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minutes, to lying in bed. Remember: the will to sleep is a will to know any evil” (Ecclesiastes 8:5). Since it is our bond to Hashem that Psychological Health
burn up life. The will to sleep is like suicide. gives us life, this is clear and self-evident.
Similarly, you must know that sleeping little in order to learn
A Repeat Investment It should be noted that everything stated here applies equally to Torah and serve Hashem is not at all harmful. The Ben Ish Chai
men and to women. As the Ben Ish Chai states: “The book, Ruach states (Vayishlach 301):
Chaim, quotes a famous sage as saying that ‘early to bed and early
When a person beseeches Hashem for half an hour every day to
nullify his craving for sleep so that he will sleep only the necessary to rise makes a person wealthy, healthy and strong.’ Since women A person should not think that the more he sleeps, the
minimum for his well-being and so that he will fall asleep in the are always doing work for a few hours in the evening, it is advisable more helpful that is to the body, because outstanding
that they accustom themselves to go to sleep at the beginning of
midst of holy intentions and yearnings, then even if he sleeps just physicians have universally agreed that every night a
half an hour less than he had before, he has already “covered his the night and get up before dawn to their work. Therefore, the person should not sleep less than six hours and not more
verse states, ‘She gets up while it is still night and gives food to
expenses.” But really, with that he earns a tremendous profit, her household’ (Proverbs 31:15)” (ibid.). In this verse praising the than eight hours, because much sleep will harm him. All
because instead of burning up half an hour in sleep he has prayed of the doctors agree that more than eight hours of sleep
and engaged in deep intentions for half an hour—and one cannot woman of valor, King Solomon does not say that she goes to sleep harms the body, and a person who sleeps six hours has
late but that she sleeps early and gets up energetically before dawn.
imagine the great profit in that itself. Moreover, if he takes these fulfilled his obligation for the health of his body.
matters to heart and applies himself assiduously to the work of the
will, he will certainly earn a great many more hours of waking time Do Not Lose a Single Night [This indicates that we go to sleep only to fulfill our
every day. obligation and not because we have a desire to do so,
In addition, when a person sleeps little, he will use his nights heaven forbid.]
Therefore, you cannot say, “I am already praying for so many to learn Torah, and it is known that learning at night is more
things that I don’t have time to pray half an hour on the topic of significant and elevated than learning during the day. Our sages Therefore, a Jew, being obligated to take care of
sleep,” because the time that you invest in praying about sleep state that “the moon was created only for learning” (Eiruvin 65a), the health of his holy soul, should not sleep more
will not be deducted from your account. From that you will the Rambam famously writes that “a person learns the majority of than six hours, since he fulfills his obligation to
profit immediately. And in addition, you will earn multiples upon his wisdom only at night” (Talmud Torah 3), and the Ben Ish Chai maintain the health of his body with that. And
multiples. If you make a simple reckoning, you will realize that it states that midnight to mid-day constitutes the best time to learn during the remaining hours of the night, he should
is very much worth your while to invest half an hour every day in Torah. (And see Igeret L’ven Torah by the Rishon Letzion, attend to the health of his soul by learning Torah.
praying for the nullification of the craving for sleep—in addition to Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, in which he has assembled and anthologized However, should it occur on some night that he sleeps
your regular hour of hitbodedut—because with this half hour, you wonderful sources regarding learning Torah at night.) less than six hours, which is necessary for the health of
will gain more hours every day.
Related to our topic, the Rambam states in Hilchot Talmud his body, and he adds to the hours necessary for the
Only Hashem Gives Life Torah that “the words of Torah do not remain with a person who health of his soul, certainly this will not harm him and
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
Until now, I have mentioned straightforward considerations them, constantly afflicts his body and does not give sleep to his
regarding the advisability of sleeping no more than necessary, in eyes and slumber to his eyelids” (3:12). month of Elul, the Ten Days of Teshuvah and the like, if
accordance with simple common sense. But there is also a wonderful a person sleeps less than six hours, he may be assured
inner aspect and very deep wisdom of faith regarding sleep: sleep And also (ibid. 13): “Although it is a mitzvah to learn day and that he will not detract from his bodily health.
is an illusion. A person who thinks that sleep revives and renews night, a person only learns the majority of his wisdom at
him is living a life of heresy. Hashem is the Life of lives. Thus, only night. Therefore, a person who wants to attain the crown of Torah Therefore, when a person reduces his amount of sleep and uses
He gives and renews life. Only Hashem “renews with His goodness should take care regarding all of his nights and not lose even that time to serve Hashem, his bodily health will not suffer. As
the verse states: “A person who keeps the commandment will not