The History and Varieties of Jewish Meditation 1568215223, 9781568215228

Citation preview

T he HISTORY a n d VARIETIES o f JEW ISH

MEDITATION

The HISTORY AND of

VARIETIES JEW ISH

MEDITATION

M ark V erman

8*

JASON ARONSON INC.

Northvale, New Jersey London

For credits, see page 225. This book was set in 12 pt. Antiqua. Copyright © 1996 M ark Verman 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book m ay be used or reproduced in any m a n n er w hatsoever w ith o u t w ritten perm ission from Jason Aronson Inc. except in the case of brief quotations in reviews for inclusion in a magazine, new spaper, or broadcast. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Verman, Mark, 1949The history and varieties of Jewish m editation / Mark Verman. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-56821-522-3 (alk. paper) 1. M editation—Judaism . 2. Spiritual life—Judaism. 3. Judaism — Customs and practices. I. Title. BM723.V427 1996 296.7'2—dc20 95-51819 CIP M anufactured in the United States of America. Jason Aronson Inc. offers books and cassettes. For inform ation and catalog w rite to Jason A ronson Inc., 230 Livingston Street, Northvale, New Jersey 07647.

Dedicated to m y father, Samuel Verman, o f blessed memory, and father-in-law, Cantor Nathan T. Adler, o f blessed m em ory —you are always in our thoughts.

C ontents

Preface

ix

A cknow ledgm ents

xi

A bbreviations

xv

1 The A ncient Roots of Jew ish M editation

1

2 O rien tatio n an d P rep aratio n

19

3 The Role of N ature in Jew ish S pirituality an d M editation

45

4 The Body an d Postures in P rayer an d M editation

67

5 N octurnal S pirituality an d Kiddush Ha-Shem

95

6 B reath in g

111 vn

viii

CONTENTS

7 M usic an d C hanting

131

8 An A ncient M editation

151

9 Perceiving th e Light

161

10 H eart-Centered S pirituality

177

11 Yichudim: U nifications

191

12 C onclusion

211

Glossary

215

Selected Bibliography

219

Credits

225

Index

227

P reface

T here is n o one d o m in a n t form of tra d itio n a l Jew ish m editation. R ather, th e re are dozens, if n o t h u n d re d s, of d isp arate techniques, ran g in g from visualizations of D ivine N am es to candle gazing a n d ch an tin g . It is not th e goal of th is book to be co m prehensive—m erely expansive. This entails a n ex am in atio n of a w ide v ari­ ety of m ed itativ e practices, sp a n n in g m a n y centuries. Unless otherw ise indicated, I have tra n sla te d all of th e p rim ary sources. My goal has been to offer faithful and intelligible readings, as w ell as to p ro v id e sufficient b a c k g ro u n d in fo rm a tio n , such th a t th e sources b e ­ com e lu cid a n d replicable. This w ill allow you, th e reader, th e o p p o rtu n ity to explore various techniques. H opefully you will incorporate som e of these resources into y o u r p erso n al sp iritu al repetoire. Several steps have been taken to en su re th a t th e book is user-friendly. S tandard abbreviations are delineated im m ed iately after th is Preface. Footnotes h av e b een kept to a m in im u m an d usually provide suggestions ix

X

PREFACE

for fu rth e r reading. The en d of th e book includes a G lossary and Selected B ibliography, as w ell as an Index. The p re se n ta tio n seeks to com bine th e academ ic v irtu e of m ethodical stu d y w ith th e creativity an d spontaneity of Divine discovery. Som e sections, such as C h apter 1, “The A ncient Roots of Jew ish M edita­ tio n ,” are m ore historical in orientation. O thers, like C h ap ter 6, “B reath in g ” are m o re ex p erien tially fo­ cused. It has b een m y observation th a t d ifferen t ap ­ proaches an d te c h n iq u e s reso n ate w ith d iffe re n t people. The richness of th e Jewish m editative trad itio n is highly adaptable to p ro m o tin g w idespread sp iritu ­ ality. This variety is one of its greatest assets. The paths to God are diverse; let us begin th e journey.

A cknowledgments

“You are th e source of life; th ro u g h Your light w e b e­ com e e n lig h ten e d ” (Psalm s 36:10). I re n d e r h eartfelt g ratitu d e to Ha-Shem, C reator of th e universe—w ith o u t w hose co n tin u o u s su sten an ce n o th in g could exist. T his p ro ject b eg an m o re th a n fifteen years ago. W hile p u rs u in g g rad u ate studies in Jew ish m ystical lite ra tu re at H arvard, I started to collect texts th a t ad­ vocated specific m e d ita tiv e practices. E ventually, I am assed a book’s w o rth of selections an d tried w ith ­ out success to have it published. Some of th ese sources form ed th e basis of a series of articles th a t ap p eared a decade ago in Four Worlds Journal, a spiritually progres­ sive periodical edited b y E dw ard H offm an. This m a­ te ria l h as n o w b e e n g reatly ex p an d ed a n d recast h erein . M odern publications on Jew ish m editation are fairly re c e n t a n d n o t v ery n u m e ro u s . O ne can sta rt w ith G ersh o m S cholem ’s sch o larly article, “M ed itatio n ,” first p u b lish ed in th e Encyclopedia Judaica (1972) an d XI

xii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

rep rin ted in his collection of essays en titled Kabbalah (1978), w h erein h e offered a p io n eerin g overview of th e topic, n o tin g a n u m b e r of im p o rta n t kabbalistic w riters w ho discussed th is issue. A m ore experiential approach was advocated by Rabbi Z alm an S chächter in A First Step, p u b lish e d b y R. Siegel in The Jewish Catalogue (1973). Reb Z alm an ’s Fragments o f Future Scroll: Hassidism For the Aquarian Age (1975) likew ise offered significant hasidic m aterial p ro m o tin g sp iri­ tual awareness. The erudite chapters on mystical activi­ ties in sixteenth-century Tzefat (Safed) by R. W erblowsky, Joseph Karo: Law yer and Mystic (1977) are v ery w orthw hile. It was at this tim e th a t th e prodigious literary activ­ ity of Aryeh K aplan began. Two of his books on Jew­ ish m editation: M editation and the Bible (1978) an d Meditation and Kabbalah (1982) have recently b een is­ sued by Jason A ronson. T he th ird book in his series Jewish Meditation: A Practical Guide (1985) is th e m ost accessible, co n stitu tin g a w o n d erfu l in tro d u ctio n to th e topic. K aplan’s tra n sla tio n of Rabbi N achm an of Breslov’s Outpouring o f the Soul is also highly recom ­ m ended. Two o th er m onographs th a t are very infor­ m ative are M oshe Id el’s The Mystical Experience in Abraham Abulqfia (1988) and Yitzhak Buxbaum ’s m o n u ­ m ental sourcebook, Jewish Spiritual Practices (Aronson 1990). I have greatly benefited from all of th e above, as w ill be evident. My appreciation for th e dynam ics of Jew­ ish m editative practices w as enhanced by collaborat­ ing w ith Dr. D eane S hapiro on a m ajor essay, “Jew ish M editation: C ontext an d C ontent,” w ritten for an in ­ tern atio n al colloquium w hose proceedings are to be published u n d e r th e title Comparative and Psychologi­ cal Study o f Meditation (W aseda U niversity Press). Although m y exploration of traditional Jewish m ed i­ tatio n has en tailed m u c h research an d study, it has

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

xiii

b een co m p lem en ted by th e private practice of th ese sources. I have also been fortunate to share som e of this m aterial w ith stu d en ts in various courses th a t I have ta u g h t over th e years. The experiential elem en t is u l­ tim ately w h a t is m ost im p o rta n t about th is enterprise. This book is y o u r p ersonal in v itatio n to p articip ate in trad itio n a l Jew ish spirituality. I am tru ly grateful to D ean E lizabeth M cKinsey an d C arleton College for th e ir g en ero u s assistan ce w ith pub licatio n expenses. I w o u ld also like to th a n k th e staff at A ronson, specifically A rth u r K urzw eil, vicepresident, P am ela Roth, associate p u blisher, a n d Janet W arner, p ro d u ctio n editor, for th e ir supportiveness. Finally, as th e last m e n tio n e d is th e m o st b e lo v e d thanks to m y b eau tifu l and talen ted wife. Dr. S hulam it Adler.

A bbreviations

B. = Babylonian Talmud b. = ben, i.e. son of M. = Mishnah M.T. = M aim onides, Mishneh Torah n.d. = no date R. = Rabbi R.M. = Raaya Mehemna T. = Toseßa T.Z. = Tikkunei Zohar Y. = Jerusalem Talmud

1 T he A ncient R oots of Jewish M editation

I sought Your nearness; with all my heart I called out to You. When I went out to greet You, I discovered You coming to greet me. —R. Yehudah Halevi, Shirim Nivcharim, 8 We are all seekers, o u r souls lo n g in g to ascend an d em b race th e M erciful O ne. H ow b e a u tifu lly th is is expressed in th e Song o f Glory, a ttrib u te d to th e late 12th cen tu ry figure R. Y ehudah H asid an d tra d itio n ­ ally recited at th e en d of th e Shabbat m o rn in g service. “My soul covets th e shade of Y our h an d , to know th e en tire m ystery of Your secret” (Shir ha-Kavod, in Siddur Rinnat Yisrael, 295). A ccording to Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, of blessed m em o ry —th e revered lead er of m o d e rn Jew ish orth o ­ doxy in this country—there is an extralegal requirem ent,

2

THE HISTORY AND VARIETIES OF JEWISH MEDITATION

stem m ing from th e original covenant th a t God estab­ lished w ith A braham . It is th e obligation “to strive for religious experiences, in w hich God is en co u n tered .”1 M editation is a p ath to God, entailing deep reflection and concentration. It is b oth a preparation for fu rth er spiritual activity, by p ro m oting a p ro p er m ind-set, an d in itself a m ed iu m for en countering God. M editation inhibits the constant flow of everyday thoughts by re­ placing random , m u n d a n e m usings w ith focused con­ tem plation of th e Infinite. T hrough m editation w e can become attentative to th e Divine im p rin t upon our lives. W hat, then, is Jewish m editation? V irtually all of th e m aterial th a t w e shall discuss com es from H ebrew sources. Accordingly, th e English w ord “m e d ita tio n ” does not appear in any of these texts.12 In fact, seldom are any technical te rm s u tilized, th o u g h hitbodedut (literally self-isolation/seclusion) appears w ith som e frequency. It seem s appropriate, nonetheless, to char­ acterize certain sp iritu al exercises developed by au ­ thoritative Jew ish teachers over th e last tw o m illenia, as Jewish m editation, insofar as these practices fit th e general characterization of m editation. W hat is th e pu rp o se of Jew ish m editation? The fu n ­ d am en tal aim is clear—to increase an in d iv id u a l’s u n d erstan d in g an d experience of th e Divine. We gen­ erally assum e th a t th e re exists a chasm sep aratin g us from God. T hough w e m ay p ray to God and hope th a t o u r petitions are heard, God often seem s rem ote, tra n ­ scendent. M editation is a b rid g e th a t enables us to approach th e U ltim ate. 1. W. Würzburger, Ethics of Responsibility (Philadelphia 1994), 15; see p. 117 n. 34 for the circumstances in which this unpub­ lished discourse was delivered. 2. “The English word meditate comes from the Latinmeditari. Meditari connotes deep, continued reflection, a concentrated dwelling in thought.” The Encyclopedia of Religion 9:325.

THE ANCIENT ROOTS OF JEWISH MEDITATION

3

Judaism is th e trad itio n a l religious experience of th e Jew ish n atio n . H olidays a n d ritu a ls are g en erally observed in a c o m m u n a l o r fam ily setting. Jew ish m ed itatio n can likew ise b e practiced in groups. Som e of th e p articu lar tech n iq u es th a t w e shall explore w ere developed specifically for public prayers; nevertheless, hitbodedut usually im plies a p riv ate act. Rabbi N ahum S ch u lm an cau tio n ed m e recently, w h e n I in fo rm ed h im th a t I w as w o rk in g o n a book on Jew ish m ed ita­ tion. He encouraged m e to em phasize th a t even w h en an in d iv id u al is engaged in private sp iritu al p u rsu its, h e o r she m u st b e aw are of, a n d co n n ected to, th e larger com m unity. We shall revisit this im p o rtan t issue at th e start of th e next chapter. In th e next few pages, after a discussion of th e N am e of God, w e shall offer a b rie f h isto rical overview of an cien t Jew ish m ed itatio n , startin g w ith th e biblical period an d c o n tin u in g u n til early rab b in ic tim es. Per­ tin e n t la ter co m m en taries w ill also be cited to eluci­ date th ese sources. T his b ack g ro u n d discussion w ill provide us w ith a basic o rien tatio n to th e tra d itio n of Jew ish m editation. For alm ost 4,000 years, since th e tim e of A braham an d Sarah, th e focus of Judaism has b een God—as des­ ignated by th e fo u r H ebrew letters th a t can be tra n s ­ literated YHVH. This ep ith et connotes eternal existence; how ever, it is com m only re n d e re d in English tra n sla ­ tions of th e H ebrew S criptures as “Lord.”3 O w ing to th e absolute sanctity of th e Four-Letter N am e, w h ich in 3. Whereas “Lord” is an appropriate translation of Adonay, the standard Hebrew substitution for the Tetragrammaton (i.e., the Four-Letter Name), it does not at all convey the original mean­ ing of YHVH, namely, existing eternally. The substitution of Adonay for YHVH is based on Exodus 3:15, “this is My Name le-[o]lam (perpetually/to hide) and this is My appellation for future generations”; see Rashi’s comments thereon, as well asJ3. Kiddushin 71a for a different interpretation.

