Hey, that's not what they taught me in Yeshiva #1: Sunset, Sunrise

Please see Hey, that's not what they taught me in Yeshiva: Intro before reading this post.

The Jewish day starts the night before.  Therefore, all Jewish holidays start at sunset of the night before, and end at dark of the final day.

But why start the day at night?  Wouldn't it have been easier to start the day at dawn?

During the day, the sun illuminates the sky.  It provides us heat, light, allows our foods to grow, and is now even being harnessed to create energy.  It is a vital part of our existence.  Yet, when the sun is shining, we forget that the stars are also in the sky.  They are hidden by the brilliance of the sun.  While the sun is necessary, it blinds us to what is beyond it.

The stars and moon are our nightly companions.   The moons impact on us, while not as intense as the sun, can be felt nonetheless. The tides are constantly at the mercy of the moons gravitational field, and the life of anyone living or working near the sea is ruled by the tides.  The myriad of stars we see each night  look practically identical to the naked eye; they are a community of equals, no matter how different they may be when closely examined. They may not offer us an overt benefit, but what lessons can we learn from them.

Just like the sun, people are, by necessity, providers: We provide food, warmths and shelter to ourselves and those who are entrusted to our care.  Yet, in this daily struggle for survival, we sometimes forget we are part of a greater whole.  Which is why we have the moon and stars to remind us of how we can effect others just by our presence, and to ensure we never forget that we are part of a larger community.  A community that, when you take the time to closely examine it, is larger, more beautiful and more unifying than we realize.

HaShem gave us the sun, moon and stars so that each can teach us a lesson -how to provide the essentials, but also how to be a part of the whole.  In fact, the sun itself is a star...one of that myriad.  Even if we cannot see beyond it, we will never be alone.

Many people, if they had the chance, would be the sun all the time. Businessmen and women who are workaholics, parents who are so busy cooking and cleaning, running errands and carpooling that they forget to play cars or dolly with their children.  We need to stop- take some time to be the moon and stars.

So how does this relate to the original question "why do days start at night"?  Perhaps HaShem is trying to remind us that we need to always remember the bigger picture, even when we feel we need to dedicate our whole time to the essentials .

So next time the sun sets, the stars come out and it's the beginning of a new day, take a lesson from the stars. Stop trying to provide every second of the day and enjoy the beauty of your whole -whether it is your family, your community or your friends - take a minute to appreciate those around you.

RMS