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Why is it that people do not do Tikun Chatzos in today's day and age? I am sure there are still a few special people that do say it; however, I am also sure that over 99% do not.

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In Breslev, we are particular to (try and) say it. I feel like there is another Chasidus that says it but I can't remember which one. – yoel Sep 28 '11 at 23:56
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Go to the kotel around halachic midnight. Actually, there are two times for Tikun Chatzos: one is halachic midnight (the mid-point of the night time, changes by a few minutes everyday). Another time, practiced by Breslev and some other Chassidim, is six hours after nightfall, which makes "chatzos" as late as 3am in the summer in some locations. Anyway, go to the kotel at "chatzos" according to either calculation, and you'll see plenty of people doing it. – user1095 Mar 13 '12 at 7:30
Here is an interesting article, that might explain the lack of the practice today: bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16964783 – avi Mar 13 '12 at 10:24

4 Answers

up vote 10 down vote

Maybe because most people go to sleep much later than they used to? Before electric lighting people might have gone to bed around nightfall or shortly after (i.e., 6 or 7 PM), and might well wake up for a little while in the middle of the night (as in the article linked in Avi's comment); whereas nowadays it's common to stay up until 10 PM or later, and sleep straight through the night.

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An interesting thought – Gershon Gold Oct 5 '10 at 15:53
Thou because of lighting, some people stay up past midnight. – Shmuel Brin Jan 29 '12 at 17:33
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I would suggest updating your answer based on this: bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16964783 – avi Mar 13 '12 at 10:24
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@avi I think this article and the studies it mentions, if they are in fact historically accurate (and they might well be), would really shed a lot of light on so many things in Talmudic literature, Midrashim, etc. I mean, think about Mitzrayim. Why would all the dead Mitzrim be noticed in the middle of the night instead of in the morning? Perhaps they didn't wake up when the families were waking, or perhaps they were awake and collapsed? Whoa. Mind=blown. – Seth J Mar 13 '12 at 15:45
@SethJ thats what I thought when I read the article. IF you do a google search for "second sleep" , it seems very well founded. – avi Mar 13 '12 at 16:51
up vote 4 down vote

There are a few reasons:

  1. People say it privately, just because you don't see it means it doesn't exist.

  2. It was always meant more for special people (yechidei sgulah)

  3. As we approach Moshiach, Tshuva should be done only from joy and not from bitterness. (Source: the speech "Margala b'puma d'rava..." from the Lubavitcher rebbe, 5746.)
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Who's "rava"? – msh210♦ Mar 13 '12 at 15:34
@msh210 like Abaye – Shmuel Brin Mar 13 '12 at 18:52
Ah, I thought you were referring to some more modern rava (rabbi), from 5746. Thanks for editing in the link. I'm editing for clarity.... – msh210♦ Mar 13 '12 at 18:55
up vote 2 down vote

I'm not sure at what point but in Chabad "Kriyas Shema Al Mita" replaced Tikkun Chatzos. At the end of Kriyas Shema Al Mita it says "wake me up in the middle of the night etc..." alluding to Tikkun Chatzos and those sentences have no nekudos and are not read. Source: Nusach Ari-Zal Chabad.

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Sorry, but what is your source that k'rias "sh'ma" replaced tikun chatzos? – msh210♦ Mar 13 '12 at 6:36
That sentence is asking Hashem to help us wake up for tikkun chatzos, which implies that it and kerias Shema are two different things. (It is true that in more recent siddurim that line is unvoweled, but I suspect that that's precisely because most people don't get up for tikkun chatzos, so it would be a prayer in vain.) – Alex Mar 13 '12 at 14:50
@Alex - What is wrong with a prayer if that prayer is to help one serve Hashem? I thought that Nedarim like that are considered chizuk b'alma and not problematic in the first place because we made a vow at Har Sinai when there was the national Kabbalas HaTorah. – Adam Mosheh Mar 13 '12 at 15:51
There are sichos from the Rebbe, I will try to find specific ones. The Rebbe Rashab in Ch.11 of Kuntres HaTefillah speaks about Tikkun Chatzos even less frequently then the Alter Rebbe. I would like your source that the lack of vowels and lack of tikkun chatzos in newer publishings of Tehillahs Hashem is a printer choice and not based on what the Rebbe said. The Alter Rebbe even says in his S.A. that if your day is affected because of Tikkun Chatzos it is best not to say it or at least only say it once a week. – user1292 Mar 13 '12 at 16:08
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@mochinrechavim, until recent editions of the siddur the entire prayer was unvocalized, so any distinction between this sentence and the rest of the prayer must be of recent vintage. Perhaps it's based on a sicha of the Rebbe's; that I don't know. If you can find any sources, I'd be grateful. – Alex Mar 13 '12 at 16:22
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up vote 1 down vote

Amongst Sefaradi and Sefaradi Mekubalim it is very common. For the exact procedure, there is actually a Mahloket Aharonim. The Hida created a prayer called "Oy Li" while it seems that R' Yaakov Hilel Shelit"a quoting the Ben Ish Hai is opposed to it, but otherwise it is all the same (see Shaare Tefila 1:1. Ben Ish Hai Wayeshev 13. More Baesba 2:45. Amud HaHoraa 2:23).

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