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Shareהמליך אות ס' שינה
וקשר לו כתר
וצרפן זה בזה
וצר בו קשת בעולם
וכסלו בשנה
ומרה בנפש
זכר ונקבה.
[God] caused the letter samech ס to reign over the domain of Sleep,
attached to it a crown, and formed its correspondences;
Aligned it with the Bow [Sagittarius] in the cosmos,
Kislev in the year,
and the stomach in the person,
male and female.
(יד) סוֹמֵ֣ךְ ה׳ לְכׇל־הַנֹּפְלִ֑ים וְ֝זוֹקֵ֗ף לְכׇל־הַכְּפוּפִֽים׃
(14) The LORD supports somech all who stumble noflim,
and makes all who are bent stand straight.
אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: מִפְּנֵי מָה לֹא נֶאֱמַר נוּן בְּ״אַשְׁרֵי״ — מִפְּנֵי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ מַפַּלְתָּן שֶׁל שׂוֹנְאֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, דִּכְתִיב: ״נָפְלָה לֹא תוֹסִיף קוּם בְּתוּלַת יִשְׂרָאֵל״. בְּמַעְרְבָא מְתָרְצִי לַהּ הָכִי: ״נָפְלָה וְלֹא תּוֹסִיף לִנְפּוֹל עוֹד, קוּם בְּתוּלַת יִשְׂרָאֵל״. אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק: אֲפִילּוּ הָכִי, חָזַר דָּוִד וּסְמָכָן בְּרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״סוֹמֵךְ ה׳ לְכָל הַנֹּפְלִים״.
Additionally, with regard to this psalm, Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Why is there no verse beginning with the letter nun in ashrei? Because it contains an allusion to the downfall of the enemies of Israel, a euphemism for Israel itself. As it is written: “The virgin of Israel has fallen and she will rise no more; abandoned in her land, none will raise her up” (Amos 5:2), which begins with the letter nun. Due to this verse, ashrei does not include a verse beginning with the letter nun. … Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak adds: Even so, David went and provided support, through divine inspiration and the very next verse, which begins with the letter samekh, reads: “The Lord upholds the fallen and raises up those who are bowed down” (Psalms 145:14). Therefore, through divine inspiration, David offered hope and encouragement; although the virgin of Israel may have fallen, the Lord upholds the fallen.
(כב) וַיַּ֣עַשׂ מֹשֶׁ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה ה׳ אֹת֑וֹ וַיִּקַּ֣ח אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁ֗עַ וַיַּֽעֲמִדֵ֙הוּ֙ לִפְנֵי֙ אֶלְעָזָ֣ר הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְלִפְנֵ֖י כׇּל־הָעֵדָֽה׃ (כג)וַיִּסְמֹ֧ךְ אֶת־יָדָ֛יו עָלָ֖יו וַיְצַוֵּ֑הוּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר דִּבֶּ֥ר ה׳ בְּיַד־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ {פ}
Samech and Sleep
(ז) הִנֵּ֗ה מִטָּתוֹ֙ שֶׁלִּשְׁלֹמֹ֔ה שִׁשִּׁ֥ים גִּבֹּרִ֖ים סָבִ֣יב לָ֑הּ מִגִּבֹּרֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (ח) כֻּלָּם֙ אֲחֻ֣זֵי חֶ֔רֶב מְלֻמְּדֵ֖י מִלְחָמָ֑ה אִ֤ישׁ חַרְבּוֹ֙ עַל־יְרֵכ֔וֹ מִפַּ֖חַד בַּלֵּילֽוֹת׃ {ס}
(7) There is Solomon’s couch,
Encircled by sixty warriors
Of the warriors of Israel, (8) All of them trained in warfare,
Skilled in battle,
Each with sword on thigh
Because of terror by night.
Kislev in the Sefer Yetzirah: Releasing Control and Going to Sleep
Anyone who has experienced insomnia even once knows how precious the gift of sleep is. There is something wondrous about our ability to let go of it all and go under. We are able to cease standing guard, to close our eyes, to relinquish control and to enter the state of sleep. Thus in the Sefer Yetzirah sleep is thought of as one of the body-soul’s special abilities, ruled by the letter Samech and corresponding to Kislev in the year and Sagittarius among the constellations.
In order to go to sleep one must be able to relinquish control and to trust that everything will continue to proceed appropriately even if one closes one’s eyes. This, in my opinion, is the reason for the connection between the letter Samech and the ability to sleep. In order to succeed in going to sleep one needs to be able to trust - li’smoch - life.
Surrender is a central ingredient to sleeping peacefully, because as we relax into sleep we must release our control over our environment and our ability to respond to it. A person needs to allow himself to ‘die’ a little, to relinquish all personal authority and even survival instincts, in order to slip into the ‘nothingness’ of sleep.
The Name of the Month: Kislev
(כד) אִם־שַׂ֣מְתִּי זָהָ֣ב כִּסְלִ֑י וְ֝לַכֶּ֗תֶם אָמַ֥רְתִּי מִבְטַחִֽי׃
(24) Did I put my reliance kisli on gold, Or regard fine gold as my bulwark?
