An elderly American woman approaches two monks in the Far East and asks to be taken to their spiritual guru. They explain that it will take five days of climbing a steep mountain to reach him and because he’s so exalted, she will only be allowed to say six words in the guru’s presence. The woman agrees. When they finally reach the guru, the monks are surprised to hear her exclaim, “David, come down from here immediately!”
This old Jewish joke reinforces the common misconception, which I tackled in a previous blog post, that Jews who wish to experience the happiness and contentment of meditation and deep spirituality must look elsewhere. Many of today’s spiritual seekers and popular spiritual websites associate Buddhism and Hinduism with the word “meditation.”
But as Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan noted in his classic work, Jewish Meditation: A Practical Guide, “There is ample evidence that meditative practices were widespread among Jews throughout Jewish history. References to meditation are found in major Jewish texts in every period from the biblical to the pre-modern era.”
The Hebrew language gives us a clue to the importance of meditative practice. In Hebrew, the word for “soul” (“neshama”) shares the same root as the word for “breath” (“neshima”). In the book Jewish Spiritual Practices, Yitzhak Buxbaum writes, “Our breath leads us to think of God, for it is connected with Him and is good evidence of our direct dependence of Him at every moment of our life.”
The Talmud – a central Jewish text in which Jewish laws and philosophies are debated – states that in ancient times there was a group of pious men who would meditate for an hour to prepare for prayer; pray; and then meditate for an hour to come down from the higher prayer state (Tractate Berakhot 32b).
Jewish prayer, when performed correctly, is meant to be an elevated group meditation infused with deep intention (“kavanah,” which means “aim”) and spirituality.
There are many Jewish meditation practices, such as:
1. Chanting: Rabbi Israel Salanter, who founded a character improvement movement in Lithuania in the 19th century, used a method called “hitpa’alut” (“enthusiasm”). His students would repeatedly chant biblical verses or ethical dictates with great enthusiasm and fervor.
2. Conversing directly with God: Rabbi Nachman of Breslov taught his followers to practice “hitbodedut” (self-seclusion). This involves a daily hour of direct conversation with God. Practitioners pour out their hearts during informal and intimate sessions that sometimes take place in fields or forests.
3. Visual meditation: One popular visual meditation is to focus on the four-letter Tetragrammaton, God’s sacred name (Jewish law forbids actual pronunciation of this name).
4. Continuous meditation: Hassidim (mystically-inclined Jews) strive for “d’vekut” – divine attachment and expanded God consciousness. Rabbi Moses ben Nahman Girondi, a leading medieval Jewish scholar, wrote, “D’vekut means to remember God and your love for Him always and at all times, so that you never remove your mind from Him.”
5. Singing and dancing: “Niggunim” are soulful, repetitive melodies used to both prepare for prayer and help unleash intense emotion during divine entreaties. Passionate circle dancing is also an important part of Jewish life, especially at celebrations such as weddings. A circle represents eternity, because it has no beginning and no end, while also bringing out the dancers’ inner joy.
The above are just some of the many different types of Jewish meditation. Jewish Meditation: A Practical Guide is a good resource for beginners. Jewish Spiritual Practices also has a lot to offer. To those who enjoy exploring the spiritual practices of the Eastern religions, keep in mind that Judaism is an ancient religion that originated in the East and offers a rich history of meditative practices for interested seekers.