If a person went to sleep at night, and then woke up in the middle of the night, he must recite Birkot Ha'Torah if he wishes to learn Torah. His sleep ended the effectiveness of the previous morning's recitation of Birkot Ha'Torah, and therefore, even though it is still nighttime, he must recite Birkot Ha'Torah before learning Torah. The Poskim debate the question of whether this person must repeat Birkot Ha'Torah if he recited Birkot Ha'Torah after Hasot (Halachic midnight), and then goes back to sleep and wakes up in the morning. It is clear that if he remains awake until the morning, then the recitation of Birkot Ha'Torah in the middle of the night (after Hasot) remains in effect during the day. If, however, he goes back to sleep before morning, it is possible that this new sleep ends the effectiveness of his recitation of Birkot Ha'Torah, such that he must recite the blessings anew in the morning. This could easily happen on Friday night in the winter months, when Shabbat starts early, and many people go to bed right after dinner, which could be as early as 8pm or so. A person might likely wake up in the middle of the night and stay up for a while before going back to sleep until morning. If he recited Birkot Ha'Torah in the middle of the night (after Hasot) so he could learn Torah, must he repeat Birkot Ha'Torah when he wakes up in the morning? We should clarify that this question arises only if the individual went back to sleep before dawn – meaning, before the point of Alot Ha'shahar (when the first rays of light appear in the eastern sky). If a person remained awake until Alot Ha'shahar, and then went back to sleep, then according to all opinions, he does not repeat Birkot Ha'Torah when he wakes up. This case is no different from that of a person who recited Birkot Ha'Torah in the morning, as usual, and took a nap during the day. As we discussed in an earlier installment, the accepted practice is not to recite Birkot Ha'Torah after waking from a nap during the day. Likewise, if one recited Birkot Ha'Torah after waking in the middle of the night (after Hasot), and then went back to sleep after Alot Ha'shahar, he does not repeat Birkot Ha'Torah when he wakes up. If the person went back to sleep before morning, according to many Poskim, he nonetheless does not recite Birkot Ha'Torah, because his recitation of the Birkot Ha'Torah during the night remains in effect. This is the view of the Rashash (Rav Shalom Sharabi, Yemen-Jerusalem, 1720-1777), the Kaf Ha'haim (Rav Yaakob Haim Sofer, Baghdad-Jerusalem, 1870-1939), and the Mishna Berura. Hacham Ben Sion Abba Shaul (Jerusalem, 1924-1998) concurred with this ruling. By contrast, the Peri Hadash (Rav Hizkiya Da Silva, 1659-1698) maintained that even if a person recited Birkot Ha'Torah after Hasot, going back to sleep during the night nullifies that recitation, such that he must repeat Birkot Ha'Torah in the morning. At first glance, we would assume that given the difference of opinion on this issue, we should apply the rule of "Safek Berachot Le'hakel," which says that we refrain from reciting a blessing if there is some uncertainty surrounding its necessity. Since many Poskim maintained that the person does not repeat Birkot Ha'Torah in the morning in such a case, he should, seemingly, not recite the blessings in deference to this view. However, Hacham Ovadia Yosef writes that the person in this situation should, in fact, recite Birkot Ha'Torah, in accordance with the ruling of the Peri Hadash. The reason is that in addition to this ruling of the Peri Hadash, there are opinions that any sleep – even a daytime nap – suffices to nullify the effectiveness of Birkot Ha'Torah, and the person must repeat Birkot Ha'Torah when he wakes up. There are thus two possible arguments for reciting this Beracha – the ruling of the Peri Hadash regarding one who goes back to sleep after midnight, and the view requiring the recitation of Birkot Ha'Torah after any nap. And, some opinions maintain that Birkot Ha'Torah differ from other blessings in that they are required Mi'de'orayta – on the level of Torah obligation. This recitation must therefore be treated more stringently, and so Hacham Ovadia felt that one who woke up in the middle of night, before or after Hasot, recited Birkot Ha'Torah, and then went back to sleep before morning, must repeat Birkot Ha'Torah upon awakening. Hacham Ovadia adds that when this person recites Birkot Ha'Torah during the night, he should have in mind that it should remain in effect only until he goes back to sleep, as this ensures that he would be required to repeat Birkot Ha'Torah after waking according to all opinions. Rav Yisrael Bitan cites a colleague who suggested that a person who wakes up in the middle of the night and wishes to learn Torah should recite only the first of the three blessings that comprise Birkot Ha'Torah, as this suffices to permit Torah learning. Then, after he goes back to sleep and wakes up in the morning, he will need to recite the other two Berachot according to all opinions. However, Rav Bitan questions the validity of this recommendation. He concludes that one should follow Hacham Ovadia's ruling – meaning, he should repeat Birkot Ha'Torah in the morning, and preferably have in mind when reciting the blessings during the night that they should remain in effect only until he goes back to sleep. Rav Bitan adds, however, that those who prefer not to repeat Birkot Ha'Torah in the morning have a firm basis on which to rely. As mentioned, this applies only if the person went back to sleep before Alot Ha'shahar. If, however, he remained awake until Alot Ha'shahar and then went back to sleep, according to all opinions he does not repeat Birkot Ha'Torah when he wakes up. Summary: If a person went to bed and then wakes up in the middle of the night and wishes to learn Torah, he must first recite Birkot Ha'Torah. If he then goes back to sleep before daybreak, he should repeat Birkot Ha'Torah upon waking in the morning. If it is after Hasot (Halachic midnight) when he recites Birkot Ha'Torah, then he should preferably have in mind for the recitation to remain in effect only until he goes back to sleep, so that he would be required to repeat Birkot Ha'Torah upon waking according to all opinions. If the person remains awake until daybreak (Alot Ha'shahar), and then goes back to sleep, he does not repeat Birkot Ha'Torah after he wakes up.