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morning Sh’ma on time. There can be no greater expression of a to sleep. He should eat an easy-to-digest supper. Heavy eating more than gold. That is pure profit. He will see that on that day he
lack of the fear of heaven than that. makes a person tired and casts him into heaviness and a dissatisfying will be especially alert, alive and active, that he will get things done
sleep, after which it is hard for him to get up. As the mishnah and succeed much more than usual. Therefore, before everything
To Get Up Like a Jew states, “Food results in sleep” (Yoma 1:4). If a person feels a little else, get up and act with alacrity, without any thought. In particular,
hungry but he knows that he will be going to sleep within three there is a tradition that Rabbi Nachman of Breslov said that “when
This is the place to discuss the importance of reciting the morning hours, he should not eat bread and certainly not meat and dairy a person wakes up at night, that is certainly from heaven, and he
Sh’ma on time. Doing so constitutes the foundation of a Jew’s life. products, all of which make a person heavy and drowsy, but fruit. should not allow himself to go back to sleep” (Avaneha Barzel: Sichot
Not reciting the Sh’ma on time constitutes the nullification of a Also, the holy Ari teaches, “At the beginning of the night a Moreinu 74).
commandment. The Gemara applies the verse, “That which has
Another good piece of advice to get up in the morning is to
been distorted cannot be rectified” (Ecclesiastes 1:15), to a person person should lie on his left side, as mentioned by the Rambam place your alarm clock at some distance from your bed, so that you
(may his memory be for a blessing). And after midnight, if he wants
who does not recite the Sh’ma (Berachot 26a). This is a deformity to sleep, he should turn over to his right side. This is very helpful cannot just turn it off and go back to sleep, as is common, but that
that cannot be repaired. Such a person’s day will be inadequate,
and that is something that cannot be adjusted. A person must do for nullifying the outer forces.” And he states as well, “A person you will have to get out of bed. And once you are standing, it is
must be careful not to remove his small tzitzit garment, neither by
easier to withstand the test and not return to bed.
everything to prevent that. It makes no difference what time he
went to sleep. It is forbidden to miss reciting the Sh’ma on time. day nor by night. He should lie down with it at night, and that is
very helpful in nullifying the powers of the outer forces.”
The sages count morning sleep as one of the factors that remove a Awake, My Glory
person from the world (Avot 3:10). The commentators explain that
this is because he misses the recital of the morning Sh’ma. The Intent of Sleep It is worthwhile mentioning other advice regarding sleep and
waking up.
The holy Zohar states regarding the great importance of reading When a person lies down, he must have in mind that he is going
the Sh’ma (Zohar Chadash: Acharei): “When a person recites the to serve His Creator. As the Rambam explains (Dei’ot 3:3): Rabbi Nachman writes in Sefer Hamidot that reciting the 15
Sh’ma properly, every word influences his every limb. But if he “Songs of Ascent”—Psalms 120 to 134—is helpful in nullifying
does not recite the Sh’ma day and night, his every limb is filled with Even when a person is sleeping, if he is sleeping in sleep.
an evil spirit and with all of the world’s evils and diseases.” And the order to gain knowledge, in order to rest his mind and
Zohar (Midrash Ruth) states, “Rabbi Nehemiah said in the name of rest his body so that he will not grow ill and be unable to And Rabbi Nachman also says (Likutei Moharan I 60) that the
Rabbi Nehorai: A person experiences healing in this world every serve Hashem because of sickness, his sleep is the service stories of primal years arouse a person from sleep, so that even
day when he reads the Sh’ma properly. And Rabbi Nehorai said: of God, blessed be He. Regarding this matter, our sages a person who fell into a very deep spiritual slumber will wake up
The Sh’ma contains 248 words, parallel to a person’s 248 limbs. commanded and said, “All of your deeds should be for (Chayei Moharan 25). Even though this is speaking of spiritual sleep,
When a person recites the Sh’ma properly, each limb takes one it is certainly helpful in regard to physical sleep as well. Therefore,
word, and it is healed by that word. Therefore, the verse states, ‘It the sake of heaven” (Avot 2:12). That is what Solomon it is good to accustom yourself to learn Rabbi Nachman of Breslov’s
will be healing to your flesh and moisture to your bones’ (Proverbs alluded to in his wisdom: “In all your ways, know Him, holy book of Tales—in particular, when you want to cast off sleep
3:8).” And the Zohar states as well, “When a person recites the and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:6). and serve Hashem.
Sh’ma properly, it is known that he will not be harmed that day”
(ibid.). And the Shulchan Aruch states (231): Another piece of advice is to recite the verse, “Awaken, my soul,
awaken, lyre and harp, I will awake the dawn” (Psalms 57:9) three
Reciting the Sh’ma and Shemoneh Esrei on time is not a mere If a person cannot learn without taking an afternoon times forward and three times backward. And each of the six times
stringency or act of piety. It is the essence of the law for every nap, he should do so, but only if it is not long, because you say “I will awake,” have in mind your desire to get up.
single Jew. Praying after that time constitutes a grave sin. If a person during the day it is forbidden to sleep more than “the
does so publicly, that constitutes a desecration of Hashem’s name, sleep of a horse,” which is 60 breaths. And even Similarly, a person must accustom himself not to eat before going