(א) בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹקֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה:
Blessed are You [!!!!], Divine power, sovereign of the cosmos, who sanctifies us through practice, enjoining us to steep ourselves in words of Torah.
Please, God/!!!!, make the words of your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of your people Israel; and may we and our descendants and the descendants of our descendants and the descendants of your people the House of Israel all know your name and be students of your Torah for her own sake. Blessed are You [!!!!], Divinity, who teaches Torah to your people, Israel.
"Before I begin to recite my prayers, I pray to be able to pray." — Rabbi Chaim Halberstam of Tzanz
In some (more kabbalistically influenced) traditions the bedtime liturgy begins with a general kavana / intention of personal devotion, and the prayer for cosmic unification (l'shem yichud kudsha brich hu u'schintei):
לְשֵׁם יִחוּד קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּהּ, בִּדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ, וּרְחִימוּ וּדְחִילוּ, לְיַחֲדָא שֵׁם אוֹת יוּ"ד אוֹת הֵ"א בְּאוֹת וָא"ו אוֹת הֵ"א, בְּיִחוּדָא שְׁלִים בְּשֵׁם כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, לַאֲקָמָא שְׁכִינְתָּא מֵעַפְרָא וּלְעִלוּי שְׁכִינַת עֻזֵּנוּ:
הֲרֵינִי מְקַבֵּל עָלַי אֱלָהוּתוּ יִתְבָּרַךְ וְאַהֲבָתוֹ וְיִרְאָתוֹ; וְהֲרֵינִי יָרֵא מִמֶנּוּ, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ רַב וְשַׁלִּיט עַל כֹּלָא, וְכֹלָּא קַמֵּהּ כְּלָא.
וַהֲרֵינִי מַמְלִיכוֹ עַל כָּל אֵבֶר וְאֵבֶר וְגִיד וְגִיד מֵרַמַ"ח אֵבָרִים וְשְׁסָ"ה גִידִים שֶׁל גּוּפִי וְנַפְשִׁי רוּחִי וְנִשְׁמָתִי, מַלְכוּת גְּמוּרָה וּשְׁלֵמָה. וַהֲרֵינִי עֶבֶד לַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְהוּא בְרַחֲמָיו יְזַכֵּנִי לְעָבְדוֹ בְלֵב שָׁלֵם וְנֶפֶשׁ חֲפֵצָה. אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן:
General cosmic unification:
For the sake of the unification of the Holy One, blessed be, and !ts Shechina [immanent presence], and for the unification of divine awe with divine mercy, divine mercy with divine awe; to unify the four letters of the Name: Yud, Hei, Vav and Hei, with a complete unity in the name of all Israel, to lift the Shechina from the dust and to raise up the Immanent-Presence [Shechina] of our strength:
Surrender:
Behold I accept upon myself the divinity of the Blessed One, God's love and God's awe. And behold I am in awe of God because God is the master and decisor over all, and all is before God entirely.
Submission of the body and whole self:
And behold I declare God's sovereignty over each and every limb and sinew of the 248 limbs and 365 sinews of my body, plus my nefesh [animal body], my ruach [mental-emotional body] and my neshama [higher consciousness] ie these are three levels of soul – a total and complete sovereignty.
And behold I am a servant to the Name of the Holy Blessed One; may God in Divine mercy give me the merit to serve !t with a complete heart and a desiring soul.
Amen – May this be God's will.
Or in my slightly more accessible, summarized instruction and translation:
Begin with a general intention that this practice be useful not just for you, but for the cosmos, such as:
For a higher purpose and a higher unification, I take upon myself the felt sense of divinity, this love, this awe; and I declare its total sovereignty over each aspect and dimension of my body and my existence. May I merit to serve this sovereignty wholeheartedly, with appetite and desire.
***
The following two texts, one from the Torah and one from the Talmud, are arguably the foundation of the whole Bedtime Shema practice. Please look at both, using the guiding questions before each text to frame your conversation:
Questions for discussion:
1. Why might the statement Shema Yisrael and the following paragraphs be included in the bedtime liturgy?
2. Why might the third paragraph (VaYomer Adonai...) be optional? What about the second paragraph (V'haya im Shamoa...)?
3. The very beginning of the first paragraph (V'Ahavta) instructs that "these words be upon your heart" - and discussed and remembered at various junctures. Which "words" do you think are meant??? Write down what "these words" are, in your opinion. (Each person can have their own unique opinion - you do not need to agree with the others in your breakout room!)
שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל ה' אֱלֹקֵינוּ ה' אֶחָד:
בלחש: בָּרוּךְ, שֵּׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ, לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד:
וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ.
וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם עַל לְבָבֶךָ.
וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ.
וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת עַל יָדֶךָ וְהָיוּ לְטֹטָפֹת בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ.
וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל מְזוּזֹת בֵּיתֶךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָ:
וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל מִצְוֹתַי אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם הַיּוֹם לְאַהֲבָה אֶת ה' אֱלֹקֵיכֶם וּלְעָבְדוֹ בְּכָל לְבַבְכֶם וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁכֶם.
וְנָתַתִּי מְטַר אַרְצְכֶם בְּעִתּוֹ יוֹרֶה וּמַלְקוֹשׁ וְאָסַפְתָּ דְגָנֶךָ וְתִירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ.
וְנָתַתִּי עֵשֶׂב בְּשָׂדְךָ לִבְהֶמְתֶּךָ וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ.
הִשָּׁמְרוּ לָכֶם פֶּן יִפְתֶּה לְבַבְכֶם וְסַרְתֶּם וַעֲבַדְתֶּם אֱלֹקִים אֲחֵרִים וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶם לָהֶם.
וְחָרָה אַף ה' בָּכֶם וְעָצַר אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְלֹא יִהְיֶה מָטָר וְהָאֲדָמָה לֹא תִתֵּן אֶת יְבוּלָהּ וַאֲבַדְתֶּם מְהֵרָה מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ הַטֹּבָה אֲשֶׁר ה' נֹתֵן לָכֶם.
וְשַׂמְתֶּם אֶת דְּבָרַי אֵלֶּה עַל לְבַבְכֶם וְעַל נַפְשְׁכֶם וּקְשַׁרְתֶּם אֹתָם לְאוֹת עַל יֶדְכֶם וְהָיוּ לְטוֹטָפֹת בֵּין עֵינֵיכֶם.
וְלִמַּדְתֶּם אֹתָם אֶת בְּנֵיכֶם לְדַבֵּר בָּם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ.
וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל מְזוּזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָ.
לְמַעַן יִרְבּוּ יְמֵיכֶם וִימֵי בְנֵיכֶם עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע ה' לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם לָתֵת לָהֶם כִּימֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם עַל הָאָרֶץ:
וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר.
דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם וְעָשׂוּ לָהֶם צִיצִת עַל כַּנְפֵי בִגְדֵיהֶם לְדֹרֹתָם וְנָתְנוּ עַל צִיצִת הַכָּנָף פְּתִיל תְּכֵלֶת.
וְהָיָה לָכֶם לְצִיצִת וּרְאִיתֶם אֹתוֹ וּזְכַרְתֶּם אֶת כָּל מִצְוֹת ה' וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם וְלֹא תָתֻרוּ אַחֲרֵי לְבַבְכֶם וְאַחֲרֵי עֵינֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם זֹנִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם.
לְמַעַן תִּזְכְּרוּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֶת כָּל מִצְוֹתָי וִהְיִיתֶם קְדֹשִׁים לֵאלֹקֵיכֶם.
אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹקֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לִהְיוֹת לָכֶם לֵאלֹקִים אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹקֵיכֶם:
וחוזר ואומר ה' אֱלֹקֵיכֶם אֱמֶת.
HEAR, O ISRAEL, Adonai Is Our God, Adonai Is ONE
(Whispered) Blessed be the name of the One whose glorious sovereignty is forever and on.
1. V'Ahavta: And you shall love Divinity [!!!!], your God, with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart. Teach them diligently to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, when your lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes, and you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates. (Deut. 6:4-9)
Some liturgical traditions consider the second and third paragraphs of the Shema (Deuteronomy 11:13-21 and Numbers 15:37-41) as optional during the bedtime liturgy.
2. V'Haya Im Shamoa: And it shall be that if you hearken diligently unto My commandments which I command you today, to love Divinity !!!! your God, in service with all your heart and all your soul, then I will send rain for your land in its proper time, the autumn rain and the spring rain, that you may gather in your grain, your wine and your oil. And I will give grass in your field for your cattle, and you shall eat and be satisfied. Take heed to yourselves lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other Powers and bow to them. For then Divinity !!!!'s wrath will be kindled against you, and God will close up the heavens that there be no rain, and the land shall not yield her produce, and very quickly you shall perish from off the goodly land which Divinity !!!! gives you.
