The Secret of Tikkun Chatzos: Building the New Day and Elevating the Lofty Souls

Class No. 34 | Tuesday Morning, Parashas Masei, 27 Tammuz 5755, at the Yeshiva.

A profound discourse explaining the immense power of Tikkun Chatzos (the midnight lament over the Temple's destruction) according to the teachings of Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz. By reciting the Tikkun word by word, we elevate the loftiest souls that have fallen into the depths of the kelipos (forces of spiritual impurity), and we build the spiritual stature of the new day. The article emphasizes the importance of mesiras nefesh (self-sacrifice) for Torah and the service of Hashem, similar to the holy Tanna'im (Mishnaic sages) who devoted themselves to study without compromise.

Moshe Rabbeinu felt more like a baby each day than the day before; every day he became more lowly in his own eyes. This is the secret of "kala d'yanuka" (the voice of a child)—that the entire Torah emerges from the voice of a baby. When a generation lacks tzaddikim who possess breath untainted by sin, tzaddikim who are like infants and can say,

"Like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me" (Tehillim 131:2)

, then it is difficult to achieve the yichud (spiritual unification) of the Cherubim.

Rabbi Avraham ben Rav Nachman explains that when we reach a generation where we no longer have such tzaddikim, and we do not merit to properly draw down the pure breath from the tzaddikim who have passed away, there is no choice but to take actual infants. Infants who will cry out, "Shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad" with their pure breath and ultimate emunah (faith). Just as we heard about the million Jews taken into the Russian army, half a million of whom jumped into the Volga River crying out "Shema Yisrael." From this mesiras nefesh (self-sacrifice), spiritual unifications were made that could not have been achieved through the divine service of any tzaddik in the world. Rebbe Nachman said that if everyone had united with him, we could have drawn down the breath of the infants without the need for such terrible self-sacrifice.

The Secret of Tikkun Chatzos and the Elevation of Souls

We are in a terrible generation, where we see children being killed almost every single day. In the Heavenly Court, a person under the age of twenty is considered an infant who is not judged. Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz says that the only tikkun (rectification) to save the generation from all kinds of harsh decrees is solely through Tikkun Chatzos. He warns repeatedly to recite Tikkun Chatzos, and specifically Tikkun Rachel, word by word.

When we begin by saying "Let him strengthen himself like a lion," we elevate the souls that correspond to the aspect of the lion in the Divine Chariot. The earth is divided into fourteen types of souls: souls that are the aspect of a lion, an ox, an eagle, and a man. At midnight, we rectify the greatest souls, which correspond to the aspect of 'man' in the Chariot.

The greater the souls are, the more "his hand grasps the heel of Esav." The souls of converts, for example, are the greatest souls, and they are swallowed up in the heel of Esav. The entire mission of Yaakov Avinu is to extract these souls from Esav's heel, and therefore this is the tikkun of Rachel and Leah, who are the sacrifice of Yaakov.

The Lofty Souls That Fell into the Depths of the Kelipos

Whoever manages to recite Tikkun Chatzos word by word, with all kinds of melodies in some quiet corner, elevates souls with every single letter. Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz explains: There are souls that are the greatest in the world, and specifically they are "souls that are chased away after the Holy One, Blessed be He, and His Shechinah (Divine Presence)"—souls that were banished and fell the deepest.

We find this with King David, who had the greatest soul, yet we find his roots in Sodom. He fell into the deepest depths of the kelipos because of the sin of Adam HaRishon. The lower souls did not fall deeply, but the great souls fell "from a high roof to a deep pit"—to the most terrible places. Therefore, when Moshe wanted to destroy Moav, Hashem told him: "You cannot destroy them; I need the Mother of Royalty, the mother of David, to emerge specifically from there." Specifically from the lowest place in the world.

When Tikkun Chatzos arrives, we elevate the loftiest souls that descended into the depths of the kelipos. With every single letter, we elevate another soul and another soul.

Building the New Day

Chatzos is the hardest thing to recite because it is in the middle of the night. There are those who say: "If I am already awake, I might as well learn some Gemara. What is the point of always saying the same chapters and the same verses?" This is the hardest thing in the world—to say the exact same Korbanos (offerings), the same Pesukei D'Zimrah (verses of praise), the same Shema Yisrael, and the same Shemoneh Esrei prayer every single day.

