealed — which are the aspect of "Israel, in whom I take glory" (Isaiah 49:3) — for through them Hashem yisbarach takes glory, as it were, as above — through this, garments are fashioned, aspects of garments of splendor, garments of honor. And this is the aspect of tzitzis and tefillin, which are aspects of garments of the neshamah, the aspect of "kee hu kesoosah levadah, hu simlaso le'oro — this refers to tzitzis and tefillin" (Zohar, Beraishis 23a) — which are fashioned from the nekudos tovos that are sifted during the night, in the aspect of the above, as understood from the sacred writings. It emerges that the essential aspect of garments — garments of splendor, the totality of the colors — is fashioned from the aspect of the nekudos tovos that are sifted, which are the aspect of the totality of the colors, as above. And therefore (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 2:4), one must give precedence to the right when donning garments, for all of this is drawn from the aspect of yameen — through inclining toward chesed, through which one finds nekudos tovos, etc. — and through this, garments are fashioned, as above.

And all the Birchos HaShachar [Morning Blessings] allude to this: that one praises Hashem yisbarach for having helped him find within himself nekudos tovos, so that he may awaken from his sleep and his fallen state. And this is the aspect of: "HaNoasain LaSechvi veenah" — Who gives the rooster understanding to distinguish between day and night — for the nekudah tovah is the aspect of day, and the evil is the aspect of night and darkness. And through finding the nekudos tovos, the evil is then separated, and then one distinguishes between day and night. And this is the aspect of: "Shelo Asani Goy" — Who has not made me a gentile — etc. For if he had not found within himself the nekudah tovah, he could have fallen completely, G-d forbid, and would have become a gentile, G-d forbid. And now, through having been awakened and strengthened — through the help of Hashem yisbarach to find within himself a nekudah tovah, as above — therefore he gives thanks and praises Hashem yisbarach: "Who has not made me a gentile." And this is the aspect of: "Poakai'ach Ivrim" — Who opens the eyes of the blind; "Matir Asurim" — Who releases the bound; "Zoakaif Kefoofeem" — Who straightens the bent. For initially, during his sleep and his fallen state, he was in the aspect of a blind person groping in the dark, and he was literally in a prison-house, and he was bent over, etc. And now, through the nekudah tovah he found within himself — through Hashem opening his eyes — through this he is released from his bonds and straightened from his stoop, etc. For through this he truly merits to move from the side of guilt to the side of merit, and to return in teshuvah, as above. And similarly, all the other blessings allude to this. And this is why it concludes with: "HaNoasain LaYa'aif Ko'ach" — Who gives strength to the weary — that He gave him strength in the midst of his great weariness, so that he could yet awaken from his sleep. And this is: "HaMa'avir Shainah Mayaineye" — Who removes sleep from my eyes — etc. And all of this is through the chesed, as above. And this is why it concludes: "HaGoamail Chasadim Tovim" — Who bestows good kindnesses — for everything is through the chesed, the aspect of "the morning of Avraham" (Zohar, Meekaitz 203a) — through inclining toward chesed, as above.

And this is the aspect of the Four Special Parshiyos. Parshas Shekalim — the aspect of tzedakah, for tzedakah is the aspect of "chesed to Avraham" (Micah 7:20), who performed charity and kindness with the entire world. For through this, one can find the nekudos tovos, as above. And this is the aspect of: "Righteousness calls him to its feet" (Isaiah 41:2) — that through tzedakah, one can call forth the good that has fallen to the lowest level, the aspect of raglayim [feet] — in the aspect of: "and she uncovered his feet and lay down" (Ruth 3:7). And similarly it is alluded to in the words of our Rebbe, of blessed memory, in another place (Likutay Moharan I, 17): that through tzedakah, one arouses the good that is hidden and concealed in places distant from Hashem yisbarach. And this is the aspect of Shekalim — the donations for the Mishkan. For the Mishkan was built from the aspect of the good that was gathered, etc., as above.

