Hassidout sur Le Deutéronome 6:6

This corresponds to washing the hands in the morning. Sleep corresponds to bitul-submergence into the Absolute by closing the eyes, which is the root of sleep (see LM 1 54). For during sleep, we bond with the World of the Future, representing bitul/submergence. From LM I 7, on the story, "Rabbi Eliezer was sleeping," we also see that sleep corresponds to submergence, to, "No eye has seen." In fact, the main reason why God puts man to sleep is for these above reasons, to escape from the judgments and suffering that are all caused by a confused mind, as we have spoken about elsewhere. Man has been sent into this world for one reason alone — to fight a holy war against desires and confusions and to bind one's thought to God at all times. But this tires the mind. Therefore, God imprinted the instinct in man that when the mind is too confused and tired that one falls asleep, closing one's eyes and submerging the mind, completely letting go of one's consciousness and intellect. This is the submergence, surrendering oneself into the Absolute Good, where all confusions, including all judgments, troubles, pains and obstacles, disappear and are all submerged into the ultimate purpose. This is why sleep is innate to man and to all creatures. Therefore, it is possible to attain very sublime perceptions during sleep, since one is then submerged into the Light of the Ein Sof, by means of which one is able to perceive great things, as stated in the holy Zohar on the verse, "Who will ascend God's mount?" (Psalms 24:3; Zohar 11 195b). Therefore, one must wash the hands with water upon awakening from sleep, for wakening from sleep corresponds to returning from submergence, when judgments and confusions, the cause of all impurities, seek even more intensely to overwhelm the person, as explained in the lesson. Specifically then one must muster more strength to subdue them by the Torah that one draws from the Impression, which corresponds to water. This is why we wash the hands with water immediately upon awakening from sleep. Since awakening from sleep corresponds to submergence, we must immediately evoke the waters of Torah in order to abolish the spirit of impurity that rests upon the body, only on the hands. The forces of judgment and confusion stand in ambush over the human body during the submergence, waiting for the moment when a person's consciousness will return so that they will gain even firmer grip on him. Therefore, we must be careful to banish them immediately upon awakening from sleep by purification with water, which evokes purity and sanctity from the waters of Torah that are from the Impression of the submergence, from which all suffering and judgments come after one has returned. As our Sages of Blessed Memory said on the verse, "Which I have commanded you ; today" (Deuteronomy 6:2) (the words of Torah should be new in your eyes everyday" (Sifri ad loc). Hence, one must receive the Torah anew every day, for through sleep, which corresponds to submergence, one receives a renewal of the Torah in order to counter judgments and impurities that seek more than ever to overwhelm a person specifically at this time. Fortunate is he who attains this to perfection, attaining new and authentic Torah insights every day. However, even the majority of people who cannot attain this should at least do their best to study Torah in the morning upon awakening from sleep. Jewish literature is full of the importance of rising early in the morning to study Torah in order to quench the soul's thirst, to banish suffering, judgments, the forces of evil and all confusions by means of the Torah that one receives from the impression. Therefore, even someone who is not really able to attain new Torah insights must at least make great effort each and every day to study Torah with renewed enthusiasm and passion, that it will be literally "as new" for him, for this too is considered a renewal of the Torah, as explained elsewhere. This corresponds to tzitzit, tefillin, kriat shma and prayer, all of which represent a renewal of the mind that is drawn upon each Jew every day. All this is evoked by the shining and the impression of the Submergence into the Absolute, which corresponds to sleep.

And these three correspond to the three [items] mentioned previously. For we can recognize the existence of God, by way of the heavens and the earth. This is like their statement, may their memory be blessed, “When Avraham died, [God] hung [Avraham’s healing stone] upon the sphere of the sun” (Bava Batra 16b); and like the Rambam, may his memory be blessed, wrote (Mishneh Torah, Foundations of the Torah 2:2), “and when [a person] will think of all these matters, and those like them, he will be taken aback and stricken with awe.” And it is like David said, “When I behold Your heavens, etc. (Psalms 8:4). And knowledge of the truth of the Torah is [attained] by way of circumcision. For the Jewish people are one of [God’s] acquisitions (Pesachim 87b), since we were acquired by him as His slaves – and it is customary that when one acquires a slave for life, a tag is placed upon [that slave]. And since we are his slaves, we are obligated to do [His will] – as it is written, “today upon your hearts,” such that they should be in your eyes like new items every day (Deuteronomy 6:6 with Rashi) – just like we run to find out a [new] decree of a king. And hence circumcision (brit) has a numerical equivalent (gematriya) of 612; and with [the addition of] this commandment, itself, it adds up to 613. Therefore, one who rejects idolatry is as if he assents to the entire Torah (Kiddushin 40a); as the main thing is that he takes on the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven upon himself – ‘and the rest is commentary.’ And the third is [knowledge of the existence of] reward and punishment; and it is felt by way of the Shabbat, which is ‘a taste of the world to come, the day of Shabbat rest.’ And therefore Scripture opened with, “In the beginning,” to hint about the three of them together, since they are the purpose of existence – the creation and the day came ‘together with circumcision.’

