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tcv okugv ic tuva uk jycun ouh kfc ,ufkv vbuav kf 'uvhkt hcs tb,
IT WAS TAUGHT IN THE ACADEMY OF ELIYAHU, WHOEVER STUDIES TORAH LAWS EVERY DAY IS ASSURED THAT HE WILL BE PRESENT IN THE WORLD TO COME

Chapter 1, Question 5 What is the source and reason for saying Tikkun Hatzot ?
At the very beginning of almost every siddur, just after Birchat Hashahar, one will find the nusach of a special prayer called ,umj iueh, Tikkun Hatzot. The accepted custom is to recite ,umj iueh, at the moment the clock strikes halachic midnight, and one still has time to recite it until just before rjav ,ukg dawn. The theme of this prayer is mainly focused and centered around mourning the tragic loss and destruction of our Beit Hamikdash, but elements of ,umj iueh, also relate to our deep sorrows over the historic burning of the Sefer Torah, on the subsequent loss of the Secrets of the Torah to outer negative spiritual forces and on the brutal slaying of the Righteous1. The halachic manner in which one should recite ,umj iueh, is detailed in the Ben Ish Hai2, the Kaf HaChaim3 and has subsequently been brought down clearly in various siddurim.

It is surprising to find that even though this unique prayer was positioned at the beginning of our siddurim, the majority of people know little about its importance, where it comes from, the reason why we say it and the understanding behind the holy ocean of pasukim and supplications that form its nusach. It is additionally unfortunate that many people very readily relate the concept of ,umj iueh, as something relevant only to the realm of the exceptionally righteous... to pious individuals or elderly Rabbanim of immense quality of character and refinement, and not so relevant to the average simple Jew. Nothing could be further from the truth!

1. t jkahu 'hj ;xuh sug 2. jkahu 3. yh ,ut 't inhx

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Let us attempt to clarify the depths of this special mitzvah by first looking into the source of ,umj iueh, and then bring to light the major importance and benefits associated with its recitation by every individual. The ideal place to begin is none other than our holy Shulchan Aruch.

HaRav Yosef Cairo (1488 - 1575), the author of our Shulchan Aruch and otherwise known as Marwan (our Master), states the following halacha near the beginning of the first simman (chapter):
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/asenv-,hc icrj kg dtusu rmn tvha ohna trh kfk hutr

This seems like an open-ended statement. How exactly should one fulfill this obligation? Is it enough to simply feel pain and anguish over our lost Temple and no further action is required? Indeed it seems that this halacha was left open to individual understanding and methodology. This cannot be true. The Shulchan Aruch was designed to be a clear code of Jewish Law and not open to personal interpretation. So in order to attain a clearer understanding one needs to look into the source of this halacha, and surprisingly we find that Marwans words are in fact borrowed almost word by word from the Rosh who comments on a certain piece of Gemara in tractate Berachot. The Rosh, HaRav Asher ben Yehiel (1250-1328), was an early Rishon and an immense figure of Torah and halachic authority.

Here are the words of the Gemara followed by the Roshs powerful statement5:

vkhkv huv ,urnan aka :crs vhnan ktuna rc ejmh cr rnt ,t h,crjv ovh,ubugca ohbck hutw :rnutu hrtf dtuau v"cev cauh rnanu rnan kf kgu rmn tvha ohna trh kfk hutru :a"tr /wokugv ,unut ihck o,hkdvu hkfhv ,t h,prau h,hc :asenv ,hc icruj kg ohbubj, lupaku vga v,utc dtusu

4. d wgx 't inhx 5. wd ;s ,ufrcc wnd

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Rav Yitzhak bar Shmuel said in the name of Rav; The night consists of three watches, And at each and every watch Hashem sits and roars like a lion and says, Woe to the children! That because of their sins I destroyed my house and I burnt my sanctuary and I exiled them amongst the nations of the world!

Rosh:

And it is fitting for all Fearers of Heaven to be pained and worried at that moment and to pour out supplications over the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash.

