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Moharan I 60). Therefore, the great accusation of the evil Haman if in the end a person does not pray properly. As Rabbi Nachman
against the nation of Israel began with “There is a nation” (Esther teaches in Sefer Hamidot: “If a person strengthens himself
3:8), which can be translated as “a nation is sleeping”—meaning, before prayer and engages in a great deal of preparation, even if
state our sages, that he told Achashverosh that the nation of afterwards he does not pray properly, sufferings will separate
Israel is asleep in the sense that it is not performing the Torah’s themselves from him” (Hamtakat Din 38). And Rabbi Nachman also
commandments (Megillah 13b). states there: “As a result of a person having the intent to plead
before Hashem, may He be blessed, he gains favor in the eyes of
Rise Up First to Kill Him Hashem, may He be blessed” (Tefillah 30). But we may presume
that preparation will have an effect and that we will feel the great

Every morning we recite the baraita listing a number of actions helpfulness of preparing. As Rabbi Nachman states: “Before
that have no measure: whose fruits a person enjoys in this world prayers, a person must cause his spirit to cling to the Creator. As
but whose principal remains for him in the world-to-come. One of a result of this clinging, the words [of prayer] will of themselves
these actions is “getting up early to go to the study hall.” The main emerge from his mouth” (ibid. 76).
thing is to get up early—and that is a great aid to achieve length of
The Hasidim say that preparing for prayer is more valuable than
days (Berachot 8a). The greatest service of Hashem is to arise from the prayer itself, because the intent to do a mitzvah is greater than
sleep. Therefore, Rabbi Nachman said, “The essence of the work doing the mitzvah itself (as is explained in this book). Therefore,
of a Jew in the winter is to get up at midnight. And in the summer,
when the night is very short [outside the land of Israel], he should when you recite korbonot, pesukei dezimra and, how much
more, the Sh’ma and its blessings, that is the time to energize
be careful to get up early in the morning, at dawn” (Sichot Haran yourself with songs and praises, with a maximum of intent and
301).
a maximum of deep feeling, because that is the preparation for
The Gemara states a number of times, “If someone comes to kill the Shemoneh Esrei, which is the principal part of prayer. And
you, rise up early to kill him.” The holy books state that this alludes in addition, blessing will come upon a person who, before the
to the evil inclination, which comes to kill a person. As the verse formal prayers, recites Rabbi Elimelech’s Note and other wonderful
states: “The wicked one looks at the righteous person and seeks to prayers.
kill him” (Psalms 37:32)—and the Gemara interprets this verse as
referring to the evil inclination (Kiddushin 30b). The counsel against
the evil inclination is to “rise up early to kill him.” By waking
up early in the morning with alacrity to serve the Creator, you At Least Once a Day
overcome and defeat the evil inclination. In accordance with what I
have explained here, you may understand that the counsel to wake
up is not just one element among others on how to overcome the I previously quoted the famous Gemara (Berachot 32b) that the
evil inclination, but it is the essential element, because the essence early pietists would sit one hour before prayer and one hour after
of the inclination is the inclination toward death and sleep—and so prayer and spend one hour on prayer itself. Usually, when the
the essence of overcoming it is waking up early. Gemara refers to an “hour,” it means an indeterminate period of
time and not necessarily an hour. But in this case, the students of
Thus, practically speaking, all service of Hashem consists of Rabbeinu Yonah derive from the Gemara that the reference is to
waking up from sleep. The entire world and its activities are in a literal hour, and their words are cited in the works of halachah.
the category of sleep, and a person’s every movement in serving