And afterwards, we read Parshas Zachor — the aspect of the war against Amalek. For through finding the good, as above, Amalek is subdued — which is the force of the sitra achra that overpowers, G-d forbid, to fell the weak of strength among Israel, as if there is no longer any hope for them, G-d forbid. In the aspect of: "and he cut off all the stragglers at your rear… and you were weary and exhausted" (Deuteronomy 25:18) — etc. That he seeks to cut off the stragglers — that is, the weak of strength — to fell them downward, G-d forbid. But when one merits to find within himself the nekudah tovah even during his fall, G-d forbid — through this, Amalek is subdued. And therefore, after Parshas Shekalim — which is the aspect of the arousal of the good, as above — we read Parshas Zachor, for through this, Amalek is subdued, as above.

And afterwards, we read Parshas Parah, which is the aspect of teshuvah, in the aspect of (Midrash Rabbah, Parshas Chukas): "Let the mother come and clean up after her child." For through the nekudos tovos that one finds, through this the evil is subdued — the aspect of Amalek — and through this one truly merits teshuvah, as above. And this is the aspect of (Zohar, Chukas 180b): "Red heifer — completely red — this is harsh judgment; unblemished — this is softened judgment." That is, when one is in the aspect of harsh judgment, where the evil is overpowering, G-d forbid — which is the aspect of harsh judgment, G-d forbid — then one must soften the judgment through finding within himself some nekudah tovah still. And this is the aspect of: "which has no blemish, upon which no yoke has come" (Numbers 19:2) — for the nekudah tovah is the aspect of a faithful dove that has no blemish, for she is comely and beautiful, in the aspect of "I am black but comely," etc., as above. And this is the aspect of: "it purifies the impure and renders impure the pure." For this quality — that one judges himself to the side of merit and finds within himself nekudos tovos — this quality purifies the impure and renders impure the pure. For one who is in the lowest level must specifically find merit within himself in order that he should not fall completely, G-d forbid, and his essential purification and teshuvah is through this specifically, as above. But one who is pure — if he considers himself to be on the level of good — he is certainly damaged by this, for he will fall into arrogance, G-d forbid. And as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "Even if the entire world says to you 'you are a tzadik,' consider yourself as if you were a rasha." Therefore they said "as if a rasha" — and not an actual complete rasha, G-d forbid — for it is forbidden to consider oneself a complete rasha, G-d forbid. Rather, on the contrary: when it appears to him that he is a complete rasha, G-d forbid — and even if the truth is actually so, G-d forbid — even so, he must search and seek to find within himself a nekudah tovah, so that he should not be, G-d forbid, a complete rasha, as above. And through this he is purified and merits teshuvah, as above. And this is the aspect of "it purifies the impure and renders impure the pure," as above.