You shall lay these my words upon your heart and upon your soul, and you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. And you shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates. So that your days and the days of your children will be long upon the land which the Divine [!!!!] promised to give to your ancestors, as the days of the heavens above the earth, (Deuteronomy 11:13-21)
3. VaYomer Adonai: And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel and say to them to make for themselves a fringe on the borders of their garments, throughout their generations. And they shall place upon the fringe of the border, a thread of blue wool. And it shall be to you a fringe that you may look upon, and remember all the commandments of Divinity [!!!!] and do them. Then shall you not stray after your heart and your eyes whereafter you are wont to stray. So may you remember and do all My commandments and be holy for your God. I am [!!!!] your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am [!!!!] your G·d. (Numbers 15:37-41)
Blessing the act of sleep, and setting intention at the threshold of sleep, is discussed in the Talmud. The following blessing is taken from Talmud Brachot 60b, where it immediately precedes the sequence of morning blessings.
Guide for study in chevruta:
Today we are focusing on the text up until the asterisks. I have included a bit more of the text from Brachot 60b after the asterisks so you can see it in context. While you are welcome to read to the end, for now please don't get too drawn into discussion of this latter portion.
As you read the Talmud's suggested prayer before sleeping, make a list: how many different reasons for the practice are implied in this prayer?
הַנִּכְנָס לִישַׁן עַל מִטָּתוֹ, אוֹמֵר מִ״שְּׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל״ עַד ״וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמוֹעַ״, וְאוֹמֵר: ״בָּרוּךְ … הַמַּפִּיל חַבְלֵי שֵׁינָה עַל עֵינַי וּתְנוּמָה עַל עַפְעַפַּי, וּמֵאִיר לְאִישׁוֹן בַּת עָיִן.
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה׳ אֱלֹקַי, שֶׁתַּשְׁכִּיבֵנִי לְשָׁלוֹם, וְתֵן חֶלְקִי בְּתוֹרָתֶךָ, וְתַרְגִּילֵנִי לִידֵי מִצְוָה, וְאַל תַּרְגִּילֵנִי לִידֵי עֲבֵירָה, וְאַל תְּבִיאֵנִי לִידֵי חֵטְא, וְלֹא לִידֵי עָוֹן, וְלֹא לִידֵי נִסָּיוֹן, וְלֹא לִידֵי בִזָּיוֹן.
וְיִשְׁלוֹט בִּי יֵצֶר טוֹב, וְאַל יִשְׁלוֹט בִּי יֵצֶר הָרָע.
וְתַצִּילֵנִי מִפֶּגַע רַע, וּמֵחֳלָאִים רָעִים.
וְאַל יְבַהֲלוּנִי חֲלוֹמוֹת רָעִים וְהִרְהוּרִים רָעִים.
וּתְהֵא מִטָּתִי שְׁלֵמָה לְפָנֶיךָ. וְהָאֵר עֵינַי פֶּן אִישַׁן הַמָּוֶת.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ הַמֵּאִיר לָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ בִּכְבוֹדוֹ״.
****
כִּי מִתְּעַר אוֹמֵר:
״אֱלֹהַי, נְשָׁמָה שֶׁנָּתַתָּ בִּי טְהוֹרָה. אַתָּה יְצַרְתָּהּ בִּי, אַתָּה נְפַחְתָּהּ בִּי, וְאַתָּה מְשַׁמְּרָהּ בְּקִרְבִּי, וְאַתָּה עָתִיד לִיטְּלָהּ מִמֶּנִּי וּלְהַחֲזִירָהּ בִּי לְעָתִיד לָבֹא. כׇּל זְמַן שֶׁהַנְּשָׁמָה בְּקִרְבִּי מוֹדֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶיךָ ה׳ אֱלֹקַי וֵאלֹקֵי אֲבוֹתַי, רִבּוֹן כׇּל הָעוֹלָמִים, אֲדוֹן כׇּל הַנְּשָׁמוֹת.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳, הַמַּחֲזִיר נְשָׁמוֹת לִפְגָרִים מֵתִים״.
