בִּקְרִיאַת שְׁמַע שֶׁעַל הַמִּטָּה, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם הֲרֵינִי מוֹחֵל וְכֵן לַמְּנַצֵּחַ גו' בְּבוֹא - אֵין אוֹמְרִים בְּשַׁבָּת וְיוֹם טוֹב, אֲבָל צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר בִּשְׁאָר יָמִים שֶׁאֵין אוֹמְרִים בָּהֶם תַּחֲנוּן. בְּסִיּוּם הג' פַּרְשִׁיוֹת אוֹמְרִים תֵּיבַת “אֱמֶת". יַעְלְזוּ חֲסִידִים - פַּעַם אַחַת, הִנֵּה מִטָּתוֹ - ג' פְּעָמִים, יְבָרֶכְךָ - ג' פְּעָמִים. בְּתִקּוּן חֲצוֹת אֵין אוֹמְרִים לַמְּנַצֵּחַ גוֹ' בְּבוֹא בְּיָמִים שֶׁאֵין אוֹמְרִים בָּהֶם תַּחֲנוּן.

In the Prayer before Retiring at Night,1 the passage beginning Ribono shel Olam… and the psalm2 beginning Lamenatzeiach… bevo… are omitted on Shabbos and festivals. They should, however, be recited on the other [semi-festive] days on which Tachanun is not recited.

At the end of the three paragraphs [of the Shema recited before retiring], one says the word emes.3 One then says the verse Yaalzu chassidim once, the verse beginning Hinei mitaso three times, and [the three-part Priestly Blessing that begins with] Yevarechecha three times.

When reciting Tikkun Chatzos,4 the psalm beginning Lamenatzeiach… bevo… is omitted on the days on which Tachanun is not recited.

Living in This World

Why did G‑d create us in such a manner that so much of our lives, approximately one third of the time granted us, is spent in sleep? Seemingly, we could accomplish so much more if that would not be necessary.

But without sleep, life would be all one long day. There would be no difference between today and tomorrow, no chance to renew ourselves and start afresh. The fact that we have to sleep allows for the possibility that tomorrow will be better, giving us a window for hope and growth.

One of the chassidim of the Rebbe Rashab, R. Gershon Ber of Pahr, would conclude his nightly stocktaking of the day’s thoughts, words and actions, with a simple resolve: “Tomorrow — I’ve got to be altogether different!”

Echoing this phrase in a letter,5 the Rebbe refers to it as a demand that the Rebbe Rayatz constantly addressed to his chassidim.