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Ascent of the Soul Rabbi Nachman writes that all of a person’s faith depends upon
his awareness of the world-to-come—and that awareness depends
When a person finishes reciting the Bedtime Sh’ma with all of its on sleep. The time of sleep is a very elevated time in which a
verses and lies down to sleep with the appropriate intent, he should person’s soul clings to the world-to-come. Thus, sleep is not a
not pray for anything, but only yearn and crave for Hashem, which time in which to rest, but a time in which we serve Hashem and
is the most perfect state. He should yearn for his soul to rise up renew our service of Hashem and our faith. At this time, Hashem
while he is filled with intent and yearning and cling to Hashem. Then influences a person and gives him life for the entire day. Therefore,
his soul will truly rise to its proper place, and it will be considered a person must beseech Hashem to teach him how to serve Hashem
as an offering to Hashem. As the Zohar states, the soul that rises even when he is asleep. Then, as soon as he gets up in the morning,
properly every night to Hashem is considered to be an offering. he will remember and cling to the world-to-come more and more.
(And a person is obligated to strengthen himself with yearning, as I A person who attains this is living in the Garden of Eden. He is
have written at length in regard to the war of the will.) living in a likeness of the world-to-come.

In conclusion, I will quote the words of the holy Zohar on the It is quite common to see signs in synagogues and notices in
verse, “With my spirit, I have yearned for You at night” (Isaiah siddurs, “Know before Whom you stand. ‘I have placed Hashem
26:9). This is an especially awesome and inspiring passage, which before me always.” A person must place such a sign as well next
discusses going to sleep in the midst of yearning and intent (Lech to his bed: “Know before Whom you are lying down because you
Lechah 83, with a few additions based on Matok Midevash): must always place Hashem before you”— always, meaning, before
going to sleep, while sleeping and when waking up from sleep.
[Rabbi Shimon] began and said:
To Sleep like a Jew
[The verse states,] “With my spirit, I have yearned for
You at night. Even with my spirit within me, I seek You” The war begins even before a person lies down in bed. He must
(Isaiah 26:9)…. gather his strength to have great intent as he recites the entire
Bedtime Sh’ma (as will be explained). The evil inclination of
Come, see. When a person goes to bed, his nefesh sleep, which clothes itself in weariness and causes a person to want
leaves him and rises up. You might think that all nefoshot to sleep, is the most dangerous evil inclination there is. At that
[pl. nefesh] rise to see the pleasantness of Hashem and time, the person is tired and weary, and he does not fear God (cf.
visit in His palace. But be aware that not everyone sees Deuteronomy 25:18). He gives himself permission to throw himself
the face of the King—[i.e., not all of the nefoshot attain into bed without making a personal accounting, to forget about
the proper rectification of sleep]…. Hashem, to forget about reciting the Sh’ma and the blessing of
Hamapil. He doesn’t care how he will fall asleep and when he will
The nefesh proceeds and wishes to rise. There are a get up. He casts off the yoke of the kingdom of heaven. Therefore,
number of levels through which to rise from this world the Gemara says that a person who goes to sleep without reciting
the Sh’ma is comparable to a person on the bed of an Aramean
to the spiritual world to which it needs to arrive. It soars woman (Berachot 8b).
and encounters unclean, shining “husks” on its way to
the spiritual world. If it is pure, if it was not polluted The Ari states that when we recite the morning blessing, “Blessed
during the day, it passes by these husks and rises. But if be He Who did not make me a gentile,” we are thanking Hashem