Eastern Focus
- Meditation is the tool to bring us to mindfulness
- Detachment or release from phenomena including the phenomena of Self
- The promise that we can use mental exercises to be fully present in the moment
Jewish Meditation
- Mindfulness is the tool to bring us to meditation
- Better attachment to proper phenomena (Rabbi Gutman Locks)
- The promise that we can better live in relationship with God
We'll focus on Suach and Tefillah, though there are other forms in the Chasidic tradition such as Hitbonenut (thought meditation - active and passive) and Hitbodedut (self seclusion).
(א) אין עומדין להתפלל אלא מתוך כובד ראש. חסידים הראשונים היו שוהים שעה אחת ומתפללים כדי שיכונו את לבם למקום. אפילו המלך שואל בשלומו לא ישיבנו; ואפילו נחש כרוך על עקבו לא יפסיק .
(1) [One] should not stand up to pray unless he is in a serious frame of mind {lit. "heavy of head"}. The original pious ones used to wait one hour and then pray, in order to direct their hearts towards the Omnipresent. [While one is reciting Shemoneh Esrei,] even if the king greets him {lit. "asks about his welfare"}, he should not respond to him, and even if a snake wraps around his heel, he should not interrupt.
Suach: Walking Meditation
(סב) וְיִצְחָק֙ בָּ֣א מִבּ֔וֹא בְּאֵ֥ר לַחַ֖י רֹאִ֑י וְה֥וּא יוֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּאֶ֥רֶץ הַנֶּֽגֶב׃ (סג) וַיֵּצֵ֥א יִצְחָ֛ק לָשׂ֥וּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶ֖ה לִפְנ֣וֹת עָ֑רֶב וַיִּשָּׂ֤א עֵינָיו֙ וַיַּ֔רְא וְהִנֵּ֥ה גְמַלִּ֖ים בָּאִֽים׃
(62) Isaac had just come back from the vicinity of Beer-lahai-roi, for he was settled in the region of the Negeb. (63) And Isaac went out walking in the field toward evening and, looking up, he saw camels approaching.
תְּ֭פִלָּה לְעָנִ֣י כִֽי־יַעֲטֹ֑ף וְלִפְנֵ֥י יְ֝הוָ֗ה יִשְׁפֹּ֥ךְ שִׂיחֽוֹ׃
A prayer of the lowly man when he is faint and pours forth his plea before the LORD.
יִצְחָק תִּקֵּן תְּפִלַּת מִנְחָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וַיֵּצֵא יִצְחָק לָשׂוּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶה לִפְנוֹת עָרֶב״, וְאֵין ״שִׂיחָה״ אֶלָּא תְּפִלָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״תְּפִלָּה לְעָנִי כִי יַעֲטֹף וְלִפְנֵי ה׳ יִשְׁפֹּךְ שִׂיחוֹ״.
Isaac instituted the afternoon prayer, as it is stated: “And Isaac went out to [meditate] [lasuaḥ] in the field toward evening” (Genesis 24:63), and [meditation] means nothing other than prayer, as it is stated: “A prayer of the afflicted when he is faint and pours out his complaint [siḥo] before the Lord” (Psalms 102:1)
When you train yourself to hear the voice of God in everything, you attain the quintessence of the human spirit. Usually the mind conceals the divine thoroughly by imagining that there is a separate mental power that constructs the mental images. But by training yourself to hear the voice of God in everything, the voice reveals itself to your mind as well. Then right in the mind, you discover revelation. -Daniel Matt (translation of the Zohar)
Tefillah - Prayer, But Not
COMPASSION LEADS TO ACTION: RECLAIMING PRAYER AS THE FIRST STEP TO CHANGE
The English word “pray” comes from the Latin precari—to beg, to beseech. This transactional notion of prayer is quite common; one desires a change in circumstances, and thus reaches out to a higher power to help realize this desire.
In Judaism, prayer brings about internal transformation, as well. In Hebrew, the act of prayer (tefillah) is described using a reflexive verb, lehitpallel (להתפלל). This reflexive verb comes from the root palal (פלל), “to judge.” The word implies that in prayer we evaluate ourselves, that prayer is an act of self-judgement and personal reflection. (Brad Sugar, Director of American Jewish World Service Midwest )
Use the siddur elements included in this packet to begin your tefillah practice.
What's God Doing?
Psalm 139
(1) ...O LORD, You have examined me and know me. (2) When I sit down or stand up You know it; You discern my thoughts from afar. (3) You observe my walking and reclining, and are familiar with all my ways. (23) Examine me, O God, and know my mind; probe me and know my thoughts. (24) See if I have vexatious ways, and guide me in ways everlasting.
א"ר יוחנן משום ר' יוסי מנין שהקב"ה מתפלל שנאמר (ישעיהו נו, ז) והביאותים אל הר קדשי ושמחתים בבית תפלתי תפלתם לא נאמר אלא תפלתי מכאן שהקב"ה מתפלל. מאי מצלי אמר רב זוטרא בר טוביה אמר רב יה"ר מלפני שיכבשו רחמי את כעסי ויגולו רחמי על מדותי ואתנהג עם בני במדת רחמים ואכנס להם לפנים משורת הדין.
Rabbi Yohanan said in the name of Rabbi Yosi: How do we know that the Holy One, Blessed be He, prays? Because it says: "I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in the house of my prayer". It does not say, 'their prayer,' but 'My prayer'.Hence [you learn] that the Holy One, Blessed be He, prays.What does he pray? Said Rabbi Zutra ben Tuvia in the name of Rav: May it be My will that my compassion will conquer my anger, that my compassion will prevail over my other attributes, that I behave towards my children according to the quality of compassion and that I enter before them within the line of the law.
Meditation Tools
(ד) שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהוָ֥ה ׀ אֶחָֽד׃
(4) Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is One [alone].
(לה) אַתָּה֙ הָרְאֵ֣תָ לָדַ֔עַת כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה ה֣וּא הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ין ע֖וֹד מִלְבַדּֽוֹ
(35) It has been clearly demonstrated to you that the LORD alone is God; there is none beside Him. [Ain Ode Milvadoh]
Lawrence Kushner on Deut. 4:35
The theology of the Alter Rebbe of Lubavitch Chasidism (1745-1813) maintains God is not only the basis of reality, God is the only reality; God is all there is. Creation is continuously brought into being through the divine word.
Using A Mizrach - It is customary in traditional Jewish homes to mark the wall in the direction of mizrah to facilitate proper prayer. For this purpose, people use artistic wall plaques inscribed with the word mizrah and scriptural passages like "From the rising (mi-mizrah) of the sun unto the going down thereof, the Lord's name is to be praised" (Ps. 113:3), kabbalistic inscriptions, or pictures of holy places. These plaques are generally placed in rooms in which people pray, such as the living room or bedrooms.
R. Dov Ber of Mezeritch, Maggid Devarav L’Ya’akov, 14a
As a person begins to pray, reciting the words:
“O Lord, open my lips
and let my mouth declare Your praise,”
the Presence of God comes into him.
Then it is the Presence herself
who commands his voice;
it is she who speaks the words through him.
One who knows in faith
that all this happens within him
will be overcome with trembling
and with awe.
R. Yisrael Ba’al Shem, Tza’va’at RiVaSH 4b
There are times when the love of God
burns so powerfully within your heart
that the words of prayer seem to rush forth,
quickly and without deliberation.
At such times it is not you yourself who speak;
rather it is through you
that the words are spoken.