סימן א - דין השכמת הבוקר ובו י"ט סעיפים

Siman 1: Laws of Rising in the Morning, containing nineteen seifim^[1]:

Recording: Seifim 1–19

1. One should strengthen himself like a lion^[2], to rise in the morning for the service of his Creator, blessed be He, for this he was created, and for this He returns his soul to him.

Even if his inclination tempts him, saying: "You have not yet had enough sleep," he should overcome it and get up, so that he should be the one who awakens the dawn^[3].

He should think in his heart before Whom he is lying^[4].

And he should know that the King of the kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, hovers over him.

As it is said: "הלא את השמים ואת הארץ אני מלא נאם ה'" ("Do I not fill the heavens and the earth, says Hashem?") (Yirmiyahu 23:24).

If he were lying before a king of flesh and blood who stood over him, he would forfeit his life; how much more so before the King of the kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.

Therefore he should get up at once, with alacrity, for the service of his Creator, blessed and exalted be He.

He should not say: "I am lying in my bed and I will learn," but should rise and put on his clothes.

For it is said: "הכון לקראת אלהיך ישראל" ("Prepare to meet your God, O Israel") (Amos 4:12)^[5]:

2. So too he should think in all his dealings and affairs.

For a person's sitting, movements and dealings when he is alone in his house are not like his sitting and movements before a great king.

And his speech and free expression as he wishes, when he is with his household and relatives, are not like his speech in the king's assembly^[6].

How much more so when a person takes to heart that the great King, the King of the kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, Whose glory fills the whole earth, stands over him and sees his deeds.

As it is written: "אם יסתר איש במסתרים ואני לא אראנו נאם ה'" ("Can a man hide in secret places and I not see him, says Hashem?") (Yirmiyahu 23:24).

At once awe and submission from fear of the Creator, blessed be He, will come to him, and he will be ashamed before Him always:

3. He should not be ashamed before people who mock him for the service of his Creator, blessed be He^[7].

Even so, he should not answer brazen words against those who mock, so that he does not acquire within himself the trait of being brazen^[8], even outside the service of Him, blessed be He:

4. If he cannot rise before the morning light, at any rate he should not be later than the time of prayer at which the congregation prays^[9]:

5. It is good to say at once on waking from sleep: "I give thanks before You, living and enduring King, for You have returned my soul within me with compassion. Great is Your faithfulness"^[10].

This does not require washing the hands, even if his hands are soiled^[11].

For there is no holiness in the words of this text, since it contains no Name (see Siman 85) of the Names that may not be erased.

But it is forbidden to utter words of Torah while he has not yet washed his hands, for the words themselves have holiness.

But it is permitted to think about words of Torah with soiled hands:

6. One who wakes from sleep and stands on his feet immediately is closer to death than to life.

Rather, he should wait a little^[12] before standing:

7. Although by the law of the Talmud one need not wash his hands immediately on waking from sleep, but may walk in the meantime.

And likewise by the law of the Talmud it is permitted to touch his clothes before washing the hands.

Nevertheless, the sages of the Zohar warned strongly not to walk even four cubits before the morning washing of the hands^[13].

And they likewise warned not to touch his clothes before washing the hands.

Everyone who fears Heaven should be stringent with himself according to the words of the Zohar.

And everyone who is careful in his deeds should take care to wash his hands as soon as he wakes from sleep, even though he remains lying down, and through this he will be saved from a wasteful emission of seed:

8. It is good to rise before the morning light to plead before one's Creator.

And it is good to plead at the hours when the watches change, which are at the end of the first third of the night, at the end of two thirds of the night, and at the end of the night^[14].

For at these times the Holy One, blessed be He, remembers the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, etc.

Therefore prayer that a person prays at that hour over the destruction and the exile is favored and close to being accepted.

Therefore it is proper for everyone who fears Heaven to be pained and anxious at that hour, and to pour out pleas over the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash.

As it is written: "קומי רוני בלילה לראש אשמורות" ("Arise, cry out at night, at the beginning of the watches") (Eichah 2:19)^[15].

Even so, Torah and prayer must be with joy.

As it is written: "עבדו את ה' בשמחה" ("Serve Hashem with joy") (Tehillim 100:2).

And one should occupy himself with the Oral Torah^[16].

And it is good to join day and night through Torah or prayer, both in the morning and in the evening:

9. A few pleas with kavanah are better than many without kavanah^[17].

And so too in Torah study.

