Open Awareness on Rosh Hashanah
There is a debate in the rabbinic tradition concerning whether or not mitzvot need kavana (“intention”). That is, does one get credit for the performance of a mitzvah even if just by rote, or does one need to have in mind, when doing the mitzvah, that one is fulfilling the commandment of G-d. The conclusion of the Rabbis is that one gets credit even without “intention,” though there is a hope that through the performance of the mitzvah one will come to perform it with kavana. Maimonides (1138-1204) and other rabbinic scholars sought to make prayer, or at least key portions of prayer (such as the first paragraph of the Shma) conditioned upon kavana, but in practice Jewish Law is lenient here. As Rabbi Moses Isserles (1530-1572), the great Ashkenazic posek (decisor) writes: “In our day, one doesn’t repeat a prayer due to a lack of kavana because it may very well happen that even when one repeats it, they will not have kavana—so why repeat?” Clearly, though, one should aspire to pray with kavana; or in the words of the great Sephardic posek Rabbi Yosef Karo (1488-1575): “During prayer, a person should direct their heart to the meaning of the words and think that it is as if the Divine Presence is before them.”
I got to thinking about prayer and kavana as I was making my way through “The Healthy Minds Program” It’s a mindfulness app (free and available on the App Store and Google Play) whose pitch is: “With a combination of podcast-style lessons and both seated and active meditations, you’ll learn what the science says about the brain while developing skills to tap into these learnings for a healthier, happier you.” The science in question comes out of The Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin- Madison, whose founder and director is Dr. Richard J. Davidson (yes, he’s Jewish). A key goal of Healthy Minds is open awareness: to be fully present wherever one is, to be completely aware through all of one’s senses. The main barrier to open awareness is our “monkey mind,” which is a formidable presence for all but yoga masters. “Monkey mind” is a playful term to describe the non-stop streaming of various thoughts that scamper unbidden through our heads. It can seem as if we are prisoners of our monkey mind, as if essentially no matter where we are or what we are doing, what really is going on with us is Showtime for Monkey Mind: worry about an upcoming tuition payment, regret for a callous remark, anticipation for a long-planned trip, a reminder to pick up a loaf of bread on the way home. There are many techniques to help with monkey mind, and you can find some of them on the Healthy Minds app. Typically, techniques often involve anchoring the mind while being open to one’s senses; two examples are: repetitively counting one’s breaths and repeating a mantra. Thinking “one, two, three, four; one, two, three, four,” or “may I be healthy and safe” can dampen the monkey mind’s activities and allow one to be more fully present.
Now putting all of the above together, here comes a High Holiday gift for you: This year, instead of saying the same old words by rote, turn your synagogue experiences into mindfulness workshops. Rather than mindlessly repeating what you have said annually for years and years, try every now and then to pay attention to the meaning of the words. Yes, 500 years ago Rabbi Karo was on to something! The words of your prayers can act as a kind of mantra to quiet your monkey mind and help facilitate mindfulness. Don’t worry, you can start by only trying this for small portions of the liturgy. But as the Center for Healthy Minds teaches us, practicing mindfulness is like exercising a muscle: the more you try it, the better you become at it and the richer the experience.
Shana Tova.
Teddy Weinberger is a contributing writer to Jlife magazine. He made aliyah with his family in 1997 from Miami, where he was an assistant professor of religious studies. Teddy and his wife, Sarah Jane Ross, have five children
