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and of how they may make use of these precious hours to renew for You at midnight” (Isaiah 26:9), in order to run after of the traits of the righteous who walk before God. That
their service of Hashem. You and not to be enticed after another category—that is because the way that a person sits, moves and acts
of the unclean husks…. when he is alone in his house are not the same as when
The holy Zohar states unequivocally that the soul can gaze upon he sits, moves and acts before a great king. The relaxed
the pleasantness of the King and visit His palace only when it clings This awesome passage from the Zohar explains that sleep way in which he speaks with his family and close friends is
to the intent to do so with supernal longing. The Matok Midevash constitutes a tremendous danger. During sleep, the nefesh has two
brings support for that from the verse, “My nefesh has yearned possibilities: either to cling to the unclean husks and wander about different from the way in which he speaks on the council
and also expired for the courtyards of Hashem” (Psalms 84:3). The among them the entire night (following which this person awakens of the king. How much more when a person realizes that
nefesh, which is on the level of yearning, merits to come to the accordingly), or to cling to and see the pleasantness of Hashem and the great King, the Holy One, blessed be He, Whose
courtyards of Hashem. In accordance with that, I have explained visit His palace! glory fills the entire earth, stands over him and sees his
in this chapter that we need to muster great strength at the time of deeds. As the verse states, “Even if a man will hide in
sleep so that we will fall asleep in the midst of strong yearning and According to the Zohar, when a person is not deserving of hiding places, will I not see him, says Hashem” (Jeremiah
longing for Hashem. We must battle to attain that, so that no desire holy sleep, his soul rises to the unclean camps and clings to them. 23:24). He will immediately experience fear, humility
to sleep will enter into us. This passage explains that only when a Unfortunately, that causes many psychological problems and and the fear of Hashem, may He be blessed, and shame
person has a single intent—the intent to come close to the mental distress. Sometimes a person wakes up in the morning before Him always, and he will not be ashamed before any
Holy One, blessed be He, and to cling to Him—only then depressed and anxious, with darkness and fears clinging to him, in human beings who mock him for his service of Hashem,
does his soul rise to its root. And that sleep is not sleep at all the most literal sense. More than once I have met ordinary people
but solely clinging to Hashem. who suddenly, in the midst of their lives, grow confused. They may He be blessed. Also, in matters of in modesty and
in lying down to go to bed, he should know before
awaken with anxieties that cling to them in a diseased fashion, and
The holy Ari teaches that during sleep at night, the ruach clings they do not understand where this comes from. According to what Whom he is lying down, and immediately upon
absolutely to its source. The ruach rectifies the nefesh, and as a we have learned here, this results from these unclean husks that waking up, he should rise with alacrity to engage
result a person attains the level of the ruach, which is higher than tell the soul falsehoods and to which it clings. Thus, sleep is truly a in the service of His Creator, may He be elevated
the level of the nefesh: “As a result of the sleep of the night, the terrible danger. We must certainly inspire ourselves to engage in the and exalted.
nefesh yearns for Him, may He be blessed, and rises to Him in the work of the will during sleep!
secret…. And since it rises with that craving and yearning, it remains He Is Giving Us Good Advice
above and does not return. And with the coming of the morning But the aspect of good is always stronger than that of evil. When
when I awaken, then ‘with my ruach within me I beseech You’ the soul experiences the taste of clinging to the light of Hashem,
(Isaiah 26:9).” And the Ari describes the tremendous rectifications when it takes pleasure in seeing the pleasure of Hashem and visiting The Rema connects the actions involved in going to sleep and
brought about by means of proper sleep. His palace, after it wakes up, a taste of “more” remains with it, and waking up to the mitzvah of “I have placed Hashem before me
always.” The Rema tells us that a person’s entire goal must be to
it experiences great yearning and longing to be close to Hashem.
Rabbi Moshe Dovid Valli states in his commentary on Proverbs: cling to his Creator, to place Hashem before him always, and that
This passage of the Zohar sums up clearly the entire topic of there is not a single moment in which a person is absolved of this
When a person attains holy mindfulness because of his sleep. It explains the great mystery within sleep. Therefore, before work. There is no legitimacy to resting and sleeping. Why are you
clinging [to Hashem], although it leaves him when he Rabbi Shimon began speaking these words, he said, “I am surprised tired? Are you tired of the Garden of Eden? That is ridiculous.
lies down [to sleep], it still surrounds him and guards that people aren’t careful to know the words of the Torah and to Therefore, know that you are not going to sleep. You are lying
down before Hashem. When you lie down before Hashem, you
him. And thus he laughs at fear and is not afraid. As know what maintains their existence!” People go to sleep every bond with Hashem. And in accordance with the quality of your
the verse states: “When you lie down, you will not night without understanding and without feeling what awaits them bond with Hashem, in the morning you can gather strength like a
fear” (Proverbs 3:24). On the contrary, the power of the after they fall asleep. They do not take heed of the danger in sleep lion.
mindfulness itself that is surrounding him will sweeten

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