“The amount of sleep required by the average person is five minutes more.”
Wilson Mizener – American Playwright
The Talmud teaches that when we sleep at night, our souls go up to the Heavens for a daily accounting. In a certain spiritual way, this leaves our bodies “unprotected.” In order to try and counterbalance our temporary lack of protection, we recite the following blessing: “Blessed are You, Hashem, our G-d, King of the Universe, Who casts the bonds of sleep upon my eyes, and slumber upon my eyelids. May it be Your will, Hashem, my G-d and G-d of my forefathers, that You lay me down to sleep in peace, and raise me up in peace. May my thoughts, bad dreams, and bad notions not confound me. May my offspring be perfect before You, and may You illuminate my eyes lest I die in sleep. Blessed are You, Hashem, Who illuminates the entire world with His glory.”
Our blessing begins with our declaring that Hashem “casts the bonds of sleep upon my eyes, and slumber upon my eyelids.” In the final blessing of the Morning Blessings, we thank Hashem, “Who removes sleep from my eyes and slumber from my eyelids.” As our day begins, we thank Hashem for giving us back our lives. And, now, as we end our day, we mirror that blessing and thank Hashem for the incredible gift of sleep. It is sleep that allows us to recuperate from the ordeals of the day. And it is sleep that lets us recharge ourselves so that we will have the strength to face the new day.
We then continue with a request that we “sleep in peace.” This is referring to being able to sleep in physical safety. Then we ask, “May my thoughts, bad dreams, and bad notions not confound me.” The Rabbis explain that we are entreating Hashem that our dreams should not be tainted by any improper thoughts we may have had during the day. As Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch writes, we should wake up in the morning, “Unencumbered by those influences that would be inimical to our life and endeavors during our waking hours on the day to come. G-d, Who calls us to sleep and summons us to awaken, has it within His power also to grant us peace in and for both sleeping and waking.”
Because our souls have been taken to the Heavens as we sleep, the Talmud teaches (Pesachim 57b) that while asleep we are considered to be partially dead. When we are asleep, we are in a state of unawareness. We lack any clarity to see and connect to Hashem. For this reason we ask of Hashem, “May You illuminate my eyes lest I die in sleep.” Not necessarily death as in the end of life. But, also a reference to existing in this world in a state of spiritual “death,” the most terrible reality of all – being disconnected from the true Source of life.
Napoleon Bonaparte would sleep for only a few hours each night. Someone once asked him why he slept so little. He replied, “When I am awake, I am the king of the world. When I am asleep, I am no different from any other foot soldier!”
The Prophet Yeshayah in 42:18 declares, “Deaf ones, listen! Blind ones, see!” The Chidushei HaRim asks how it is possible for the deaf to hear and for the blind to see. He answers that Yeshayah is referring to those who are deaf and blind to spirituality. That is why the Prophet continues (ibid. 20), “Seeing much but heeding not. Opening ears but hearing not.” The Chidushei HaRim explains that in each person’s life there are moments so spiritually lofty, that with just the most minimal effort, even one who is “deaf” can hear, and one who is “blind” can see.
Our blessing is beseeching Hashem that our place is not to be with those who are deaf and blind to Him. Rather, we will hear and see Hashem’s Majesty in everything that we do.
To be continued...
*Please note that there are two differing opinions about when the blessing is recited. Either it should be said at the beginning (Rambam Hilchot Tefillah 7:1), or the second possibility is that it is said at the very end of Kriat Shema al Hamitah (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 239:1).
