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We must stand at night, and in this way prevent the evil inclination regarding that little amount, a person’s intent The halachic authorities quote the Rabbi ibn Gabbai’s Tola’at
of sleep from seizing us. should not be to grant his body pleasure, but to Yaakov, who had a version of the holy Zohar stating that a person
strengthen his body for the service of Hashem, who does not engage in this practice is deserving of death (Kaf
In general, we must know that a person requires great alacrity may He be blessed. And so too in everything from Hachaim 4 and Shulchan Aruch Harav 1). The books of Hasidism explain
in rising in the morning, because “sleep casts down the lazy” which a person gains pleasure in this world, he should at length the tremendously superlative nature of this practice,
(Proverbs 19:15). And Rabbi Moshe Dovid Valli says that “supernal which draws great holiness onto a person throughout the course of
providence does not help lazy people. But when people wake up not have his own pleasure in mind but the service of his entire life. Some people are especially strict, in accordance with
to do their work with alacrity, they are helped and they succeed.” the Creator, may He be blessed. As the verse states, Hasidism, not even to set their feet on the floor before washing,
And he also says: “Laziness is considered equivalent to wickedness. “In all your ways, know Him” (Proverbs 3:6). And our and they link this to the verse, “He stands upon a way that is not
As the verse states, ‘A person who is careless in his work is a sages said, “All of your deeds should be for the sake of good” (Psalms 36:5).
brother to a destructive person’ (Proverbs 18:9).” And Sefer heaven” (Avot 2:12), because even mundane matters—
Hamidot states, “With alacrity, a person removes sleep and revives such as eating, drinking, walking, sitting, waking up and In addition, you must set an alarm clock. When a person goes
his mind” (Atzlut). marital relations, conversation, and all of your bodily to sleep, he must have in mind the specific time that he wants to
needs—should all be for the service of your Creator, or wake up, and not go to sleep without a plan to that end. If he goes
Advice on How to Get Up in the Morning for something that leads to His service…. to sleep early, he should intend to get up at midnight, or at any
rate before dawn. At the very least, a person should not miss the
A person should sleep without a wristwatch, or at any rate only And the same applies to lying down. There is no need time for reading the Sh’ma and Shemoneh Esrei—and in a minyan,
look at his watch after he has gotten up from bed, or at least until to say that when a person can engage in Torah and which is obligatory. He should address Hashem:
after he has washed his hands. That is because, when a person mitzvot he should not be drawn into sleep in order to
wakes up and sees the time, his evil inclination immediately tells give himself pleasure. But even when he is weary and Master of the world, I am going to sleep only
him: “It is still very early, you still have time…,” and since his mind must sleep in order to rest from his weariness, if he because I have no alternative. I don’t want
is foggy, he is easily persuaded. That is totally the work of the evil does so for his bodily pleasure, that is not praiseworthy. to sleep. I only want to do Your will. Help me
inclination. wake up early, at such-and-such a time. And the
Rather, he should intend to give sleep to his eyes and moment I open my eyes, may my immediate first
All of a person’s thoughts when he first gets up—“I’m tired, I rest to his body in order to maintain his health, so that thought be to remember the world-to-come, and
don’t know if I slept enough…” and the like—are heretical thoughts his mind will not be unable to grasp the Torah because may I immediately say “Modeh ani” with great
(as I have already explained). Remember this well: these are of a lack of sleep. joy. And may I feel the happiness of being freed
dangerous thoughts that wish to shorten your life, in the simplest of the prison of my bed. May I not be bound to
sense. If you are tired, get up with alacrity and bind yourself to In summation, a person must place his eyes and heart my bed by ropes of sleep. Help me so that at the
Hashem. That will awaken you and give you life. At the moment upon his actions and weigh all of his deeds on the scale
that you are being tested, it is very hard to understand that all of of his mind. When he sees that something will lead to the moment that I wake up I will wash my hands next
those thoughts are one great lie. But if you prepare yourself, remain service of the Creator, may He be blessed, he should do to my bed and leap out of bed with energy and
aware and seek counsel on how to act, then at the moment that it. And if not, he should not do it. And a person who strength. Help me rejoice over the fact that I have
you are tested you will prevail and get up. acts in this way serves his Creator always. been redeemed from the punishment of the need
for sleep.
Also, if a person decides that he will get out of bed whatever time And the holy Ari states: “A person must intend that even at the
it may be when he wakes up (since he is not wearing a watch), he time that he is sleeping, he will serve his Creator. That is alluded Principally, a person must know what time he intends to get up.
may sometimes find himself waking up an hour or two early, and to in the verse, ‘In all of your ways, know Him’” (Sha’ar Hakavanot: There is no such thing as going to sleep with the attitude that
so he will earn another few hours of night, which are worth much Derushei Halailah). According to everything that I have written here, “whatever will be will be,” and then being too late to recite the