This is a clear example of a giant in Torah (the Rosh) who in learning a piece of Gemara and was able to expound from it a profound lesson that would affect generations to come.

The Rosh learnt that the Sages of the Gemara were conveying to us a fundamental principle.... It is indeed very moving to have the knowledge that the night in reality consists of three watches, and that Hashem roars with much sorrow (so to speak) at the head of each watch over the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash and his nations self-afflicted exile. However, what real significance does the possession of this knowledge have on our daily lives? What are we supposed to do with this knowledge?

The Rosh with his special sensitivity saw the message clearly and grasped it. These moments - these watches - are packed with special spiritual opportunity at which time one can make significant changes both in this physical world and also in the spiritual realms above. The Rosh understood that if Hashem conducts Himself in such a way at these specific moments of time, then it is befitting that we as his subjects use that moment as an opportunity to also show our heartfelt grief over the destruction and exile. In doing so we would be utilizing the relevant energies available to make cosmic change in our lives and in the world as a whole.

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The Roshs insight was then brought down in the Shulchan Aruch6 as a halachic obligation upon every Jew (Fearer of Heaven) to feel pain and concern over the destruction. Marwan further adds7 that one who gets up early to supplicate before Hashem should have in mind the specific times of the three watches which divide the night, because prayers at those times on the destruction or the exile are particularly desirable.

However, the Sages of Kabbalistic wisdom, like the Ari zl,8 revealed with much emphasis that the correct time for supplications to Hashem and mourning over the destruction is actually at halachic midnight. This is how the name ,umj iueh, came about, which is loosely translated as meaning Rectification of the Midnight.

The source of this knowledge is from various sections of the holy Zohar9:

hfvst 'tkhk dhkp,t tks sg whhrtc hexg,n teu sj thkhk hc,h uuv hxuh hcru rzgkt hcr vtn ,k, gzgszt v"cue t,av sg hzj t, rntu rzgkt hcr vfc /t,frc ufrc trcd tre ////ihgns ihr, shrutu tasen wc icrj kg vfcu ///ihgher ihga,u
Rebbi Elazar and Rebbi Yossi were sitting one night and indulging in the learning of Torah before the night was halved, (i.e. just before midnight). When midnight came the rooster crowed and they blessed its blessing (the blessing of vbhc hufak i,ubv). Rebbi Elazar cried and said; Come and see! Until this moment Hashem was shaking three hundred and ninety Heavenly realms, and He cried over the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash and let two tear drops fall...

The first thing that is evident from this piece of Zohar is that it seems to contradict the Gemara we just saw in Berachot. From the Zohar we see that Hashems cries over the destruction of the Temple actually occur at midnight and not at the three watches mentioned in the Gemara.10
6. oa 7. c wgxc oa 8. jb ;s ',umj iue, aurs ',ubuufv rga 9. t"g zr ;s adhu wpu 'c"g vme ;s kvehu wp 10. s e"x oa t"nv rhgv lf

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There are several Acharonim who were able to solve this seeming difference, or at least weaken it. For example, the Nodah BYehuda11 brings an interesting proof from another Gemara in Yevamot12 that says explicitly that midnight is an iumr ,g, i.e. a period of time that is particularly desirable. The Aruch HaShulchan13 also tries to resolve the difference between the Gemara in Berachot and the Zohar by reasoning that the three watches mentioned in the Gemara are special times related to the mourning over the destruction of the Temple, whereas midnight is a time that is desirable for all forms of supplications, including over the destruction. However from the words of the Zohar above it is apparent that the most suitable time to mourn over the Temple is at midnight.

Another interesting observation from the Zohar is the revelation that Hashem sheds precisely two tear drops. The Seder HaYom14 explains the deeper understanding of this. The two tear drops are shed over the destruction of the two Temples, and their purpose is to sweeten the harsh decrees that are upon us and awaken Hashems attribute of mercy. It is clear then that at this moment Hashem feels great remorse and regret over the destruction and over our very exile. The Seder Hayom therefore says that this is a very powerful moment in time in which our prayers can be answered and our merits can bring about our ultimate redemption from exile.

