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A Journal of Jewish Responsibility

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A Journal of Jewish Responsibility saints. Read perceptively, the Talmud and Midrash Sh'ma state that over a million Jewish people were involved in meditative disciplines before the Common Era. a journal of Jewish responsibility But with the threat of dispersion into the foreign lands, the sages of the Second Commonwealth, and 21/416 SEPTEMBER 6,1991 the Great Assembly feared that the meditative practices would become corrupted and perverted by the masses in exile. With great wisdom they substi- tuted and standardized the prayer service and the Amidah (the "standing" prayers) in particular, as a discipline which would contain within it meditative secrets as well as maintain the unity of the Jewish people while in exile. Over time, the meditative A prayer in anticipation of negotiation practices became more hidden and available to fewer and fewer people. Just and Merciful One, Giver of Time, Lover of A Jewish Way We have Forgotten Israel and all Humankind, create out of the tohu vevohu of Middle East politics an enduring peace. There is evidence however that the greatest Jewish And then teach us all how to live with it so that non- thinkers were familiar with meditative practices. belligerence grows into neighborliness. We bless Louis Jacobs' book, Jewish Mystical Testimonies, You, Holy Presence, the Ultimate Peacemaker. contains personal accounts of meditative mystical experience by such pre-modern giants as Rabbi Meditation, the ultimate openness Joseph Karo, Rabbi Moshe Luzatto, Rabbi Dov Baer Mindy Ribner of Lubavitch, and the Vilna Gaon. Surprisingly, these sages were known primarily for their legalistic Meditation enjoys increasing popularity as a means teachings. Their meditative experiences and mystical of relieving stress and gaining a greater sense of well- works were kept somewhat hidden. One exception being. It is also the key to opening the treasure of was Abraham Abulafia (1240-1296) who was most spiritual riches within us. known for providing clear specific instructions to awaken ruach hakodesh, the holy spirit After Many people are unaware that a rich and powerful Abulafia, however, and the publication of the Zohar meditative tradition exists within Judaism. As our — a complex and intellectual philosophical system to mystic tradition understands it, the Bible records understanding the secrets of the universe, Jewish numerous prophets and righteous people who mysticism became a more scholarly pursuit, with the enjoyed high states of spiritual awareness achieved experiential meditative aspect de-emphasized. through meditative techniques. The patriarch Abraham was said to have learned meditation in the In the 1700's a renaissance of Jewish meditation Academies of Shem and Eber who trace their lineage occurred under the leadership of the Baal Shem Tov, all the way back to Adam, the primordial man. founder of the Chasidic movement. Yitzchok Meditation schools proliferated in the time of the Buxbaum's book, Jewish Spiritual Practices, brings to Book of Samuel, serving as training and preparation the English speaking public knowledge of meditative for receiving prophecy. The Talmud teaches that the practices of the great rebbes. Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan in early saints waited an hour before praying in order to his Meditation and the Bible, provides many quotes concentrate their thoughts upon God, prayed for one from various rabbis supporting the practice: "One hour, and then waited an hour after prayer ~ three should constantly meditate on the Divine Pres- times a day, all in all, nine hours devoted each day to ence..." (Baal Shem Tov, 1698-1776); "The root of prayer and meditation! High states of spiritual everything is meditation. It is a very great and lofty awareness, however, were not only reserved for concept, making a person worthy of all holiness." (Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulia, the Chida, 1724- MINDY RIBNER, a social worker in private practice 1804); "One must include himself in God's unity in Manhattan, has also received "smicha" (non- which is the Imperative Existence. A person cannot rabbinical ordination) from Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach be worthy of this however unless he nullifies his ego and it is impossible to accomplish this without to teach meditation. 