One who has the heart to understand and to learn: it is better for him to learn than to multiply pleas^[18].

For Torah study is greater than concentration in prayer:

10. It is good to say every day the section of the Akeidah, to recall the merit of the Patriarchs before the Holy One, blessed be He.

And also to subdue his inclination to the service [of] Hashem, blessed be He, as Yitzchak gave over his life^[19].

And the section of the manna, so that he should believe that all his sustenance comes to him by Divine providence^[20].

For so it was with the manna, where the Holy One, blessed be He, saw to it that each person was given an omer per head for all the souls of his household.

As it is written: "וימודו בעומר, ולא העדיף המרבה והממעיט לא החסיר" ("They measured it by the omer, and the one who took more had no surplus and the one who took less had no lack") (Shemos 16:18).

And the Ten Commandments, for through this he will recall the standing at Mount Sinai every day, and his faith will be strengthened.

The Sages sought to establish the Ten Commandments in the Reading of Shema, and they abolished this because of the heretics^[21].

So that they should not say to the unlearned: "The rest of the Torah is not true; know that only what the Holy One, blessed be He, said and they heard from His mouth at Sinai is read."

Therefore it is forbidden to say them in public as a fixed practice every day, even outside the blessings of the Reading of Shema, such as before Baruch She'amar.

Only each individual is permitted to read them for himself.

And therefore it is also not customary to write them on a special pamphlet for the congregation, because of the heretics:

11. The Sages said: "Whoever occupies himself with the Torah of the olah, it is as if he offered an olah. And whoever occupies himself with the Torah of the chatas, it is as if he offered a chatas"^[22].

Therefore it is good to say every day the section of the olah^[23], the minchah, the shelamim, the todah, the chatas, the certain asham, the conditional asham, and the sliding-scale offering, namely the section: "ושמעה קול אלה וגו'" ("and hears the voice of an oath," etc.) (Vayikra 5:1).

And since every offering brought voluntarily requires libations, therefore after the olah, shelamim and todah he should say the section of the libations.

But the chatas and asham do not require libations:

12. If he knows that he has become liable for a chatas, he should say first the section of the chatas and then the section of the olah^[24].

For the chatas atones completely for the sin it is brought for, and the olah is a gift.

And atonement should precede the gift, for before one has been reconciled with the king, he will not accept the gift:

13. The section of the korbanos should be said only by day, for an offering is not brought at night^[25].

But the section of the Laver and the section of the removal of the ashes, since these were done at night, may be said before daylight:

14. The section of the korbanos must be said standing^[26].

And so too "מזמור לתודה" ("A psalm of thanksgiving") (Tehillim 100:1).

Like their offering, which was done standing:

15. When he finishes the section of the olah, he should say: "May it be Your will that this be considered and accepted before You as if I had offered an olah."

And so he should say after the section of the minchah, the shelamim and the todah, for they are brought voluntarily even if he has not become liable for them.

But he should not say so after the section of the chatas, the certain and conditional asham, and the sliding-scale offering, for perhaps he has not become liable for them, and this would be like bringing unconsecrated animals into the Temple court, since they are not brought voluntarily.

Even so, after the section of the certain and conditional asham he should say: "If I have become liable for a certain or conditional asham, may it be Your will that this be considered," etc.

For now, if he has not become liable for them, his reading is not considered an offering at all, and he is like one reading the Torah.

But after the section of the chatas he should not say so.

For if he does not know clearly that he committed a transgression for which one is liable a chatas, he cannot bring an offering, even if in truth he committed such a transgression.

And if he brought it, he has no atonement, unless he first had clear knowledge that he sinned.

As it is said: "או הודע אליו חטאתו" ("or his sin becomes known to him") (Vayikra 4:28).

Some are accustomed to say also after the section of the chatas: "If I have become liable," etc., for perhaps he came to know that he sinned and then forgot:

16. On Shabbos and Yom Tov he should not say: "May it be Your will that this be," etc., for individual offerings are not brought on Shabbos and Yom Tov.

But there is no loss in saying the sections, as one reading the Torah.

Even so, if he is not unlearned, it is better that he occupy himself with the section of the day^[27]:

17. On the eve of Pesach, on Chol HaMoed Pesach and on the eve of Yom Kippur he should not say the section of the todah, for the todah was not brought on those days, as will be explained in Siman 429 and 604:

18. It is good to say with the korbanos the verse: "ושחט אותו על ירך המזבח צפונה וגו'" ("He shall slaughter it on the north side of the altar," etc.) (Vayikra 1:11).