Coming back to the Shulchan Aruch... We can clearly see that the words of the Shulchan Aruch are based on those of the Rosh who says one must recite supplications over the destruction of the Temple. And, like the Rosh, the Shulchan Aruch also expresses the importance of reciting supplications at these specific three periods of time at night.15 It is thus clear from the Shulchan Aruch that all Jews must actively mourn over the destruction of our Temple at specific times of the night, rather than simply feeling anguish and sorrow. The Sages of Kabbalistic wisdom then simplified matters by revealing that the correct time for the recitation of ,umj iue, is at halachic midnight.

11. oa ,ufrc n"g j"km urpxc 12. cg ;s 13. f ,ut oa 14. z ;s 'vkhkc vru, sunk ,buf 15. c wgx oa

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Now that we have discovered the source of ,umj iue,, the reasons behind why it was instituted and the correct time of its reciting, let us get a better understanding of the essence of this prayer.

Tikkun Hatzot consists of two sections. The first section is called kjr iue, Tikkun Rachel which is followed by the second section called vtk iue, Tikkun Leah. The Ben Ish Hai16 reveals the meaning behind the names of these Tikkunim and their significant purposes... When Bnei Yisrael sins, their transgressions cause a spiritual defect in the higher heavenly bodies of ,ufkn Malchut, otherwise known as the Shechinah. The Shechinah is also surprisingly called kjr and sometimes called vtk. [As an aside, it is interesting to
note that these names of the Shechinah obviously preceded the existence of our holy Matriarchs, Rachel and Leah, who were named after the Shechinah through Divine intervention.] We could say that the reference of Hashem shedding two tears as seen in

the Zohar is actually a metaphor for the two aspects of the Shechinah - Rachel and Leah which are damaged by our sins and fall down to this world.

Fortunately Hashem has given us the wisdom and power to rectify the damages caused by our sins through the medium of these two special Tikkunim. The purpose of kjr iue, is to repair the damage caused by our sins through supplications and mourning over the destruction and exile. The purpose of vtk iue, is to repair the damage through the learning of Torah. How it works exactly cannot be discussed in this forum, but it is suffice to know that the contents of these prayers were established according to the vast Kabbalistic knowledge of Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai and the Ari zl.

This information may give us a better understanding now of the Shulchan Aruch. We could say that when Marwan stated one should be rmn pained over the destruction, he was referring to kjr iue, because as we have seen the essence of this section is to mourn and cry over the destruction.
16. t ,ut jkahu 'j"hg urpxc

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Similarly, when Marwan said one should be dtus troubled, he was referring to vtk iue, because when a Jew becomes concerned about the status of his exile (or in all aspects of his life) the best advice is to increase the study of Torah which is what vtk iue, represents.

One could write forever on this topic. But if there is one message we should take from the lesson of ,umj iue, it is the knowledge of the immense spiritual power a Jew possesses and how cosmic are the effects of his actions. For in our actions we have the power to achieve the greatest spiritual heights... and unfortunately, RL, we also have the ability to damage the Divine Shechinah, so to speak.

Today there are many wonderful outreach organisations all over the world, many sincere people trying their best to focus on helping other Jews in bringing them back under the Wings of the Shechinah. However, if we were able to perceive this same Shechinah and see the blemishes of our sins that it carries in this dark exile, would we not also reinforce the beauty of ,umj iue, and inform people what each and every Jew can achieve within 5 minutes of halachic midnight? Indeed what would people do if they really knew the power of a Jew reciting ,umj iue, ?

We are living at the dawn of the Messianic Era, but at the same time it is a dark exile... filled with suffering and a longing for salvation. Should we not take comfort by joining Hashem in this precious moment of the night and mourn with Him over the destruction of our Beit Hamikdash and our terrible exile? As the saying goes... this task is not far away in the Heavens... nor is it across the sea... but it is in the very first pages of our siddurim.... !

hbhnh jfa, ohkaurh ljfat ot

Rabbi Yosef Haim David