222 meditation." (Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlav, 1772- will realize that the negativity we experienced was 1810 --) To this day, Rabbi Nachman has many because we denied our innate spirituality, our followers making his teachings of meditation widely connection to God. The pain we feel is the ciy of our available to the public. own soul yearning for expression. Over time, however, the chasidic movement accom- Beyond Introspection to the Presence modated itself to the opposition of the established Jewish meditation and healing begins with listening Jewish community and when it became institutional- and sensitizing our awareness to God. This process ized, the meditative practices were largely put aside. enables a more objective true experience of self, a Today due to the rising general interest in medita- renewed sense of purpose and wholesomeness of tion, more and more unpublished manuals of being. Various techniques are used to focus the Kabbalistic meditative practices are being published attention inward, and open the door to spiritual in Hebrew and English. The Jewish meditation yearning and experience. The techniques may often tradition which had been closeted for centuries is involve a repetition of a phrase from psalms as a coming out in the New Age. mantra, a melody and/or a visualization. A well Directing the Soul to its Source known meditative practice is to visualize the letters of God's name. Another practice is to imagine What is meditation after all? Simply put, it is yourself in the holy Temple, or in the Garden of thinking in a controlled manner. The mind enters Eden enjoying the radiance of the Divine Presence. ascending levels of more sharply focused awareness, filtering out spurious thoughts that may try to enter the mind. In lessening the attachment to the physical Sh'ma and extrinsic, and in quieting the chatter of the ego a journal of Jewish responsibility mind with all its judgments, doubts and limitations, Editor Eugene B. Borowitz the spiritual and intrinsic self can become dominant Administrator Alicia Seeger and radiant. Jewish meditation provides the direct Contributing Editors Michael Berenbaum, David Biale, J. experience of being 'alone' with your own soul. David Bleich, Balfour Brickner, Steven M. Cohen, Elliot N. Dorff, Hitbodedut, the highest level attained in Jewish Arnold Eisen, David Ellenson, Leonard Fein, Neil Gillman, Joanne meditation, literally means "to be alone." The Greenberg Susan Handelman, Lawrence Hoffman, Paula Hyman, soul, according to Judaism, is the essence of a person Lawrence Longer, Aaron Levine, Rela Geffen Monson, Deborah and also a part of God. Awareness of the soul, the Dash Moore, David Novak, Riv-Ellen Prell, Harold Schulweis, Ellen Umansky, Elie Wiesel, Arnold Jacob Wolf, Walter Wurzburger, depths of who we are, creates the opening for God to Michael Wyschogfod enter us. As the Kotzker Rebbe said, "God lives Sh 'ma welcomes articles from diverse points of view. Hence, the where we allow Him to enter." Prayer is our calling opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the editors. out for a relationship with God, and meditation is Donations to Sh'ma Inc. are tax-deductible. Sh 'ma is available in listening and being with God. microform from University Microfilms Internat'l., Ann Arbor, Mi. However, in the arena in which we live our lives and Long book reviews appear quarterly; shorter ones regularly. Unsigned reviews are by the editor. make choices, we do not always listen. We may not feel connected to the totality of ourselves or to God. Address all correspondence, subscriptions and change of address Consciously or unconsciously, we avoid or hide from notices to Box 567, Port Washington, N.Y. 11050. FAX: 516-767- 9315. ourselves and God. On some level, choices are made based on a limited sense of self. Most of the suffering Sh'ma (ISSN 0049-0385) is published bi-weekly except June, July we experience in life is the product of our poor and August, by Sh'ma Inc. Regulatory "Office of Publication," 927 Pt. Washington Blvd., Port Washington, N.Y. 11050. Subscription choices and wrong thinking. We identify with the ego $24 for two years in U.S.; $15 a year overseas. Ten or more to one which becomes a proud, relentless master, and then address, $8 each year. Retired or handicapped persons of feel responsible to create everything that happens. restricted means may subscribe at half price. Though the ego may delight in its power, we feel Copyright ©1991 by Sh'ma Inc. stressed and overwhelmed carrying the burden of life alone. We look in all the wrong places for relief from POSTMASTER: Please forward Form 3579 to Box 567, Port Washington, N.Y. 11050. our inner pain. Sometimes we turn to powerful and destructive ways to find comfort. Many addictions Second class postage paid at Port Washington, N.Y. and at which render people powerless are born in this flight. additional entiy Bethpage, N.Y. If we understand the message of our suffering, we SEPTEMBER 6,1991 .122 In all practices it is the intention and the sincerity in this meditation would enhance the holiness of the which the practice is done which will make the Days of Awe, especially for those who were not able difference in the experience. The greater the yearn- to find kedushah through the traditional prayers and ing, the greater the quality of the experience. rituals. Finally, I knew that if I wanted to influence the greatest number of people with something as A story told by the Baal Shem Tov eloquently special as meditation, this was the time to do so. illustrates the insight of Jewish meditation: There was a king who one day decided to construct I did this in that part of the service when I would walls around his palace to make it difficult for others to usually give a sermon.
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