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Psychological Health every day always the work of Creation” (siddur), and only He has
the power to renew a person’s abilities, intellect, mind and faith.
Similarly, you must know that sleeping little in order to learn
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
states (Vayishlach 301): give life? Only Hashem gives life. We receive life from clinging to
Hashem and not from being disconnected from Hashem. As the
A person should not think that the more he sleeps, the verse states, “You who cling to Hashem your God are alive, all of
more helpful that is to the body, because outstanding you today” (Deuteronomy 4:4). Conversely, sleep is a disconnection
physicians have universally agreed that every night a from Hashem. Can a disconnection from the Life of lives bring life?
person should not sleep less than six hours and not more Everyone knows that sometimes he sleeps a long time yet wakes
than eight hours, because much sleep will harm him. All up tired, and sometimes he sleeps for half an hour and wakes up
of the doctors agree that more than eight hours of sleep refreshed and filled with energy. The Torah states: “Not by bread
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
[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
heaven forbid.] desire to sleep and the thought that we receive energy and life from
sleeping constitute an absolute lack of faith.
Therefore, a Jew, being obligated to take care of
the health of his holy soul, should not sleep more We Connect to Life
than six hours, since he fulfills his obligation to
maintain the health of his body with that. And The evil inclination perverts a person’s conceptions. People say:
during the remaining hours of the night, he should “I am dying of exhaustion, I have to sleep.” A person thinks that
attend to the health of his soul by learning Torah. since he is tired, he will be restored by sleeping. Do you think
However, should it occur on some night that he sleeps that sleep will give you life and energy? You must know that this
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
his body, and he adds to the hours necessary for the his clinging to Hashem. What causes tiredness? Only a person’s
health of his soul, certainly this will not harm him and disconnection from Hashem.
cause any loss to the health of his body. Therefore, on
Friday night, the eve of rosh chodesh, the nights of the You must understand clearly that if you are tired, that is not a
month of Elul, the Ten Days of Teshuvah and the like, if result of a lack of sleep but of being disconnected from Hashem.
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
physiological condition but suffering that comes as heavenly
Therefore, when a person reduces his amount of sleep and uses punishment for having disregarded the mitzvah of faith and clinging
that time to serve Hashem, his bodily health will not suffer. As to Hashem. Sleep is not a solution, because sleep is a continuation
the verse states: “A person who keeps the commandment will not and deepening of the disconnection from Hashem. The true solution