But the truth is that every day you are elevating entirely new souls! There is no connection whatsoever between yesterday's Pesukei D'Zimrah and today's. A person thinks that today is just like yesterday, and therefore he lacks enthusiasm; he wants something new. But if you know that this day is completely new, you understand that midnight is exactly what builds the new day.

The building blocks are the same stones. You build a palace or a hut from the same bricks and the same sand. The building blocks of every day are the same words, and when a person truly begins at the exact point of Chatzos and continues word by word with songs and melodies, he builds the spiritual stature of the new day. Through this, he saves the Jewish people from all harsh decrees and merits the pure breath of infants untainted by sin.

The Secret of the Ashes and the Sweetening of Judgments

When a person wakes up at midnight and recites Tikkun Rachel word by word with tears, sitting on the ground, he should place a little ash on his head. One can take a piece of paper, light it, and apply a drop of ash. This ash sweetens all the "PaR (280) judgments" that surround a person and prevent him from ascending.

Through the ash (אפר - efer), the person is incorporated into the letter Aleph (א), which represents the Sefirah of Binah (Understanding), combining to form אפר (Aleph + PaR = Efer). All the judgments depart from him, and he immediately ascends to the supernal Sefirah of Binah. It is written in the writings of the holy Arizal that it is impossible to be incorporated into Binah at any time of the day, except at midnight.

Therefore, Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz warns that one must pay close attention to where Hashem is found.

"And Moshe approached the thick cloud where God was" (Shemos 20:21)

—specifically in the moment when it is hardest to wake up, that is where Hashem hides. There are 86,400 seconds in a day, and specifically the exact second of midnight is the key to the entire day.

Mesiras Nefesh for Torah: The Path of the Tanna'im

Some people think they can sleep in late, skip Shacharis (the morning prayer), or travel to Meron just to sleep there until ten in the morning. They think this is how Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Rashbi) acted. But Rashbi, immediately after his wedding, went to learn Torah for thirteen consecutive years and did not see his wife and children!

The Tosafos (Shabbos 9a) recount the dispute between Rav and Rabbi Chanina regarding the beginning of a meal and washing hands. The Tosafos learn from there that it is impossible to study Torah near one's home. At home, it is so pleasant and good to sleep; there is the "pleasantness of Hashem" there, but to truly merit acquiring Torah, one must leave.

Rabbi Chanina ben Chachinai went to learn in Bnei Brak immediately after his Sheva Brachos (seven days of wedding celebrations). He did not even wait one day for Rashbi. It is brought in the Midrash that two friends went to learn, and one refused to wait even a single day for the other to finish his Sheva Brachos. Because of that one day he preceded him, the second one was never able to reach his level of spiritual attainments!

You cannot invent a new Torah or new practices. You need to be like a baby, to be obedient. If you are told to sit and learn—sit and learn. Do not try to be smarter than Rashbi.

In the Place Where the Shechinah Resides

Rabbi Chanina ben Chachinai learned for thirteen years and did not know what was happening in his home, until Rabbi Akiva shouted at him: "Your daughter has come of age; you must marry her off immediately!" A person thinks that if he is a tzaddik and has gone through his spiritual refinements, his children are also immune to tests. But children must not be subjected to tests; one must watch over them, learn with them, and pray with them.

When Rabbi Chanina returned to his home, he did not even recognize the city. When his wife saw him, she fainted and her soul departed, and he had to revive her. From here we see that it pays to learn for thirteen years with mesiras nefesh (self-sacrifice)—one merits the power to revive the dead.

We will conclude with the words of Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz: Hashem hides at the exact point of midnight. A person must always aim to wake up a few minutes early, to recite Tikkun Rachel and Tikkun Leah, and to truly awaken. Whoever merits to rise at midnight is found in the place where the Shechinah (Divine Presence) resides. He merits great protection from everything in the world, and through this, may we merit the complete Geulah (Redemption) speedily in our days, Amen.

Part 3 of 3 — Class No. 34

→ Previous Part

All Parts: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 (Current)