In my last article, I asked you to imagine that your start your day in the evening as the sun begins to set and the stars begin to come out. To support this idea, I drew your attention to a verse in the Bible and commentary from the Talmud.
In Bereishit (Genesis 1:5) we read: “And G-d called the light day, and the darkness He called night, and it was evening and it was morning, one day.” This cycle of evening and morning repeats for each day of Creation, ending with, “And God saw all that He had made, and behold it was very good, and it was evening and it was morning, the sixth day”
On the seventh day, we know that G-d rested and later in the Torah, he commanded us to do the same.
The Talmud states that we are meant to sleep for 6-8 hours each night and to sleep during the day if doing so will help us serve G-d more effectively. Serving G-d in this context, means to have the energy and capacity to create a dwelling place for G-d on earth through the mitzvahs. We typically think of mitzvahs as good deeds, but the actual translation is closer to commandment and connection. In other words, we connect with G-d by acknowledging that all things come from G-d (including our talents and abilities), by treating the world around us with respect, and by doing good deeds for others.
Sometimes doing good deeds for others actually means not doing something. In Vayikra (Leviticus 19:14)we read the command, “You shall not curse a deaf person. You shall not place a stumbling block before a blind person”. I chose this verse because literally it makes sense, and figuratively it could be interpreted as do not give harmful advice or stand in someone’s way of fulfilling their purpose. (You can find the mitzvahs throughout the Torah, or take a short cut to read a short commentary followed by the 613 commandments compiled by Maimonides.)
Although there is no actual mitzvah concerning sleep, it makes sense that if we do not take care of our need for rest, we will not be fully awake and engaged during the day; we will be focused on just getting through the day instead of on the bigger picture of how we are connected to everything and everyone around us. At a practical level, we will miss opportunities to do mitzvahs for others.
On the other hand, when we’re well rested, our minds work more quickly and we have the capacity to give more of ourselves in thought and deed. We may even be able to sense the needs of others and find ways to make a positive difference in their lives. A mitzvah doesn’t have to be a big deal; it’s the little things that count.
As I said in my last article, it was during my last trip to Calgary for Passover that I heard Rabbi Miller talk about the significance of starting our day with the evening. I close with this excerpt from his sermon: “The Torah’s approach is that night-time, the time of sleep and relaxation, is the time to recharge our batteries, to be strong and well-rested in order to be able to achieve something of value during the coming day. So one approach is to work in order to sleep, while the other is to sleep in order to work. And the order makes all the difference in the world.”
Fiona Prince, MA is a coach, facilitator and teacher who provides fundamental communication and writing skills to help people succeed in their professional and academic lives. She worships at the Chabad Family Shul where she volunteers teaching children and adults how to read Hebrew. Sign-up for weekly communication tips at www.princeheron.com. To learn to read Hebrew, contact her at [email protected]. (Morah means teacher and Faiga is her Hebrew name).
You can read more articles from our interfaith blog, Spiritually Speaking, HERE
