Rise While It Is Still Night: Finding Faith, Hope, and Strength in Life's Darkest Moments

The holy Zohar teaches: "A thread of kindness accompanies one who studies Torah at night. Such a person is called holy. The Holy One, blessed be He, listens to their voice, fulfills their requests, and causes their blessings to take effect."

The Zohar goes on to describe a remarkable scene: "When Mashiach comes and all of Israel stands before him..."

Imagine that moment.

Mashiach has arrived. The world is transformed. We stand before him overwhelmed with joy, tears streaming down our faces as redemption finally unfolds before our eyes.

And then Mashiach points to a special group and says: "You—the ones who rose during the night—you are the ones who brought redemption closer."

But I Don't Study Torah at Night

At first glance, these words seem to apply only to those who literally rise in the middle of the night to learn Torah.

You might think: "That's beautiful, but what does it have to do with me?"

The Zohar describes the night as a time when darkness covers the world, when the gates seem closed and everyone is asleep.

But the holy Tzaddik of Karlin explains that this teaching reaches far beyond the physical night. It speaks directly to every one of us.

When Life Becomes Night

There are moments when a person enters a spiritual night.

Suddenly the stars appear, but they do not feel bright. Everything feels dark, the gates seem locked. You feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and discouraged. You want to escape. You want to hide beneath the covers and stop trying. You feel trapped in worry, sadness, disappointment, or despair.

And perhaps you feel justified in feeling that way. After all, life can sometimes be painfully difficult.

Yet it is precisely in those moments that something extraordinary becomes possible.

The Courage to Rise

The Rebbe of Karlin teaches that when a person rises during such a dark period, it is as precious before Heaven as one who rises in the middle of the night to study Torah.

When you get up despite the darkness, when you continue despite the pain, when you choose faith despite the confusion, you receive all the blessings Rabbi Shimon describes.

A thread of kindness accompanies you. Your prayers are heard. Heaven listens to your voice.

Because you have fulfilled the verse: "She rises while it is still night." (Proverbs 31:15)

You see, a woman can also rise in the night. Not only when the clock says midnight, but whenever life feels dark.

Sarah Our Matriarch's Hidden Light

The book Otzar P'laot HaTorah records a fascinating tradition from the time of Sarah our Matriarch.

When men went out to war, they often took their wives with them to prevent them from being captured by enemy forces. To protect them, the women would cover their faces with dark mud so they would appear unattractive.

Rabbi Yonatan Eybeschutz writes that when Abraham and Sarah descended to Egypt, Abraham used this very strategy.

He covered Sarah's face with dark mud, but something unexpected happened.

Instead of concealing Sarah's beauty, the darkness revealed it. The more mud covered her face, the more her inner light shone through.

Her holiness, her dignity, her fear of Heaven, and her spiritual radiance. The darkness became a backdrop that made her light even more visible.

The Egyptians saw her and were astonished.

And it was then that Abraham said: "Now I know that you are a woman of beautiful appearance."

What Is True Beauty?

A woman of beautiful appearance is not merely someone who looks beautiful when everything is going well.

A truly beautiful woman is one whose light shines even when life is covered with mud.

When circumstances are difficult, when her plans fall apart, when she feels exhausted, and when everything around her seems dark.

That is when her deepest beauty emerges, her faith becomes visible, and her strength reveals itself.

Hashem Sees the Light Within You

Perhaps right now you feel surrounded by challenges, perhaps you feel as though your life is covered in darkness, perhaps you feel stuck in a situation that seems impossible.

But Hashem looks at you and says: "Now I know that you are a woman of beautiful appearance."

Because it is precisely through the darkness that your light emerges. It is through the struggle that your faith becomes visible, and through the mud that your inner beauty shines.

Rise While It Is Still Night

When life feels overwhelming, when despair whispers that there is no way forward, and when the darkness feels endless, remember the verse: "She rises while it is still night."

Rise anyway, lift your head, take one more step, pray one more prayer, trust one more day.

Because the greatest light is often born from the darkest moments. And when you choose to rise in the night, Heaven notices. A thread of kindness accompanies you. Your prayers are heard.

And the light hidden within your soul begins to shine brighter than ever before.