Until we heal our sense of worthlessness, we can't grow

But when representatives from the two tribes approach Moses with the request that they be allowed to waive their portion in the Land of Israel in exchange for the right to settle the land on the other side of the Jordan, he is less than pleased. He speaks of the story of the Jewish people's quest to settle in the Land of Israel, puts their request in historical context, repeats the entire story of the spies, and recalls the decree that befell Israel as a result; he castigates and accuses them of rising as a generation of sinners. He explained to him at length how the discipline to awake in the morning is crucial to human development; how allowing oneself to indulge in sleep numbs one’s spiritual growth and inhibits growth; how after sleeping a full night, a Jew ought to jump out of bed in the morning with passion and alacrity, with the joy of knowing that now he can approach G-d in prayer and study; how wasting one’s life in bed is a tragedy.

Author: Rabbi YY Jacobson

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