חֲצֽוֹת־לַ֗יְלָה אָ֭קוּם לְהוֹד֣וֹת לָ֑ךְ עַ֝֗ל מִשְׁפְּטֵ֥י צִדְקֶֽךָ׃
내가 주의 의로운 규례를 인하여 밤중에 일어나 주께 감사하리이다
Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)
(Ib. b) Our Rabbis have taught: "The night has four watches," so says Rabbi. R. Nathan says "Three." What is R. Nathan's reason? It is written (Judges 6, 19.) And Gidon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the edge of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch. And we are taught that Tichon (middle) cannot be used unless something preceds and something follows it. But Rabbi disputes this and says that "by the middle is meant one of the two middles." R. Nathan says: "Is it then written one of the middles? Behold! It is written the middle!" What is Rabbi's reason? R. Zerika in the name of R. Ami, who speaks in the name of R. Joshua ben Levi, said: "One passage says (Ps. 119. 62.) At midnight do I constantly rise to give thanks unto Thee, etc., and another passage says (Ib. ib. 148.) My eyes are awake before the night watches. How is this possible? At midnight; because The night is divided into four watches, [midnight is therefore after two watches.]" But R. Nathan explains it by the statement of R. Joshua; as we are taught that R. Joshua says: "It is the custom of kings to rise on the third hour of the day. [i.e.., six hours of the night and two hours of the day together make two night watches of four hours each]. R. Ashi said: "One watch and a half are also called watches (plural)."
Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)
It is written (Ps. 119, 62.) At midnight do I constantly rise to give thanks unto Thee. Did David rise at midnight? Behold! He arose at the beginning of the night, for it is said, (Ib. ib. 147.) I came before thee in the twilight of night. And how do we know that the meaning of Neshef is the beginning of night? For it is written (Pr. 7, 9.) In the Neshef, in the evening of day. R. Oshiya said: "Thus [said David], 'I never passed half a night in sleep.'" R. Zerika said: "Until midnight he slumbered like a horse, thereafter he strengthened himself [fought sleep] like a lion." R. Ashi said: "Until midnight he was engaged in the study of the Torah; after that [he spent his time] in songs and praises." And do you say Neshef means the beginning of night? Why do we find it used as the dawn of morning? For it is written (I. Sam. 30. 37.) And David smote them from the Neshef even unto the evening of the next day. Is it not meant from morning until evening? "Nay, from evening to evening." If so, then let it be written Me-haneshef Ad Haneshef or instead of Me-ha'ereb Ad Ha'ereb! [Why are the two words Neshef and Ereb, used for the same idea?] "But," says Raba, "Neshef means originally, 'The transition of anything' hence, night ends and day comes, the day ends and night comes." But how did David know the exact time at midnight? Behold! If Moses our teacher did not know it, for it is written (Ex. 11, 4.) Thus hath the Lord said, about midnight, etc. Why [does he come to say] about midnight? Should we say that he was told so by the Holy One, praised be He! Is there any possibility of God being in doubt? We must therefore explain it that Moses was told At midnight [as it really happened]; but Moses [on his own recognizance] said About midnight; consequently we infer that Moses was in doubt. And how did David know it? David had a sign [which indicated the exact time at midnight to him], for R. Chana b. Bizna said in the name of R. Simon the Pious that: a harp was hanging over David's bed and, as soon as midnight arrived, a northerly wind blew in upon the strings of the harp and caused it to play. Thereupon, David arose and studied the Torah until dawn. At dawn the sages of Israel visited David and said to him: "Our Lord, O King! Israel, thy people need a living!" "Go and support yourselves by dealing with one another," replied David. "But," said they, "a handful does not satisfy the lion nor can a pit be filled with its own earth! [i. e., a community cannot live on its own resources]." Whereupon David said to them: "Go ye and stretch your hands out as a band [of warriors]. Immediately they held counsel with Achi'tophel and took advice from the Sanhedrin and inquired of the Urim and Tummim. R. Joseph said: "What is the passage [that refers to this]? It is written (I Chr.27, 34.) And after Achi'tophel (came) Joho'yada, the son. of Bena'yahu, and Ebya'thar, and the captain of the king's army was Joab, i.e., 'Achi'tophel' is the adviser; as it is said (II Sam. 16, 23.) And the council of Achi'tophel, which he counseled in those (Fol. 4a) days was as if a man had asked advice of the word of God: 'Jehoyada the son of Bena'yahu,' refers to the Sanhedrin; 'Ebyathar' refers to the Urim and Tummim; as the passage said (Ib. 20, 23.) And Bena'yahu, the son of Jeho'yada was over the Kareithi and Peleithi. But why are the Sanhedrin called 'Kareithi?' Because they cut their words clearly; and 'Peleithi?' Because their acts were wonderful [predestined]. And why was the name Urim given to the stones? Because they enlightened their words; 'Tummim?' Because they finished their words.' And after this, they applied to Joab, the king's captain." R. Isaac b. Ada said: "What biblical passage relates to this? [That the harp was hanging over David's bed.] Awake! my spirit, awake! my psaltry and harp; I will wake up the morning dawn! (Ps. 57, 9)." R. Zera said: "Moses, our teacher, knew very well [the exact time at midnight] and so did David; the harp was used not to tell him the time at midnight, but to awaken him from sleep. The reason for Moses' statement About midnight is that he feared lest the astrologers of Pharaoh might err in the time and would afterwards say that Moses lied; as the master has said, Use thy tongue to say, I do not know lest you be found mistaken and deceived!' " R. Ashi said: "The time when Moses spoke was midnight (between the thirteenth and the fourteenth day of Nisan) and thus he said to Pharaoh: 'The Holy One, praised be He! said, 'To-morrow, at this time, will I go out in the midst of Egypt.'"
Eikhah Rabbah
“Arise, cry out at night, at the beginning of the watches, pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift up your hands to Him for the life of your infants, who are faint with hunger at the head of every street” (Lamentations 2:19).
“Arise, cry out at night, at the beginning of the watches.” Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] says: There are four watches during the night and four watches during the day. The ona is one twenty-fourth of the et,123The text should read: The ona is one twenty-fourth of an hour (Etz Yosef). and the et is one twenty-fourth of the ona. The rega is one twenty-fourth of the et. How long is a rega? Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Ḥelbo: As long as it takes to say it. The Rabbis say: Like the blink of an eye. Shmuel said: One fifty-six thousand five hundred and forty-eighth of an hour; that is a rega. Rabbi Natan said: There are three watches during the night.
Rabbi Zerika and Rabbi Ami said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish: One verse says: “At midnight I rise to give You thanks” (Psalms 119:62), and one verse says: “My eyes precede the night watches” (Psalms 119:148). How can these two verses be reconciled? Rabbi Ḥizkiya, and some say Rabbi Zerika and Rabbi Ami: One said the source according to Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] and one says the source according to Rabbi Natan. The one who says the source according to Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi], it works out well.124There are four watches during the night, two before midnight and two after midnight. Thus, if one rises at midnight, that is still before two of the nightly watches. These verses can thus be a source for the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi that the night is divided into four watches. The one who says the source according to Rabbi Natan: “At the beginning of the middle watch” (Judges 7:19).125If there is a middle watch, there must be an odd number of watches. This can serve as a source for the opinion of Rabbi Natan that the night is divided into three watches.
But Rabbi Natan, how does he interpret “at midnight”? Rather, at times “at midnight,” and at times: “My eyes precede the night watches.”126The two verses do not both mean the same thing, as according to Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. Rather, King David, the author of Psalms, is stating that at times he awoke at midnight, and at times even earlier, before two of the three nightly watches. What would [David] do? When David would conduct his meal alone, he would eat until nine hours of the day, sleep until the beginning of the middle watch, and arise and engage in Torah study. When David would eat a feast of kings, he would eat until the evening, sleep until midnight, and arise and engage in Torah study from midnight onward.
In any case, dawn would not arrive with David asleep. That is what David said: “Awaken, my soul, awaken, harp and lyre; I will wake the dawn” (Psalms 57:9). Let my honor awaken before the honor of my Creator; my honor is nothing before the honor of my Creator. “I will wake the dawn,” I wake the dawn, the dawn does not awaken me.
Rabbi Pinḥas said in the name of Rabbi Elazar bar Menaḥem: A lyre was placed under his head and he would rise and play it at night. Rabbi Levi said: A lyre was suspended over David’s bed. When midnight arrived, the north wind would come and the lyre would play on its own. That is what is written: “It was as the instrument played” (II Kings 3:15). It is not written here “It was as he played the instrument,” but rather: “It was as the instrument played,” the instrument played on its own. When David would hear its sound, he would arise and engage in Torah study. [People] would say: If David king of Israel is engaging in Torah study, all the more so for us. They immediately would begin engaging in Torah study.
