Explanation of the 'Hamapil' Blessing
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Question
Hello, Could you please explain the words of the 'Hamapil' blessing?
Answer
The text as it appears in the Talmud, Babylonian Talmud (Berachot 60:), and there are many other versions:
The explanation is included in brackets:
Blessed is He who brings sleep
[sleep is like ropes that bind and close the eyes, Yaavetz],
upon my eyes, and slumber upon my eyelids. And illuminates the pupil of the eye
[when a person greatly desires to sleep, the pupil of his eye darkens. And when he sleeps a lot and wakes up, the pupil of his eye brightens. Abudraham].
May it be Your will, Lord my God, that You lay me down in peace, and grant me my portion in Your Torah, and accustom me to a mitzvah
[that I should be accustomed to performing mitzvot],
and do not accustom me to a transgression, and do not bring me to sin, nor to iniquity, nor to temptation, nor to disgrace, and let the good inclination rule over me and not the evil inclination, and save me from a bad occurrence and bad illnesses, and let not bad dreams and bad thoughts disturb me, and let my bed be complete before You
[that no unworthy son should be born from me],
and enlighten my eyes lest I sleep the sleep of death
[that I should arise from this sleep, and not die and let this be a sleep forever]
, blessed are You, Lord, who illuminates the entire world with His glory
[by the will of the Lord, He illuminates the world and awakens them from their sleep].
Source
Berachot 60: