Introduction to Jewish Meditation    by Rabbi Goldie Milgram    
Questions & Answers

    *Holy days to make us aware of our joys and foibles
    *Life Cycle events to surround us with community for the celebration of transitions
    *Torah study to focus our attention on how we treat one another
    *Prayer to enhance our sense of blessings and to find the prayer of our heart

     Jewish meditation offers a way to infuse each of these facets of Judaism with deeper meaning, greater connection to the Source of Life and more meaningful human interactions. It is not an end in itself...it is a beginning.

Can meditation be an authentically Jewish experience?

     Yes. Jewish mystics of all generations have used meditation practices as spiritual tools for expanding awareness, happiness and holiness. The ancient kabbalist, Eleazar Azikri, distinguishes study as the practice for the intellect and describes a Jewish meditation practice known as "hitbodedut" as seven fold more helpful to the soul.
    In the Talmud our sages are described as meditating for an hour before and after services. In the Torah we are told of Jacob who went out into the field to meditate.  Rabbi Akiva is described as spinning in circles and deflecting off the corners of his room while praying. (This meditation practice is reminiscent of the Sufi whirling dervishes.) Even yoga-like sensibilities are depicted in the Talmud, such as the recommendation that when bowing in prayer one should "hyper-extend the spine until one can read the words on a coin set in front of your feet on the ground."
    While the practices of mindfulness or movement-based meditations, like yoga, are delightful to do in a Jewish setting and are being adopted and adopted into meaningful Jewish forms, these are not the ancient arts of Jewish meditation. Some of these ancient forms are described further on in this document.

What is the purpose of Jewish meditation?

     Just as healthy foods nourish us through the blood stream, so Jewish meditation nourishes our "soul stream." Meditation can transform Judaism from the purely intellectual process most of us grew up with into a spiritual practice that links us to Judaism in the most profound way.  Meditation gets under our intellectual defenses and helps us to feel at one with creation and to experience an expanded life rich in conscious awe and joy.
     Each holy day and cycle of life has its own rhythm, nuance, taste and character. Jewish meditation can help us shift into these holidays cycles, deepening our connection to them.

Should meditation be done in a group or alone?

Both. Recent bio-medical studies in the field of psycho-neuroimmunology indicate that group meditation enhances the benefits of solitary meditation. When a minyan of Jews meditates together, there is a reciprocity of caring, support and spiritual energy. 
   Meditating alone has its advantages too.  Solitary meditators can experience a wonderful closeness to God, the flow of what Kabbalists call "the river of light" (which may in fact correlate with what scientists have identified as the electro-magnetic fields of the body) can add energy and delight to your day.

Are there different kinds of Jewish meditation?

Yes! An exciting variety of approaches exist. Depending upon your emotional make-up, the circumstances and the effect you desire to create, one might suit you better than another. But whatever technique you choose, the benefits of a regular program of  Jewish meditation will intensify with daily practice and delicious nuances of experience and awareness will emerge over time.

Most types of Jewish meditation are simple to learn under the auspices of a good teacher. Some are more complex and require careful preparation and guidance. It is important to experiment and find the technique and teacher(s) that works best for you.

Can I try a sample meditation?

Absolutely. Click here for a meditation you can try when lighting Friday night candles.

Is Jewish meditation for everyone?

No. For those with borderline personality and/or schizophrenia,  meditation of any kind can be unsettling, even dangerous. Meditation may also be problematic for those with addictive tendencies.

Further, some forms of meditation will not work for everyone. Research shows that perhaps as many as 10% of humans do not have the "hard wiring" to benefit from guided visualizations.

Can Jewish meditation be practiced as a substitute for the rest of Judaism?

No. In small, sweet doses Jewish meditation can deeply enhance one's experience of Judaism.  However, I do not recommend an extensive practice of meditation alone without Torah study, prayer, and the celebration of holy days and life cycle events. The goal of Judaism is to give us a variety of tools for living the fullest expression of life possible, including the grounding, inspiration and moral strength to work on making the world a better place. Meditation without the natural balances inherent in Judaism can lead us out of the joys of physical and communal life and decrease our ability to make the most of living in the here and now.

Is Jewish Meditation the Same Thing as Authentic Prayer?

I would say not usually. Finding and expressing the prayer of your heart whether there is a listening G*d and whether you use traditional Jewish liturgy, or not, is a healthy, holy, helpful human thing to do. There is actually a satisfying process for doing this that by-passes the intellect in a most helpful way. Here is an article from a Jewish perspective that introduces the process Dr. Gene Gendlin terms "Focusing" and that seems to be well-reflected in the Book of Kings and the writings of the mystic Rav Kook, who was Israel's first chief rabbi.

How do I find a good teacher?

   Look for courses taught by the following Jewish master teachers of meditation:  Mindy Ribner, and Rabbis David Cooper, Shefa Gold, Rami Shapiro, Jeff Roth, Nan Fink, Sheila Weinberg, Jonathan Omer-man, Shohama Wiener and Avram Davis. Some semesters we offer a Jewish meditation course here at ReclaimingJudaism.org, as well - via conference call, retreat or webcam, depending on the semester. There are certainly many more teachers, who are also very profound and skillful. However, not all those who call themselves teachers of Kabbalah and meditation are legitimate.  I have attended sessions offered at major centers by so-called Jewish meditation teachers who seemed to be making it up as they went along or whose physical, emotional, intellectual or spiritual boundaries were unhealthy, making them dangerous to their students.

Are there some good books about Jewish meditation?

   Yes, there is a growing literature on this subject.

I wish you a wonderful, satisfying journey into Jewish meditation and Jewish spirituality! Reb Goldie