There's a biblical command to proclaim the oneness of G-d every morning by saying the Shema prayer. The question is what constitutes morning? After a short debate the Talmud concludes that the earliest one can say Shema is when it is light enough to “distinguish ones friend at a distance of four cubits” Up until that point it is still considered night.
Perhaps there’s a larger message here.
As long as you don't see your friend you are living in darkness. If you go through your day only thinking and doing for yourself you are still living in darkness. Only when you begin to consider the people around you do you experience light. And you can’t say Shema, or bring G-d into this world, until you take notice of others.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Benjy Silverman
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