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drives gain power over him. And then he loses day after Hashem against Amalek in every generation” (Deuteronomy
day, may the Compassionate One have mercy. Please 25:19). Every time I feel tired, may I stand and engage
help me know with complete clarity that the greatest and in the service of Hashem. In this way, may I receive life
cruelest evil inclination is the evil inclination for sleep. and strength. In this challenging war, we must stand firm
Rescue me and save me. Give me the strength to stand against the great enemy and murderer, the evil inclination
firm in this battle. for sleep. Help me be among those who “stand in the
house of Hashem in the nights” (Psalms 134:1).
Master of the universe, give me the strength to
overcome sleep and wake up filled with energy. By Master of the universe, help me stay awake. Help me
overcoming sleep, we also break our craving for money, chase away sleep until I break my desire for it. In this
we nullify all heresy and we maintain our faith. Help way, may I also break the craving for money, and receive
me get up at such-and-such a time (here designate the Your complete providence, from Your “seeing eye that
time that you want to get up) at the very latest. And never rests” (Zohar III 129b).
if You want to wake me up earlier, I will be happy to
get up then. Help me be aware that You are the One Master of the universe, help me so that I will not
Who wakes me up. Help me get up from bed filled with actually invite sleep. Sometimes I feel that I can stay
energy, without any lethargy at all, without looking at strong for another few hours and serve Hashem in the
my watch, and without any heretical thought that I need precious hours of the night, but the evil inclination
to sleep more, that I haven’t slept enough, and the like. entices me and fills me with the thought that I should
We only receive life from You, and every thought that go to sleep so that the next day I will have more energy
pulls us to sleep is heresy. Help me not lose the precious and not be tired. But all of that is complete falsehood,
hours between midnight and morning. And if I really tremendous nonsense and heresy, because only You—
need to sleep, may I make it up during the day with just and not sleep—give a person life. When we go to sleep
a few minutes’ sleep. thinking that sleep gives strength and life, that is heresy.
On the contrary, if I serve You for a few hours now,
Master of the universe, help me wake up early and I will have much more energy tomorrow, because we
flee from my bed. Untie the ropes of sleep that bind me receive life from clinging to Hashem and from prayer.
to my bed, and free me from the prison of my sheets. And if I have time to serve Hashem for a few hours now,
Give me awareness, so that I will not be attracted by the it is forbidden to push that off until tomorrow—because
thought of lying down again. Help me know that once who knows what tomorrow will bring, what obstacles and
I have gotten up, even if I feel tired, I am forbidden to distractions to serving Hashem I will then experience?
surrender to my evil inclination, which tries to exploit And the doubtful possibilities of tomorrow do not take
my unclear thinking and persuade me to go back to precedence over the certainties of the present. The
sleep, and which fills me with heretical ideas that if I entire goal of the evil inclination is to cause me to lose
sleep more I will have more strength, and that I cannot the precious hours of the night, which are worth much
function when I am so tired, and so forth. May I reliably more than the hours of the day. It causes me to sleep