Editing Sleep on Shabbat is a Pleasure (section)

== The Pleasure of Sleep for a Person of Intellect ==
This concept that on Shabbat there should be physical pleasure in material matters in their simple sense is more readily understood by a simple person. However, when discussing a "person of intellect," whose pleasure is invested in more elevated matters, they need to work on themselves so that on Shabbat the concept of pleasure penetrates even to physical pleasure in material matters in their simple sense. Since for such a person, their pleasure is expressed in matters of wisdom and intellect, in resolving doubts, and so forth, when discussing pleasure in physical matters - eating, drinking, sleeping, and the like - this represents a descent from their usual state and level. Therefore, when discussing the pleasure of Shabbat, they argue that they derive pleasure from Torah study, the inner dimensions of Torah (Chassidic teachings), or Torah study in general (especially since "the Torah was given on Shabbat"), so what place is there for deriving pleasure from sleep on Shabbat! How can one utilize such a holy day for sleep?!

The Rebbe explains that indeed when discussing the pleasure of Shabbat in eating and drinking - although the pleasure itself in eating and drinking is a matter of descent for such a person - during the eating and drinking, they can think about the sparks of holiness found in fatty meat and aged wine, which are more elevated than the sparks of holiness found in ordinary meat and wine (despite the fact that even then, they are told that the main pleasure on Shabbat should be physical pleasure from the material meat and wine in their simple sense, not from the sparks of holiness within them). But when discussing sleep - during sleep one is unable to do anything. When going to sleep, one can think and contemplate that they are doing so to fulfill the mitzvah of Shabbat pleasure, but during sleep itself, one cannot do anything. Thus, certainly the pleasure in sleep is considered a descent from their usual state and level!

The Rebbe added that this point is particularly emphasized when discussing pleasure in sleep for an extended period of time, meaning not just the measure of 60 breaths but for a longer period. And all this - despite the fact that sleep in general is one-sixtieth of the opposite of life. From this, it is understood that pleasure in sleep is considered a descent from one's usual state and level.

Although when a person's divine service is proper, sometimes elevated matters are revealed to them during sleep, to the extent that there is a book "Responsa from Heaven" whose content consists of answers from heaven that were revealed through questions during sleep (and there are matters in which halachic rulings are based on what is explained in the book "Responsa from Heaven") - in addition to the fact that questions during sleep are relevant only to a very elevated level, this matter is not dependent on one's choice; the question indeed depends on the person, but the answer given from above is not dependent on their choice at all. And since the concept of Shabbat pleasure needs to be expressed in physical pleasure through eating, drinking, and sleep in their simple sense, this is more readily understood by a simple person than by a "person of intellect," who needs to find a way to influence themselves to enjoy physical things.