Q. Should one go to sleep early, at the expense of learning Torah, in order to wake up early and be from the asara rishonim the next day? (He will learn before Shacharis, but maybe learning more at night is a bigger mitzvah, and maybe one shouldn’t push off a mitzvah and should rather learn as much as possible at night?)

A. Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is that since this type of question depends on other personal issues, such as the quality of learning and remembering at different times of the day or the nature of the material being learned, as well as the personal awareness changing daily condition etc. there is no straight forward answer to this question.

A competent Rabbi familiar with the individual and his situation and environment should be consulted.

The Rov compared this shaila to the Talmud’s unresolved question (Zevachim 91a) of what has priority; todir (a constant or everyday mitzva) as compared to mekudash (one of higher holiness). Rambam (H. Temidim Umusafim 9: 2), rules that one should follow his personal need or desire.

 
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as advised by Horav Shlomo Miller and Horav Aharon Miller Shlit’a