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392 | A New Light Chapter Nine: | 409
Chapter Nine: True Nullification
In particular, Rabbi Nachman teaches that the way to nullify
“If I Give Sleep to My Eyes” cravings is to pray at length and to engage in hitbodedut—
specifically, at night. He writes (Likutei Moharan I 52):
The Work of the Will in Relation to Sleep
It is only possible to attain nullification by means of
hitbodedut. When a person engages in hitbodedut and
Introduction speaks to his Maker, he can nullify all of his cravings and
evil traits until he can nullify all of his physicality and
Over the years, Hashem has inspired me to see in my own life be absorbed into his root. However, the essence of
and in the lives of many of my students that one of the areas most hitbodedut is [that it be done] at night, at a time
dependent on a person’s will is his work on sleep. Therefore, that is
one of the most important areas of serving Hashem in a Jew’s life. that everyone is free of the distractions of this world.
During the day, everyone is chasing after this world, and
You must know that the craving for sleep is an absolute evil that diverts and confuses a person, keeping him from
inclination, which overcomes a person and fills him with the desire clinging to and being absorbed into Hashem, may He 13
to sleep. And when the desire to sleep overcomes a person, he is be blessed. Even if he himself is not distracted, other
engulfed in great darkness and he loses his entire will for holiness. people are distracted at that time, pursuing the vanities
When a person drowses off as a result of his desire to sleep, he does of this world, and so it is hard to attain nullification….
not wake up on time and with enthusiasm. Instead, he rises without Therefore, a person must go off by himself at night on
the will to serve Hashem. He is simply in absolute darkness and his a lone path to a place where no one else is present.
heart is dead.
There, he should engage in hitbodedut. He should
But a good trait is always stronger than an evil trait. And so when empty his heart and mind of all of the affairs of this
a person wants to bond with Hashem when he will be asleep and so world and nullify everything until he truly attains the
he falls asleep in the midst of intentions and yearnings to cling to level of nullification. That is to say, at first he engages
Hashem, he wakes up with enthusiasm, faith and will, and his entire in many prayers and speeches in hitbodedut—at night in
day is filled with energy and yearning to serve Hashem. an isolated location—until he succeeds in nullifying one
matter, i.e., in nullifying one particular trait and craving.
Therefore, the central work in which we must invest our After that, he engages in a great deal more hitbodedut
unbounded intentions and yearnings is the work of sleep, because until he nullifies another trait and craving. And so should
that is the key to a Jew’s entire life. In this chapter, I will explain in
detail the character of sleep and the practical way in which every he act for a long time in hitbodedut—at that time and in
person can energize the work of the will in sleep. Whoever takes the that place—until he nullifies everything.
following words to heart will be able to elevate his entire service of
Hashem to a completely different level. I wrote earlier (in Chapter Five) that it is hard for most people to
implement this teaching in its simple sense. Therefore, it is possible
to do this holy service wherever and whenever one wishes. The
The main thing is that a person work on nullifying his cravings by
