Time is sacred in Judaism, and from this, many questions
arise. One that our sages have pondered is exactly when one recites the first
prayers of the morning. And so a group of students asked their rabbi this
question: "When does the night end?"
"Is it when the morning star appears?" asked
one.
"No," said the rabbi. "That is not it."
"Is it the first moment you can look at your tallis (prayer shawl) and distinguish
the blue from the white?"
"No," said the rabbi. "It is not that
either."
"Perhaps," said a third, "it is when you can
see the lines on the palm of your hand?"
"No," said the rabbi, shaking his head. "I
will tell you. When you look at your neighbor's face and recognize it as your
own. Then, at last, the long night is over—and the day has begun."
—by Joel ben Izzy