4

THE HISTORY AND VARIETIES OF JEWISH MEDITATION

la te r T em ple tim es w as only vocalized by th e H igh Priest on Yom K ippur (the Day of A tonem ent), it has becom e trad itio n al to refer to God as Ha-Shem, (liter­ ally “The N am e,” i.e., th e in effab le an d sacrosanct N am e of God, w hich is u n p ro n o u n ceab le an d in scru ­ table). This practice will also be follow ed in th is book. The High Priest w ould vocalize th e N am e w hile con­ fessing, in p rep aratio n for e n te rin g th e Holy of Holies (see M. Yoma 6:2). W hen h e p ro n o u n ced th e Ineffable N am e, th e en tire congregation w ould p ro strate th e m ­ selves on th e ground. This d ram atic event has b een preserved in th e Yom K ippur p ray er service, w h erein it is reenacted.4 A fter th e d estru ctio n of th e Tem ple, th e p ro p er pronunciation of th e N am e was lost and for­ gotten. A ccording to R. N achm an b. Y itzhak, in th e W orld to Come it w ill be restored (seeB. Pesachim 50a). In th e Tem ple, th e re w ere tw enty-six steps from th e Holy of Holies to th e Ark.5 Sim ilarly, th e n u m e rical value of th e Four-Letter N am e (YHVH) is twenty-six. O n Yom Kippur, the High Priest w ould only climb u p to th e fifteenth step, lest he be u n w o rth y and punished. The n u m b e r 15 corresponds to th e initial tw o letters of th e N am e (i.e., YH), w hich is found in th e Torah as th e con­ densed version of th e N am e of God. The connection betw een th e n u m b e r 15 an d th e Israelite priesthood is reinforced ow ing to th e fifteen H ebrew w ords th a t constitute th e priestly blessing (see N um bers 6:24-26). This sym bolism occured in an o th er aspect of Tem ple practice. There w ere fifteen steps from th e C ourt of th e Israelites to th e W om en’s C ourt. T he levites w o u ld stan d on these steps and sing. This is th e significance 4. For example, The Complete ArtScroll Machzor (New York, 1990), 560. 5. This description is based on the text Brit Menuchah; cf. L. Jacobs Jewish Mystical Testimonies (New York, 1977), 96. Interest­ ingly, there were twenty-six generations from Adam to Moses.

THE ANCIENT ROOTS OF JEWISH MEDITATION

5

of th e fifteen consecutive Psalm s (120-134), w h ich all b e a r th e title, “A Song of S teps” (shir ha-maalot). G reat is th e pow er of th e N am e, even unvocalized. T he follow ing is a m editative pray er, migdal oz (Tower of Strength), w h ich is recited o n Rosh H ash an ah an d Yom K ippur, w hile th e can to r in to n es Alenu: The Name of Ha-Shem is a tower of strength. By means of It the righteous can run and be exalted. Master of the universe, from the day the Temple was destroyed we have nothing that promotes atonement: no sacrifices, priestly garments, grain offerings, slaughtering and no altar—only Your great Name sustains us. (Machazor Rabba, 207)

Let us now begin o u r overview . The H ebrew Scrip­ tu re s are rep le te w ith s p iritu a l d irectives, w h ic h fo rm th e basis of Jew ish m e d itatio n . “For you, w ho a d h e re (ha-devekim) to Ha-Shem y o u r God, are all alive to d a y ” (D eu tero n o m y 4:4). F rom th is verse th e Rabbis deduced th a t devekut (attachm ent) to God is life-sustaining an d w ill u ltim a te ly re su lt in re su r­ rection (cf. B. Sanhedrin 90b). T he P salm s c o n tain countless verses of great sp iritu al pow er such as, “In God alone is m y soul quiet; from H im com es m y sal­ v a tio n ” (Psalm s 62:2), or, “Seek o u t Ha-Shem an d His m ig h ty deeds; d em an d His p resen ce alw ays” (Psalm s 105:3). T he sem in al fo rm u la tio n for ach iev in g devekut is ascribed to King David, “I have co n tin u o u sly placed (shiviti) Ha-Shem before m e; He is at m y rig h t h a n d so th a t I shall n o t fa lte r” (Psalm s 16:8). T he an cien t R abbis cited th is verse as in d ic a tin g th a t “o ne w ho prays should perceive th e Divine Presence before h im ” (B. Sanhedrin 22a). This verse also gave rise to v a r­ ious m editative tech n iq u es in w h ich th e D ivine N am e is v isualized, as w ill b e illu stra te d in su b se q u e n t chapters. S tartin g in th e M iddle Ages an d co n tin u in g u n til today, dom estic am u lets b e a rin g th is verse an d

6

THE HISTORY AND VARIETIES OF JEWISH MEDITATION

referred to as a shiviti have been popular in certain Jew­ ish cultures.6 The above-cited psalm encourages constant m in d fu l­ ness of th e Divine Being (see also Isaiah 62:6). It w as incorporated into m ain stream halachah (standard Jew­ ish practice), in th e o p en in g com m ents of R. M oshe Isserles (Rama) in his notations on th e Shulhan Aruch.7 “I have continuously placed Ha-Shem before me” (Psalms 16:8)—this is the cardinal principle of the Torah and the ideal of the righteous who walk before God. For an individual would not sit or move or act alone in their house, as they would sit or move or act in the presence of a great king[;] ... how much more so when one realizes that the great King, the Holy One, blessed be He, whose Glory fills the world, is always present and watching one’s activities. . . . Immedi­ ately, one would be overcome by fear and humility in awe of Ha-Shem.... When an individual awakens from sleep, he should arise quickly to serve his Creator. (Orah Hayyim 1:1)

In addition to th e sp iritu al directives th a t are fo u n d in th e H ebrew S criptures, th e re are indications th a t specific biblical figures engaged in m editation. A dm it­ tedly, this m aterial is very sketchy. In exam in in g th is issue, we shall first consider references to tw o of th e biblical Patriarchs, Isaac and Jacob, and th e n co n tin u e w ith a discussion of biblical prophecy. To aid in o u r u n d erstan d in g of this m aterial and its connection w ith m editation, w e shall cite th e explanations of m edieval rabbinic com m entators. A ccording to th e account in G enesis 24:63, Isaac w ould v en tu re out in to th e fields at sunset la-suach, “to 6. This is well documented in T. Schrire, Hebrew Magic Amu­ lets (New York, 1982), 87-90, 147-149. 7. As R. Moshe clarifies in his Darkei Moshe, Tur Orah Hayyim 1:1, he based his formulation upon Maimonides’s Guide of the Perplexed, trans. S. Pines (Chicago, 1963), 3:52 (not 3:32), as is listed therein.

THE ANCIENT ROOTS OF JEWISH MEDITATION

7

c o m m u n e /m e d ita te .” D u rin g one such excursion, h e w as encountered by his bride-to-be, Rebekah, w ho w as so overpow ered by Isaac’s in ten sity th a t she fell off h e r cam el. A lthough th e biblical text does n o t provide any details of Isaac’s m ed itativ e m ethod, biblical exegetes have p ro b ed th is passage for h in ts. For exam ple, R. A vraham Saba, a S panish exile w ritin g a ro u n d 1500, com m ented: “Isaac went into the field to commune” to isolate himself (ile-hitboded) and pray with concentration.. . . “He lifted his eyes and saw camels approaching” (Genesis 24:64). Evi­ dently, until that time he had lowered his eyes and closed them, in order to concentrate.... For the Shechinah (Divine Presence) is opposite someone who is reciting the Amidah (Standing) prayer; therefore, [while praying] it is forbidden to open one’s eyes and gaze at the wall. (Tzeror ha-Mor, 53)

N or do w e know w h a t te ch n iq u e Isaac’s son, Jacob, utilized. R. A vraham b. M aim onides, a tw elfth-century sage, asserted in his co m m en tary on th e verse, “Jacob w as left alone” (Genesis 32:25): Jacob isolated himself (hitboded) physically: no servants nor objects remained with him. He ascended from physical self­ isolation into a spiritual self-isolation. Finally, he perceived in a prophetic vision that it seemed as if a man was wres­ tling with him. This actually was an angel, as it is written concerning Gabriel, “And the man Gabriel. . . ” (Daniel 9:21 ). (Perush ha-Torah le-Rabbenu Avraham ben ha-Rambam, 108).

In th is b rief discussion of seclusion as a p re p a ra tio n for sp iritu al elevation, R. A vraham reflects th e teach­ ings of his illu strio u s fath e r, M aim onides. In th e Mishneh Torah, M aim onides exam ined th e n a tu re of biblical prophecy and, in so doing, m akes explicit th e connection betw een biblical prophecy and m editation. The biblical prophets did not prophesize whenever they wanted. Rather, they directed their minds and sat joyfully

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THE HISTORY AND VARIETIES OF JEWISH MEDITATION

and contentedly in a state of self-isolation—for prophecy does not occur in sadness or lassitude, but only in joyous­ ness. (M.T., Yesodei ha-Torah 7:4)

In th e p reced in g citations, th e te rm self-isolation (hitbodedot) is u tilized by th ese w rite rs in a tw ofold m a n n e r. It sim u ltan eo u sly refers to physical w ith ­ draw al from social interactions, as w ell as a synonym for th e act of m editation itself. The connection betw een prophecy an d m ed itatio n is com plex. Few biblical accounts p rovide sufficient in fo rm a tio n to arriv e at firm conclusions. W hereas som e prophetic visions w ere spontaneous, others w ere self-induced, as noted by M aim onides. (In C hapter 7, w e shall consider th e role of m u sic in p ro m o tin g a m in d set conducive to m editation an d even prophecy.) In th e postbiblical period, b e g in n in g a ro u n d 200 b .c .e . and continuing for a n u m b e r of centuries, w e find evidence of various Jewish groups th a t developed an intense form of spirituality, w hich in clu d ed m ed ita­ tion. We shall consider th re e distin ct m ovem ents: th e Hasidim Rishonim, th e T h erap eu tae, an d finally, th e Hechalot mystics. The Hasidim Rishonim (early pietists), referred to by scholars as H asideans, are first m e n tio n ed in h isto ri­ cal docum ents from th e second cen tu ry b . c . e . Accord­ in g to a la ter rab b in ic tra d itio n , th e y in c o rp o rated m ed itatio n into th e ir daily prayers. The Hasideans would be still (shohin) one hour prior to each of the [three] prayer services, then pray for one hour and afterwards be still again for one hour. Since they were still and prayed nine hours each day, how was their Torah knowledge preserved and their work accomplished? Be­ cause they were pietists, their Torah knowledge was pre­ served and their work was Divinely blessed. (B. Berachot 32b)

Although the specifics of th e ir practice have not been preserved, M aim onides, th e great tw elfth-century rab-

THE ANCIENT ROOTS OF JEWISH MEDITATION

9

bin ic authority, notes th e follow ing in his com m entary to th e M ishnah, Berachot 5:1: The explanation of shohin is they restrained themselves: that is to say, they restrained themselves for one hour prior to praying in order to settle their minds and quiet their thoughts. Only then would they pray.

Two th o u sa n d years ago, a second group of Jew ish contem platives built a com m unity aro u n d th e M areotic Lake n ear Alexandria, Egypt. The only historical account of th e ir activities is by Philo of Alexandria, a sem inal Jew ish philosopher and statesm an. Philo labels th e m T herapeutae, healers; nam ely, “therapists of th e spirit.” For six days of th e w eek th e T herapeutae w ould reside separately, each in his or h e r ow n dw elling. T heir days w ere devoted en tirely to sp iritu al p u rsu its, in fulfill­ m e n t of th e biblical directives to be continuously m in d ­ ful of God. Then, on Shabbat they w ould gather together for co m m u n al prayer, study, and m eals. It should be noted th a t b oth m e n and w om en w ere m em bers of th e Therapeutae. This deserves special m en­ tion, insofar as th e involvem ent of w om en in ancient Jewish religious praxis and especially spirituality is se­ verely underrecorded.8 Note th at th e T herapeutae w ere so successful at being ever m indful of God th a t this im ­ pacted th eir dream s, as well. In each house there is a sacred chamber, which is called a sanctuary or closet, in which in isolation they are initiated into the mysteries of the holy life. They take nothing into it, neither drink, nor food, nor anything else necessary for bodily needs, but laws and oracles delivered through the prophets, and psalms and the other books through which 8. It is revealing that the recent anthology. Four Centuries of Jewish Women's Spirituality , ed. E. Umansky and D. Ashton (Bos­ ton, 1992), begins with seventeenth-century sources; moreover, even this period is sparsely represented.

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THE HISTORY AND VARIETIES OF JEWISH MEDITATION

knowledge and piety are increased and perfected. They al­ ways remember God and never forget Him, so that even in their dreams no images are formed other than the loveli­ ness of divine excellences and powers. Thus many of them, dreaming in their sleep, divulge the glorious teachings of their holy philosophy. Twice daily they pray, at dawn and at eventide; at sun­ rise they pray for a joyful day, joyful in the true sense that their minds may be filled with celèstial light. At sunset, they pray that the soul may be fully relieved from the disturbance of the senses and the objects of sense, and that retired to its own consistory and council chamber it may search out the truth. The entire interval between early morning and evening is devoted to spiritual exercise. They read the Holy Scriptures and apply themselves to their ancestral philoso­ phy by means of allegory, since they believe that the words of the literal text are symbols of a hidden nature, revealed through its underlying meanings.. . . And so they not only apply themselves to contemplation, but also compose chants and hymns to God in all kinds of meters and melodies. (D. Winston, trans., Philo of Alexandria, 46)

Scholars speculate th a t th e w ork k n o w n as th e Wisdom o f Solomon w as eith er com posed by th e T h erap eu tae or influenced th em . This text portrays W isdom as a fem inine entity and th e Divine com pan­ ion at th e beginning of tim e. This th em e is adum brated in Proverbs 8:22-30, w herein W isdom asserts: “The Lord fashioned m e at th e b eginning of His enterprise—th e first of His prim ordial w orks___ I was n u rtu re d by Him, a daily delight, continuously playing in His presence.” U ndoubtedly, these verses influenced th e follow ing description in Wisdom of Solomon (7:22-8:1). For in wisdom there is a spirit intelligent and holy, unique in its kind.... For wisdom moves more easily than motion itself, she pervades and permeates all things because she is so pure. Like a fine mist she rises from the power of God, a pure effluence from the glory of the Almighty; so nothing defiled can enter into her by stealth. She is the brightness that streams from everlasting light, the flawless mirror of

THE ANCIENT ROOTS OF JEWISH MEDITATION

11

the active power of God and the image of His goodness. She is but one, yet can do everything; herself unchanging, she makes all things new; age after age she enters into holy souls, and makes them God’s friends and prophets, for nothing is acceptable to God but the man who makes his home with wisdom----She spans the world in power from end to end, and orders all things benignly. (The New English Bible with the Apocrypha, 104-105)

B eginning w ith a text from th e second cen tu ry b . c . e . , k n o w n as 1 Enoch, th e re is an extensive collection of Jew ish w ritings th a t describe celestial jo u rn ey s to th e seven H eavens. M ost of th ese w orks can be classified as p seudepigraphic, in th a t th e y are attrib u te d to leg­ en d ary figures. In 1 E noch 14:8-9 we read. And behold I saw the clouds: And they were calling me in a vision; and the fogs were calling me; and the course of the stars and the lightnings were rushing me and causing me to desire, and in the vision, the winds were causing me to fly and rushing me high up into heaven. And I kept coming [into heaven] until I approached a wall which was built of white marble and surrounded by tongues of fire. (J. Charlesworth, ed.. The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha 1:20)

The n a rra to r co n tin u es by describ in g th e pow er an d m ajesty of th e heavens, th e angelic hosts an d th e Di­ v in e Glory, in so m e w h a t sim ila r te rm s to E zekiel’s vision, as reco rd ed in th e initial ch ap ter of th e Book of Ezekiel. Before proceeding, let m e add a few w ords about th e in trig u in g b ib lic a l figure, Enoch, to w h o m th e p reced ­ in g m aterial w as a ttrib u te d . The n arrativ e in G enesis is sh o rt an d suggestive. U nlike E noch’s ancestors an d im m ed iate d escen d an ts, w ho lived for alm ost a th o u ­ san d y ears—for ex am p le, E n o ch ’s son, M eth u selah lived 969 years—E noch only lived for 365 years. The entire biblical account states: “E noch w alked w ith God 300 years after th e b irth of M ethuselah, an d h e g en er­ ated sons an d d au g h ters. All of E noch’s days w ere 365

12

THE HISTORY AND VARIETIES OF JEWISH MEDITATION

years. Enoch w alked w ith God an d h e w as n o m ore, for God h ad tak en h im ” (Genesis 5:22-24). This last verse w as in terp reted by th e ancients as an exam ple of som eone w ho w as physically elevated to Heaven. It is, therefore, related to th e story of Elijah b ein g taken to H eaven in a fiery chariot (see 2 Kings 2:11). A lthough th e classical n arrativ es focus o n E noch’s celestial sojourn an d his tran sfo rm atio n in to th e supernal angel M etatron, th e re is a m edieval tra ­ dition th a t is also w o rth noting. In it Enoch becam e th e paradigm for som eone w ho is able to tran sfo rm a m u n d a n e task into a sp iritu al activity. The earliest v ersio n of th is p o p u la r m o tif w as re ­ corded by R. Yitzhak of Acco aro u n d 1300: I asked my teacher, R. Yehudah, the Ashkenazic biblical expositor, “Why was Enoch so deserving of all of this?” . . . He answered that he had received a tradition that Enoch was a shoemaker, that is he sewed shoes. With each and every hole that he made in the leather with an awl, he would re­ cite a blessing with a complete heart and with complete concentration for Ha-Shem’s sake, may He be blessed___ He never forgot to recite a blessing for even one hole. He always did this until his love [for Ha-Shem] was so intense that “he was no more, for God had taken him” (Genesis 5:24). He merited being called Metatron and his status is exceedingly elevated. (Meirat Aynayim, ed. A. Goldreich, 47)9

Several centuries later, R. Yosef Karo expanded u p o n this th em e by connecting M etatron, th e angelic m a n i­ festation of Enoch, w ith th e kabbalistic doctrine of th e te n intraD ivine states k n o w n as Sefirot. In this context, Enoch w as associated w ith th e low est of th e Sefirot, w hich is referred to b y various nam es, in c lu d in g

9. Thanks to Professor Goldreich for pointing out this source, as well as the erudite references on p. 398 of his edition of Meirat Aynayim (Jerusalem, 1981).

THE ANCIENT ROOTS OF JEWISH MEDITATION

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M alchut (Sovereignty) an d Shechinah, th e fe m in in e m an ifestatio n of th e D ivine Presence. As they said about Enoch who was a shoemaker, each time he threaded his needle into the sandal he would praise the Holy One, blessed be He. The secret of this matter is that he is Metatron, who is the shoe of the Matron (i.e. Malchut/ Shechinah). He joins Her with the King, by means of the ac­ tions of the righteous ones, which he elevates Above to Them and draws down from Above the abundance of Their bless­ ings to feed the worlds. Accordingly, he (i.e. Enoch) is His shoe and since he was righteous, the Holy One, blessed be He, elevated him from this world, prior to his sinning, and he became a fire amidst the torches of fire. Hence Metatron was transformed from flesh in fire, which is the meaning of ‘and he was no more, for God had taken him’ (Genesis 5:24). (R. Yosef Karo, Maggid Mesharim, 42)10

This narrative was subsequently crystallized in hasidic literature: “As o u r Sages, of blessed m em ory, said about Enoch, w ho sewed leather shoes and w ith each stitch he said, ‘For th e sake of th e u n ity of th e Holy One, blessed be He an d His Shechinah’” (R. Dov Baer of M ezeritch, Maggid Devarav le-Yaakov, 164). B eginning w ith th e ethical w ritings of th e sixteenthc e n tu ry K abbalists, th is ex p ressio n , w h ich is h e re ­

to.

Maggid Mesharim (Jerusalem, 1970) is one of the most fas­

cinating Jewish texts. It is the mystical diary of R. Yosef Karo, the seminal rabbinic authority and author of the Shulhan Aruch. Maggid Mesharim is ajournai of the secret Torah instruction that Karo received nightly, over a forty-year span, from his angelic mentor. This book is the subject of R. Werblowsky’s superb study, Joseph Karo: Lawyer and Mystic.

The kabbalistic legend of Enoch, the shoemaker, was devel­ oped by R. Menachem Azariah of Fano. He contended that with each stitch Enoch would recite the liturgical formula: “Blessed is the Name of His glorious kingdom forever.” Fano’s version was included in Yalkut Reuveni (Warsaw, 1892), 1:120, an important mid-seventeenth-century collection of Midrashim and kabbalistic interpretations.

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THE HISTORY AND VARIETIES OF JEWISH MEDITATION

in a ttrib u te d to Enoch, b ecam e a sta n d a rd fo rm u la th a t is recited p rio r to th e p e rfo rm a n c e of an y co m m an d m e n t.11 R etu rn in g to th e classical period an d th e th e m e of celestial journeying, one of th e few autobiographical accounts is P aul’s first-century ( c . e . ) report, fo u n d in 2 C orinthians 12:2-4.1112 He is u n d o u b te d ly referrin g to him self, th o u g h m odestly, in th e th ird person. I know a man . . . who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man— whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows—was caught up to paradise. He heard inex­ pressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.

It is quite in terestin g th a t Paul h im self is u n certain if th is event was an out-of-body experience or physical teleportation. An early m ystical text from th e rab b in ic period is a co m m en tary on th e o p en in g c h a p te r of Ezekiel, en ­ titled The Visions o f Ezekiel. The anonym ous au th o r was in trig u ed by a seem ingly m u n d a n e detail in th e open­ in g verse of Ezekiel, w hich reads, “A nd it w as in th e th irtie th year, on th e fifth day of th e fo u rth m o n th th a t I w as in th e diaspora on th e C hebar riv er w h en th e h eav en s o p en ed an d I saw v isio n s of G od.” He ex­ plain ed th e phrase “on th e K ebar riv e r” as follows: Thus Ezekiel stood on the Chebar river and was gazing in the water when the seven heavens opened up for him and he saw the holy Glory and the Creatures and ministering angels and the celestial hordes and the fiery angels and the winged beings attached to the Chariot. They were travers11. An excellent study of the evolution of this saying and its incorporation into the liturgy is found in L. Jacobs, Hasidic Prayer (New York, 1978), 140-153. 12. New International Version.

THE ANCIENT ROOTS OF JEWISH MEDITATION

15

ing Heaven and Ezekiel saw them in the water. That is why it states “on the Chebar river.” (I. Gruenwald, “Reuyyot Yehezkel,” Temirin 1 [1972]: 113-114)

The rabbinic period also produced a collection of texts know n as Hechalot (Celestial Palaces/Tem ples) litera­ ture. The central figures in these w ritings w ere th e pro­ m in e n t second-century Rabbis Akiva, Y ishm ael, an d th e ir colleagues, w ho ascended to th e H eavens an d gazed u p o n the Divine Chariot. An exam ple of the praxis advocated by these texts is th e following: “R. Akiva said, A nyone w ho w ishes to m aster this authoritative teach­ ing and fully explicate th e Divine N am e shall sit and fast for forty days. He shall place his head betw een his knees u n til th e fast has conquered him . T hen h e shall w his­ p er to th e earth an d n o t heaven, for th e earth shall h ear him , b u t n o t h eav en ” (Hechalot Zutarti, R. Elior, ed., 36). O stensibly, th is tex t offers specific d irectiv es on h ow to becom e a Hechalot mystic. The re q u ire m e n t for fasting forty days, how ever, is p resu m ab ly sym bolic. It alludes to M oses’ forty-day sojourn o n M ount Sinai, after th e rev elatio n of th e T en C o m m a n d m e n ts (cf. Exodus 24:18). In general, th e Hechalot w ritin g s are com plex an d difficult to u n d e rsta n d ; nevertheless, th e ir goal is to have th e p ra c titio n e r focus on th e D ivine realm . As a first step o n th e ard u o u s p a th advocated by Hechalot m ystics, w e shall co nclude th is c h a p te r w ith tw o basic m ed itatio n s th a t p ro m o te th is process of vision­ ary focusing. T he first is fro m a six te en th -cen tu ry m a n u a l b y R. E leazar Azikri. At special times you should go off to a secluded place, where no one can see you. Lift your eyes upwards to the unique King, the First Cause and Prime Mover, like a bull’s-eye for an arrow, “like water reflects a face, so to the human heart reflects another person” (Proverbs 27:19). In this manner, when you direct your face to God, He will turn to you—then you will adhere together. Thus I have heard directly from

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THE HISTORY AND VARIETIES OF JEWISH MEDITATION

my teacher and Rabbi, the holy hasid , the honorable Rabbi Yosef Sagis, may he be remembered for eternity. This is what he would do. (Sefer Haredim , 309)

A sim ilar, th o u g h som ew hat m ore involved, m ed i­ tative te c h n iq u e w as suggested by one of th e last hasidic rebbes to be active in th e W arsaw ghetto, p rio r to its d e stru c tio n in 1943. R. K alonym us K alm ish Peasetzna suggested th a t if som eone is h av in g tro u b le visualizing th a t h e o r she is sta n d in g in th e D ivine Presence, he or she sho u ld go outside. Look to Heaven and contemplate. Concentrate your mind and think, I am standing [here] beyond the heavens and beyond that is another Heaven, a totally different realm. The angels and the fiery angels and all of the souls of the ances­ tors, prophets and righteous are there and in their midst is the Throne of Glory. Ha-Shem, the great, holy and awesome, is seated upon it. The hidden God is also present in this realm. There the splendor of His Glory is likewise revealed. Concentrate, look and reflect: I am standing here beyond Heaven, praying to Him, who is blessed, “Blessed are You, Ha-Shem. . . . ” I bless You, to whom my eyes are upraised. Whether I can see You or not, I concentrate my vision and gaze upon You—blessing and conversing with You, Ha-Shem. (Hovat ha-Talmidim, 27b)

This concludes o u r h isto rical overview of a n c ie n t Jewish references to m ed itatio n and related sp iritu al activities, in c lu d in g p ro phecy. T he earliest sources concerned specific in d iv id u als, such as Isaac, w h o m editated in private. In th e postbiblical period, groups like th e H asideans an d T herapeutae em erged, in d icat­ ing th a t en tire co m m u n ities w ere devoted to th is p u r­ suit. In general, w e lack in fo rm atio n about th e specif­ ics of th e ir m ed itativ e praxis, th o u g h m edieval an d m o d em practitioners afford us som e insight. A ddition­ ally, in C hapter 8, w e shall offer a detailed p re se n ta ­ tio n of an ancient Jew ish m editation.

THE ANCIENT ROOTS OF JEWISH MEDITATION

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W hat w e have already seen, an d w ill becom e even clearer th ro u g h o u t th is book, is th a t u n lik e in som e E astern religions, th e re h as n o t b e e n reg u la ted m e­ d ita tio n in Ju d a ism —ra th e r, in d iv id u a ls a n d sm all groups developed a n array of sp iritu al exercises. Ac­ cordingly, it is difficult, an d perhaps even unnecessary, to try an d characterize Jewish m editation. O w ing to th e p erso n alizatio n of Jew ish spirituality, m e d itatio n has rem ain ed q u ite flexible an d open-ended. In th e follow­ in g chapters, w e shall explore dozens of d ifferen t tech­ niques. H opefully, som e of th is m aterial w ill resonate w ith each of you.

2 O rientation and P reparation

For th e first few m o n th s of life, all n ew b o rn s have an in n a te ability to sw im an d can th e re b y survive b ein g th ro w n in to w ater. As an in fan t grows older, how ever, it loses th is skill and needs to be ta u g h t how to sw im — so, too, it is w ith devekut (attach m en t to God). We are all able to connect w ith Ha-Shem an d yet, w h e n w e try to intellectualize and verbalize this process, w e becom e tongue-tied a n d insecure. L earning h ow to m e d itate is like le a rn in g h o w to sw im . O n a fu n d a m e n ta l level, it is very n atu ral; nevertheless, th e re is m u ch to discover an d m aster. We w ill sta rt th is ch ap ter, w h ich focuses o n back­ g ro u n d issues an d p rep arato ry steps, w ith a cau tio n ­ ary n o te in v o lv in g an ex p lan atio n of th e tra d itio n a l restrictio n of te ach in g Jew ish m ysticism only to m a­ tu re individuals. This w ill be follow ed b y a discourse on th e co m m u n al im perative in Jewish spirituality and its ro o ted n ess in th e rev elatio n of th e T orah. In th e la tter h alf of th e chapter, w e w ill consider a p p ro p ri­ ate p rep aratio n s for fru itfu l m editation. 19

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THE HISTORY AND VARIETIES OF JEWISH MEDITATION

M any of th e sources in this book are derived from th e m ystical trad itio n know n as th e Kabbalah. T here is a com m onplace notion th a t one m u st be at least forty years old in o rd e r to stu d y such esoteric m aterial. It stem s from a m id -eig h teen th -cen tu ry decree by th e R abbinical C ouncil of B rody in resp o n se to th e Sabbatean and Frankist heresies. This rabbinical body advocated re stric tin g th e stu d y of th e Zohar a n d R. M oshe C ordovero’s w ritings to age th irty and Lurianic texts to fo rty .1 This concern ab o u t th e sp read of Sabbatean heresy is no longer relevant. A m ore appro­ priate approach w as advocated by th e kabbalists th e m ­ selves, as expressed by R. M oshe Cordovero: Also, [the student] has to have reached at least [his] twenti­ eth year in order to have achieved at least half the age of “understanding”; (see M. Avot 5:25). Though some have stated [that this study should not be undertaken] until he reaches his fortieth year, we disagree. Many have acted in accordance with our opinion and succeeded. (I. Robinson, Moses Cordovero’s Introduction to Kabbalah: An Annotated Translation of His Or Neerav, 56)

Using C ordovero’s criterion as a basis, an individual sh o u ld be a resp o n sib le a d u lt b efo re en g ag in g in serious m ystical studies, in o rd e r to ap p reciate th e value of th is challenging m aterial. It seem s th a t, in general, th e S ephardim have follow ed th is advice an d th e A shkenazim have ig n o red it. For exam ple, th e A shkenazi savant, th e Vilna G aon (1720-1797) studied 1 1. On this issue, see R. Elior, “Natan Adler . . . ,” Tzion 59:1 (1994): 57 n. 85, and the sources cited therein. Moshe Idel has demonstrated that the original impetus for applying age limits came from the Islamic philosopher and medical authority Ibn Sina, who asserted that a person’s intellectual capacity was not fully developed until forty; see M. Idel, “Le-Toldot . . . ,” A.J.S. Review 5 (1980): 1-20.

ORIENTATION AND PREPARATION

21

com plex kabbalistic w orks at age nine. W hen h e w as tw elve, h e set o u t to create a golem (h u m an o id ), by m eans of Sefer Yetzirah; how ever, h e received a heav­ enly sign to desist.2 We have previously m e n tio n e d th a t th e re is a dia­ lectical te n sio n th a t exists b etw een an in d iv id u al w ho w ishes to achieve sp iritu al elevation in isolation an d th e cen trip etal force of Judaism , w hich req u ires Jews to fu n c tio n as m e m b e rs of a n a tio n a l co m m u n ity . R u th ’s declaration to N aom i can be seen as p arad ig ­ m atic: “y o u r people shall be m y people an d y o u r God, m y G od” (R uth 1:16). If ta k en literally, th e lesson of th is verse is th a t one m u st first self-actualize w ith in th e n atio n al context, before in tim acy w ith Ha-Shem is possible. The opposing tendencies of isolation versus com m u­ nal connectedness are succinctly expressed in th e p ara­ doxical d ic tu m of th e hasidic m aster, R. M oshe Leib of Sassov, “It is good to practice separation (prishut) in th e com pany of o th e rs” (Tzewaot Ve-Hanhagot, 101). A clas­ sical fo rm u latio n of th is n o tio n is: “it is good to prac­ tice hitbodedut by acq u irin g a p a rtn e r” (Reshit Hochmah ha-Shalem, Shaarha-Kednshah, 6:19). Insofar as this dia­ lectic is such a basic issue, it is w o rth w h ile to consider it at som e length. In o rd e r to b e tte r appreciate th e co m m u n al im p era­ tiv e of Ju d aism a n d its role in Jew ish sp iritu ality , w e shall exam ine a series of sources th a t discuss v ari­ ous aspects of th is topic. Let us start by co n sid erin g a n exp o sitio n b y th e h asid ic m a ster, R. K alonym us K alm an Epstein. He co m m en ted on th e pivotal bibli­ cal verse, “Speak to th e en tire Israelite co m m unity an d 2. See the sources cited by G. Scholem, Sabbatai Sevi (Princeton, NJ, 1973), 203 n. 14, and R. Werblowsky, Joseph Karo: Lawyer and Mystic (Philadelphia, 1977), 313; see also Elie Wiesel’s reminis­ cences of studying Kabbalah as a boy, in Night (Toronto, 1986), 1-5.

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say to them : ‘You shall be holy, for I, Ha-Shem, y o u r God, am holy’” (Leviticus 19:2). He began his discourse by m e n tio n in g th a t Rashi, th e m edieval biblical com ­ m en tato r p a r excellence, noted th a t th e ethical direc­ tive of im ita tin g Ha-Shem was conveyed in a n atio n al assembly. A person might mistakenly think that the interpretation of “you shall be holy” is achieved by isolating oneself (yitboded atzmo) and separating oneself from the community and in that way he will achieve holiness. It is for this reason that Rashi informed us that [these instructions] were proclaimed during a national gathering. That is to say that a person cannot achieve holiness unless he joins the community of seekers of Ha-Shem; however, concerning those issues that are obstacles to serving Ha-Shem, from them it is good to isolate oneself.. . . Behold, there are people who think that the path to ser­ vice of Ha-Shem, may He be blessed, and to achieve devekut (attachment) is through hitbodedut—that a person would iso­ late himself within a room and study there and not speak to or be seen by anyone and that this is the essential service that will lead to devekut. This, however, is not completely true; a person can isolate himself for many years and not speak to anyone else and still not arive at the truth. I once heard from my master and teacher, the famous Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk, may the memory of the righ­ teous and saintly be for a blessing, the explanation of “Can a person hide in a hiding-place and I shall not see him, says Ha-Shem?” (Jeremiah 23:24). A person may isolate himself in a special, private room and think that this is the essential service [of God], but the Holy One, blessed be He said, “and I shall not see him”—that is to say that even I [i.e., God], as it were, will not see him. Rather, the essential service is when a person joins with righteous and proper Jews and in this way he can come to serving Ha-Shem in truth through studying their good deeds— for the quintessence is to isolate thought by constantly think­ ing about the exaltedness of his God, may He be blessed, even when he is in the midst of a large crowd, he should attach his thought constantly to the Creator, may He be blessed. (Kalonymus Kalman Epstein, Meor va-Shemesh 1:360)

ORIENTATION AND PREPARATION

23

Some people feel th a t th e Jewish d em an d for com m u­ nal involvem ent is m erely b u rd en so m e and lacks any substantial theoretical basis. In fact, it reflects the ethical u n d erp in n in g s of Judaism . Its core is th e m oral im pera­ tive, “You shall love y o u r friend as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). R. Akiva, th e pivotal talm u d ic sage, com m ented, “This is th e great principle of th e en tire T orah.” Akiva’s colleague, Ben Azzai, extended it even fu rth er by claim ­ ing, ‘“This is th e Book of th e G enerations of A dam ’ (Gen­ esis 5:1). This principle is even greater th a n th a t o n e” (Sifra, Kedoshim, 19:18.). In o th er w ords, Ben Azzai felt th a t R. Akiva’s statem ent m ight im ply th a t ethics only involves Jews, by referring to Adam , Ben Azzai sought to include all h u m a n beings—in th a t w e are all equally created “in th e im age of G od” (Genesis 1:27). R. E liyahu de Vidas, in his m o n u m e n ta l Reshit Hochmah, explains th e sp iritu al m echanics of love in a very in te re stin g fashion: The love of one person for another is by means of the soul (nefesh), for love is the desire of the soul. Even though bod­ ies are distinct and separate from each other, souls are spiri­ tual. Spirituality is not predicated on separation but on unique and absolute unity. When the soul of someone awak­ ens her desire to love another, the soul of this person like­ wise awakens to love. Then the two souls become one, as it is written in connection with David and Jonathan “The soul of Jonathan was bound up with David’s soul and Jonathan loved him, like himself” (lit., like his soul) (1 Samuel 18:1). (Reshit Hochmah Ha-Shalem, Shaar ha-Ahavah, 1:25, 361)

Love an d com passion for a n o th e r w ith in th e context of sp iritu al p u rsu its have b een im p lem en ted in m an y different ways. W hat follows are several exam ples. The first is from a discussion by Rabbi W alter W ü rzburger co n cern in g th e ta lm u d ic sage R. Eleazar. Ethical conduct, especially to the extent that it involves imitation of the ways of God, is an avenue to Him. The

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widely copied practice of R. Eleazar, who gave charity before the recital of prayers, illustrates this point (B. Baba Batra 10a). He did not treat prayer as a prelude to ethical living. Instead, basing his practice on the biblical verse, “I shall behold Thy face with righteousness” (Psalms 17:15), he looked upon ethical conduct as a prerequisite for proper communion with God. (Ethics of Responsibility, 112f.)

C onsider also th e directive by R. Y itzhak Luria, th e revolutionary m ystic from sixteenth-century Tzefat, to his disciples. Furthermore, my teacher, of blessed memory, admonished me and all the haverim (colleagues) that belonged to his hevrah (group), that before the morning prayer we should accept upon ourselves the positive commandment “and you shall love your friend as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). A per­ son should intend to love every Jew like oneself, for by this means his prayer will ascend, included with all of Israel. It will be able to ascend and to bring about the restoration above. Especially important is the love of all our haverim [towards each other]. Each and every one must include him­ self, such that he is one of the limbs of these haverim. My teacher, of blessed memory, especially admonished me con­ cerning this matter. If, God forbid, any haver is plagued by anguish or his wife or children are sick, then one should join in his pain and pray for him. Thus, in every matter one should join together with his haverim. (R. Hayyim Vital, Shaar ha-Gilgulim no. 38, 333)

W hat em erges from an in v o lv em en t in th e w ell­ b ein g of others is th e realization of m u tu a l in te rd e ­ pendence. It is best sum m arized by th e m axim , “All Jews are responsible for each o th e r” (B. Shevuot 39a). The H ebrew w ord for “responsible,” arevim, connotes m ixed or com ingled—a very graphic w ay of dep ictin g in terd ep en d en ce . A nother m e a n in g of th is w o rd is “sw eet,” w hich can be in terp reted as referrin g to th e benefits of th e relationship. This sense of responsibility is illu strated in an in te r­ esting anecdote, concerning th e Besht, th e fo u n d er of

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H asidism , an d his brother-in-law , R. G ershon Kutover, w ho w as likew ise a p ro m in e n t kabbalist. O nce, R. G ersh o n v isited th e B esht. It w as a F riday a fte r­ n o o n an d th e y recited minchah (the afternoon prayer) together. The Besht stood and prolonged the afternoon prayer until nightfall. R. Gershon had likewise used the Siddur (prayer book) of the Ari, of blessed memory.3Then he reviewed the weekly Torah recitation three times and had pillows deliv­ ered so that he could rest. At the Sabbath nighttime meal R. Gershon asked his brother-in-law, the Besht, why he had excessively prolonged his prayers and gestured vigorously. . . . At first the Besht laughed and did not reply. Upon further questioning the Besht responded, “When I reach the expression ‘He resur­ rects the dead’ and I undertake the yichudim (unifications) [see Chapter Eleven], tens of thousands of souls from de­ ceased individuals approach me and I must speak to each one as to why that person was excluded from His realm [i.e. Heaven]. Then I perform a tikkun [rectification] and pray for that person in order to elevate him. The most important take precedence. There are so many that if I wanted to elevate them all, I would have to stand in prayer for three years. It is only when I hear the proclamation that the Sabbath is being sanctified and it is no longer possible to elevate the souls that I cease praying.” (Shivhei ha-Besht, A. Rubinstein, ed., 97f.)

