Night and Day
Rabbi Aryeh Citron
Parshat Noach
Night and Day, in Jewish Law and in Mystical Thought
According to the Midrash,[1] during the 12 months that Noah was in the ark, the rotation of all heavenly bodies ceased. This means that there was no change in season, nor was there day and night on earth.[2] The reason for this is that while the heavenly bodies rotate, they simultaneously sing praises to G-d. It was inappropriate for them to sing praises while the earth was being destroyed.[3]
After the flood, G-d said to Noah: “As long as the earth exists, seed-time and harvest-time, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”[4] This indicates that during the era of the flood, these time and seasonal changes did not occur.[5]
This article will focus on the different energies of day and night and what activities are appropriate for each.
Daytime
According to the Talmud,[6] G-d spends the first three hours of the day studying Torah,[7] the next three hours He judges the world,[8] the next three hours He attends to feeding all of the living things in this world,[9] and the final three hours He studies Torah with the souls of children who passed away young.[10]
Time of Musaf on the First Day of Rosh HaShana
The Talmud concludes that for this reason, one should not pray Musaf on the first day of Rosh Hashana during the first three hours of the day if praying without a minyan. During these hours, G-d judges according to the Torah which is absolute truth. We are particular about this on Rosh HaShana as we are judged on this day for the entire year. As the Musaf prayer is the most important of Rosh HaShana, we try to pray it at a most auspicious time. One may pray Musaf after this time as G-d shows kindness in his judgment during the second set of three hours. When an entire minyan prays, they may do so early as the communal merit will bring them a merciful judgment even at that time.[11]
Time of Jewish Courts
It is interesting to note that the Jewish court would sit in judgment in ancient times until the beginning of the sixth hour[12] which closely parallels the time of G-d’s judgments.[13]
Time for Breakfast
The Talmud says that most people eat breakfast in the fourth hour of the day. Working men eat in the fifth hour and Torah scholars eat in the sixth hour.[14] This means that by midday, everyone has already eaten their morning meal. It is therefore appropriate that at midday G-d decides where the sustenance for the next meal should come from.[15]
Connecting Day and Night
It is good to connect the day and night by studying Torah and or praying at the time of their connection.[16]
Nighttime
According to the Talmud,[17] the night is divided into three equal parts. There is a different set of angels that sing praise to G-d during each of these time periods. At the end of each of these periods, G-d “mourns” for the destruction of the Bait HaMikdash (Holy Temple). He “roars like a lion” saying: “Woe to the sons for whose sins I destroyed My house and burned my Sanctuary and exiled them amongst the nations of the world.” He also does this at midnight.[18]
If possible, one should pray at one (or more) of these times, especially for the rebuilding of the Bait HaMikdash. One’s prayers are more readily accepted at these times.[19] As Jeremiah said: “Rise up and sing at night at the beginning of the watches.”[20]
A Time of Judgment
According to the Zohar,[21] the first half of the nighttime is a time of Divine Judgment. This does not mean that G-d sits in judgment at night,[22] but rather that the forces that carry out Divine judgment (negative angels) and punishment have more power to do so during (the first half of) the night.
For this reason:
· We do not say Tachnun at night (i.e., we do not say Tachnun (supplicatory prayers) after Ma’ariv. In addition, if by the time one finished Mincha it is already night, one should not say Tachnun.)[23]
· It is better not to give charity at night (see below).
· It is better not to study the Written Torah at night (see next paragraph).
Charity at Night
Since nighttime is a time when the forces of Klipah (unholiness) have power, it is not considered an opportune time to give Tzedaka.[24] Giving Tzedaka at this time might subordinate these forces prematurely or, conversely, may add strength to them.
There are several exceptions to this:[25]
· If a poor person asks for a donation at night, one should give it to them. This is a mitzvah that may not be postponed[26] and fulfilling it will not cause any harm.
· If one puts the money in a pushka (charity box) or gives it to a gabbai tzedakah (one who collects on behalf of the poor but is not poor himself), one may do so at night as the money will (probably) not reach the poor person until daytime.
Studying Tanach at Night
In the Midrash it says that when Moshe was on Mount Sinai, G-d studied the Written Torah with him during the day and at night G-d studied the Oral Torah with him.[27] Some say that it is therefore appropriate to study the Written Torah during the day and not at night.[28]
The Arizal taught that since both nighttime and the Written Torah are associated with Divine judgment,[29] it is inappropriate to “mix” these two.[30]
Exceptions
There are many exceptions to this rule:[31]
· One may recite Tehillim (Psalms) or other verses as prayer (e.g. for the sick) since these are not for the sake of study.
· Some say one may study Tanach (i.e., the Written Torah) with commentaries as the commentaries are considered part of the Oral Torah, it’s considered study of the Oral Torah.[32]
· One may recite Tehillim after Chatzot (midnight).[33] Some disagree and say that this rule applies until dawn.[34]
· One may say Tehillim at night on Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur.[35]
· Some say this rule doesn’t apply on Shabbat and Chagim (holidays). (Some add Chol HaMoed, Thursday night and Motzei Shabbat until after one’s Melava Malka (post Shabbat meal). We hold like this, right?
· Some say that a Ba’al Koreh (one who chants the Torah reading) may prepare the Torah reading at night.