And afterwards, we read Parshas HaChodesh, for this is the aspect of Kiddush HaChodesh [sanctification of the New Moon], the aspect of the filling of the moon from its diminishment. For it is known that when Israel are, G-d forbid, in a diminished state, this is the aspect of the blemish of the moon, the grievance of the moon, from which all the blemishes and sins derive, G-d forbid. And therefore, when a Jew awakens and finds within himself a nekudah tovah, and through this returns in teshuvah, as above — this is the aspect of the filling of the moon from its diminishment, the aspect of Kiddush HaChodesh. For the essential Kiddush HaChodesh is through the above. For at the beginning of the month, when the moon is seen in order to sanctify it in the Bais Din [court], it is then very, very small and thin, and then it is merely in the aspect of a point — that is, the aspect of the nekudah tovah mentioned above, which is the aspect of "I am black but comely," etc., as above. That is, when the moon is at the ultimate state of diminishment at the end of the month, then all of Israel must search and seek it until they find witnesses who have seen some tiny point of the moon, and then they sanctify the month in Bais Din, which is the aspect of the rectification and filling of the moon. For through the aspect of a mere point — the aspect of the nekudah tovah that one merits to find at the ultimate state of diminishment — through this one is rectified and truly enters the side of merit, etc., as above — which is the aspect of the rectification and filling of the moon from its diminishment, etc., as above. And therefore the Bais Din and all of Israel say: "Mekudash, mekudash! [Sanctified, sanctified!]" (Rosh HaShanah 24a) — for through a mere point, one becomes sanctified, etc., as above, through judging to the side of merit. And this is the aspect that they all say "mekudash, mekudash" — that is, through their words they elevate the moon from the aspect of blemish and diminishment to the aspect of rectification and fullness, which is her sanctification — through the mere point of light they saw of the moon. And this is itself the above, for through the grievance of the moon, she was diminished, and then Hashem yisbarach gave her the stars to appease her, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Midrash Rabbah 10), and as Rashi brought. For the stars allude to the aspect of the nekudos tovos that are found within each and every Jew, through which they truly enter the side of merit when they are judged to the side of merit, as above. In the aspect of: "And those who bring the many to righteousness — like the stars" (Daniel 12:3) — etc. "Those who bring the many to righteousness" — that is, the tzadikim of the generation who judge everyone to the side of merit, and through this, even the sinners of Israel truly enter the side of merit, as above. And this is the aspect of the stars, the aspect of "and those who bring the many to righteousness — like the stars," as above. For the stars are in the aspect of points. For this verse — "and those who bring the many to righteousness" — speaks there, at the end of Daniel, about the above, as explained there: "Many shall be sifted and whitened and refined, and the wicked shall act wickedly" (Daniel 12:10) — etc. — "And the wise shall shine like the radiance of the firmament, and those who bring the many to righteousness — like the stars," etc. That is, in the ikvos d'Meshicha [the footsteps of Mashiach], at the end of the final era, when the sitra achra will intensify greatly, G-d forbid, as is known — then there will be an immense sifting and refining, in the aspect of "many shall be sifted and whitened and refined," etc. And then the essential rectification will be through the above — through "those who bring the many to righteousness" — that is, through the tzadikim who will judge everyone to the side of merit and find nekudos tovos even in the most lowly of the lowly. For this is the essential task of the tzadikim. And through this specifically, Mashiach will come speedily in our days, for this is the aspect of Mashiach, etc., as above. And this is: "And the wise shall shine… and those who bring the many to righteousness — like the stars," etc. For the essential rectification and redemption at the final end will be through this — through the aspect of the nekudos tovos mentioned above, which are the aspect of stars, etc., as above. And this is the aspect of: "Praise Him, all stars of light" (Psalms 148:3) — for through the nekudos tovos, which are the aspect of shining stars, through this one can give thanks and praise to Hashem, in the aspect of "Azamrah — I shall sing to my G-d with my odi," as above. And this is the aspect of what Hashem gave the moon the stars to appease her — for through the aspect of the stars, which are the aspect of the nekudos tovos, as above — through this, the blemish of the moon is rectified, as above.