R. A vraham Kalisker, a h asid ic m aster, w rote exten­ sively on th e social aspect of devekut. T herein, h e ad­ dressed th e issue of th e b en efits of b ein g involved in a sp iritu al com m unity. It is a wonderful boon for the individual to continuously have the advantage of Divine Providence through his associates who are attached in devekut with God, and to be eligible for all good things and success in the uplift of body and soul. ... Now if some misfortune befall him ... all he needs to do 3. R. Yittzhak Luria’s more meditative version of the liturgy.

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THE HISTORY AND VARIETIES OF JEWISH MEDITATION

is to make his misfortune known to the many with whom he is in a relationship of devekut and who are themselves pro­ tected by Divine Providence from suffering and distress by the abundance of their devekut with God. Thus those who are in trouble live under the Divine protection which shields them. In order that the perfect ones might suffer neither pain nor grief, he too, will have Divine Providence extended to him when they become aware of his grief. (Cited by J. Weiss, Stud­ ies in Eastern European Jewish Mysticism, 162)

From th e next source by R. Pinchas of Koretz, w e see th a t th e issue goes beyond m u tu al responsibility. O ur lives overlap an d are interconnected. He responded in answer to someone who asked how it is possible to pray that someone else will repent, when “every­ thing is in Heaven’s hands, [except for the fear of Heaven]?” (B. Berachot 33b). He explained that Ha-Shem, may He be blessed, is the sum of all souls. Everything that pertains to the whole is also found in a part. Consequently, what is re­ lated to one soul pertains to all the souls and therefore when you yourself return [to Ha-Shem], as a result of this even your friend returns [to Ha-Shem]—for he is included in his col­ league and his colleague is included in him. (Midrash Pinchas, no. 21, 13b)

Thus, each of us is n o t only responsible for directly h elp in g o u r neighbor, b u t o u r private acts of teshuvah (retu rn in g to Ha-Shem), have an indirect im pact on th a t person. This theory can obviously be extended to m edi­ tatio n , as well. T he b o n d th a t a n in d iv id u a l forges w ith God is n o t confined to th a t m o m e n t o r th a t p a r­ ticu lar relationship. By connecting w ith Ha-Shem d u r­ ing m editation, you are involving Ha-Shem in a com ­ m u n io n w ith all hu m an ity . Let us p ro b e deeper. We have b e e n c irc u m a m b u ­ lating th e issue of national cohesiveness an d therefore it is ap p ro p riate to consider th e o rig in atio n of Jewish peoplehood. A ccording to th e census ta k e n of th e Israelites after th e Exodus, a p p ro x im ately 600,000

ORIENTATION AND PREPARATION

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individuals w ere n u m b e re d .4 This statistic has served as th e basis for som e in te re s tin g reflectio n s on th e re la tio n sh ip b e tw e e n th e su m of th e Israelites, th e n u m b e r of th e ir souls, an d th e letters of th e Torah. R. H ayyim Vital w rote: Know that the sum of all of the souls is 600,000—no more. Behold, the Torah is the root of the souls of Israel, for from it they were hewn and in it are they rooted. Accordingly, there are 600,000 approaches [lit. interpretations] to the Torah.. . . Therefore, from each of these approaches a Jew­ ish soul was created. In the future each Jew will achieve knowledge of the entire Torah according to the approach which is aligned with the root of his soul. (Shaarha-Gilgulim, no. 17, 128f.)

Since th e Jewish n atio n is com prised of 600,000 souls an d all p articip ated in th e revelation of th e Ten Com ­ m a n d m e n ts at M ount Sinai, an obvious inference is th a t w e w ere all s p iritu a lly p re se n t at th is epochal event. T here is a scrip tu ral basis for th is assertion, as well. At th e end of his life, Moses su m m o n ed th e n a tio n an d proclaim ed: “Not w ith you alone, do I establish th is covenant, w ith its sanctions, b u t b o th w ith th o se w ho are stan d in g h ere w ith us this day before Ha-Shem, o u r God, an d w ith those w ho are n o t w ith us h ere th is day” (D euteronom y 29:13-14). These verses w ere in ter­ p rete d in m id rash ic lite ra tu re as follows: “R. Y itzhak said th a t ev ery th in g th a t th e p ro p h ets w ould prophesize in th e future, all of th e m received it at M ount Sinai. F rom w h en ce [is th is notion]?—as is w ritte n . . . ‘an d w ith those w ho are n o t w ith us h ere th is d ay ’ . . . th ese are th e souls th a t will be created in th e fu tu re ” (Midrash 4. See Numbers 2:32. Although it is beyond this discussion, the numerical relationship between the 600,000 who were counted at the Exodus and the 6,000,000 who perished in the Shoah is startling.

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Tanchuma, Yitro, 89a). This th e o ry w as ta k e n q u ite seriously. It is well-known that all the souls were present at Mount Sinai. I heard directly from our master and teacher, our Rabbi, the holy torch, [Naftali] from Ropshitz, whose domi­ cile is Eden, in the name of the Rabbi, the famous and holy tzaddik, our teacher and Rabbi, Rabbi Elimelech, eternally blessed, who said the following:' “Not only do I remember the event at Mount Sinai, but I even remember who was standing next to me.” (Cited by R. Avraham Sperling, Taamei ha-Minhagim, 279)

A nother hasidic m aster, th e M aggid of M ezeritch, developed this doctrine an d cam e to a fascinating con­ clusion. It is well known that within every speech and every letter [uttered] are included all 600,000 letters of the Torah, which corresponds to the 600,000 Jewish souls.. .. Consequently, when a person learns and is dedicated to Heaven, even if he does not learn all of the Torah at once; nevertheless, he can still awaken and connect all of the worlds . . . for all 600,000 letters of the Torah are included within each other; therefore, whatever he learns, whether a little or a lot, all of the Torah and all of the Jewish souls are included therein. (Maggid Devarav le-Yaakov, 305)

In actuality, th e letters of th e Torah are considerably less—304,805 according to th e M asoretic reckoning.5 This discrepancy is well k now n an d th e re are at least tw o ways of reconciling th e th eo ry of 600,000 letters in th e T orah, w ith th e fact th a t th e n u m b e r is only about half that. O ne approach is to note th a t som e let­ ters are com posed of o th er letters. For exam ple, in th e 5. See R. Yaakov Kamenetzky’s Emet le-Yaakov (New York, 1991), 546, for a learned discourse on the significance of this tra­ ditional calculation. According to a modern computation it is ac­ tually 400,945; see Torah, Neviim u-Chetuvim (Jerusalem, 1975), 360.

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Zohar w e read th a t th e alef is a com posite of th re e let­ ters: a yod on to p a n d b o tto m a n d a d iag o n al va v.6 R. M oshe C ordovero expanded u p o n th is in sig h t by lin k in g th is to th e gem atria of th e Ineffable N am e, YHVH (=26): “It is w o rth k n o w in g th a t all of th e letters are d e p e n d e n t u p o n th e Four-Letter Nam e, even to th e extent th a t som e of th e letters acquire th e ir existential quality from It. For exam ple, th e alef has th e fo rm of tw o yodin an d a vav. The n u m erical value yields 26, w hich is th e value of th e N am e.”7 A second solu tio n to th e rid d le of th e m issin g letters is fo u n d in Shoshan Sodot, an anthology of m ystical arcana: “This is th e secret of th e 6 0 0 ,000... . C ustom ­ arily, th e Israelite n atio n recites ‘Blessed is th e Sage of th e m ysteries.’ T he reason for th e blessing of m y ster­ ies is th a t som e letters have b een absorbed in to o th e r ones. For exam ple b, g, d yields ba gad (fo rtu n e h as come). Sim ilarly, h e re razim (m ysteries) yields arazim (cedars)” (Shoshan Sodot, 44b). The au th o r continues by re la tin g th e im ag e of th e cedars of L eb an o n to th e Israelites, as w ell as th e low er levels of th e Sefirot. A ccording to th is source, certain syllables p reserv e u n w ritte n letters. P resum ably, ad d in g u p all of th ese secret letters w o u ld yield 600,000. This still leaves us w ith th e puzzle of w hy one w o u ld develop a ra th e r w id e sp re a d te a c h in g th a t does n o t c o rre sp o n d to a verifiable reality. P erhaps th e source for th e h y p o th ­ esis of th e 600,000 letters is a discussion in th e Zohar c o n c e rn in g th e p rie stly blessing, w h ich co n sists of th re e verses (N um bers 6:24-26) to talin g fifteen w ords (the n um erical value of th e Divine Nam e Yah) an d sixty letters. 6. Zohar 3:223b. 7. M. Cordovero, Pardes Rimmonim (Jerusalem, 1962), 21:1,97a. It is quite appropriate that the first letter of the alphabet alludes to the Creator of the universe.

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At the time when this blessing leaves the mouth of the priest, these sixty letters depart and fly in the heavens. Sixty princes are assigned to each letter. Each offers thanks for these bless­ ings. What is the reason for the sixty letters in these bless­ ings? Since Israel numbers 600,000, the mystery of the 600,000 perpetually exists in the world—every one of them [i.e. the sixty letters of the priestly blessing] constitutes 10,000. (Zohar 3:145a)

The above-cited text, Shoshan Sodot, m e n tio n e d an u n u su al blessing th a t req u ires som e elucidation. By tracing th e sources of this practice, w e w ill eventually arrive at th e pivotal theory th a t Ha-Shem, th e Torah and Israel are one. The talm u d ic source for th e blessing of “m y steries” is th e following: Our Rabbis taught: When one sees myriads of Jews, recite: “Blessed [are You, King of the Universe,] the Sage of the mysteries”—for neither are their minds the same, nor are their faces the same. . . . [R. Hanina b. R. Ika] said to them . . . you reminded me of 600,000 Jews . . . [so I recited] “Blessed .. . the sage of mysteries.” (B. Berachot 58a-b)

Rashi com m ented th a t Ha-Shem is th e “Sage of th e m ysteries” for “He know s w h at is in th e h e a rt of each of th e m .” R am ban expounded u p o n this topic: Our Sages transmitted that there are only 600,000 different facial types and that this number includes all of the mind­ sets. It was for this reason that the Torah was revealed to this number and they said that it was only appropriate for the Torah to be transmitted if it would be received by all of the mind sets. Since the Creator, may He be blessed, knows the minds and thought processes of all creatures, the blessing “Sage of the mysteries” is recited [upon seeing] myriads. (Kitvei Ramban, Torat Ha-Shem Temimah 1:162)

R am ban c o n tin u e d b y ex p lain in g R. H an in a b. R. Ika’s unexpected action in th a t he recited th e bless­ ing after en countering ju st tw o fellow Rabbis. R am ban

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stated, “T here are tru ly exceptional in d iv id u als th a t k n o w a n d u n d e rs ta n d all of th e w isd o m s an d have m astered all of the m ind-sets.” Accordingly, if one w ere to e n c o u n te r such a person, it w o u ld be ap p ro p riate to recite th e “Sage of th e m y steries” blessing. T here is a fu rth er step to this line of reasoning, w hich entails th e identification of Ha-Shem a n d th e Torah. It is p re d ic a te d u p o n M aim o n id es’s fo rm u la tio n th a t Ha-Shem an d His know ledge are indivisible. The Holy One, blessed be He, recognizes truth and knows it as it is. He does not ascertain knowledge by a means that is outside of Himself, in the way that we acquire knowledge. For we and our knowledge are not one, but the Creator, may He be blessed, and His Knowledge and His life are identical from every aspect, perspective and manner of unity You can therefore conclude that He is the Knower, the Knowing and the Known all in one. (M. T., Yesodei ha-Torah 2:10)

Since th e T orah re p re se n ts th e tre a su re -h o u se of D ivine w isdom , th e Zohar p la u sib ly id e n tifie s th e T o rah a n d God. “A nd th e T o rah is th e H oly O ne, blessed b e H e” (Zohar 1:24a). Later Jew ish sources re­ fo rm u lated an d extended th is d o ctrin e in an A ram aic expression th a t sounds zoharic: “The Holy One, blessed be He, th e T orah an d Israel are o n e.” T he closest th a t th e Zohar com es to th is is: “T here are th re e levels th a t are co n n ected one w ith th e o th e r—th e H oly O ne, blessed be He, th e T orah and Israel” (Zohar 3:73a). Pro­ fessor B erachah Zak, in a study on th e evolution of this saying, concluded th a t th e p o p u la r refo rm u latio n was u ltim a tely d e p e n d e n t u p o n a sta te m e n t b y R. M oshe C ordovero in h is co m m en ta ry o n th e Zohar, “The T orah, an d th e souls an d th e Sefirot are all one th in g ” “Ve-Od . . . , ” Kiryat Sefer, 57:179). An in te re s tin g ra tio n a le fo r th e id e n tific a tio n of Ha-Shem a n d th e T o rah is fo u n d in th e w ritin g s of R am ban. “We have received a tru e Kabbalah [i.e., tra-

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dition] th a t th e en tire Torah consists of N am es of th e Holy One, blessed be He—for th e w ords can be divided into various N am es” (Introduction to Torah Commen­ tary; see also Kitvei Ramban, 1:167). He continues by giving an exam ple from th e first verse of Genesis, by realigning th e letters of th e initial w ords. Instead of th e stan d ard read in g —“In th e begin­ n in g God created . . . ” —a radically different version em erges: “From th e b eginning God is c re a te d .. . . ” The kabbalists took this to m ean th a t God, nam ely, Binah (U nderstanding), was em anated from “th e beginning,” nam ely, Hochmah (Wisdom).8 A talm u d ic source can also be cited in this connec­ tion. R. Y ohanan contended th a t th e hom iletical prac­ tice of notarikon (i.e., in te rp re tin g a single w ord as an en tire statem ent by expanding each letter of th e w ord into a com plete w ord in itself) is au th en ticated in th e T orah itself. His source is th e w ord anochi, “I,” w hich Ha-Shem proclaim ed at th e start of th e Ten C om m and­ m e n ts (Exodus 20:2). A ccording to R. Y ohanan th e individual letters of th e w ord anochi can be rendered: ana nafshi ketevat yehavet (B. K iddushin 31a). This p h rase is am biguous. It can e ith e r be tran slated : “I, Myself, have w ritte n an d tra n s m itte d [it]” (i.e., th e Torah) or, “I have w ritten an d tra n sm itte d Myself.” O w ing to th e ultim ate significance of th e Torah, if a scroll has any w ords m isspelled, th e n it should n o t be used u n til checked and fixed—even if only one letter is defective (see M. Soferim 3:9). T he im p o rtan ce of every single letter is illustrated in th e follow ing anec­ dote. R. Meir, one of th e principal sages of th e Mishnah, recounted: “W hen I visited R. Y ishm ael h e said to me, ‘My son, w hat is y o u r profession?’ I said to him , T am a scribe.’ He said to me, ‘My son, b e extrem ely careful 8. See Zohar 1:15a, and D. Matt, Zohar: The Book of Enlighten­ ment (New York, 1983), 49.

