The Test of Faith: What Keeps You Awake at Night?

Even if you manage to sleep peacefully or with interruptions, it's all under divine providence. Frustration is common, especially when you've just fallen asleep and are at peak tiredness, and then the disturbances begin. Whether neighbors suddenly make noise, children play loudly by your window, or someone chooses that moment to drill loudly—these disturbances disrupt sleep, causing anguish and irritation.

Providence Over Sleep Disturbances

Or simply insomnia, which many suffer from. It's hard to fall asleep without a pill, and even that isn't always effective. Some wake up and can't return to sleep, tossing and turning until morning, leaving them tired and with a confused daily schedule due to lack of sleep.

All these are under divine providence. A person is judged on how much sleep they will get and whether it will be calm or restless.

A believer immediately needs to refrain from anger and look heavenward, saying, "Master of the World: I know this disturbance in my sleep is a form of affliction and atonement for my sins. May my sins be forgiven through this, and I accept this suffering with complete faith that this disturbance is by Your will for my own good and for the atonement of my sins."

How noble is the person who controls their spirit, subdues their anger, and in a moment of rage is long-suffering and masters their spirit out of faith that everything is under providence and surrenders their will to the will of Hashem. Blessed is he and blessed is his lot.

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Joy is the means to sweeten judgments. It's known from holy texts that when one falls into bitterness and lacks joy, judgments rest upon them, heaven forbid. A person is a microcosm, and whatever happens above is felt below, and vice versa. Hence, during the onset of judgments, one must immediately strengthen oneself with great joy and dispel bitterness. This transforms the bitter into sweet, and judgments are sweetened, for the goal is always to turn bitterness into sweetness. "From itself, the quarrel ceases," and then judgments turn to good. (Guardian of Faith)

The article is taken from the book "Live with Faith." To purchase Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Lugasi's book click here.