And this is the aspect of: "At about midnight I go out into the midst of Egypt" (Exodus 11:4) — "at about midnight" specifically. For at midnight, the nekudah tovah is aroused, in the aspect of the north wind that blows upon the harp of David, as above. And therefore the good spirit, the nekudah tovah, is drawn from the tzafon [north] specifically — for "from the north the evil shall open forth" (Jeremiah 1:14) — and from there specifically the good spirit is drawn. The nekudah tovah comes from tzafon specifically, and from there specifically is drawn the north wind, the good spirit, that blows upon the harp of David and makes music. For this is the essential quality of the good that emerges from within the very force of the evil and the sitra achra, as above. And through this specifically, nigunim are fashioned, as above. And as is brought in the sacred writings: that the advantage of the light comes specifically from the darkness, as is known. For at midnight, then the Shechinah, as it were, is at the ultimate state of diminishment, as is known. And then she is in the aspect of a mere point. And then there is the intensification of sleep. And then specifically, each person in whose heart the fear of Hashem stirs must muster very great strength to awaken from the sleep. And this is the aspect of awakening from the very force of the sleep and the sitra achra through a mere nekudah tovah, etc., as above. And then is the aspect of the Exodus from Egypt, as above. And this is the aspect of Pesach — that Hashem yisbarach had mercy and skipped over the houses of the Children of Israel when He smote Egypt. And this is the aspect of Hashem yisbarach, in His mercy, gathering and rescuing the nekudos tovos — which are aspects of Israel, aspects of "My son, My firstborn, Israel" (Exodus 4:22) — from among the firstborn of Egypt, from within the force of the sitra achra. For this was the essential redemption from Egypt, as above. And therefore, the first to reveal the secret of chatzos was our father Avraham, peace be upon him, at the time he waged war against the kings and rescued Lot, as it is written: "And he divided against them at night" (Genesis 14:15) — etc. For the essential aspect of chatzos — that is, to break the force of sleep, to break the night and the darkness through the nekudah tovah, as above — this is accomplished only through the aspect of Avraham, the man of chesed, through inclining toward chesed, as above. For Avraham pursued the kings in order to rescue Lot, on account of the nekudah tovah within Lot. And therefore, even though Lot was wicked, Avraham devoted his very life on his behalf to rescue him — on account of the nekudah tovah within him. For from him came Ruth, from whom came David-Mashiach, who is the root of the nekudah tovah, as above. And therefore the primary intention of the kings was to kill Lot, for the entire intention of the sitra achra is to overpower the aspect of the nekudah tovah, G-d forbid. But Hashem will not abandon her into their hands, and He gave power to the aspect of Avraham, the aspect of chesed, to rescue Lot through the nekudah tovah within him. And through this, he slew the kings — for through judging to the side of merit and finding the nekudah tovah even within the wicked, through this the sitra achra is subdued. For the evil is repelled before the bit of good, as above.

And this is the meaning of what is written in the Zohar Chadash — "You who dwell in the gardens" — etc. — regarding the matter of rising at midnight. See there. And it explains there: "You who dwell in the gardens" — in the disgrace and filth of this lowly world, etc. — see there. That is, as above: that even though a person is in the lowest level, in disgrace and filth — nevertheless, Hashem yisbarach and the angels and the souls of the tzadikim in Gan Eden listen attentively to his voice, in the aspect of "companions listen for your voice." And this is itself the aspect of rising at midnight, as above. And see above, where I brought this verse — "You who dwell in the gardens" — which was said regarding the nekudah that exists within each person, which lies wherever it lies — see there. And now, according to the words of the Zohar Chadash mentioned above, the matter is beautifully explained.

And this is the aspect of how our Sages, of blessed memory, delved deeply into the matter of the knowledge of how to determine exactly when midnight falls, as it is brought in Berachos (3a): "And David — did he know exactly when midnight was? After all, Moshe did not know!" etc. Rather, David had a harp suspended, etc. That is, for the essential redemption — both in a general sense and in the particular sense of the redemption of the soul of each and every person — depends upon this knowledge and perception: to accurately gauge the point of midnight. That is, when the force of sleep intensifies upon the Jewish soul and seeks to fell him completely, G-d forbid, through the multitude of his sins and his failings — until he is nearly, nearly about to fall completely, may the Merciful One save us — then specifically, Hashem yisbarach will shine upon him in His kindness, so that he will remind himself of the nekudos tovos within him and revive himself, as above. And this is the aspect of rising at midnight, when the Shechinah — which is the collective of the souls of Israel — is at the ultimate state of diminishment. And then she cries out in a bitter voice to Hashem yisbarach, in the aspect of: "As a hart yearns" (Psalms 42:2) — etc.; in the aspect of: "A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping" (Jeremiah 31:14) — etc. And then Hashem yisbarach arouses His mercy and extends a thread of chesed, etc., as is understood from all this in the sacred writings. And all this occurs with every individual Jew at every time — that whenever the aspect of the sleep mentioned above intensifies upon him, until he nearly, nearly [falls], may the Merciful One save us — then specifically, he must search for his nekudah tovah, as above, in the aspect of: "If I said, my foot has slipped — Your chesed, Hashem, supported me. When my troubling thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul" (Psalms 94:18–19). For all this is the aspect of the holy teaching of Azamrah mentioned above: that specifically when one reaches in his perception an utter state of diminishment, may the Merciful One save us — to the point where he is about to say "my foot has slipped," G-d forbid — then specifically, the kindness of Hashem will support him, through the above — to awaken him from his sleep and return him. And this is the aspect of literally rising at midnight — that then is the ultimate state of diminishment, and then specifically is the aspect of the awakening from sleep, which is the aspect of awakening from one's fall through the aspect of "Azamrah — I shall sing to my G-d with my odi," as above. And upon this depends the redemption, both generally and particularly, as above. And therefore, the first redemption was at midnight specifically. And similarly, the final redemption — which we await speedily in our days — will be through the aspect of chatzos, through the upright and G-d-fearing who rise every night at midnight. For through this, they draw upon themselves the aspect of the holiness of midnight, when a great chesed is aroused. And through this, they merit to draw upon themselves always the aspect of the awakening from the sleep of midnight — to draw upon themselves this aspect always. That is, at every time that they seek to cast upon them sleep and a very great diminishment — even if they cast them down as they cast them down, G-d forbid — even if what happened to them happened — even so, he will always awaken specifically from within the force of the diminishment, in the aspect of rising at midnight mentioned above. That is, through the aspect of the "yet a little" bit of good that he finds within himself, etc., as above.