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in y o u r craft, for y o u r craft is H eaven’s w ork. If you o m it a le tter or add an extra one, you m ay cause th e d estru ctio n of th e en tire u n iv e rse ’” (B. Eruvin 13a). The previous associations of souls, letters, and Divine N am es are b ro u g h t to g eth er in an in trig u in g anecdote tra n sm itte d by R. P inchas of Koretz. After death a tzaddik (righteous master) ascends from level to level until he is transformed into a letter or a thought or one of the Divine Holy Names. The Rabbi, the great tzaddik, our teacher, Tzvi, the son of the Rivash [Baal Shem Tov], was travelling to Bender and had to sleep in a field. It was a place of danger. His father appeared to him in a dream and told him, “Concentrate on the Forty-two-Letter Name, for I my­ self am that Name.” And it helped him. (Midrash Pinchas, no. 39, 11a)

The p o ten t Forty-two-Letter N am e has b een incorpo­ ra te d in to th e liturgical p ra y e r A na Be-Choah a n d is fo u n d in th e daily m o rn in g service an d th e F riday e v e n in g service. O ne of th e p h ra se s th e re in reads: “Please, [Divine] H e r o . . . g u ard th e m like th e apple of [Your] eye.” O ne can also n o te th a t N um bers, ch ap ter 33, e n u ­ m erates forty-two en cam p m en ts th a t co n stitu ted th e v ario u s stages of th e jo u rn e y of th e Israelites w h e n th e y left Egypt. The S panish exile R. A vraham Saba, in h is T orah com m entary, associated th is w ith th e Fortytw o-Letter N am e. He explained th a t th e Forty-two-Let­ te r N am e consists of seven sequences of six letters each. He derives th is from th e seven p rim a l days, th e first six of w h ich w ere devoted to th e creation of th e u n i­ verse. T hus, th e n u m b e r 42 is connected b o th w ith th e in cep tio n of th e u n iv erse an d th e Jew ish people.9 Interestingly, th e Besht asserted th a t this national itin­ erary is repeated by all of us. Each person traverses forty9. R. Avraham Saba, Tzeror ha-Mor (Brooklyn, NY, 1961), 4:45.

THE HISTORY AND VARIETIES OF JEWISH MEDITATION

34

tw o stages in life. For exam ple, “the day of o n e’s birth, w hen one exits th eir m o th er’s w om b, is like th e exodus from Egypt” (Degel Machaneh Ephraim, Masei, 65b). A nother com m ent on th e interrelationship betw een God, Israel, and th e T orah is by R. N achm an of Bratzlav. He developed th e th e m e th a t tr u th is absolute an d does n o t vary; hence, it is a p p ro p ria te to charac­ terize it as one. He continues: “T herefore, The Holy O ne, blessed be He, th e T orah an d Israel are all one. Ha-Shem, m ay He be blessed is tru th . His Torah is tru th , and Israel is tru th . Since th ey are all tru th , th ey are all one, for tru th is n o t v ariable” (Likkutei Moharan, no. 251:270). We shall conclude this section w ith a p o ten t asser­ tio n by R. Pinchas of Koretz, w hich extends o u r notion of God even further: “Everyone th in k s th a t th ey are p ray in g to th e Holy One, blessed be He. This is not th e case—p ray er is tru ly th e Divine essence, as is w ritten ‘He is y o u r praise; He is y o u r G od’ (D euteronom y 10:21). Moreover, ‘prayer’ is one of th e Divine epithets” (Midrash Pinchas, no. 52, 7b). From this w e see th a t o u r sp iritu al activities are not sim ply directed to Ha-Shem; th ey are in them selves Divine.

P reparations

and

S etting

Now th a t we have a clearer sense of th e spiritual en ter­ p rise an d w h at is at stake, w e shall co n sid er h o w to p re p a re to m editate. R. Y itzhak of Acco, an early fourteenth-century mystic, offered th e follow ing th ree suggestions for anyone w ho desires to m editate suc­ cessfully: “Be content w ith y o u r life; enjoy m ed itatin g alone; flee public office an d acclaim .”10 From this ad10.

Cited by R. Hayyim Vital, “Shaarei Kedushah,” 4:1, in Ketavim Hadashim le-Rabbenu Hayyim Vital (Jerusalem, 1988), 4.

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vice w e see th a t productive m e d itatio n involves self­ p ercep tio n an d basic life-style choices. T here is a general aw areness th a t w h ereas any tim e or place offers in fin ite possibilities for sp iritu al eleva­ tion, nevertheless, som e circum stances are m ore con­ ducive th a n others. T here are even situ atio n s th a t are quite constraining. The texts th a t follow are concerned w ith issues involving th e physical en v iro n m en t, ori­ en tatio n , an d tim e fram e. It is tra d itio n a l to re fra in fro m sp iritu a l activities such as prayer, T orah study, an d m e d itatio n in places th a t are physically contam inated. M aim onides begins his codification of im p ro p er settings as follows: “O ne sh o u ld n o t recite [the Shema] in a b a th h o u se or b a th ­ room , even if it is void of excrem ent, n o r in a cem etery, n o r in th e v icin ity of a co rp se” (M.T., Hilchot Keriat Shema 3:2).n The scriptural basis for such restrictions is th e verse, “For Ha-Shem, y o u r God, w alks in y o u r cam p to p ro tect you an d to d eliv er y o u r en em ies to you—y o u r cam p m u st be holy. Let H im n o t see any­ th in g unseem ly in your m idst th a t He w ould tu rn away from y o u ” (D euteronom y 23:15). An in trig u in g extension of th is p rin cip le w as fo rm u ­ lated b y th e M aggid of M ezeritch. It is forbidden to vocalize the Divine Name according to its letters—(see M. Sanhedrin 11:1)—because the general atmo­ sphere is not suitable clothing for these holy letters. The exception is the Temple mount for there the atmosphere stems from the Shechinah, as is written, “And Ha-Shem is in His holy sanctuary” (Habakkuk 2:20). For this reason it is forbidden to concentrate on Torah matters in a defiled place, except to prevent someone from transgressing. This is the secret meaning of u[Ha-Shem prepared His throne in Heaven] and His kingdom reigns over everything” (Psalms 103:19)—1 11.

The talmudic sources that Maimonides utilized include B. Berachot 25b and B. Shabbat 150a.

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one can mention Torah matters there between the husks (kelippot) in order to constrain them. (Maggid Devarav le-Yaakov, no. 139, 238)

T hus it is necessary to en su re th a t o n e ’s general en ­ v iro n m en t is conducive to spiritual activity. Some also reco m m en d th a t a p erso n select a special locale for p ray er an d m editation. R. E liahu de Vidas offered a detailed discussion of th e im p o rtan ce of securing “a holy p lace” in o rd er to advance spiritually. He con­ te n d ed th a t an individual should eith er choose a loca­ tio n th a t already has intrinsic sanctity, such as a beit m idrash (study hall) or a synagogue, or “a holy place th a t is separate and ap art from o th e r people—a place th a t is isolated from people is a great p rep aratio n for achieving devekut” (Reshit Hochmah Ha-Shalem, Shaar Ha-Kedushah 6:16, 89). The following advice was transm itted by R. N achm an of Bratzlav’s disciple. It is very beneficial for a person to have a special room for serving Ha-Shem through Torah study and prayer. This is particularly important for meditation and communing with one’s Master. For this [pursuit] an individual definitely needs a special room. And our Rabbi, of blessed memory said that even sitting alone in one’s special room is very beneficial. Nevertheless, even if a person does not merit having a special room, one can still meditate in seclusion with one’s Master. And our Rabbi, of blessed memory said that being covered by a tallit [prayer shawl] is also like hav­ ing a special room . . . or one can meditate while lying in bed by covering oneself with a blanket, as King David used to do. (Sichot Ha-Ran, nos. 274-275:167-168)

C reating a p ro p er en v iro n m en t for m ed itatio n goes beyond locating a space w ith in w hich to practice. As we shall see in the following sources, orientation is also a fu n d am en tal issue. The te rm orientation is used h ere b o th in its literal sense of facing east tow ards Jerusa­ lem as w ell as, figuratively, b eco m in g in tu n e w ith

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o n e ’s su rro u n d in g s. The Book of D aniel offers a n im ­ p o rta n t d escrip tio n of personal piety, w h ich serves as a p ro o ftex t for several litu rg ical practices: “W hen D aniel le a rn e d th a t it [i.e., th e b a n on p ray in g to HaShem] h a d b e e n w ritte n dow n, h e w en t to his house, in w hose attic h e h a d w indow s constructed th a t faced Jerusalem , an d th re e tim es a day h e knelt on his knees, prayed, a n d confessed to his God, as h e h a d alw ays d o n e” (D aniel 6:11). This verse is th e oldest source for th e Jew ish custom of p ray in g th re e tim es daily. It also u n d ersco res th a t one sh o u ld p ra y facing Jerusalem . This w o u ld n a tu ­ rally p e rta in to m editation, as well. Finally, it indicates th a t it is beneficial to p ray in a room th a t has w indow s. A ccordingly, th is verse served as a source for sy n a­ gogue a rc h ite c tu re an d th e re q u ire m e n t th a t sy n a­ gogues have w indow s (typically twelve, corresponding to th e trib es of Israel). C onsider also R. E lim elech’s com m ents o n o rien ta­ tio n d u rin g prayer. It is stated in the Gemera, “One who is standing in the Diaspora and wishes to pray should direct his heart towards the land of Israel. One who is standing in the land of Israel should face Jerusalem” (B. Berachot 30a). Accordingly, all Jewish prayers pass through the same gate. Therefore, if a person wants his prayers to be heard he should imagine that he is praying in the land of Israel and that the Temple is standing and the altar and inner chamber are operational and behold he is presently living in the land of Israel. By means of this [visualization] he will achieve illumination and complete devekut in order to pray with utmost concen­ tration with fear and love, as if he were standing in the Holy of Holies. (Noam Elimelech, “Lech Lecha,” 7a)

H ere is a n o th e r of R. E lim elech’s general co m m en ts on p ray er, w h ic h is q u ite b eau tifu l. He ex p lain ed th e in s tru c tio n s th a t God gave N oah for c o n stru c t­ in g th e ark. God req u ired th a t N oah install a skylight

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in th e ark. Note th a t th e H ebrew w ord tevah has tw o distinct m eanings: “ark ” and “w ord.” ‘“You shall m ake a sky-light (tzohar) for th e ark ’ (Genesis 6:16). Rashi in ­ terp reted [tzohar] to m ean a precious stone. O ne can say th a t this h in ts at th e connection betw een ark an d w ord. A p erson should en su re th a t each w ord th a t he utters shines like a precious stone” (Noam Elimelech 3b). Finally, it can be helpful to indicate th a t th e place th a t you have chosen in w hich to m editate is special, by graphically d e sig n a tin g it in som e w ay. Som e people create a sacral space by in sc rib in g a circle aro u n d them selves. There is a fam ous n arrativ e in th e T alm ud ab o u t th e m iracle w orker, H oni th e Circle D rawer, w ho lived in th e first century b . c .e . It once happened that the people said to Honi the Circle Drawer, “Pray that rain should fall.” . . . He prayed, but no rain fell. What did he do? He drew a circle and stood within it and exclaimed, “Master of the Universe, Your children have turned to me because I am like a member of Your household. I swear by Your great Name that I will not move from here until You have mercy upon Your children.”A few raindrops began to fall. He responded, “This is not what I requested.”Thereupon it became a torrential downpouring. Honi, however, chastized God for not providing benevolent rain; the deluge was transformed into life-sustaining precipi­ tation. (M. Taanit 3:8)

Circles are a com m on elem ent of Jewish magical texts. An exam ple is the m edieval Aram aic w ork published by Scholem and entitled The Smaller and Larger Praxis. In The Smaller Praxis one reads about a cerem ony for overcom ing dem onic forces on Yom Kippur. On the eve of Yom Kippur, a circle is made: five cubits [i.e., 8 V2 feet] in length by five cubits in width.. . . Three or four wise elders [participate], at least 50 years old,—who had fasted for fifteen days and nights, eating only during three of the nights: at the end of seven days, the end of ten days and at the end of thirteen days,—three or four elders, meri-

