אות-נט

Go out at night, alone, somewhere people never go, and completely nullify yourself to G-d. There is no danger to be feared.

The primary hisbodidus is at night, for then everyone is sleeping, and also that the place should be outside the city, that he should go on a solitary way, that is, in a place where people do not go there even in the day. And through this that one does hisbodidus at night on a solitary way as mentioned above, and clears his heart and mind from all engagements of this world, and abnegates everything, until he nullifies himself completely; meaning, that first he prays copiously until he abnegates this vice, and afterwards he continues to pray copiously until he abnegates a different vice, and afterwards he continues to pray copiously until he utterly nullifies himself, that he should not retain any haughtiness or any entity, until he is in his (own) eyes as literally nothing and void, and through this he merits to come to the aspect of true nullification – through this his soul is included in its root in His infinite (Ain Soaf) unity blessed He, which is called the michoo'yuv hamitzee'oos (imperative <of> existence), as is known. And through this all the worlds that are contingent on his soul are also included in His Infinite (Ain Soaf) Unity blessed He, which is called michoo'yuv hamitzee'oos (imperative <of> existence). And this is the interpretation of the Mishna (Ethics of Our Fathers 3:5): One who is awake at night and (one) who goes alone on a path (/goes on a lone path), as explained above, and clears {turns} his heart – from all concerns of this world, in order to achieve the state of true nullification. And this is: to nullification {emptiness}, as mentioned above, behold this person is the imperative {culpable}, that is he is included in His Unity blessed He, which is called michoo'yuv hamitzee'oos (imperative <of> existence). And this is: with his soul, meaning that his soul, with all the worlds contingent on his soul, are included in the michoo'yuv hamitzee'oos (imperative <of> existence), as mentioned above. (Likutay Moharan 52; Likutay Aitzos, Hisbodidus 7). And see in the book “Ullim LiTrufah” (Leaves for Healing, letter 113), after it brings there a brief synopsis of the torah “One who is awake at night,” mentioned above, these words are written there: “Where are we in the world that (even though) we merited to hear such a thing, (and) we are still distant from his torah?! I scream in my heart now over the days that transpired, many years that I didn't merit to fulfill this due to the inundation of obstacles, but I cheer myself up with the very little that I merited at times to fulfill a bit of this. And also what we merited to express our words during the day, before Him blessed He, is also very extremely precious, for not every person merits to fulfill wholly everything mentioned above. And fortunate is one who merits to do hisbodidus even (if it is only) in the day. However, fortunate and fortunate is one who merits to fulfill straightforwardly 'One who is awake at night etc.', until he merits through this to be included in the chi'yoov hamitzee'oos, and to raise the entire universe which is contingent on him, to be included in Him blessed He, for he is michoo'yuv hamitzeeyues. May my lot be with them forever etc.,” see there the whole letter.

And one time our teacher, the rav, Rabbi Nussun zatza”l spoke about this holy way of “One who is awake at night,” as our master and leader, Rabbainu HaKadosh zatza”l revealed it, and he said these words: “There will yet be a time when this way will be viable for (/traversed by) the masses (just like now there is an established way to don a tallis and tefillin every morning).” And regarding the fears which this entails, our master, leader, and rabbi zatza”l said, that if he had an only son, he would send him out alone at night to the field, and he would have no worries. And he said this regarding every person, that one should not have any fear (for one on an assignment of a mitzvah will come to no harm (Pesachim 8b)). And our teacher, the rav, Rabbi Nussun zatza”l elaborated on this, and said regarding this, that it is like what is written in the holy Zohar (Parshas Shelach, Bamidbar 158b) regarding Caleb's (Kullaiv's) expedition to Chevron to prostrate on the tomb of the forefathers, and how he was not afraid of the giants that were there. And the holy Zohar writes there: “A person who is under duress doesn't pay any attention; so it was with Caleb, since he was in duress, he paid no attention, and he went to pray on the tombs of the forefathers etc.,” see there. And so too in this matter, whomsoever knows and evaluates himself well – that in a blink of an eye his days will fly by, and he will need to stand judgment and give an accounting for all his actions, and they will not let him by for anything etc., whoever reckons himself on all this, certainly will not look upon any fear of the fears and the likes, and all the more so since in truth there is no (concern for) fear entailed whatsoever, as mentioned above. Our teacher, the rav, Rabbi Nussun zatza”l also told over a story of the holy Baal Shem Tov zatzvk”l: Once, he prayed with his chevra (ensemble), and they prayed with very great fervor, as was their way. Afterwards, when they finished their prayers they saw that the holy Baal Shem Tov zatzvk”l had a very grim countenance. And afterwards he (the Baal Shem Tov) spoke up and said to them, “When you prayed, the Litigator (baal duvur – Satan) inoculated in each of you thoughts of arrogance and haughtiness with regard to your praying with such fervor and clinging (dvaikus), and through this prosecution was invoked above against you, and I had to exert myself arduously until I sweetened (-mitigated) this. He told this over so that it should be known how very much it is necessary to abound in prayer to be saved from pride which is despised by Hashem (Proverbs 16:5), for it is possible that even when one is free of all the desires and the bad traits, even still it is possible for there to remain in the heart hidden pride Heaven forbid, as is delineated in the torah “One who is awake at night” (Likutay Moharan, torah 52) mentioned above. Therefore, it is necessary for this, to abound profusely in prayers and screaming to Hashem Yisburach at night and in a solitaire venue, until one merits to the aspect of true nullification, that he should not harbor any pride or any ego (lit. substance/entity), until he merits through this to be included, with all the worlds which are contingent on his soul, in His Infinite (Ain Soaf) Unity blessed He, which is the michoo'yuv hamitzee'oos (imperative <of> existence), as mentioned above.