Jews, in other words, those who are Jewish from birth, and who became an adherent of the monotheistic religion of Judaism, must adhere to certain sleep rules, which are written both in the Torah and in other religious laws.
For example, Rav Shlomo Ganzfried did not recommend sleeping in an excessively hot or cold place, and also advised not to sleep alone if possible. But if you still have to fall asleep alone, it is better to open the door or turn on the night lamp.
Developing this theme, Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon forbade Jews to sleep during the day and go to bed at night before three or four hours after the last meal.
Proper undressing
Before going to sleep, Jews are ordered to take off their clothes. However, in this seemingly not tricky business, everything is not so simple, because, according to Jewish religious laws, recorded by Rav Shlomo Ganzfried in the book "Kitzur Shulkhan Aruch", you first need to expose the left side of the body, and then the right.
The same rule applies to the process of getting rid of shoes, which is prohibited by the Talmud to sleep in (Yoma 78 b), since it is believed that those who fall asleep with their shoes on tastes death. This taboo applies to both women and men, who, moreover, cannot put removed things under their heads, because by doing so they contribute to the quick forgetting of knowledge.
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How to sleep
In the edition of "The Laws of Jewish Life" written by Branover and Levin, it is noted that Jews are supposed to fall asleep on their left side, and wake up on their right, and in no case lie on their backs or stomachs. These limitations have a functional background, since it is believed that in such a resting position, all human organs work in the correct mode, and the body has time to recuperate.
When a person falls asleep on the left side, the liver on the right presses with its mass on the stomach, taking away some of the heat from it and helping fast digestion. When he turns over on his right side, the liver is in a state of rest, which contributes to better elimination of toxins.
In order not to disrupt the mode of operation of internal organs, you should not constantly turn from one side to the other, but it is better to accustom yourself to fall asleep and wake up on the appropriate sides.
Sleep abduction
In the Jewish tradition, there is the concept of "gezel shena", which can be translated from Hebrew as "sleep abduction." This phrase is used when a sleeping person is awakened without an important reason. According to Rabbi Yisrael Salanter, such an act is prohibited by the Torah, which says “love your neighbor as yourself” (Vayikra 19, 18) and “do not offend one another” (Vayikra 25, 17).
"Sleep abduction" is considered a greater atrocity than a real robbery, since a person who has stolen something from the owner can ultimately return the stolen item, and it is impracticable to make up for the disturbed sleep.
When you can't sleep
In the Jewish calendar there is a rolling holiday of the Giving of the Torah - Shavuot, when all Jews are forbidden to sleep at night. Instead of indulging in dreams, it is necessary to study the Torah and read passages from the collection "Correction on the night of Shavuot." On this sleepless night, they are trying to atone for the inappropriate behavior of their ancestors, who in ancient times fell asleep on the day when God gave them the Torah on Mount Sinai. This significant event took place on the 50th day of the Exodus from Egypt and how, as explained in the inner parts of Scripture, was done intentionally.
According to Brusilovski, the Jews, led by Moses, decided that in a dream, when the body has no power over the soul, they can get as close as possible to the Almighty and receive the Torah from him. The Lord understood the plan of people, but waited until everyone woke up and only then gave them the Sacred Law. Since those distant times, realizing the wrongness of their actions, the Jews on this date annually correct their mistake, without going to bed.
This tradition is described in the Book of Zohar, on the pages of which it is indicated that each student on this Torah night will receive seventy blessings and a special Heavenly crown from God, in addition, his name will be entered in a special Book of Memory.
Ashkhen Avanesova