The Wonder of Sleep

Humans spend roughly one-third of their lives asleep, but sleep researchers still don't know why.

The Talmud-Book of Law says that sleep is a 60th of death and while the person sleeps a small amount of life is left in the body to continue bodily functions. When we die the soul leaves the body and the body falls back into its constituent parts back into the earth.

It is the soul which enlivens the body, but periodically needs to leave the body and return to heaven for rejuvenation reemerging with new vitality. It also says in the Talmud-Book of Law that a person can not go seven days without dreaming or they will die. Between sleeping and dying is passing out.

There was once a Rebbe who came to America during the Second World War and spoke in New York about sleep, later he traveled to Chicago and spoke about passing out–if he had come to California he assuredly would have spoken about dying. These three levels of unconsciousness are metaphors of how aware and sensitive one is to their soul.

According to the Cabala when awoken from sleep the spirit of uncleanliness remains on the hands, particularly the fingernails and therefore Jewish Law proscribes washes the hands upon awakening.