(ז) וְיָשִׂ֥ימוּ בֵאלֹקִ֗ים כִּ֫סְלָ֥ם וְלֹ֣א יִ֭שְׁכְּחוּ מַ֥עַלְלֵי־אֵ֑ל וּמִצְוֺתָ֥יו יִנְצֹֽרוּ׃
(7) that they might put their confidence kislam in God,
and not forget God’s great deeds,
but observe His commandments,
The name of the month, Kislev, contains within it the biblical word kesel, flank, which is connected to the area of the pelvis and thighs. ... It is it the flank that gives the body proper posture, and for this reason the word ‘kesel’ comes to be used as a term for ‘confidence’ or ‘trust’ in the scriptures.
(כד) אִם־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ב לֹֽא־תִפְחָ֑ד וְ֝שָׁכַבְתָּ֗ וְֽעָרְבָ֥ה שְׁנָתֶֽךָ׃ (כה) אַל־תִּ֭ירָא מִפַּ֣חַד פִּתְאֹ֑ם וּמִשֹּׁאַ֥ת רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים כִּ֣י תָבֹֽא׃ (כו) כִּֽי־ה׳ יִֽהְיֶ֣ה בְכִסְלֶ֑ךָ וְשָׁמַ֖ר רַגְלְךָ֣ מִלָּֽכֶד׃
(24) When you lie down you will be unafraid;
You will lie down and your sleep will be sweet. … (26) For the LORD will be your trust b’khislecha;
He will keep your feet from being caught.
In the book of Proverbs we find a blessing for pleasant sleep that emerges from a sense of trust: (Proverbs 3, above)
All of these meanings of Kislev are related to the shape of the letter of the month, Samech — a secure, protective, covering circle.
Sleep, the Stomach and Digesting Life
Sleep, the Stomach and Dreams
Sefer Yetzirah also makes the connection between sleep and the physical organ of the stomach. … This is because sleep is essentially a time for digesting and metabolizing - and not only on the level of physically digesting food, but also of mentally and emotionally processing and absorbing our experiences.
Sagittarius / The Bow
Keshet, the bow, is also related to prayer. The image of a keshet is a half circle (Eruvin 55) and a half circle depicts ‘reaching’ for completion, calling out for wholeness, as in to become a full circle. Keshet thus refers to the act of bakasha, requesting, a modality of prayer.
דָּבָר אַחֵר… אֶלָּא בַּנְּעָלִים, שְׁתֵּי נְעָלִים, נְעִילָה בְּפֶסַח וּנְעִילָה בֶּחָג. אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל,
אַתֶּם נוֹעֲלִים לְפָנַי בַּחַג
וַאֲנִי נוֹעֵל לִפְנֵיכֶם בַּפֶּסַח.
אַתֶּם נוֹעֲלִים לְפָנַי בַּחַג, וַאֲנִי פּוֹתֵחַ וּמַשִּׁיב רוּחוֹת וּמַעֲלֶה עֲנָנִים וּמוֹרִיד גְּשָׁמִים וּמַזְרִיחַ חַמָּה וּמְגַדֵּל צְמָחִים וּמְדַשֵּׁן פֵּרוֹת וְעוֹרֵךְ שֻׁלְחָן לִפְנֵי כָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד צְרָכָיו, וּלְכָל גְּוִיָּה וּגְוִיָּה כְּדֵי מַחְסוֹרָהּ,
וַאֲנִי נוֹעֵל לִפְנֵיכֶם בְּפֶסַח, וְאַתֶּם יוֹצְאִים וְקוֹצְרִים וְדָשִׁין וְזוֹרִים וְעוֹשִׂים כָּל צָרְכֵיכֶם בַּשָֹּׂדֶה וּמוֹצְאִין אוֹתָהּ מְלֵאָה בְּרָכוֹת.
[There are two closings in the year], a closing on Passover and a closing on the Festival [of Sukkot].
The Holy Blessed One says to Israel: You close before Me on the Festival [of Sukkot], and I close before you on Passover.
You close before Me on the Festival [of Sukkot], and I open, blow winds, elevate clouds, cause rain to fall, cause the sun to shine, cause plants to grow, ripen fruit, and set a table for each and every one according to their needs, and [provide] each and every body all that it lacks.
I close before you on Passover, and you go out, reap, thresh, winnow, and perform all your needs in the field, and you find it filled with blessings.
Tishrei 30 - The Closing of the Circle
In an extraordinary midrash in Song of Songs Rabbah, the year is a cycle. In the winter half of the year, the Divine works in the fields, bringing rain and sun and opening the fruits and vegetables. ..… We, on the other hand, are freed to do our own inter work at this time. In spring, we will focus more deeply on our work in the world, while the Holy One will engage in an inner drama of covenant and redemption during the festivals of Passover and Shavuot.
The circle of the year teaches that both human and divine, both inner and outer focus, have a role to play in turning the seasons.
Often, in order for us to truly open ourselves up for the possibility of something radically new and miraculous to occur, we need first to ‘go to sleep’ from our past, and let go of what we are holding onto. Simply, we need to let go of the old, whatever our limited mind conjures up and grasps, and allow for the possibility of something wonderfully unexpected.
