You all certainly know the joke about the Rabbi who is dismayed to discover that he has lost his place in heaven to an Israeli Eged bus driver. God explains to the rabbi, “The bus driver is more deserving. During your lifetime, whenever you did your job (i.e. giving a sermon) everyone fell asleep, but when the bus driver did his job, everyone stayed awake and prayed!”

If I do indeed put you to sleep, I no longer feel bad about it. In fact, I am downright proud of myself. Everyday we are learning more and more about the danger inherent in not getting enough sleep. Sleep deprivation leads to auto accidents and decreased productivity in the short run, but in the long run it is associated with shorter life span, weight gain, and decreased immune system leaving us more susceptible to colds, diabetes, cancer and even mental disorders. Aside from issues of health, lack of sleep continues to be a general concern of people today. In a recent survey conducted by ModernMom.com, the following question was posed to mothers— ”If you had an extra hour each day, what would you do?” The far and away number one answer (given by 36%) was that they would use the extra hour to sleep. Exactly half as many (18%) said they would spend that extra hour with a spouse and/or children.

I raise the issue of sleep for a number of reasons. First of all, those who know me well know that I don’t get enough sleep. It’s just one of my bad habits that I need to conquer. Like eating right and exercise, sleep is just one of those things that we all need to set aside time for and make a priority. It’s not a matter of personal taste, but rather truly a clear and unambiguous proper behavior.

What I also bring to your attention is that sleep plays a significant role in Judaism. From the beginning of the creation story, when God declared that there is to be a distinction between night and day, darkness and light, it was understood that our sleeping many hours each day was a part of God’s plan. The Talmud (Nedarim 15b) states that: One is not permitted to take an oath swearing, “I will not sleep.” This would be the same as swearing, “I will not eat,” or “I will not breathe.”

In the Siddur, we acknowledge that waking up in the morning is like coming back to life each and every day. We are grateful to God for returning our life to us, body and soul. The frightening part about this concept is the implication that sleep is a “near death” experience. But the other side of this description is that sleep is a time of being closer to God. In fact the Talmud (Berakhot 57b) declares that dreaming is one-sixtieth the experience of prophecy. If we are looking for God’s presence in our lives, waiting to hear God’s word, one good place to begin is by turning off the computer and/or the television and going to bed!

Of course there is also a connection between sleep and Shabbat. Not only is Shabbat a good day to catch up on sleep missed during the week, Shabbat is to the week what sleep is to each day – more than just a physical rest, but a time to truly refresh our souls!