Praying at Midnight Arising at midnight to pray is as spiritually powerful as giving a pidyon ha-nefesh (literally, “soulredemption”), a monetary gift to a Tzaddik, with the request that he pray on one’s behalf. This is because midnight constitutes the sweetening of judgments. And in the morning, a person should look at the sky, for doing so draws down proper awareness. Arising at Midnight “At midnight I will arise to thank You for Your righteous judgments.”
You Who awaken the sleeping and arouse the slumbering, help me so that nothing will prevent me from waking up every night at midnight with alacrity, without any laziness or fatigue, without being overcome by sleep.
Master of all, mighty to save, give me counsel on how to arise every night at midnight — six hours following the beginning of the night, whether in winter or summer.
May I awaken at that time with alacrity and recite Tikkun Chatzot, the Midnight Lament,8A special order of prayers mourning the destruction of the Holy Temple. For more details, see The Sweetest Hour, published by the Breslov Research Institute. to mourn and wail over the destruction of the Temple and over the exile of the Torah, insofar as its secrets have been given over to evil “outer forces,” and over my many grave sins that have extended the exile exceedingly, as is revealed before You, Creator of all.
In particular, may I never neglect arising at midnight. Be with me always. Protect me so that arising at midnight will never harm me in any way, so that I will never experience headaches or any other problem.
My Father in Heaven, raise me up and I will live. May I arise every night at midnight — whether on a weekday, the Shabbat or a festival, whether I am at home or traveling on the road — to recite Tikkun Chatzot and learn a great deal of Torah.
As a result of reciting Tikkun Chatzot, may I sweeten and eliminate all judgments against myself, my entire family and every member of Your nation, the Jewish people.
And every morning, may I look at the sky so that, with Your help, I will draw upon myself a holy, pure and clear state of mind with which I will be able to return to You and live in accordance with Your beneficent will — from now and forever.
May a thread of kindness from the “morning of Abraham” be drawn onto me every morning. May the verse be realized, “By day, HaShem will command His kindness, and at night, His resting place is with me; a prayer to the God of my life.”
[עַל־פִּי תּוֹרָה קמ"ט - חֲצוֹת לַיְלָה אָקוּם לְהוֹדוֹת לָךְ]
חֲצוֹת לַיְלָה אָקוּם לְהוֹדוֹת לָךְ עַל מִשְׁפְּטֵי צִדְקֶךָ.
Praying at Midnight
Arising at midnight to pray is as spiritually powerful as giving a pidyon ha-nefesh (literally, “soulredemption”), a monetary gift to a Tzaddik, with the request that he pray on one’s behalf. This is because midnight constitutes the sweetening of judgments.
And in the morning, a person should look at the sky, for doing so draws down proper awareness.
Arising at Midnight
“At midnight I will arise to thank You for Your righteous judgments.”
מָלֵא רַחֲמִים, הַמְּעוֹרֵר יְשֵׁנִים וְהַמֵּקִיץ נִרְדָּמִים, חוּס וַחֲמֹל עָלַי, וְזַכֵּנִי בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה לָקוּם בְּכָל לַיְלָה וָלַיְלָה בַּחֲצוֹת מַמָּשׁ כָּל יְמֵי חַיַּי, וְאֶזְכֶּה לְהִתְעוֹרֵר מִשְּׁנָתִי בַּחֲצוֹת לַיְלָה בִּזְרִיזוּת גָּדוֹל בְּלִי שׁוּם עַצְלוּת וּכְבֵדוּת כְּלָל. וְלֹא תִתְגַּבֵּר עָלַי הַשֵּׁנָה וְהַתַּרְדֵּמָה חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, וְלֹא יוּכַל שׁוּם דָּבָר לִמְנוֹעַ אוֹתִי מִזֶּה.
You Who awaken the sleeping and arouse the slumbering, help me so that nothing will prevent me from waking up every night at midnight with alacrity, without any laziness or fatigue, without being overcome by sleep.
וּבְרַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים וַחֲסָדֶיךָ הַגְּדוֹלִים, תְּעוֹרֵר הָרוּחַ צְפוֹנִית הַמְנַשֶּׁבֶת בְּכִנּוֹר שֶׁל דָּוִד בַּחֲצוֹת לַיְלָה, וּמִשָּׁם יֻמְשַׁךְ עָלַי הִתְעוֹרְרוּת לְהִתְעוֹרֵר תָּמִיד מִשְּׁנָתִי בְּעֵת חֲצוֹת לַיְלָה מַמָּשׁ.