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torious and wise Torah scholars, who had separated from their wives for thirty days. On the night of Yom Kippur, the oldest and accomplished one, stands in the middle of the circle, wearing a wool tallit. The other elders circumambu­ late, wearing cotton tallitot. (Scholem, “Sidrei de-Shimusha Rabba,” 200)

H aving considered issues p ertain in g to en v iro n m en t and orientation, w e shall conclude w ith a discussion of o th er aspects of p rep aratio n . Insofar as m editation is considered to be a significant religious activity w ith in th e Jew ish tra d itio n , certain p re lim in a ry steps are encouraged. The following, detailed discussion of life­ style changes p rereq u isite to m ed itatio n w as fo rm u ­ lated by th e sixteenth-century mystic, R. Y ehudah alBotini, w ho was a rabbinic authority living in Jerusalem. Chapter Ten: An explanation of the paths of meditation (hitbodedut) and devekut (attachment), as well as the prepa­ rations that the meditator should undertake, in order to arrive at the goal of contemplation, by attaching his soul to the Active Intellect and thereby becoming embued with the Holy Spirit. Know that the necessary preparations that a meditator must undertake in order to accomplish his desire involves abstraction, by removing his intellect from coarse matter on many levels. First, related to the body, he must minimize physical desires—in relation to eating, he should constantly accustom himself to eat small quantities of high quality food. He should limit his intake of cooked meat dishes and wine, as our Sages have formulated: “This is the path of the Torah ... (M. Avot 4:4).” The intention is not that one should live a life of deprivation and pain, on the contrary overin­ dulgence itself distances one from the achievement of per­ fection. Rather, the intention is that even if he possesses great wealth and sustenance, it is appropriate that he not pleasure himself but merely sustain his soul in his body. He should restrict his animal urges and not give them what they desire, for in the diminution of their power, his soul will dominate and his intellect will escape the prison of his animal urges in order to actualize and adhere to His Owner. (“Sulam ha-Aliyah,” in Kitvei Yad ba-Kabbalah, ed. Scholem, 225)

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Thus, al-Botini em phasized th a t sp iritu al elevation requires a concerted effort on th e physical level. For exam ple, a person should m inim ize his intake of m eat and w ine. The other aspects of physical self-control th a t al-Botini recom m ended include lim itin g sexual in te r­ course an d purifying o n e’s body th ro u g h im m ersio n in a mikvah (ritual bath). All of th ese physical p rep ara­ tions should be followed, “for a long tim e, n o t m erely a day o r tw o days or even a m onth, b u t a long tim e, u n til one arrives at th e p o in t w h e re o n e ’s physical urges do not b o th e r h im ” (226). In add itio n to physical p reparations, al-Botini also insisted on em otional and intellectual prerequisites. Especially removing the characteristics of anger, worry, and excessive petitioning, for these attributes prevent him from ascending to the attribute of equanimity... for realignment (tikkun) of the body, namely asceticism, leads to the purifi­ cation of one’s powers and cleansing of attributes. [This leads to] equanimity, which leads to the Holy Spirit, which leads to prophecy, which is the highest level. (226)

Next, al-Botini described th e im m e d ia te p re p a ra ­ tions th a t should be u n d e rta k e n p rio r to m editating. By w ay of background, it should be noted th a t al-Botini utilized standard, m edieval psychology in discussing th e various levels of th e soul: vegetative, anim al, and rational. This trip a rtite co n stru ct w as b ased u p o n A ristotle’s biological th eo ry of th e soul, nam ely, th a t th e m o re com plex an o rg a n ism ’s fu n ctio n in g , th e m ore sophisticated th e soul necessary to actualize such activities. Al-Botini em bellished u p o n this th eo ry an d contended th a t m ed itatio n could only succeed once the low er souls, nam ely the vegetative and anim al, had been satisfied. When he continuously strives to acquire this behavior, [namely, equanimity, which is the starting point for hit-

ORIENTATION AND PREPARATION

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bodedut], he will choose for himself a house where he can sit completely by himself. If he has a house wherein his voice cannot be heard outside that is even better. At the outset it is necessary to adorn the house with one’s nicest and most important possessions, as well as various spices and other pleasant smelling objects. If the house has trees and lush bushes, it is very beneficial that his vegetable soul should take pleasure in all of these things when he meditates, for it is a partner with the animal soul. Also, he should try to play on all types of musical instruments, if he has them and knows how to play them. If not, he should sing verses from Psalms and the Torah, in order to please the animal soul, which is a partner with the rational soul and intelligence. If he undertakes this during the day it is fine, but it is nec­ essary that the house be slightly dark. It is better, however, if he does this at night and he should have many candles burning in the house. Also, he should wear proper, clean clothes. It is preferable that they are white, for all of this promotes concentration on Divine fear and love. After accomplishing all of these preparations, at the time you are readying yourself to speak to your Creator, take care to empty your thoughts from all worldly vanities. Wrap yourself in your tallit and place your tefillin on your hand and head, if you are able to—in order that you are in awe and quake in the presence of the Shechinah, for She is with you at that moment. (“Sulam ha-Aliyah,” 226-227)

The p a rtic u la r m eth o d of m ed itatio n th a t al-Botini advocated w as o rig in ally fo rm u la te d b y o n e of th e m ajo r p ro p o n e n ts of ecstatic m ysticism , R. A braham A bulafia. A bulafia w as b o rn in Saragossa, S pain, in 1240, a n d h e tra v e le d w idely th ro u g h o u t th e M edi­ te rra n e a n region, stu d y in g philosophy an d Kabbalah. E ventually, h e dev elo p ed h is ow n in te n se s p iritu a l regim e, w h ich en tailed c h a n tin g and le tter p e rm u ta ­ tions. We shall explore som e of th is m aterial in C hap­ te r 7, o n ch an tin g . Al-Botini’s co n clu d in g co m m en t on th e p referab il­ ity of w e a rin g w h ite w h ile m e d ita tin g is echoed by an o th er of A bulafia’s students, th e an onym ous a u th o r

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of Shaarei Tzedek, w ho advised, “And cleanse yourself an d y o u r garm ents, an d if possible let th e m all be w hite, for all this greatly assists th e in te n tio n of fear and love” (Idel, Mystical Experience, 39). A dditionally, A bulafia encouraged w e a rin g a tallit (prayer-shaw l) and tefillin (phylacteries) w hile m editating. Sim ilarly, in Shaarei Tzedek we read, “And w rap yourself in tallit and place your tefillin on y o u r head an d y o u r arm , so th a t you m ay be fearful and in awe of th e Shechinah” (Idel, Mystical Experience, 39). In the traditional Siddur, th ere are nu m ero u s bibli­ cal verses th a t are recited p rio r to an d im m ediately upo n donn in g tallit an d tefillin, as well as specific m edi­ tations th at are recited in conjunction w ith each arti­ cle.12Among the verses associated w ith th e tallit is, “And h u m a n s seek refuge in th e shadow of Y our w in g s” (Psalms 36:8). This evokes th e im age of th e Shechinah as a m other bird protecting h e r young. Similarly, p rio r to th e revelation at M ount Sinai, Ha-Shem co m m ented u p o n th e exodus from Egypt: “How I bore you u p o n eagles’ w ings and b ro u g h t you to M e” (Exodus 19:4). R. Yosef Hayyim pointed out th a t the H ebrew te rm for eagles—nesharim—has the num erical value of 600, w hich is identical to th at of tzitzit (i.e., the fringed tallit). Finally, th e basic issue of how o ften one sh o u ld m e d itate is u ltim a tely left u p to th e in d iv id u al. R. Eleazar Azikri reco m m en d ed one day a w eek or at least one day a m o n th (see C hapter 9). Several hasidic m asters form ulated a daily regim e for th e ir followers. R. M ordechai from C hernobyl en couraged his d is­ ciples to m editate for one or tw o h o u rs daily in a spe­ cially designated room , (Tzevvaot Ve-Hanhagot, 151). R. N achm an of Bratzlav likew ise encouraged his fol-

12. For a translation of this material, see The Complete ArtScroll Siddur (Brooklyn, NY, 1986), 3-9.

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low ers to p ractice his p a rtic u la r fo rm of hitbodedut daily: “Hitbodedut is th e su p rem e level an d th e great­ est [u n d ertak in g ] of all. A ccordingly, o ne sh o u ld set aside a n h o u r or m ore [daily] to m e d itate alone in a room o r field ” (Likkutei Moharan 2:25).

3 T he R ole of N ature in Jewish S pirituality and M editation

Up to th is point, m ost of th e sources th a t w e consid­ ered have po rtray ed Jew ish m e d itatio n as an in d o o r activity. T h ere is, h ow ever, extensive m a te ria l th a t discusses th e relatio n sh ip b etw een n a tu re an d spiri­ tu a l grow th. As n o ted in C h ap ter 1, th e earliest b ib ­ lical passage co n n ected w ith m e d ita tio n is G enesis 24:63, w h ich describes Isaac going o u t into th e field at ev en in g to m ed itate (la-suach). As Isaac an d o th e r bib ­ lical figures consciously chose to co m m u n e w ith HaShem by going outdoors, it is certainly ap p ro p riate to explore th e role of n atu re in Jewish spirituality. We will take a leisurely, ro u n d a b o u t p a th th ro u g h th e fields and forests of this them e, pau sin g to digress and reflect before re su m in g o u r jo u rn ey . It is n o tew o rth y th a t th e verbal infinitive la-suach in G enesis 24:63 is am biguous. In fact, th is is th e only occurrence of this p a rtic u la r root form in Tanach. All g ram m arian s agree th a t suah is related to siach. The latter, how ever, has tw o distinct connotations: convers45

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THE HISTORY AND VARIETIES OF JEWISH MEDITATION

in g an d v eg etatio n .1 La-suach w as re n d e re d b y th e Sages as talking w ith God (i.e., praying). This also re­ sulted in th e sta n d a rd tra n sla tio n , “m e d ita te .” T he m edieval co m m en tato r R. A braham ib n Ezra and, fol­ low ing him , th e m o d e rn Jew ish P ublication Society Tanach chose th e second co n n o tatio n an d th e re fo re ren d ered th e w ord as “w alking outdoors.” W hatever tran slatio n one adopts, it is significant th a t co m m u n ­ ing w ith God and w alking outdoors are interw oven in this one w ord. If you are in terested in th e n u m b e r te c h n iq u e of gematria, consider th e following. M etatron, th e Prince of th e D ivine C o untenance and cosm ic scribe, is an extrem ely im p o rta n t angel in rab b in ic and Hechalot literature. The num erical value of M etatron is 314, th e sam e as th e Divine N am e, Shaddai. In an early m ed i­ eval A shkenazic m a n u scrip t it states, “M etatron . . . in gematria is suach (m editate) for he w as designated to receive prayers. This is also th e gematria of ha-sadeh [the field], for th e re is no p ray er except in th e field, as it is stated, ‘And Isaac w en t out to la-suach in th e field’ and sihah connotes p ray er.”12 A nother gematria germ ane to o u r discussion w as re­ corded by R. M oshe C ordovero. He n o ted th a t th e nam e for God th a t appears at th e start of th e book of Genesis is Elohim, w hich has th e n um erical value 86. The definite n o u n ha-teva (i.e., N ature) likew ise pos­ sesses this num erical value, “for N ature exhibits th e Divine w ill” (Pardes Rim m onim , Shaar 12, ch. 2, f. 66a. 1. For an elaborate discussion of righteous individuals de­ picted metaphorically as shrubs/trees, seeR Baba Batra 78b, “the righteous are sichin (shrubs)” and Rashi’s extensive comments, providing numerous biblical references. 2. Cited by M. Idel,Tarbitz62:2 (1993) 270. Incidentally, va-yetze yitzhak (“and Isaac went out”) has the numerical value of 315, one more than Shaddai. On the significance of this Divine Name, see Chapter 4.

THE ROLE OF NATURE . . .

47

R. S h n e u r Z alm an of Liadi also c o m m en te d o n th is association. He offered a som ew hat different in te rp re ­ tatio n , stressing th e h id d e n aspect of m u n d a n e life. “It [i.e., th e N am e, Elohim] is also equal to ha-teva [Nature], because Elohim hides th e S u p ern al Light th a t causes th e w o rld to com e in to existence a n d gives it life. R ather, it appears th a t th e w orld exists an d functions n atu rally . The n a m e Elohim is a shield an d a sh eath for th e n am e of Ha-Shem” (Tanya, Shaar ha-Yichud, ch. 6). As an th ro p o c en tric beings, w e te n d to assum e th a t o n ly h u m a n s are sp iritu a l creatu res. O u r tra d itio n teaches us otherw ise. The Tanach is replete w ith asser­ tions th a t th e en tire w orld and its com ponent elem ents p raise an d glorify Ha-Shem. We read in Psalms: Praise Ha-Shem, O you who are on earth, all sea monsters and ocean depths, fire and hail, snow and smoke, storm wind that executes His command, all mountains and hills, all fruit trees and cedars, all wild and tamed beasts, creep­ ing things and winged birds, all kings and peoples of the earth, all princes of the earth and its judges, youths and maidens alike, old and young together. (Psalms 148:7-12)

T his u n iv e rsa l th e m e reach es its clim ax in th e last verse of Psalm s, “Let all th a t b reath es, p ra ise Ha-Shem. H alleluyah!” (Psalm s 150:6). N or is this process confined to earth b o u n d creatures. M aim onides co n ten d ed th a t th e stars an d p lan ets are sen tien t beings, consciously involved in Divine service. “All th e celestial bodies a n d sp h eres possess souls, know ledge, an d intellect. They live, th riv e, an d recog­ nize th e C reator of th e universe. Each according to its size an d ra n k praises an d glorifies th e ir C reator, ju st as th e angels d o ” (M.T., Yesodei ha-Torah 3:9). This echoes an idea forw arded by Philo of A lexan­ dria: “H eaven is ever m ak in g m usic, p ro d u cin g in ac­ co rd an ce w ith its celestial m o tio n s th e p erfect h a r­ m o n y ” (W inston, Philo o f Alexandria, 115).

