A nigun I wrote(sound quality cut because of file size)
Has anyone heard of this devotion? Who does it today? Why? How come I don't hear about it? Is this done only by great Tzaddikim? Having just closed up my Mishna Berurah, obviously the Chafetz Chaim thought this practice to be very important. He speaks of it highly. Chaverim, before I quote sefarim 
on this subject, why don't we warm up your neshama with a story. Please take your mind & heart back a generation into the 18th century in Syria. (Just make sure to bring extra batteries for your Time-Machine)~~~~~ Rabbi Avraham Entabi was the Rav of the city Aram Tzova in Syria. He wrote as follows: "In my youth there was a Rabbi in the town called R. Yedidiah ben Dayan, who took it upon himself to rise before Chatzos & walk through the streets together with the synagogue sextons. They would knock at the doors of the houses of all the Jews telling them to get up and come to shul. Hashem was with him, & practically no-one let him down.
I can say safely that the majority of our community used to get up after Chatzos and come to Shul. The people sat in groups. There was a group of young scholars who used to sit learning Gemara(Talmud), some studied Shulchan Oruch, some Zohar, while others learned Mussar. Every Thursday night there were some who spent the whole night in the shul. Before Shabbos, Rabbi Yedidiah would bring sufficient oil to light up the entire shul., and practically the entire community would come during the night and recite all the psalms in unison. They followed with reciting the Song of Songs.. "I can testify that the entire time they abided by this practice, `The children of Israel had light in their dwellings(Exodus 10,23).' Throughout those years there were no tragedies, and not a single Jew came to any harm. It was a period of prosperity & plenty. People were free of worry. No-one died before his time. Of that generation, I say, `And your people are all Tzaddikim'(Isaiah 60,21)(Korban Isheh,intro)English trans,BRI
~~~~~~~~~Before taking this down, lets increase the temp a little more. It is brought in the holy Zohar (1,231) At midnight when the impulse from this world arrives on high, Hashem arouses all the hosts of the heaven for lamentation & strikes the firmament, thereby causing the upper and lower worlds to quake. There is no respite except when those below begin to study words of Torah. Hashem and all those with him listen with joy to that voice learning(saying Tikkun Chatzos(as well I would imagine), and relief is felt. It is also said in (Z,1,92), Happy the portion of the person who rises at that hour to study with zest the holy Torah. Hashem brings forth to him a tread of grace which secures him protection of both the higher and lower angels. As it is said in the psalms, By day the Hashem will command his grace and at night I shall chant his song". Reb Hizkiah said, `Whoever studies Torah at that hour will constantly have a portion in the future world.'
King David truly understood the importance of this hour as he constantly spoke of this often in the psalms. "At midnight I will rise to give thanks to thee(119,62)". Also psalms(57,9), "Awake my soul, awake lyre & harp, I will awaken the dawn". King Solomon speaks of this in Lamentations(2,19),"Arise, cry out in the night at the beginning of the watches, pour out your heart like water in the presence of Hashem". We are told in Zohar Chai(Bereshit 77), If the Jewish people were careful to arise for Chatzos their enemies would be subdued. All of our suffering in this bitter exile is caused because of not getting up to study Torah & sing songs of praise after Chatzos. There is an important prayer said at this time to morn over the temples destruction. Its called Tikkun Chatzos. "This Tikkun has the power of redemption. It sweetens harsh decrees(Likutey Moharan1,149)". Reb Nachman said once, "A JEWS MAIN DEVOTION IS TO GET UP FOR CHATZOS(Sichos Haran,301)".
His disciple R. Noson Z'L stated in Likutey Halachos(one of the greatest sefarim written, yet unknown by many),"Just as the Exodus from Egypt began at Chatzos, so too the final redemption will begin at Chatzos. Reb Lopian began to say Tikkun Chatzos in his later years. When one of his students asked him why, he responded, When I leave this world & come before the Heavenly Tribunal, they will ask me if I kept the Shulchon Oruch and presumably I'll say I did. They're sure to say, Lets check, & they'll probably start going through the Shulchan Oruch section by section, law by law. If they catch me on some detail after about 2 hundred sections, I might be able to come up with an answer. But what am I going to say if they catch me on the very first section(R. Stern, Mashgiach, Kaminetz)? It says in Tanya (Igeres Hteshuvah,chapt.10), It is advised that that the time for teshuvah tata'a(to arouse divine compassion), is designated at Tikkun Chatzos. "Whoever cannot do this nightly should maintain an absolute minimum of once every week, before the Shabbos(Thursday night)". Reb Shneur Zalman also says that a person should realize that through his sins he wrought the exile of the Shechinah(Tanya Ig-Hateshuvah ch.7). Reb Nachman says something similar, Perhaps in a previous incarnation we actually did cause the destruction of the Temple. Therefore, it is fitting that each of us makes certain that at least we are not responsible for the delay in rebuilding it. Therefore, we must make the effort to get up for Chatzos & mourn the destruction of the Temple. Hashem has promised to reward all those who mourn by allowing them to witness the rebuilding of the temple and Jerusalem(Likutey Maharan II,67). In this lesson 67, it also compares the Holy Temple to our own daat(knowledge). When someone's mind(daat) is pure, it is as if the Temple were built. However, when man's mind is blemished, then this is indicative of the destruction of the Holy Temple.
The Yerushalmi, Yoma 1:1, puts forth the following point, If the Temple is not built in one's days, then it is as if it was destroyed in our lifetime. My friends, this forgotten, untalked about practice is truly the Main Devotion of every Jew as quoted above. The Chassidic Masters, Kabbalists, and even simple folks have been rising at this auspicious time for thousands of Generations. Moshe Rabbenu, David Hamelech, the Arizal, Baal Shem Tov, Reb Levi Yitzchok. This is only to name a few. Throughout the whole Zohar Reb Shimon & his disciples constantly over & over again speak of this practice. This was a fundamental part of there lives. Few devoted pious people sleep through such an awesome time for the Heavens above & the world below. I cant remember where it is, but I once saw that study at this time is comparable to countless hours of daytime study. One is of-course not to miss the proper times of davening in the morning.
It was the practice of most Tzaddikim to sleep during the early evening & arise at chatzos and learn till morning. Daven Naitz, learn a few more minutes & take a short nap. But one is instructed to do the best they can. Even if it mean waking up later in the night past chatzos saying the Tikkun & going back to sleep. At the very least, many of us find ourselves sleepless or awakening accidentally at night, why not begin to follow this practice on those nights. Another great effect of this practice is that it brings one to really focus on the tachlis (purpose)of life. In Kedushas Levi it says, When a person has holy thoughts & mourns over Jerusalem, his thoughts and very essence are bound up with holiness. Through this practice, even today, one can see & experience something of the joy of Jerusalem as it will be in the time to come.
May it be his will that it will be soon in our days. One of the publishing companies that put out this sefer with explanations & more information is Breslov Research Institute. One can also find it in very complete sidurim. But BRI translates this into English as well & explains how to actualize this practice.
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