For there is in the Midrash: "The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I call heaven and earth to witness that when they read this verse, 'northward before Hashem,' I remember the binding of Yitzchak son of Avraham"^[28]:

19. Some are accustomed to say the section of the Laver, then the section of the removal of the ashes, then the section of the tamid, then the section of the altar of incense, then the section of the ingredients of the incense and their preparation.

For this was the order of the services in the Beis HaMikdash^[29][30]:

1. Nineteen seifim: This is the siman in the first edition of the Shulchan Aruch. Its second edition is Mahadura Basra, Siman 1, with nine seifim.

2. Strengthen himself like a lion: The Rebbe writes: "Like a teaching of the Mishnah, with which the Alter Rebbe begins his Shulchan Aruch in Orach Chaim: 'One should strengthen himself like a lion.' And explained in more detail in the second edition there (based on the Tur): 'Be bold as a leopard, light as an eagle, swift as a deer and mighty as a lion, to do the will of your Father in Heaven,' see there" (Igros Kodesh, vol. 17, no. 6290). See Mahadura Basra, seif 1, note 3.

3. Awakens the dawn: Following the verse "אעירה שחר" ("I will awaken the dawn") (Tehillim 57:9); and as he says in Mahadura Basra, seif 1: "I awaken the dawn, and the dawn does not awaken me."

4. Before Whom: Mahadura Basra, seif 4, gives the purpose of this thought: "so that he can overcome his inclination and rise with alacrity."

5. Prepare to meet your God: With the same verse, Mahadura Basra, seif 6, says: "rather he should get up and stand, or sit in awe."

6. The king's assembly: These words are in the Rema at the opening of Orach Chaim, from Moreh Nevuchim III:52. Mahadura Basra, seif 5, opens them with the verse "I have set Hashem before me always"; see note 21 there.

7. Not be ashamed: The Rebbe cites this wording: "As it says at the beginning of the Tur and Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim, and it is brought in the Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe: 'He should not be ashamed before those who mock'" (Igros Kodesh, vol. 18, no. 6845). And in another letter: "The beginning of all four parts of the Shulchan Aruch is: He should not be ashamed before people who mock him for the service of Hashem, blessed be He" (Igros Kodesh, vol. 19, no. 7425). Mahadura Basra, seif 1, puts this under "bold as a leopard"; see note 4 there.

8. Being brazen: That is, he does not hold back from his service because of the mockery, but this does not permit brazen speech; for the trait takes hold in the soul and carries over to his other affairs.

9. The time of prayer: In Mahadura Basra, seif 1, rising before the morning light is "a middle level," and the time at which the congregation prays is not mentioned there. See note 6 there.

10. Modeh Ani: Hayom Yom: "The order of the day begins with Modeh Ani, and it is said before washing the hands, even with impure hands, for all the impurities in the world do not defile a Jew's Modeh Ani" (Hayom Yom, 11 Shevat). Likkutei Sichos brings the saying of the Rebbe Rashab that the period (after the word "בחמלה") in Modeh Ani must be spread over the entire day (Likkutei Sichos, vol. 39, general letters for Rosh Hashanah, note 343).

11. Washing the hands: The Rebbe writes: "Since the Alter Rebbe in his Siddur places this before the matter and order of washing, his opinion is clear: to say it before washing" (Igros Kodesh, vol. 10, no. 2986). See Mahadura Basra, seif 6, notes 22–23.

12. Wait a little: Mahadura Basra, seif 6: "He should wait a little until he finishes this text while still lying or sitting."

13. Four cubits: Mahadura Basra, seif 7: "One who walks four cubits is liable to death." It adds there that if he has no water, "far be it from him to refrain from words of Torah." See note 26 there.

14. The watches: The Gemara: "The night has three watches, and over each watch the Holy One, blessed be He, sits and roars like a lion, and says: Woe to the children, for whose sins I destroyed My house" (Berachos 3a).

15. Tikkun Chatzos: That is, Tikkun Chatzos; in Mahadura Basra, seif 2, the time is "at midnight" and not the three watches. See note 15 there. Hayom Yom: "In Tikkun Chatzos, 'Lamenatzeach... Bevo' is not said on days when Tachanun is not said" (Hayom Yom, 28 Adar I). The Rebbe writes to the compiler of a collection of Chabad customs: "on the other hand, in a collection of customs for practice the opposite should not be printed" (Igros Kodesh, vol. 14, no. 4870); see Mahadura Basra there, note 8.

