The Short Vort

Good Morning!

Today is Thursday the 13th of January 202 and the 11th of Shevat 5782

“If Not Now, Then When?”- Hillel

The announcement came quick and unexpected. The gates of the Holy Land were once again open for anyone.

I am on winter break from Touro College, and honestly,  these last two weeks have been personally and communally rough, to say the least.

I decided on Sunday to purchase a ticket; I waited to leave on Tuesday to not lose out on my weekly Parsha Shiur on Monday.

I purchased the last ticket in the last row adjacent to the lavatory.

However, I did not care; I was going home.

The plane left at 4:10 PM on Tuesday (I think it was Tuesday, although I am unsure what happened to Wednesday of this week).

The plane was off to 36,000 feet, and everywhere I looked around, everyone was fast asleep.

Everyone except me!

Even the nice stewardess came over and said, “I am so sorry you are not sleeping. Can I offer you some kosher wine?” I accepted her offer. However, I remained wide awake.

She returned about an hour later to find me still wide-eyed and not to so bushy-tailed.

This time she suggested, “Maybe watch a little TV, that always puts me to sleep.”

I thanked her. However, I had no interest in having my mind infested with pernicious thoughts, so I smiled, said thank you, and remained awake.

When we landed in Tel Aviv at 9:30 in the morning on Wednesday, I went straight to my lodgings, unpacked, davened Mincha, and was overwhelmed by the greatest “tired-attack” known to man.

At 1 PM, I collapsed in my bed.

The phone rang numerous times; the doorbell chirped; however, the world stopped existing for me.

I was in another world.

I was in the pleasurable world, a gift of Hashem called sleep.

Sleep, unfortunately, gets a bad rap among some people.

Some people incorrectly assume that the less a person sleeps, the more productive they are.

We know that this is not only medically unsound advice; it is anti-Torah.

Rambam writes, “A day and night together lasts 24 hours. It is sufficient that a person sleep one-third of that time, which is eight hours.” (Hilchos De’os 4:4)

People skimp on their sleep which is skimping on your health.

An eye witness told me he was present at the Chasunah of a great Talmid Chochom close to  Rav Moshe Feinstein Zt”l.

The wedding was delayed. After a few minutes of additional waiting, Rav Moshe approached the Baal Simcha and said, “I am sorry. I must leave now. I must have a certain amount of sleep to function and serve Hashem properly.”

I woke up from my sleep at 6:30 PM.

I was awake and refreshed to daven Maariv, spend quality time with my grandchildren, and enjoy my daughter-in-law’s world-famous Shakshuka.

It’s good to sleep.

It’s even better to sleep in Eretz Yisroel!

Ron Yitzchok Eisenman

Rabbi

Congregation Ahavas Israel

Passaic, NJ