Awaken the northern wind that blows upon the harp of King David at midnight. May that infuse me with the energy to awaken every night at midnight.
עוּרָה כְבוֹדִי עוּרָה הַנֵּבֶל וְכִנּוֹר אָעִירָה שָּׁחַר:
“Awaken, my soul; awaken, lyre and harp, I will awaken the dawn.”
רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, אַתָּה הִזְהַרְתָּנוּ בְּכַמָּה אַזְהָרוֹת לָקוּם תָּמִיד בַּחֲצוֹת לַיְלָה מַמָּשׁ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּזֹּהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ אַזְהָרוֹת נוֹרָאוֹת עַל זֶה.
Reciting Tikkun Chatzot
Master of the world, You have urged us, as expressed in several passages in the holy Zohar, to awaken every night at midnight.
אַךְ אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ, כִּי רַבּוּ הַמְּנִיעוֹת שֶׁמִּתְגַּבְּרִים עָלֵינוּ עַל כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד לְהַטְרִידֵנוּ מִזֶּה, עַד אֲשֶׁר אִבַּדְנוּ רֹב הַלֵּילוֹת אֲשֶׁר בִּטַּלְנוּ מִלָּקוּם בַּחֲצוֹת.
But You know the many impediments that overcome us and prevent us from waking up, so that on most nights, we have not done so.
עַל כֵּן בָּאתִי לְפָנֶיךָ אֲדוֹן כֹּל רַב לְהוֹשִׁיעַ, תֶּן לִי עֵצָה אֵיךְ לִזְכּוֹת לָזֶה לָקוּם תָּמִיד בְּכָל לַיְלָה בַּחֲצוֹת מַמָּשׁ, שֶׁהוּא תֵּכֶף אַחַר שִׁשָּׁה שָׁעוֹת מִתְּחִלַּת הַלַּיְלָה, בֵּין בַּחֹרֶף בֵּין בַּקַּיִץ.
Master of all, mighty to save, give me counsel on how to arise every night at midnight — six hours following the beginning of the night, whether in winter or summer.
וְאֶזְכֶּה לְהִתְעוֹרֵר אָז בִּזְרִיזוּת גָּדוֹל, וּלְסַדֵּר תִּקּוּן חֲצוֹת, לְאוֹנֵן וּלְקוֹנֵן עַל חֻרְבַּן בֵּית־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, וְעַל גָּלוּת הַתּוֹרָה שֶּׁנִּמְסְרוּ רָזֶיהָ לַחִיצוֹנִים, וְעַל חֲטָאַי וַעֲוֹנוֹתַי וּפְשָׁעַי הָעֲצוּמִים וְהָרַבִּים שֶׁגָּרְמוּ כָּל זֶה, וְהֶאֱרִיכוּ אֶת הַגָּלוּת בְּיוֹתֵר, כַּאֲשֶׁר נִגְלָה לְפָנֶיךָ יוֹצֵר הַכֹּל, כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה הֶאֱרַכְתִּי אֶת הַגָּלוּת בַּעֲוֹנוֹתַי הָרַבִּים, בִּכְלָל וּבִפְרָט:
May I awaken at that time with alacrity and recite Tikkun Chatzot, the Midnight Lament,8A special order of prayers mourning the destruction of the Holy Temple. For more details, see The Sweetest Hour, published by the Breslov Research Institute. to mourn and wail over the destruction of the Temple and over the exile of the Torah, insofar as its secrets have been given over to evil “outer forces,” and over my many grave sins that have extended the exile exceedingly, as is revealed before You, Creator of all.
אוֹי לִי וַי לִי, מָה אוֹמַר מָה אֲדַבֵּר מָה אֶצְטַדָּק, הִנְנִי לְפָנֶיךָ בְּאַשְׁמָה רַבָּה,
Drawing Down a Thread of Kindness
Woe is me! What can I say? How can I justify myself? I stand before You with a great sense of guilt.
וּמַה שֶּׁעָבַר עָבַר. זַכֵּנִי מֵעַתָּה לָשׁוּב לְדֶרֶךְ הַיָּשָׁר בֶּאֱמֶת,
I acknowledge that I did what I did. Help me from this moment on to return to the straight path.
