Running Commentary on Torah 52 — Ha'Ne'or Ba'Laylah

Beginner: **Opening Mishnah** (Avos 3:4): **"R' Chanina ben Chachinai omer: ha'ne'or ba'laylah, v'ha'mehalech ba'derech yechidi, u'mefaneh libo l'vatalah — harei zeh mis'chayeiv b'nafsho"** — 'One who stays awake at night, and one who walks on the road alone, and turns his heart to idleness — behold, he is guilty against his soul.' The Mishnah's pshat warns against dangerous or foolish conduct. Rabbeinu will now read every clause as a **positive** prescription — the same words, reversed in meaning. The man **"guilty against his soul"** will turn out to be the man who has **made his soul a mechuyav**. Intermediate: Opening Mishnah: **Avos 3:4** — "ha'ne'or ba'laylah... harei zeh mis'chayeiv b'nafsho."

Beginner: **The metaphysical problem**. There are **apikorsim** who claim that **the world is mechuyav ha'metzi'us** (necessary of existence) — that the world MUST exist, that its existence is not contingent. In their distorted view it seems that they have proofs and signs for this from the way of the world. **But in truth, 'hevel yiftzeh pihem'** — their mouths babble emptiness. **The truth**: only **HKBH alone is mechuyav ha'metzi'us**; **the world and its fullness are efshari ha'metzi'us** (possible/contingent of existence). Because He created them **yesh mei'ayin** (ex nihilo), and by His ability, power, and possibility He could have created them **or not created them** — therefore the world and all in it is certainly efshari. **But then where does the error come from? How can one plausibly mistake the world for mechuyav?** **Know that this error is drawn from a truth**: **now — after the neshamos Yisrael have already been emanated and drawn forth — now the world is INDEED in the bechinah of mechuyav ha'metzi'us**. **Why?** Because the entire world and its fullness was not created except **for Yisrael** — as is known (**Vayikra Rabbah 36:4**, and **Rashi on Bereishis 1:1** ('bi'shvil Yisrael she'nikra'u reishis')) — and **Yisrael rule the world**. Therefore, **now that the neshamos Yisrael have been emanated and created, HKBH is k'vyachol compelled to create and sustain the world** — because He emanated the neshamos **on this condition**, to create all the worlds for them. **But the neshamos themselves, when they were first emanated, were themselves efshari** (and with them, all the worlds that depend on them) — because it was in His power to emanate them or not to emanate them. Once, however, He was willing [to do so], the chain of chiyuv began: the decision to emanate Yisrael created the chiyuv to sustain the worlds for them. So the apikorsim are half-right (world is now mechuyav) and half-wrong (not in itself, but only derivatively — and only because of Yisrael). Intermediate: **Apikorsim claim**: olam = mechuyav ha'metzi'us. **Truth**: only HKBH mechuyav; olam efshari (created yesh mei'ayin). **Root of their error**: NOW — after Neshamos Yisrael emanated — olam IS mechuyav (for Yisrael; **Vayikra Rabbah 36:4**, **Rashi Bereishis 1:1**: bi'shvil Yisrael she'nikra'u reishis). HKBH k'vyachol muchrach to sustain worlds because He emanated neshamos **on condition** of creating worlds for them. Neshamos themselves when first emanated = efshari; once willed → chiyuv-chain.

