THE MIDNIGHT PRAYER of MOURNING for the TEMPLE How precious it is to rise at midnight in order to pray and meditate and study Torah. Try to make it a regular practice. Then you will be worthy of succeeding in the task of separating the good from the evil in the world. You will also develop a good memory — which means always to remember your purpose in life and to keep in mind the enduring life you are destined for in the end. You must recognize that everything you do in this world only has meaning in relation to the World to Come. You should reflect on every experience which God sends you: consider all the different situations you find yourself in each day. The only purpose of all of them is to offer you hints as to how you can draw closer to God at every moment. This is the only true and enduring goal in the world. The entire purpose of man’s being sent into this world is only to come closer to God. All the days of his vanity, all the experiences he has on each one of them are only for this (Likutey Moharan I, 54).
חֲצוֹת
א. עַל־יְדֵי קִימַת חֲצוֹת לַיְלָה לְסַדֵּר תִּקּוּן־חֲצוֹת וְלַעֲסֹק בְּהַתּוֹרָה וּתְפִלָּה וְהִתְבּוֹדְדוּת, עַל־יְדֵי זֶה זוֹכִין לְבָרֵר הַטּוֹב מִן הָרָע, וּלְהַמְשִׁיךְ עַל עַצְמוֹ הַזִּכָּרוֹן הָאֲמִתִּי, לִזְכֹּר תָּמִיד תַּכְלִיתוֹ וְסוֹפוֹ הַנִּצְחִי וּלְאַדְבְּקָא מַחֲשַׁבְתֵּיהּ תָּמִיד בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, וּלְהִסְתַּכֵּל עַל כָּל מַה שֶּׁהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ מְסַבֵּב וּמְגַלְגֵּל עִמּוֹ בְּכָל יוֹם, שֶׁהַכֹּל כַּאֲשֶׁר לַכֹּל הוּא כְּדֵי לְרַמֵּז לוֹ רְמָזִים בְּכָל עֵת לְהִתְקָרֵב אֵלָיו, שֶׁזֶּה עִקַּר הַתַּכְלִית הַטּוֹב הָאֲמִתִּי. וְעִקַּר קִיּוּם הָאָדָם בְּזֶה הָעוֹלָם, מִסְפַּר יְמֵי חַיֵּי הֶבְלוֹ, וְכָל מַה שֶּׁנַּעֲשָׂה עִמּוֹ בְּכָל יוֹם, הַכֹּל הוּא בִּשְׁבִיל זֶה לְבַד: (לק"א סי' נ"ד בסוף)
THE MIDNIGHT PRAYER of MOURNING for the TEMPLE
How precious it is to rise at midnight in order to pray and meditate and study Torah. Try to make it a regular practice. Then you will be worthy of succeeding in the task of separating the good from the evil in the world. You will also develop a good memory — which means always to remember your purpose in life and to keep in mind the enduring life you are destined for in the end. You must recognize that everything you do in this world only has meaning in relation to the World to Come. You should reflect on every experience which God sends you: consider all the different situations you find yourself in each day. The only purpose of all of them is to offer you hints as to how you can draw closer to God at every moment. This is the only true and enduring goal in the world. The entire purpose of man’s being sent into this world is only to come closer to God. All the days of his vanity, all the experiences he has on each one of them are only for this (Likutey Moharan I, 54).