Google and social media use some truly scary algorithms. Are you thinking about buying a new pair of shoes? You had better expect a million ads for not just shoes, but shoes in your size, and the exact color you were thinking about while daydreaming over your morning bowl of cereal. It is incredible how much of our daily lives is unknowingly captured and used to point us in various directions to decide on where to shop, what to buy, how to dress, etc. This leads me to the Pillow Cube. Yes, it is exactly what it sounds like – a pillow in the shape of a cube. The idea is simple. Side sleepers have a gap between their head, neck, and shoulders when they sleep. The Pillow Cube fills the gap. The user can then sleep more restfully and wake up without any pain. I have been looking for ways to improve my sleep. I have added fans to keep me cooler, a mouth guard to open my airways, and now I am looking for better ways to position myself as I sleep. So, sure enough, I have been bombarded by ads for the Pillow Cube.
Now I promise there is a reason for my bringing up the Pillow Cube, other than sharing way too much about my personal sleep habits. In this week’s parsha, Vayeitzei, Jacob famously has a significant encounter during his sleep. He takes a stone as a pillow, lays down to rest, and dreams of a ladder reaching to heaven with angels ascending and descending on it. This moment is pivotal, as God reaffirms His covenant with Jacob, offering blessings of protection, land, and offspring. The stone pillow becomes a sacred marker of this divine encounter. So, the connection lies in the shared focus on the transformative power of sleep and the idea of using something as unconventional as a pillow—Jacob’s stone in Vayeitzei and the uniquely shaped Pillow Cube. Both remind us of the importance of rest and how it can lead to spiritual or physical rejuvenation! By looking at Vayeitzei through this lens, we can uncover meaningful lessons about how sleep and renewal play a central role in our lives.
In Vayeitzei, Jacob’s journey is physically and emotionally taxing, yet it’s during his sleep that he experiences a spiritual awakening through his dream of the ladder to heaven. Similarly, the Pillow Cube’s design emphasizes the need for proper rest as a foundation for health and vitality. Just as Jacob paused during his journey for rest, we, too, must carve out time for meaningful rest. When we neglect rest, we limit our ability to reflect, grow, and connect with higher purposes. Prioritizing sleep and stillness allows for spiritual and physical renewal. Furthermore, Jacob’s seemingly mundane act of sleeping on a stone became a holy moment. We can elevate our own rest by treating it as a sacred practice, an opportunity to recharge and prepare for the next phase of our journey.
In both Vayeitzei and modern rest innovations, we see that rest is not merely a break, it is an opportunity for transformation. By embracing intentional rest and alignment, we can rejuvenate both body and spirit, empowering ourselves to climb our own ladders toward greater purpose and fulfillment. As we enter this season of celebration, I hope that everyone finds time to rest and realign with the things that matter most – our family and friends, and our health and happiness.
Shabbat Shalom,
Danny