כִּי שָׁמַע קוֹל תַּרְנְגוֹלָא, לֵימָא:
״בָּרוּךְ … אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לַשֶּׂכְוִי בִּינָה לְהַבְחִין בֵּין יוֹם וּבֵין לָיְלָה״. כִּי פָּתַח עֵינֵיהּ, לֵימָא: ״בָּרוּךְ … פּוֹקֵחַ עִוְּרִים״. כִּי תָּרֵיץ וְיָתֵיב, לֵימָא: ״בָּרוּךְ … מַתִּיר אֲסוּרִים״.
....
כִּי מָשֵׁי יְדֵיהּ ,לֵימָא: ״בָּרוּךְ … אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל נְטִילַת יָדַיִם״.
כִּי מָשֵׁי אַפֵּיהּ, לֵימָא:
בָּרוּךְ … הַמַּעֲבִיר חֶבְלֵי שֵׁינָה מֵעֵינָי וּתְנוּמָה מֵעַפְעַפָּי. וִיהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה׳ אֱלֹקַי, שֶׁתַּרְגִּילֵנִי בְּתוֹרָתֶךָ, וְדַבְּקֵנִי בְּמִצְוֹתֶיךָ, וְאַל תְּבִיאֵנִי לֹא לִידֵי חֵטְא, וְלֹא לִידֵי עָוֹן, וְלֹא לִידֵי נִסָּיוֹן, וְלֹא לִידֵי בִזָּיוֹן. וְכוֹף אֶת יִצְרִי לְהִשְׁתַּעְבֵּד לָךְ. וְרַחֲקֵנִי מֵאָדָם רָע, וּמֵחָבֵר רָע. וְדַבְּקֵנִי בְּיֵצֶר טוֹב וּבְחָבֵר טוֹב בְּעוֹלָמֶךָ. וּתְנֵנִי הַיּוֹם וּבְכׇל יוֹם לְחֵן וּלְחֶסֶד וּלְרַחֲמִים בְּעֵינֶיךָ וּבְעֵינֵי כׇּל רוֹאַי, וְתִגְמְלֵנִי חֲסָדִים טוֹבִים. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ גּוֹמֵל חֲסָדִים טוֹבִים לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל״.
One who enters to sleep on their bed recites Shema in their bed from Shema Yisrael to VeHaya Im Shamoa.
Then they recite: "Blessed…Who makes the bands of sleep fall upon my eyes and slumber upon my eyelids, and illuminates the pupil of the eye. May it be Your will, [!!!!] my God, that You make me lie down in peace and grant me my portion in your Torah, accustom me to mitzvot and do not accustom me to transgression, lead me not into error, nor into iniquity, nor into temptation nor disgrace.
May the good inclination have dominion over me and may the evil inclination not have dominion over me.
Save me from an evil mishap and evil diseases. Let neither bad dreams nor troubling thoughts disturb me. May my bed be flawless before You [ie with only appropriate expressions of sexuality]. Enlighten my eyes in the morning lest I sleep the sleep of death, never to awaken. Blessed are You, !!!!, who gives light to the whole world in his (sic) glory."
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When one awakens, one recites: "My God, the soul You have placed within me is pure. You formed it within me, You breathed it into me, and You guard it while it is within me. One day You will take it from me and restore it within me in the time to come. As long as the soul is within me, I thank You, O Lord my God and God of my ancestors, Master of all worlds, Lord of all souls. Blessed are You, O Lord, who restores souls to lifeless bodies."
Upon hearing the sound of the rooster, one should recite: "Blessed…Who gave the heart [sekhvi] understanding to distinguish between day and night." Upon opening his eyes, one should recite: "Blessed…Who gives sight to the blind."
...
[a whole sequence of blessings follows - upon wearing clothes, standing upright, having shoes, putting on tallit and tefillin, etc. Then the Talmud continues:]
Upon ritually washing one's hands: Blessed…Who has made us holy through practice, commanding us to raise up our hands. Upon washing one's face, one recites:
Blessed…Who removes the bands of sleep from my eyes and slumber from my eyelids. And may it be Your will, [!!!!] my God, to accustom me in Your Torah, attach me to Your mitzvot, and lead me not into transgression, nor into error, nor into iniquity, nor into temptation nor into disgrace. Bend my evil inclination to be subservient to You, and distance me from an evil person and an evil acquaintance. Help me attach myself to the good inclination and to a good friend in your world. Grant me, today and every day, grace, loving-kindness, and compassion in your eyes and the eyes of all who see me, and bestow loving-kindness upon me.
Blessed are You, !!!!, Who bestows loving-kindness on his (sic) people, Israel.