Beginner: **The ikkar kavanah of creation**: **"v'ikar ha'kavanah she'bara kol ha'olam bi'shvil Yisrael, hayah k'dei she'Yisrael ya'asu r'tzono, v'she'yachz'ru v'yidabku b'shorsham"** — 'the main purpose of His creating the whole world for Yisrael was so that Yisrael would *do His ratzon* and *return and cleave to their root*.' **"d'heyno she'yach'z'ru v'yikaldu bo yisbarach, she'hu m'chuyav ha'metzi'us"** — 'i.e., they return and be included in Him yisbarach, who is the *mechuyav ha'metzi'us* (obligatory existence) — and for this was everything created.' **It emerges**: **"kol mah she'Yisrael osin r'tzono shel Makom v'nichlalim b'shorsham, she'hu m'chuyav ha'metzi'us — al yedei zeh nichlal kol ha'olam she'nivra bi'shvilam b'chiyuv ha'metzi'us"** — 'every time Yisrael do Hashem's ratzon and are included in their root (mechuyav ha'metzi'us), through this all the world (which was created for their sake) is also included in chiyuv ha'metzi'us.' **Why only then**: **"Ki ikar ha'tachlis she'nivra ha'olam hu bi'shvil zeh — v'rak bi'shvil zeh m'chuyav HaShem yisbarach kivyachol livro u'l'kayeim kol ha'olamos bi'shvil Yisrael — k'dei she'ya'asu r'tzono"** — 'because this is the entire purpose of creation — and only for this is HaShem yisbarach *kivyachol 'compelled'* to create and sustain all the worlds for Yisrael's sake — so that they do His ratzon.' The **more** they do His ratzon, the **more fully** they (and all dependent worlds) are included with mechuyav ha'metzi'us. Because by doing His ratzon, they return and are included in Him yisbarach — and then all dependent worlds are included with them. **But**: **"ach lizkos l'zeh l'hikael b'shorsho, d'heyno lachzor u'l'hikael b'achdus HaShem yisbarach she'hu m'chuyav ha'metzi'us — zeh i efshar lizkos ki im al yedei *bittul*"** — 'however, to merit this — to be included in one's root, to return and be included in the unity of HaShem yisbarach, who is mechuyav ha'metzi'us — this one cannot merit except through *bittul*.' **"She'y'vatel atzmo l'gamrei, ad she'yih'yeh nichlal b'achduso yisbarach"** — 'that he nullifies himself completely, until he is included in His unity.' **And bittul is impossible except through hisbodedus**: **"V'i efshar lavo lidei bittul ki im al yedei *hisbodedus*"** — 'one cannot come to bittul except through hisbodedus.' **"Ki al yedei she'misbodeid u'me'fareish sichaso beino l'vein kono, al yedei zeh hu zocheh l'vatel kol ha'ta'avos v'ha'midos ra'os, ad she'zocheh l'vatel kol gashmiyuso v'l'hikael b'shorsho"** — 'because through secluding himself and spelling out his conversation between himself and his Creator, through this he merits to annul all the ta'avos and bad middos, until he merits to annul his entire physicality and be included in his root.' **Specifications of the hisbodedus**: **(1) Ikar at night**: **"ach ikar ha'hisbodedus hu ba'laylah — b'eis she'ha'olam panu'ee mi'tirdas olam ha'zeh"** — 'the main hisbodedus is at night, when the world is empty of the distractions of this world.' **"Ki ba'yom, al yedei she'rod'fim ha'olam achar olam ha'zeh — hu m'vatel u'm'valbel es ha'adam mi'l'hidabek u'l'hikael b'HaShem yisbarach"** — 'because during the day, since the world chases after olam ha'zeh — it nullifies and confuses a person from clinging to and being included in Hashem.' **"V'afilu im hu b'atzmo eino tarud — af al pi chen mei'achar she'ha'olam t'rudim az, v'rod'fim az achar havlei olam ha'zeh, al yedei zeh kasheh az lavo lidei bittul"** — 'and even if *he himself* is not distracted — nevertheless, since *the world around him* is distracted, it is *difficult* to come to bittul during the day.' The ambient collective-pursuit-of-materiality is itself a distraction field that defeats the individual. **(2) In a *makom m'yuchad* (secluded place)** — **"v'gam tz'richin she'yih'yeh ha'hisbodedus b'makom m'yuchad, d'heyno *chutz me'ha'ir b'derech yechidi, b'makom she'ein hol'chim sham b'nei adam*"** — 'the hisbodedus must be in a *secluded place* — i.e., *outside the city, on a solitary road, in a place where people do not go there*.' **"Ki b'makom she'hol'chim sham b'nei adam ba'yom, ha'rod'fim achar olam ha'zeh — af al pi she'ka'eis einam hol'chim sham, hu m'valbel gam ken ha'hisbodedus, v'eino yachol l'hisbatel v'l'hikael bo yisbarach"** — 'because in a place where people *do* walk during the day, pursuing olam ha'zeh — *even though right now they are