How does Rabbi interpret the verse of Rabbi Natan? Rabbi Huna said: The end of the second and the beginning of the third, which constitutes the midpoint [metavḥot] of the night. Rabbi Mani said: Had it said “middle [tikhonot],”127Had the verse used the plural term for “middle” that would allow for it to be interpreted in accordance with Rabbi Yehua HaNasi, who holds that the night is divided into four watches. that would be correct. But does it not say “middle [tikhona]”?128This term is singular. The first is not counted, as until then, the time has not yet arrived.129The concept of dividing the night into periods of time called watches parallels when an earthly king would have soldiers standing guard. The first quarter of the night is not yet the time for guards, because people are still awake.
“Arise, cry out at night, at the beginning of the watches.” Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] says: There are four watches during the night and four watches during the day. The ona is one twenty-fourth of the et,123The text should read: The ona is one twenty-fourth of an hour (Etz Yosef). and the et is one twenty-fourth of the ona. The rega is one twenty-fourth of the et. How long is a rega? Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Ḥelbo: As long as it takes to say it. The Rabbis say: Like the blink of an eye. Shmuel said: One fifty-six thousand five hundred and forty-eighth of an hour; that is a rega. Rabbi Natan said: There are three watches during the night.
Rabbi Zerika and Rabbi Ami said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish: One verse says: “At midnight I rise to give You thanks” (Psalms 119:62), and one verse says: “My eyes precede the night watches” (Psalms 119:148). How can these two verses be reconciled? Rabbi Ḥizkiya, and some say Rabbi Zerika and Rabbi Ami: One said the source according to Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] and one says the source according to Rabbi Natan. The one who says the source according to Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi], it works out well.124There are four watches during the night, two before midnight and two after midnight. Thus, if one rises at midnight, that is still before two of the nightly watches. These verses can thus be a source for the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi that the night is divided into four watches. The one who says the source according to Rabbi Natan: “At the beginning of the middle watch” (Judges 7:19).125If there is a middle watch, there must be an odd number of watches. This can serve as a source for the opinion of Rabbi Natan that the night is divided into three watches.
But Rabbi Natan, how does he interpret “at midnight”? Rather, at times “at midnight,” and at times: “My eyes precede the night watches.”126The two verses do not both mean the same thing, as according to Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. Rather, King David, the author of Psalms, is stating that at times he awoke at midnight, and at times even earlier, before two of the three nightly watches. What would [David] do? When David would conduct his meal alone, he would eat until nine hours of the day, sleep until the beginning of the middle watch, and arise and engage in Torah study. When David would eat a feast of kings, he would eat until the evening, sleep until midnight, and arise and engage in Torah study from midnight onward.
In any case, dawn would not arrive with David asleep. That is what David said: “Awaken, my soul, awaken, harp and lyre; I will wake the dawn” (Psalms 57:9). Let my honor awaken before the honor of my Creator; my honor is nothing before the honor of my Creator. “I will wake the dawn,” I wake the dawn, the dawn does not awaken me.
Rabbi Pinḥas said in the name of Rabbi Elazar bar Menaḥem: A lyre was placed under his head and he would rise and play it at night. Rabbi Levi said: A lyre was suspended over David’s bed. When midnight arrived, the north wind would come and the lyre would play on its own. That is what is written: “It was as the instrument played” (II Kings 3:15). It is not written here “It was as he played the instrument,” but rather: “It was as the instrument played,” the instrument played on its own. When David would hear its sound, he would arise and engage in Torah study. [People] would say: If David king of Israel is engaging in Torah study, all the more so for us. They immediately would begin engaging in Torah study.
How does Rabbi interpret the verse of Rabbi Natan? Rabbi Huna said: The end of the second and the beginning of the third, which constitutes the midpoint [metavḥot] of the night. Rabbi Mani said: Had it said “middle [tikhonot],”127Had the verse used the plural term for “middle” that would allow for it to be interpreted in accordance with Rabbi Yehua HaNasi, who holds that the night is divided into four watches. that would be correct. But does it not say “middle [tikhona]”?128This term is singular. The first is not counted, as until then, the time has not yet arrived.129The concept of dividing the night into periods of time called watches parallels when an earthly king would have soldiers standing guard. The first quarter of the night is not yet the time for guards, because people are still awake.