1. This is why it is forbidden to eat before prayer. In the Zohar (Parshat Vayakhel 4, 215b) and in the writings this is very very strict, that even when one arises in the middle of the night it is forbidden to eat or drink until after the prayer. Anyone who eats and drinks then is thought of as a sinner and a diviner (soothsayer), G-d save us. See there. Do not be like those who burst forth now amidst the people to drink before prayer until it is, according to them, like something permitted, and they 'hang themselves on a big tree'. We find a few tzadikim that were very sick and drank before prayer, because they had to do that. And they were viewed as if they were monkeys (animals) before other people, and they fined themselves afterwards and filled their stomachs with Kaavi drinks before prayer until we find that they also ate a little before prayer. Woe to them! Woe to their souls! Because this is a very grave sin, as is brought in the words of our Rabbis of blessed memory (Berakhot 10b) and explained in detail in the Holy Zohar and the writings. We cannot compare ourselves to the great Tzadikim who had a different spirit upon them, and in detail they were (like) greatly sick. Also since most of the tzadikim did not act like this (i.e. did not have this custom) and our Holy Rabbi z"l told us that he never drank even water before prayer even though the Shulchan Aruch permitted one to drink water. Even so, he did not drink even water prior to prayer. Returning to our topic, because of what is explained above, we brought a little of the idea of the prohibition of eating and drinking prior to prayer, because it is brought in the Torah, as explained above, that the Tikun (rectification) of faith is through elevation of the sparks of speech, etc. One merits this through fasting, etc. Because of the lusting (craving) for food and drink the kelipot are strengthened. They are the aspect of the 'ministers of Pharaoh' and they draw down speech beneath the aspect of the straightening of the throat, and one is not able to speak a word before Hashem Yisbarach, etc. The rectification for this is fasting, for through starving oneself, through drawing down the water of the Hasidim to moisten the throat, one fulfill (Isaiah 58:1) "Cry with full throat, without restraint", etc. Through this, faith is fully rectified, etc., as is brought there well, see there. Therefore it is forbidden to eat and drink before prayer, because one has to starve himself before prayer, which is the aspect of fasting hours every day; one starves oneself and investigates (oneself) before prayer. Through this, one draws down the illumination from the aspect of fasting, to attach (oneself) to the holiness in order to bring out the speech from the throat. (This is) in order to adorn the holy faith that is renewed each morning, so one can merit the speech of perfect prayer. Because prayer is the aspect of faith, as is known, which is perfected by the rectification of speech. The essence of prayer is through speech specifically, and the wholeness of speech is through starving oneself with fasting, and breaking the lust for food, as explained above. Because of this, every Jew is required to fast and starve himself in any event before prayer, for then it is a major prohibition from the law to eat and drink, as explained above. Every day before prayer, one must starve himself to proceed in the aspect of fasting to rectify the speech of prayer, which is in the aspect of rectification and adorning faith, etc., as explained above, and as brought in the Torah as seen above, see there. Furthermore, because fasting that attaches to holiness - this is the aspect of the initial strength to which one's face turns at every time - to the beginning - to receive strength from the beginning, which is the essence of 'all beginnings are difficult' as is explained well in the Torah, as seen above. As is explained at the end there, that for the sake of this, one must make an effort to begin each moment anew, and to not have the service become routine for yourself. For the essence of the strength of service is according to the beginning, and therefore one must begin anew every time. Maybe his beginning was not a proper beginning. Therefore, he must begin now; and everyday, at every time, see there. Therefore each morning before prayer one must fast without food before prayer in order to bring forth the speech from the throat, etc, as explained above, by means of going back to the beginning, which is the aspect of attaching oneself to holiness. One must go back at every time to the first moment, as brought above, see there. This is necessary in the morning, because each morning one must begin to engage in the service of Hashem anew, in the aspect of (Lamentations 3:23) "They are renewed every morning", etc. As if one had never begun before at all. As our Rabbis of blessed memory said (Deutoronomy 6:6) "Which I command you today". Every single day it must seem new to you (Sifrei, there). And thus they expounded on the verse (Deutoronomy 27:9) "Silence! Hear, O Israel! Today you have become the people of the LORD your G-d", etc. For each day it should seem to you as if today you entered into the covenant (see the explanation of Rashi there). We find, that every day one must begin anew. Therefore it is forbidden to eat before prayer in the morning, for this is in the aspect of fasting. Through this one draws down the light of the initial strength; and through this one merits to begin each morning anew, as explained above.