not there* — it still confuses the hisbodedus, and one cannot nullify himself and be included in Him.' The *traces* of daytime-pursuit in a location remain disturbing even after the pursuers have left. **The full prescription**: **"al ken tzarich she'yeileich l'vado ba'laylah, b'derech y'chidi, b'makom she'ein sham adam — v'sham yeileich v'yisbodeid, v'yifneh libo v'da'ato mi'kol iskei olam ha'zeh, vi'vatel ha'kol, ad she'yizkeh l'vechinas *bittul* b'emes"** — 'therefore he must go alone at night, on a solitary road, in a place where no man is — and there he shall walk and seclude himself, and clear his heart and mind from all olam ha'zeh affairs, and nullify everything, until he merits to the bechinah of *bittul be'emes*.' **The gradual-bittul process**: **"D'heyno she'bi'thilah yarbeh bi'tfilos v'sichos b'hisbodedus ba'laylah b'derech y'chidi ka'nal, ad she'yizkeh l'vateil zeh ha'davar — d'heyno l'vatel midah v'ta'avah zos. V'achar kach yarbeh od b'hisbodedus ha'nal, ad she'y'vateil midah v'ta'avah acheres. V'kein yinhag zman rav b'hisbodedus, ba'zman ha'nal u'va'makom ha'nal, ad she'y'vateil ha'kol"** — 'i.e., initially, he should multiply tefillos and sichos in hisbodedus at night on a solitary road — until he merits to annul *one* thing — one midah/ta'avah. Afterwards, multiply further in hisbodedus until he annuls another midah/ta'avah. And continue in this pattern for a long time — at the aforementioned time and place — until he annuls *everything*.' **The final residue — Reb Noson's clarification**: **"V'achar kach — adayin nish'ar mi'menu eizeh davar, etc. — v'achar kach m'vat'lin gam zeh, ad she'lo nish'ar mi'menu klum"** — 'and afterwards, some *thing* still remains of him — and afterwards that too is annulled, until *nothing* remains.' **[Reb Noson's peirush]**: **"Ki yachol lih'yos achar she'bitel kol ha'ta'avos u'midos ra'os, adayin nish'ar mi'menu klum — d'heyno she'adayin lo bitel l'gamrei ha'ga'avah v'ha'gassus, ad she'nech'shav b'einav l'eizeh davar. V'al ken tz'richin l'hisyagea u'l'harbos b'hisbodedus ha'nal, ad she'lo yish'ar mi'menu klum — she'yih'yeh b'vechinas *mah* b'emes — ad she'yizkeh l'vechinas bittul b'emes"** — 'because it is possible that after nullifying all ta'avos and bad middos, *something* still remains — i.e., he hasn't yet fully annulled ga'avah (pride) and gassus (coarseness), such that he still considers himself *something* in his own eyes. Therefore one must toil and multiply in the aforementioned hisbodedus until *nothing* remains of him — until he is in the bechinah of *mah* ("what?" — i.e., Moshe's *v'nachnu mah*, total self-nothingness) in truth — until he merits to bittul *be'emes*.' **And then**: **"V'azai k'she'zocheh l'vittul b'emes — v'azai nichlal nafsho b'shorsho, d'heyno bo yisbarach she'hu m'chuyav ha'metzi'us — azai nichlal kol ha'olam im nafsho b'shorsho she'hu m'chuyav ha'metzi'us"** — 'when he merits to bittul b'emes, his soul is included in its root (mechuyav ha'metzi'us), and then *all the world is included with his soul in its root*, which is mechuyav ha'metzi'us — for everything depends on him — and then all the world is made through him into the bechinah of mechuyav ha'metzi'us.' The *single* tzaddik who has reached *bittul be'emes* **pulls all of reality up into chiyuv ha'metzi'us with him.** Intermediate: **Ikar kavanah**: HKBH bara olam bi'shvil Yisrael ya'asu r'tzono → yach'z'ru v'yidabku b'shorsham=bo yisbarach=**m'chuyav ha'metzi'us**. Kol mah she'osin r'tzono → hem+olam ha'talui bahem **nichlalim b'chiyuv ha'metzi'us**. **Derech**: **chiyuv ha'metzi'us ↔ bittul ↔ hisbodedus**: - nichlal b'shorsho i efshar ki im al yedei **bittul** (y'vateil atzmo l'gamrei); - bittul i efshar ki im al yedei **hisbodedus**. **Specifications hisbodedus**: (1) **Ba'laylah** — olam panu'ee mi'tirdos; ba'yom, t'rudos olam ha'zeh m'val'b'lim afilu mi she'eino tarud; (2) **Makom m'yuchad** — chutz me'ha'ir, derech y'chidi, ein sham adam; afilu makom she'hol'chim sham ba'yom=m'val'beil. **Tahalich gradu'al**: l'vateil midah/ta'avah achas, achar kach acheres, ad she'y'vateil ha'kol. **Shi'ur acharon** (R"N peirush): adayin nish'ar mi'menu **klum** = **ga'avah v'gassus** (nech'shav l'eizeh davar). L'harbos ad she'yih'yeh b'bechinas **"mah"** b'emes. **Tocha'ah**: v'azai nafsho nichlal b'shorsho → kol ha'olam im nafsho → kol ha'olam na'aseh al yado b'bechinas **m'chuyav ha'metzi'us**.

