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The Gemara (ibid.) states that the urge to sleep is dangerous and It is proper for every person who is heaven-fearing and Ascent of the Soul
must be handled with great care. The baraita says: for everyone whose heart has been touched by Hashem to
rise at midnight and engage in some lamentation, reciting When a person finishes reciting the Bedtime Sh’ma with all of its
The sages placed a fence around their words [that ma’ariv should the psalm, “By the rivers of Babylon” (Psalms 137:1), and verses and lies down to sleep with the appropriate intent, he should
be recited before midnight], so that a person will not come from the like, regarding the Destruction of the Temple and the not pray for anything, but only yearn and crave for Hashem, which
the field in the evening and say, “I will go home and eat a little and is the most perfect state. He should yearn for his soul to rise up
drink a little and sleep a little, and afterwards I will recite the Sh’ma exile of the Shechinah…. And it is known that the Zohar while he is filled with intent and yearning and cling to Hashem. Then
and pray,” and in the meantime sleep will seize him and he will sleep highly praises this practice, and the Gemara states that his soul will truly rise to its proper place, and it will be considered
the entire night [and miss ma’ariv altogether]. Instead, a person midnight is a time of favor. as an offering to Hashem. As the Zohar states, the soul that rises
who comes from the field in the evening enters the synagogue. properly every night to Hashem is considered to be an offering.
If he is accustomed to learn Scripture, he learns Scripture. If he Following that, he writes that a person who does not rise at (And a person is obligated to strengthen himself with yearning, as I
is accustomed to learn Mishnah, he learns Mishnah. And then he midnight but rises before dawn possesses “an intermediary trait.” have written at length in regard to the war of the will.)
recites the Sh’ma and prays, he eats his bread and recites the grace That is to say, the most praiseworthy level is to get up at midnight,
after meals. And whoever transgresses the words of the sages and an intermediary level is to get up before dawn. From this, we In conclusion, I will quote the words of the holy Zohar on the
is deserving of death. may infer that a person who gets up later than that is even less than verse, “With my spirit, I have yearned for You at night” (Isaiah
intermediary. 26:9). This is an especially awesome and inspiring passage, which
The Gemara asks: Why did the sages say that such a person “is discusses going to sleep in the midst of yearning and intent (Lech
deserving of death,” an expression they do not use in any other Our rabbis have discussed at length the virtue of rising at midnight Lechah 83, with a few additions based on Matok Midevash):
instance? The Gemara answers, “Because sleep overwhelms a to learn Torah and engage in songs and praises. In particular, in a
person.” Rashi explains: “A circumstance that compels a person to great many places the holy Zohar praises and endorses the practice [Rabbi Shimon] began and said:
transgress the words of the sages requires especial warning.” Sleep of rising at midnight and extols the value of this holy time, speaking
attacks, overwhelms and seizes a person. of it as a time of favor for every holy matter. The words of our holy [The verse states,] “With my spirit, I have yearned for
rabbis inspired the hearts of worthy Jews in all generations to rise at You at night. Even with my spirit within me, I seek You”
Sweet but Dangerous midnight and to engage in Divine service, each in accordance with
his own understanding. The greatest of all was Rabbi Nachman of (Isaiah 26:9)….
Breslov, who declared “that the essence of the work of a Jew is to
Some people go to bed with a religious book in order to fall get up at midnight” (Sichot Haran 301). Come, see. When a person goes to bed, his nefesh
asleep in the midst of learning Torah. Others engage in hitbodedut leaves him and rises up. You might think that all nefoshot
in order to fall asleep in the midst of praying to Hashem. These The holy Zohar tells (Vayikra 13a): [pl. nefesh] rise to see the pleasantness of Hashem and
appear to be wonderful and sweet practices. But you must know visit in His palace. But be aware that not everyone sees
that this too is the counsel of the evil inclination, because the war Rabbi Chizkiah was sitting before Rabbi Yitzchak. They the face of the King—[i.e., not all of the nefoshot attain
of sleep is a tremendous endeavor. If a person does not fight to the arose at midnight to engage in Torah learning. Rabbi
end and pray solely regarding sleep, he will not cling to Hashem Yitzchak began and said: the proper rectification of sleep]….
while he sleeps.
The nefesh proceeds and wishes to rise. There are a
The verse states, “Behold, bless Hashem, all those who
The evil inclination is prepared to let a person fall asleep in the number of levels through which to rise from this world
midst of learning Torah or engaging in hitbodedut, because then serve Hashem, those who stand in the house of Hashem to the spiritual world to which it needs to arrive. It soars
this person is very liable not to experience a holy sleep. Why? in the nights” (Psalms 134:1). This praises all people who and encounters unclean, shining “husks” on its way to
Because a person who goes to sleep in the middle of learning or have faith. And who are those who have faith? Those the spiritual world. If it is pure, if it was not polluted
praying begins to doze off and slowly loses his mindfulness, and are the people who engage in Torah learning and who during the day, it passes by these husks and rises. But if