16. The Oral Torah: So too Mahadura Basra, seif 2: "and afterward to occupy himself with the Oral Torah until daylight."

17. With kavanah: So too Mahadura Basra, seif 2; see note 10 there.

18. Better for him to learn: Similarly Mahadura Basra, seif 9: "One who has the heart to learn and understand should not say even the section of the korbanos every day, but only at times." And in Hilchos Talmud Torah: "for study leads to action" (Hilchos Talmud Torah 4:2).

19. Subdue his inclination: The Rebbe writes: "The merit of the Akeidah, whose importance is not the Akeidah itself but the alacrity of Avraham Avinu (as explained in Iggeres HaKodesh, ch. 21; and thereby one can appreciate why in the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim, although in the first edition, Siman 1, seif 10, he also gave as a reason for saying the Akeidah that one should subdue his inclination, etc., at the end of Siman 1 in the second edition he omitted this and brought only the reason of remembering the merit of the Patriarchs)" (Igros Kodesh, vol. 3, no. 578); see Mahadura Basra, seif 9, note 29. On how it is said: "The section of the Akeidah is said every day before davening, and before the section of the Akeidah and after it a prayer is said" (Igros Kodesh, vol. 9, no. 2827). On Yom Kippur: "It is not our custom on Yom Kippur to say the 'Our God' and the 'Master of the World' before and after the section of the Akeidah and the like" (Igros Kodesh, vol. 3, no. 413).

20. The manna: Mahadura Basra, seif 9, gives the reason: "to trust in Hashem, Who gives bread each day." See note 30 there. On what is brought in the name of R. Pinchas of Koretz, "that it is a segulah for livelihood to say every day, on rising early, the section of the manna and the thirteen principles," the Rebbe writes: "It is plain that matters of segulah stated for a certain place and time have nothing to do with the prayer text of the Jewish people as a whole" (Igros Kodesh, vol. 12, no. 3823).

21. Because of the heretics: "Rav Yehudah said in the name of Shmuel: In the outlying areas too they sought to read them so," and Rashi explains: "to establish the Ten Commandments in the Reading of Shema" (Berachos 12a). Mahadura Basra, seif 9, lists only "And the Ten Commandments"; see note 31 there.

22. The Sages said: "Whoever occupies himself with Torah, it is as if he offered an olah, a minchah, a chatas and an asham" (Menachos 110a). The Rebbe writes: "Thereby one can appreciate why the Alter Rebbe (in the second edition, end of Siman 1) adds that the teaching 'whoever occupies himself' is on the verse 'This is the Torah of the olah' (for apparently, what difference does it make?)" (Likkutei Sichos, vol. 39, supplements, on Iggeres HaTeshuvah, note 53); here the verse is not brought. See Mahadura Basra, seif 9, note 34.

23. The korbanos: Hayom Yom, in the name of the Alter Rebbe: "'When a person offers': for a person to become closer to Hashem, 'from you is the offering to Hashem': from you yourselves must the offering come, to offer up one's own animal, the evil inclination, which is called the animal soul" (Hayom Yom, 12 Adar II).

24. Has become liable: Mahadura Basra, seif 9: "If he knows that he has become liable for some offering ... he should say the section of that offering as soon as he has become liable for it."

25. Only by day: So too Mahadura Basra, seif 9: "he should say them by day, which is the time of their offering, and not at night."

26. Must be said standing: Mahadura Basra, seif 9, says the opposite: "But he need not say them standing, as the kohen who served standing, since he is not a kohen performing the service." On this change the Rebbe writes: "There are a number of changes in the second edition of the Shulchan Aruch (compared with the first edition), and in Sha'ar HaKollel, at its beginning, he writes that the second edition leans more toward the Kabbalists. And so it is in the matter at hand" (Igros Kodesh, vol. 11, no. 3710). See note 38 there.

27. The section of the day: Mahadura Basra, seif 9: "And it is good to say on Shabbos the section of the showbread." See note 39 there.

28. In the Midrash: It is in Vayikra Rabbah 2:11.

29. The order of the services: See the Gemara: "Abaye set out the order of the service by tradition" (Yoma 33a).

30. These matters are also explained in the Alter Rebbe's Siddur, in the Rulings of the Siddur, Rising in the Morning.