And therefore Moshe did not yet know how to accurately determine exactly when midnight was, for it was still before the giving of the Torah, and there was not yet the arousal from below, for there were not yet enough tzadikim who rose at midnight and engaged in Torah — because it was before the giving of the Torah. And therefore it was difficult to accurately gauge the point of midnight. And even according to the opinion that Moshe also knew — nevertheless, he was not able to speak about it to such an extent, and he was still apprehensive lest they err, etc. For he was not yet able to draw this illumination into a revealed state, because it was before the giving of the Torah. But David — he knew, for a harp was suspended above his bed. And the power of the harp is drawn from the Torah, as is brought in the words of our master, our teacher, our Rebbe, of blessed memory. For the harp of David had five strings, corresponding to the Five Books of the Torah, and it would awaken him from his sleep until he knew how to accurately determine the exact hour and point of midnight. For David is the aspect of Mashiach, who constantly engages in the rectification of the souls of Israel, to awaken them from their sleep through the above — through the nekudos tovos he finds in each one, and he teaches each one and illuminates in his heart, so that he can search and seek and find within himself nekudos tovos always, in order to awaken him from his sleep and his fall, so that he should not fall completely, G-d forbid. And the main thing is to gauge accurately the time when he is nearly, nearly about to fall, G-d forbid — then specifically, [Hashem] will shine upon him in His kindness to save him and to awaken him, in the aspect of: "Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down" (Psalms 37:24) — etc.; in the aspect of: "[The wicked one] watches… Hashem will not abandon him into his hand" (Psalms 37:32–33); in the aspect of: "For He will see that the power is gone, and there is nothing retained or remaining… and He will say… See now that I, I am He" (Deuteronomy 32:36–39) — etc. And all this is through the power of the Torah that we have already received through Moshe Rabbeinu and through all the tzadikim who have been until now, who have explained to us the pathways of the Torah well.

And therefore David knew exactly when midnight was, through the harp mentioned above. For he was a skilled musician (I Samuel 16:16). For this entire holy teaching — to search for the good and to revive oneself through it — all of this is the aspect of holy nigunim that issue from the harp of David, the aspect of "Azamrah" specifically, as above — the aspect of "Awake… O nevel and kinor! I shall awaken the dawn" — as above. And through this, David merited to know how to accurately determine the point of midnight mentioned above, upon which the final redemption depends — both collectively and individually, for every Jewish soul — for David is Mashiach, through whom the final redemption will come, which is the complete redemption after which there will be no more exile. And the main thing is through the aspect of the zemiros and nigunim mentioned above, in the aspect of: "the anointed of the G-d of Yaakov, and the sweet singer of Israel" (II Samuel 23:1) — that is, through the aspect of Azamrah mentioned above. Speedily in our days, amen.