וְלֹא אוֹבַד שׁוּם לַיְלָה מִלֵּילוֹתַי מִקִּימַת חֲצוֹת. וְתִהְיֶה עִמִּי תָמִיד, וְתַעַזְרֵנִי וְתִשְׁמְרֵנִי שֶׁלֹּא יַזִּיק לִי כְּלָל קִימַת חֲצוֹת בְּשׁוּם דָּבָר, וְלֹא יֶאֱרַע לִי שׁוּם חֹלִי רֹאשׁ וְשׁוּם נֵזֶק מִזֶּה.
In particular, may I never neglect arising at midnight. Be with me always. Protect me so that arising at midnight will never harm me in any way, so that I will never experience headaches or any other problem.
אָבִי שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם, הֲקִימֵנִי וְאֶחְיֶה, זַכֵּנִי מֵעַתָּה לָקוּם בְּכָל לַיְלָה וְלַיְלָה תָמִיד בַּחֲצוֹת מַמָּשׁ, בֵּין בְּחֹל בֵּין בְּשַׁבָּת וְיוֹם־טוֹב, בְּשִׁבְתִּי בְּבֵיתִי וּבְלֶכְתִּי בַדֶּרֶךְ, וּלְסַדֵּר תִּקּוּן חֲצוֹת וְלַעֲסֹק אָז בַּתּוֹרָה הַרְבֵּה.
My Father in Heaven, raise me up and I will live. May I arise every night at midnight — whether on a weekday, the Shabbat or a festival, whether I am at home or traveling on the road — to recite Tikkun Chatzot and learn a great deal of Torah.
וְתַעַזְרֵנִי וְתוֹשִׁיעֵנִי שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה עַל־יְדֵי סֵדֶר תִּקּוּן חֲצוֹת, לְהַמְתִּיק וּלְבַטֵּל כָּל הַדִּינִים מֵעָלַי וּמֵעַל כָּל בְּנֵי בֵיתִי וּמֵעַל כָּל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַמֶּךָ.
As a result of reciting Tikkun Chatzot, may I sweeten and eliminate all judgments against myself, my entire family and every member of Your nation, the Jewish people.
וְאֶזְכֶּה בְּכָל בֹּקֶר לְהִסְתַּכֵּל עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְתַעַזְרֵנִי לְהַמְשִׁיךְ עָלַי דַּעַת דִּקְדֻשָּׁה עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה, דַּעַת זַךְ וָצַח, דַּעַת אֲמִתִּי, שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה עַל־יָדוֹ לָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ בֶּאֱמֶת, וְלִהְיוֹת כִּרְצוֹנְךָ הַטּוֹב בֶּאֱמֶת מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם.
And every morning, may I look at the sky so that, with Your help, I will draw upon myself a holy, pure and clear state of mind with which I will be able to return to You and live in accordance with Your beneficent will — from now and forever.
וְיִהְיֶה נִמְשַׁךְ עָלַי בְּכָל בֹּקֶר חוּט שֶׁל חֶסֶד מִבֹּקֶר דְּאַבְרָהָם, וִיקֻיַּם מִקְרָא שֶׁכָּתוּב, יוֹמָם יְצַוֶּה יְהֹוָה חַסְדּוֹ וּבַלַּיְלָה שִׁירֹה עִמִּי תְּפִלָּה לְאֵל חַיָּי.
May a thread of kindness from the “morning of Abraham” be drawn onto me every morning. May the verse be realized, “By day, HaShem will command His kindness, and at night, His resting place is with me; a prayer to the God of my life.”
וְנֶאֱמַר, יְהֹוָה בְּהַשָּׁמַיִם חַסְדֶּךָ אֱמוּנָתְךָ עַד שְׁחָקִים.
“HaShem, Your kindness is in the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the heavens.”
וְנֶאֱמַר, חֲדָשִׁים לַבְּקָרִים רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶךָ.
“New in the mornings, great is Your faithfulness.”
יִהְיוּ לְרָצוֹן אִמְרֵי־פִי וְהֶגְיוֹן לִבִּי לְפָנֶיךָ יְהֹוָה צוּרִי וְגוֹאֲלִי. אָמֵן וְאָמֵן:
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before You, HaShem, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Amen and amen.