In any case it is not forbidden to learn Tanach at night. It is simply not preferred. If one sees someone else doing so, one need not stop them.[36]
Mitzvat Ona
According to the Kabbalists, one should refrain from having relations with one’s spouse during the first half of the night.[37] If possible, one should follow this directive even on Friday night and on Mikvah night.[38] If, however, waiting until Chatzot will cause one to have sinful thoughts (and perhaps even to lose seed), one should not wait.
∞
May we soon merit the time when night will turn into day and darkness to light. As the prophet says: “And the light of the moon shall be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold as the light of the seven days.”[39]
[1] Bereishit Rabbah 25, 2 and 34, 11
[2] This is the opinion of Rabbi Yochanan in the Midrash (25, 2). Rabbi Yonatan opines that the heavenly bodies did rotate, but that the sky was so cloudy that it was not clearly discernable as to whether it was night or day.
[3] Yedei Moshe on the Midrash
According to this opinion, the only light that Noach had in the ark was from a glowing stone which G-d provided for them (See Midrash Rabba, 31 7 and Rashi on Gen. 6, 16).
[4] Gen. 8, 22
[5] Rashi on the verse and Rabbi Yehoshua in the Midrash ibid. See also Midrash Rabba 34, 11 that before the flood the world was in a state of eternal springtime. In a similar vein, the Seforno (on Gen. 8, 22) says that the sun went along the equator and did not change its course in summer or winter. In modern words, the earth was not tilted at that time. It rather stood upright (I heard this from Dr. Yaakov Hanoka of blessed memory).
[6] Avodah Zara 3b as amended by the ibid 4b
[7] This means he plans the governing of the world according to the Torah (Maharal).
[8] According to a variant reading of the Talmud, the order of the first and second set of hours is reversed, i.e., in the first three hours, G-d studies Torah and in the next three hours He judges the world.
[9] This means He decides how the entire universe will be sustained during the coming day (Rashi)
[10] See there that prior to the destruction of the Bait HaMikdash, He would sport with the Leviathan during the last three hours of the day. Both of these activities indicate a complete state of union between G-d and the world (Maharal).
See the Maharal (Chidushei Agadot) who explains how these daily activities parallel the way G-d created the world in the six days of creation.
[11] Shulchan Aruch HaRav, 591, 13
[12] Shabbat 10a as explained by the Rif (11a) see C.M. 5, 3
[13] See Maharsha on Avodah Zara 3b
[14] Shabbat 10a
[15] Maharsha ibid
[16] Shulchan Aruch HaRav, ibid
[17] Berachot 3a
[18] See Zohar vol. 2, Parshat Vayakhel, 195b Midnight for this purpose is defined as halfway between sunset and sunrise. It is 12 hours after midday (Mishna Berurah 1, 9)
[19] Shulchan Aruch HaRav, 1, 1 (Mahadura Batra) and 1, 8 (Mahadura Kamma)
[20] Lamentations 2, 19
[21] See Zohar, ibid, Rayah Mehemna, vol. 2, 40b with Rimzei Zohar, and in many places
[22] Since (Jewish) human courts do not judge at night (C.M. 5), the same would seem to apply in the Heavenly realms.
[23] Ibid, 131, 4. According to some, night for this purpose is sunset (Kaf HaChaim, 131, 51). Sefardim follow this opinion as do Ashkenazim in the old city of Jerusalem (Piskei Teshuvot 131, 13). According to others, (Shulchan Aruch HaRav, ibid, Mishna Berurah, 17), night is defined as dusk (Tzeit HaKochavim) for this purpose. Ashkenazim generally follow this opinion.
[24] See Sha’ar HaKavanot, Tefilat Arvit, Derush 1, Siddur Kol Ya’akov, Mariv, quoted in Sha’arei Halacha Uminhag, vol.2 page 272
[25] Ibid and page 273
[26] See Ta’anit 21a
[27] Tanchumah Ki Tisa, 36 This is how Moshe knew when it was day and night respectively.
[28] Ba’er Heitev, O.C. 239, 2
See Ohr HaChaim on Deut. 32, 2 that this is one of the reasons that the Written Torah is likened to rain and the Oral Torah is referred to as dew. Rain is expected only in the rainy season as the Written Torah should only be studied during the day, whereas dew is expected all year round similar to the Oral Torah which one may study at any time.
[29] This is understood from various instances where the Sages interpreted the words of the Written Torah in a lenient fashion. One example; the Torah dictates to lash a sinner 40 times but the sages interpreted this to mean only 39 times.
[30] Piskei Teshuvah 238, note 20 in the name of the Avnei Tzedek
[31] Ibid notes 26 - 33
[32] Sha’arei Halacha UMinhag, vol. 1, page 228 (in case of need)
[33] Ibid, page 191
[34] Piskei Teshuvah, note 22
[35] Sha’arei Halacha Uminhag, ibid
[36] Piskei Teshuvah, note 24
[37] Zohar, vol. 3, 81b
[38] Sha’ar Hakavnot, Sha’ar Kriyat Shema chapter 11
In addition, although Halachicly speaking it may be permitted under certain circumstances (e.g. a darkened room) to have relations during the day, Kabbalisticly speaking, this is never appropriate (Kaf HaChaim, 240, 79).
[39] Isaiah 30, 26