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know any evil” (Ecclesiastes 8:5). Since it is our bond to Hashem that Psychological Health every day always the work of Creation” (siddur), and only He has
gives us life, this is clear and self-evident. the power to renew a person’s abilities, intellect, mind and faith.
Similarly, you must know that sleeping little in order to learn
It should be noted that everything stated here applies equally to Torah and serve Hashem is not at all harmful. The Ben Ish Chai As noted above, sleep is death. Is it possible that death will
men and to women. As the Ben Ish Chai states: “The book, Ruach states (Vayishlach 301): give life? Only Hashem gives life. We receive life from clinging to
Chaim, quotes a famous sage as saying that ‘early to bed and early Hashem and not from being disconnected from Hashem. As the
to rise makes a person wealthy, healthy and strong.’ Since women A person should not think that the more he sleeps, the verse states, “You who cling to Hashem your God are alive, all of
are always doing work for a few hours in the evening, it is advisable more helpful that is to the body, because outstanding you today” (Deuteronomy 4:4). Conversely, sleep is a disconnection
that they accustom themselves to go to sleep at the beginning of physicians have universally agreed that every night a from Hashem. Can a disconnection from the Life of lives bring life?
the night and get up before dawn to their work. Therefore, the
verse states, ‘She gets up while it is still night and gives food to person should not sleep less than six hours and not more Everyone knows that sometimes he sleeps a long time yet wakes
her household’ (Proverbs 31:15)” (ibid.). In this verse praising the than eight hours, because much sleep will harm him. All up tired, and sometimes he sleeps for half an hour and wakes up
woman of valor, King Solomon does not say that she goes to sleep of the doctors agree that more than eight hours of sleep refreshed and filled with energy. The Torah states: “Not by bread
late but that she sleeps early and gets up energetically before dawn. harms the body, and a person who sleeps six hours has alone does a person live, but by everything that comes from the
fulfilled his obligation for the health of his body. mouth of Hashem does a person live” (Deuteronomy 8:3). In the
Do Not Lose a Single Night [This indicates that we go to sleep only to fulfill our same way, we can say, “Not by sleep alone does a person live, but
obligation and not because we have a desire to do so, by everything that comes from the mouth of Hashem.” Thus, the
In addition, when a person sleeps little, he will use his nights heaven forbid.] desire to sleep and the thought that we receive energy and life from
to learn Torah, and it is known that learning at night is more sleeping constitute an absolute lack of faith.
significant and elevated than learning during the day. Our sages Therefore, a Jew, being obligated to take care of
state that “the moon was created only for learning” (Eiruvin 65a), the health of his holy soul, should not sleep more We Connect to Life
the Rambam famously writes that “a person learns the majority of than six hours, since he fulfills his obligation to
his wisdom only at night” (Talmud Torah 3), and the Ben Ish Chai maintain the health of his body with that. And The evil inclination perverts a person’s conceptions. People say:
states that midnight to mid-day constitutes the best time to learn during the remaining hours of the night, he should “I am dying of exhaustion, I have to sleep.” A person thinks that
Torah. (And see Igeret L’ven Torah by the Rishon Letzion, attend to the health of his soul by learning Torah. since he is tired, he will be restored by sleeping. Do you think
Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, in which he has assembled and anthologized However, should it occur on some night that he sleeps that sleep will give you life and energy? You must know that this
wonderful sources regarding learning Torah at night.) thought is heretical. Can sleep give life? Only Hashem can give
less than six hours, which is necessary for the health of life. What gives life? Only a person’s connection with Hashem and
Related to our topic, the Rambam states in Hilchot Talmud his body, and he adds to the hours necessary for the his clinging to Hashem. What causes tiredness? Only a person’s
Torah that “the words of Torah do not remain with a person who health of his soul, certainly this will not harm him and disconnection from Hashem.
is relaxed about them, nor with those who learn out of luxury and cause any loss to the health of his body. Therefore, on
out of eating and drinking, but with a person who kills himself over Friday night, the eve of rosh chodesh, the nights of the You must understand clearly that if you are tired, that is not a
them, constantly afflicts his body and does not give sleep to his month of Elul, the Ten Days of Teshuvah and the like, if result of a lack of sleep but of being disconnected from Hashem.
eyes and slumber to his eyelids” (3:12). a person sleeps less than six hours, he may be assured What causes tiredness? Every minute of the day in which a
that he will not detract from his bodily health. person forgets Hashem causes tiredness. Tiredness is not a
And also (ibid. 13): “Although it is a mitzvah to learn day and physiological condition but suffering that comes as heavenly
night, a person only learns the majority of his wisdom at Therefore, when a person reduces his amount of sleep and uses punishment for having disregarded the mitzvah of faith and clinging
night. Therefore, a person who wants to attain the crown of Torah that time to serve Hashem, his bodily health will not suffer. As to Hashem. Sleep is not a solution, because sleep is a continuation
should take care regarding all of his nights and not lose even the verse states: “A person who keeps the commandment will not and deepening of the disconnection from Hashem. The true solution