Beginner: **The heading for the peirush**: **"Now see marvelous wonders — how all of this [the metaphysics of mechuyav/efshari and the path through hisbodedus] is explained clearly in the above-cited Mishnah."** Rabbeinu announces the next move: every clause of Avos 3:4 will now be read as a positive directive encoding exactly the doctrine just unfolded. Intermediate: Heading: "see the wonders" — the Mishnah encodes the full doctrine.

Beginner: **The peirush of Avos 3:4, clause by clause:** - **"Ha'ne'or ba'laylah"** — 'who stays awake at night' **k'pshuto** (literally): the actual time for hisbodedus is at night, when all are asleep, so there are no disturbances. - **"V'ha'mehalech ba'derech yechidi"** — 'and walks on the road alone': **dayka** the **derech yechidi** (solitary path), in a place where people don't walk — because that is where the completeness of hisbodedus resides. Night AND solitary path **dayka**, because specifically there can one come to the bechinah of **bittul**. - **"U'mefaneh libo l'vatalah"** — 'and clears his heart to emptiness': meaning he **empties his heart from every busyness of this world** — **l'vatalah** (toward bittul), in order to merit the bechinah of bittul mentioned above. - **"Harei zeh mis'chayeiv b'nafsho"** — 'behold, he is **mis'chayeiv** in his soul': Rabbeinu reads mis'chayeiv positively — **his soul becomes included in the mechuyav ha'metzi'us**. That is: through the hisbodedus above, he merited bittul, and thereby his **nefesh is included in chiyuv ha'metzi'us**, and through this **the whole world is included with his nefesh** in chiyuv ha'metzi'us. His nefesh and the whole world become **mechuyav** — and this is precisely **"harei zeh mis'chayeiv b'nafsho."** **The inversion is total**: the Mishnah's warning — 'don't be awake at night, alone on the road, mind wandering — it's deadly' — becomes a prescription — 'be awake at night, on the solitary path, heart cleared for bittul — and your soul will be made mechuyav.' Same three conditions, opposite outcome — because they describe the outer shell of a practice whose inner purpose determines which it is. Intermediate: **Peirush on Avos 3:4**: **ha'ne'or ba'laylah**=laylah k'pshuto (no disturbances); **mehalech ba'derech yechidi**=dayka (where few go) for shleimus ha'hisbodedus; **mefaneh libo l'vatalah**=clears heart of olam-ha'zeh toward bittul; **harei zeh mis'chayeiv b'nafsho**=his nefesh is **nichlal b'mechuyav ha'metzi'us**, and all olam with it. Positive inversion of the Mishnah's warning.

Beginner: **R"N bracket**: **"And here is Rabbeinu's own language on this Torah, which he wrote in utmost brevity. And this is it:"** — R' Nosson introduces Rabbeinu's own tersely-written version of the Torah, which will follow in seg 7. Intermediate: R"N: Rabbeinu's own compressed language follows.

Beginner: **Rabbeinu's own compressed language**: **"Ha'mehalech ba'derech yechidi, ha'ne'or ba'laylah, etc. Know: the **ikkar ha'bittul** — by which a person annuls his yeshus and becomes ayin, and is included in the Oneness of Hashem yisbarach — is **only through hisbodedus**. And hisbodedus requires a **specified place and time**, that no **mon'im** (obstructors) disturb him. The **time** is at night — that is **'ha'ne'or ba'laylah,'** for then everyone is asleep. The **place** is on a **solitary path**, not on a public way, so that passersby do not interrupt him — but **dayka** on a path where crowds do not go, there he goes and secludes himself. And this is **'v'ha'mehalech ba'derech yechidi.'** Then he can **clear his heart from everything**, and come to **bittul of all yeshus** — and this is **'ha'mefaneh libo l'vatalah.'** And when he is completely annulled, he is **included in the Oneness of Hashem yisbarach**, and then he comes to the bechinah of **mechuyav** — because HKBH is mechuyav ha'metzi'us and all things are efshar ha'metzi'us, and when he annuls himself and is included in His Oneness, he exits the bechinah of **efshar** and is included in **mechuyav** — and this is the bechinah of **'harei zeh mis'chayeiv b'nafsho.'"** **The compressed version makes the structure crystal-clear**: four moves — night (=time), solitary path (=place), empty heart (=bittul), soul becomes mechuyav (=the yield) — each encoded in one clause of the Mishnah. Intermediate: Rabbeinu's compressed version: **bittul** (yeshus→ayin→nichlal b'achdus) **only via hisbodedus**; needs **makom+zman** (no mon'im). Zman=laylah (all asleep); makom=derech yechidi dayka. Then **mefaneh libo** → bittul ha'yeshus. When wholly annulled → nichlal in His Oneness → exits efshar, enters **mechuyav** = "harei zeh mis'chayeiv b'nafsho."