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458 | A New Light                                  Chapter Nine:   | 471                470 | A New Light

 The book Tikun Chatzot Hamevo’ar collects a great many of   every sort of confusion from my brain and mind until,   cling to You and experience holy sleep. May I serve You
 the statements made in the holy books asserting the special qualities   as a result of diminishing my sleep, I will rest my mind.   while I am asleep and learn Torah while I am asleep, and
 of midnight. Here are some of them, in greatly abridged form:  May my mind and soul be renewed and refreshed from   cling to the world-to-come.
              their weariness as a result of reducing my sleep as much
 A person who gets up at midnight can break the “husks” and kill                                Help me, assist me to draw great holiness onto myself
 the evil inclination.  as possible. (Likutei Tefillot 35)
                                                                                              before I go to sleep, so that I will sleep in a state of great

 He restores the Shechinah to its place, and hastens the redemption.  Master  of  the universe, help me know that sleep is   holiness and purity. May my sleep be sweet. As a result
              absolute evil, an entirely evil inclination. Rescue me from                     of my sleep, raise my soul to cling to the world-to-come,
 He becomes a new person.  the evil inclination, which is the terrible angel of death         and may my thoughts constantly cling to the world-to-
              that overwhelms me with the craving for sleep, and that                         come.
 He attains sovereignty.  wants to murder me and destroy my entire life. It has
              already seized me with a powerful grip. Thus, the sages                      Likutei Tefillot 54
 He attains a fullness of faith.
              speak of sleep “seizing” a person. It wants to seize hours                        Help me continuously renew my mind, awareness and

 His body is protected.  from each day of my life, hours that will add up to years.           soul. Constantly guide me and teach me how to conduct
              And it wants me to remain spiritually asleep throughout
 He is rescued from fears.  the entire day, so that I will lose my life entirely. I have      myself in regard to sleep, so that I will always renew my
              slept so much until now. Have compassion on me so that                          mind. You know that we must guard our sleep a great
 He rectifies his eyes.  from this day forward I will no longer sleep away my                 deal in order to renew our mind and awareness, so that
              days and years. Help me know that sleep is suicide.                             our consciousness will not be confused, heaven forbid.
 He rectifies his “covenant.”                                                                 And You know the  tremendous loss  caused by much
 He purifies his thoughts.  Please,  Master of  the  universe,  help  me know that            sleep, heaven forbid. It destroys a person’s time, which
                                                                                              is more precious than all wealth. If an hour is lost in sleep
              the essence of sleep is slavery. As our sages state, “Ten
 He gains atonement for all of his sins.  measures of sleep descended to the world, of which nine   or in the meaningless things of this world, heaven forbid,
              were taken by slaves” (Kiddushin 49b). When a person sleeps,                    it cannot be replaced by anything in the world. Nothing
 He attains a comfortable income without suffering and difficulty.  his mind abandons him, leaving behind his physical body,   is as lost as the loss of time. “And I am a boor and I do
              which corresponds to sleep. Please have compassion on                           not know at all” (Psalms 73:22) how to conduct myself in
 He is called “God’s beloved son,” and all of the accusing forces   me  so  that I  will nullify my physicality  and  all of  the   the area of sleep.
 fear him.
              cravings of my body, and instead I will make use of my                            Therefore, I turn to You with my words and I deliver
 He grows wise in Torah.  intellect, living as spiritual a life as possible, nullifying my    myself into Your hands alone. “I place my spirit in Your
              physicality and rising to the spiritual.
 A thread of kindness is drawn onto him.                                                      hand. You have redeemed me, Hashem, God of truth”
                Help me know that the essence of the power of sleep is                        (Psalms 31:7). Guard my going out and my coming in. Be
 He attains the dew of the revival of the dead.  due to an insufficiently clarified imagination. Please have   with me always, and guide me with Your truth. Teach
              compassion on me and help me clarify my imagination                             me at every moment how to act in regard to sleep, how
 He is healed from all pains.  properly. In this way, may I not need to sleep much, and       to sleep at the proper time and only when necessary,
                                                                                              in accordance with Your good will. Help me be able to
 Hashem Himself blesses him.                                                                  reduce my sleep. Sanctify me with great holiness. Expel
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