Based on Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom #90
"Before a person goes to sleep, he sees the souls of all his dead relatives. One also sees the souls of all who share his soul-root. It is taught that when one dies, one sees all these souls.
"Sleep is one-sixtieth of death. Therefore, one also sees these souls before going to sleep. When you see these souls before retiring, you see them only vaguely and in passing.
"Even before death there are many levels of seeing souls. A great tzaddik will see them very clearly. The average person only sees them in passing, like a spark flashing before his eyes.
"Sleep is only one-sixtieth of death. The vision is therefore only one sixtieth of this flashing spark. It may only be subliminal, and not actually sensed. People are not aware of the vision before retiring because it is only one-sixtieth of the already vague vision that one has before death. But the truth is that every person share this vision."
- Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom#90
Throughout the day you are likely to encounter-and pick up-a lot of things that you're better off putting down before laying your head down for the night. What sort of things? Things you shouldn't have seen, shouldn't have heard; words better off left unsaid and sentiments that really aren't very nice (to be generous about it).
Comes beddy-bye time, it's not only good, but even crucial to use some of your "slow down, wind down" time to review what's happened today, so you can express your regret, perhaps even remorse, for what you were responsible for and what you might have been a victim of. After all, shouldn't you be more interested in your own health more than a prime minister's?
Then there's the matter of looking forward to tomorrow. If you go to sleep dressing your "wounds" (spiritual, emotional, etc.), you'll be stronger dealing with the morrow's challenges. Not only can you prepare yourself, you can help others to prepare.
Yaakov Avinu (our Patriarch) said a "Bedtime Shema" of sorts when he called in his children for instruction and blessing. He knew what they-and we-had to face and told them what they had to hear, even though there was a degree of unpleasantness in doing so (Genesis 49:3-7; see Rashi on v.8 and on 48:7). In order for the Jewish people to grow straight and true, the roots had to be one hundred per-cent.
It's those roots, in particular the root of your soul that you can see every night, that you will see when your time to leave this world comes (and it will come). What sort of meeting it will be depends on your bedtime Shema. How much help you can be to others will depend on how much you have prepared yourself. The preparation of these final gifts-peace of mind for yourself, wisdom and concern for others-can start tonight. Lylah tov.
agutn Shabbos!
Shabbat Shalom!
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