What is Jewish Meditation?
Our understanding, as practitioners, teachers, and Jews, is that meditation is a tool or technique, not inherently Buddhist or Jewish or anything else. When we infuse our meditation practice with Jewish language, intentions, texts, and understanding, that translates into Jewish meditation.
Judaism has a very long history of meditation and contemplative practice. Some people translate the Hebrew word we use for prayer, t’fillah, as meditation. For thousands of years, there have been Jewish teachers in every part of the world teaching meditation, Kaballah, mystical interpretations, and deeply spiritual practices. Jewish meditation can include mindfulness, concentration, and awareness practices, incorporating prayers, blessings, and visualizations.
Judaism as a religion and identity is individual, evolving, and personal, as are all spiritual paths, and meditation is a practice that intersects these beliefs and traditions. If we bring our whole selves to our meditation practices, and we are Jewish, then we are practicing Jewishly. Whether we are simply following our breath, focusing on “placing God before us always,” as we read in daily prayers or cultivating tikkun olam, healing the world, from the inside out, practicing Jewish meditation is a way to find relaxation, stillness, healing, and a sense of peace, as well as personal transformation and a deep connection to our Source.
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