"Is there such a thing as meditation in Judaism?" Answering this familiar question with a resounding affirmation, Aryeh Kaplan guides us in Jewish Meditation on a journey whose destinations include increased self-awareness, deeper Jewish understanding and a greater appreciation of our capacity for Divine service.
Staying strictly within the confines of classic texts, Kaplan makes Jewish meditation accessible to people with only a limited knowledge of Judaism. Much as the Baal Shem Tov sought to make the joys of Jewish prayer accessible to the masses, Kaplan has attempted to do likewise with Jewish meditation. While a mass movement has not followed on the heels of his writings, he has nevertheless opened the gates of opportunity for all who might seek to enter them. Given the oft-expressed desire for spirituality, particularly by Jews of the younger generation who have sought and practiced meditation in non-Jewish settings in significant numbers, he has performed no small service.
Meditation is an activity that must be experienced to be even faintly understood. We can draw an analogy to swimming. No matter how well the author of a how-to-swim book describes it, the reader will have no concept of the activity, to say nothing of the necessary skill, until and unless he gets in the water. A book on meditation suffers from similar limitations. Accordingly, this "guide," will serve less as a vehicle for study and discussion of the key points of Jewish Meditation, and more as an overview of the volume. Chapter references are provided for those who wish further details of the individual practices cited.
Meditation, in most every tradition, is an easy practice to begin but a difficult one to master. Its greatest benefits are reserved for those who pursue it as a long-term discipline. It is most important to recognize however, that certain practices are best undertaken only under the guidance of an experienced teacher and master. Descending into the realms of the psyche can be hazardous unless there is a trustworthy guide who can navigate the shoals and return the mediator to safe harbor. The traditions of every faith (famously, B.Hagigah 14b in Judaism) contain warnings to this effect. Kaplan reminds the reader of these traditions but it is the responsibility of the practitioner to heed them. On several occasions, he details practices that might have been better left as torah she-ba'al peh (oral tradition) and conveyed in real time by flesh and blood teacher to a student. Still, his guide is a most valuable one.
Kaplan begins by attempting to remove some of the "mystique" surrounding meditation by describing it quite simply as concentrated thought (Chapter 2). Practicing this to the point of skillfulness, the meditator enhances the faculties of awareness and perception. This in turn helps attune the mind to certain "Truths" and in time, serves to diminish the role of the overly intrusive ego. Ultimately, it deepens our awareness of the self, the spiritual, and of God in the world.
Although meditation may begin and end with the simple activity of focussing the mind as a relaxation technique, we see that it can lead to more ultimate issues. Kaplan offers a number of suggestions for those who wish to go in this direction. These include meditating on life itself, concentrating on a particular verse of Torah, (Chapter 3) and even attempting to converse directly with God (Chapter 10).
At the beginning he makes a point of including a number of meditative practices that can be undertaken alone, with relatively little risk. In this vein, Kaplan offers examples of Jewish mantra meditation (Chapter 6). In addition, there is meditation as concentrated thought, as quiet contemplation (Chapter 3) as well as the more advanced practice of visualizing "nothing" (Chapter 9). Again, while the descriptions are useful from an intellectual standpoint, a beginner is likely to become lost without the accompaniment of a proper guide.
As the book progresses, Kaplan describes specifically Jewish forms of meditation, from considering the Amida prayer as one long meditation (Chapter 11-12) to the Kabbalistic exercise of Yihudim-contemplation of permutations of Hebrew letters (Chapter 13) to hitbonnenut-solitary contemplation and hitboddedut-dialogue with God, as taught by Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav (Chapter 6-7). These and others serve to keep the meditator well within the boundaries of Jewish tradition, albeit in its more esoteric realms.
Kaplan also notes that many of the traditional mitzvot of Jewish life are enhanced when practiced with a meditative consciousness. Reminiscent of the Buberian teaching that every mitzvah intersects with the Eternal Thou, he urges us to perform the traditional Jewish obligations with appropriate kavana (Chapter 16). This adds depth, dimension, and spirituality to our observance. In addition, he teaches that intimate relations between husband and wife may be enhanced when there is a meditative consciousness in the relationship (Chapter 17). He even encourages us to see such mundane tasks as washing the dishes as opportunities for Divine Service (Chapter 15). When any of these acts are performed with the consciousness Kaplan describes, they have the power to strengthen our relationship with God.
Kaplan teaches that meditative practice ideally should generate in the individual a deep sense of "awe, awareness of sin, and humility" (Chapter 9). Not coincidentally, this is the state of mind attributed to Moses as he beheld the Divine Presence on Mt. Sinai (Exodus 34: 8-9). It is unlikely that any of us will reach that level, but no matter. Jewish meditation has the power to increase spiritual sensitivity within us as few other disciplines do. The more we practice it, the greater our appreciation of life and its holiness. Kaplan's teachings are a valuable guide and road map.
Questions for discussion:
Why do you think meditative disciplines are relatively popular today?
How do you think meditative practice might enhance your personal prayer experience?
Why are there cautions in every religious tradition about the overly intense practice of meditation? Do you know of anyone who has been harmed by it?
How do we account for the multiplicity of teachings that seem to place ego and spirit in inverse relationship?
Why is it that we often feel nearest to God when mind and body are at rest? What implication does this have for our personal lives? For our Jewish lives?
What role do "awe, awareness of sin, and humility" play in our personal, spiritual lives? What is it that makes them essential for a healthy spirit/psyche?
To order Jewish Meditation A Practical Guide Random House
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