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O ne of th e m ost in triguing Jewish com positions th a t discusses n o n h u m a n service of Ha-Shem is Perek Shirah (A C hapter of Song). M entioned in th e te n th century by Shlom oh B. Y eruham and found in n u m ero u s Genizah fragm ents, it is u n d o u b te d ly a very old w ork. It is printed in traditional prayer books, p rio r to th e m o rn ­ ing service. Perek Shirah lists dozens of creatures and objects and th e corresponding song of praise th a t each offers Ha-Shem. For example, th e frog is accredited w ith reciting the significant liturgical formula, “Blessed is the Name of His glorious kingdom for all eternity.” The prologue to Perek Shirah offers a n in te re stin g narrative. W hen King David com pleted th e Book of Psalms, h e w as excessively p rid efu l an d boasted th a t no one h ad com posed as m an y songs to Ha-Shem as h e had. T h ereu p o n , h e w as co n fro n ted b y a frog, w ho rebuked h im by asserting th a t it sang m o re songs of praise to Ha-Shem th a n King David. King D avid’s son, Solom on, was credited b y th e Rab­ bis w ith h a v in g th e ability to converse w ith all of n a tu re .3 T hey based th is assertion u p o n th e biblical statem ent: “He w as th e w isest of all h u m a n s. . . . He spoke about trees, from th e cedars of L ebanon to th e hyssop th a t sp ro u te d fro m th e wall; h e also spoke about th e d om esticated anim als, b ird s, rep tiles an d fish” (1 Kings 5:11-14). A co m p arab le in v o lv em en t of th e a n c ie n t Rabbis w ith n a tu re is exem plified by th e great sage Hillel. It was said of H illel th a t h e h ad m a stered all types of speech, “even th e speech of m ountains, hills an d val­ leys, th e speech of trees and grasses, th e speech of w ild 3. See the sources discussed by L. Ginzberg, The Legends of the Jews 6:287-289, especially nos. 34, 38. For source material on R. Yitzhak Luria’s ability to communicate with birds, see the re­ cent discussion by G. Bos, “Hayyim Vital’s Practical Kabbalah and Alchemy,” Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy 4 (1994) 73.

THE ROLE OF NATURE . . .

49

beasts an d d o m esticated anim als, th e speech of sp ir­ its” (M. Soferim 16:9). H illel’s special know ledge w as carried on b y his suc­ cessor, R abban Y ohanan b. Zakkai, w ho p reserv ed th e rabbinic en terp rise after th e destruction of th e Second T em ple. R ab b an Y o h an an w as ch aracterized as th e “least” (youngest?) of H illel’s disciples. He is credited w ith h av in g m a stered all of th e trad itio n a l subjects, as w ell as “th e speech of th e m in isterin g angels, th e sp ir­ its an d th e p alm tre e s” (B. Sukkot 28a). Not surprisingly, Rashi, w rites th a t h e does n o t know w h at is m e a n t by th e speech of th e p alm trees. M any h asid ic m a sters w ere also involved in com ­ m u n in g w ith n atu re . The Baal Shem Tov (the Besht) sp en t m a n y years of co n tem p latio n in th e C arp ath ian M ountains. A fter m arry in g , h e an d his b rid e m oved to a rem o te village. The Besht w an d ered th ro u g h th e m o u n ta in s, a n d every tw o or th re e w eeks h is w ife w ould b rin g h im basic provisions. His activities d u r­ in g this p erio d w ere as follows: He constantly engaged in protracted fasts and when he wanted to eat he would dig a pit in the earth and place therein some flour and water. Eventually it would be baked by the heat of the sun. This was his entire meal after fast­ ing. All of his days he would be meditating. Behold, the mountains were exceedingly large. Between them were steep cliffs and valleys__ Once he was engrossed in profound meditation, while walking in the mountains. . . . Thieves saw him walking to the edge of the mountain engrossed in thought. They said that certainly he would fall into the valley and break his bones. As he came upon the valley, the opposing mountain shifted towards him, form­ ing a plain. He walked some distance and the mountains split apart as they had been originally. (Shivhei ha-Besht, A. Rubinstein, ed., 51; cf. In Praise of the Baal Shem Tov, D. BenAmos and J. Mintz, trans., 22)

D uring th is period, th e Baal Shem Tov learn ed m u ch about th e m echanics of nature. This is evident in a sub-

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sequent e n c o u n te r b etw een th e Besht a n d R. A ryeh (Yehudah) Leib of Polonnoye. The la tter h a d com e to th e Besht w ith a u n iq u e request. He w an ted to le arn th e language of th e an im als an d b ird s, as h e w as a maggid (i.e., a preacher/storyteller). R. A ryeh felt th a t this special know ledge w ould h elp h im co m m u n icate his ideas better. W hile traveling together th e Besht explained th a t th e key is to contem plate th e faces of th e fo u r Holy Crea­ tures, h u m a n , lion, ox, an d eagle, w hich constitute th e core of E zekiel’s vision of th e D ivine C h ario t (i.e., Ezekiel, ch. 1). The Besht th e n said: The choicest [image] in the Chariot is the human face, and from her [i.e., this face] the life force is emanated downward to earthbound humans. From the face of the upper ox, through the chain of stages, peregrinations and many con­ tractions, the life force is emanated to all the lower animals. From the face of the lion the life force is emanated down to the lower beasts, and from the face of the eagle to all the lower birds. This is the secret of Perek Shirah. According to the speech of each type of creature in the Supernal Chariot, there is a devolution downwards to the lower animals, beasts and birds. One who is wise and perceptive can con­ template each thing according to its source in the Supernal Chariot. From the origin of each thing he will be able to comprehend all the details of the speech mannerisms of the animals, beasts, and birds. This is the general principle. Thereupon the Besht revealed the particulars of this mystery to R. Aryeh, who began to understand the chirping of birds and the howling of dogs. As they approached their destination the Besht passed his hands over R. Aryeh’s face, erasing all of the esoteric knowledge that he had transmit­ ted. The only thing that R. Aryeh remembered was the gen­ eral introduction, as recorded above. [The rest, the Besht claimed, was not necessary for R. Aryeh to know.] “For this is not your task, rather ‘simple [wholehearted] shall you be [with Ha-Shem]’ (Deuteronomy 18:13).” (Shivhei ha-Besht, S. Horodezky, ed., 87; cf. In Praise of the Baal Shem Tov, 242)

A lthough R. Aryeh was m ade to forget m u c h of w h at he learned from th e Besht, th e M aggid of M ezeritch,

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w ho w as th e B esht’s disciple a n d successor, w as m ore fo rtu n ate. O ne of th e M aggid’s stu d en ts noted, “Once I h e a rd directly from his h oly m o u th [i.e., from th e Maggid] th a t th e Besht, m ay h e be rem em b ered eter­ nally, ta u g h t h im th e speech of b ird s an d p alm tre e s” (R. S hlom oh of Lutzk, in his in tro d u c tio n to Maggid Devarav le-Yaakov, R. Shatz, ed., 2). This is su b stan tiated in th e follow ing story. After the death of Rebbe Ber of Mezeritch, his students sat together and talked about his deeds. When it was the turn of R. Shneur Zalman [of Liadi], he asked: “Do any of you know why our Rebbe would go each morning to a nearby pond and tarry there for a while, before returning home?” No one knew why. [R. Shneur Zalman] responded, “He was study­ ing the song of the frogs who were giving glory to the Cre­ ator. Many days must pass until this song can be learned.” (M. Buber, Or Ha-Ganuz, 117, based on Kerem Yisrael)

In reflecting u p o n o u r relationship w ith nature, it is notew orthy th a t for th e first tw o th o u san d years of o u r n a tio n a l existence, w e w ere p rim a rily an ag raria n people an d o u r religion w as intim ately connected w ith th e land. For th e last tw o m illenia, how ever, Judaism evolved as a diaspora phenom enon. In th e diaspora, w e w ere alienated and estranged from b o th land and n a­ ture; accordingly, Judaism becam e an in d o o r religion. Very few Jew ish liturgical events are choreographed outside. Som e notable exceptions to this generalization th a t com e to m in d are: Sukkot, Kiddush Levanah (the m o n th ly sanctification of th e N ew Moon), Tashlich, and w eddings. All of these rituals are relatively infrequent. Kiddush Levanah, w h ich is th e m o st freq u en t, is th e least observed of all of th e m .4 4. Consider the following talmudic statement concerning the significance of sanctifying the New Moon: “R. Yohanan said, ‘Any­ one who blesses the month at the appropriate time, it is as if they have welcomed the Shechinah*” (B. Sanhedrin 42a).

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In th e sixteenth century, th e situation changed. The expulsion of Jews from W estern E urope resu lted in th e ir m igration eastw ard to th e O ttom an E m pire and, eventually, Israel. A reconnection w ith th e lan d w as thereby forged. Not surprisingly, it was at this tim e th a t n atu re becam e rein teg rated into th e Jew ish liturgy. It is well know n th a t th e Kabbalat Shabbat service, in a u ­ gurating th e Sabbath, w as developed in m id-sixteenthcentury Tzefat.5 The ShulhanAruch of th e Ari prescribes: “At Kabbalat Shabbat go into a field, according to th e secret of th e hakal tapuchin kadishin [the field of th e holy apples], since th e A ram aic for field is hakal. B ehold, d u rin g Kabbalat Shabbat it is necessary to stand an d face w est. It is preferable if [one is on] an elevated place” (Shulhan Aruch ha-Ari, 54.) Similarly, R. M oshe ibn M achir, w ho w as th e h ead of a yeshivah in th e tow n of Ein Z eitun (on th e outskirts of Tzefat), w rote a spiritual m anual. Seder ha-Yom. In describing th e practice of Kabbalat Shabbat, he com ­ m ented: “The ancient sages used to say to each oth er or to th eir students, ‘let us go out to greet th e Bride.’ This im plies th a t they w ould go out som ew here, nam ely out of th e ir houses and into th e fresh air—to th e garden or th e open space of th e y a rd ” (Seder ha-Yom, 42). An am azing discussion of this practice is fo u n d in th e early eighteenth-century hom iletical w ork, Hemdat Yamim. It describes groups of people going o u t to w el­ com e th e Sabbath, playing m usical in stru m en ts, as if th ey w ere m usicians at th e w ed d in g of th e S abbath Bride. Since the Shabbat represents the enveloping of the Shechinah upon us, therefore it is appropriate to welcome the Shabbat 5. For a discussion of the evolution of these prayers, see G. Scholem, On the Kabbalah and Its Symbolism (New York, 1969), 141-146.

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with joy and singing. In a number of locales in Europe dur­ ing Kabbalat Shabbat they play musical instruments, lutes and lyres, just like a wedding party for the groom and bride. This is because the Shabbat represents the welcome presence of the Shechinah and the Shechinah is manifest only in joy. (Hemdat Yamim 38b)

This is a w o n d erfu l p recu rso r to th e creative energy of th e havurah m ovem ent. It should be pointed out th a t since th e Sabbath does n o t form ally start u n til after th e Kabbalat Shabbat service has b e e n concluded, playing m usical in stru m en ts was not halachically problem atic. Before p ro ceed in g , let u s co n sid e r th e ra b b in ic source of th e sym bolism incorporated into th e Kabbalat Shabbat service. First, th e re is ap p le im agery. In th e T alm ud, Israelites are com pared to apple trees: “In th e sam e w ay th a t apple trees p ro d u ce fru it before sp ro u t­ in g leaves, so too Israel p u t naaseh (we shall perform ) [the Divine com m andm ents] before nishm a (we u n d e r­ stand) [them ]” (B. Shabbat 88a). The Rabbis also focused o n specific bib lical accounts. Of significance w as Isaac’s blessing of Jacob: “And h e [i.e., Jacob] drew n ear a n d kissed h im [i.e., Isaac] an d h e sm elled th e arom a of his clothes an d h e said, ‘See, th e aro m a of m y son is like th e aro m a of th e field th a t Ha-Shem has blessed’” (G enesis 27:27). O n this verse, “R. Y ehudah in th e nam e of Rav stated, ‘[The arom a was] like a field of ap p les’” (B. Taanit 29b). F u rth e r, o ne fin d s in Bereshit Rabbah 65:18: “W hen Jacob, o u r forefather, en tered his fa th e r’s room , [the aro m a of] th e G arden of E den en te re d w ith h im .” The association of th e fragrance of apples an d th e G arden of E den is also b ro u g h t o u t in th e Song of Songs. The d e sc rip tio n of th e b e a u tifu l S h u lam ite in Songs 7:9 includes a reference to “y o u r b re a th , like th e aro m a of apples,” to w h ich th e Tar gum adds “of th e G arden of E d en .” A lthough tapuchim are u su ally tran slated “apples,”

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th ey are occasionally re n d e re d as etrogim (citrons). Exam ples of th is include th e Targum on Songs 2:3 an d Tosafot on B. Taanit 29b. This association w ith etrogim m ay also have significance for o u r discussion. It m ig h t be th e basis for th e custom to use an etrog, em b ed d ed w ith cloves, d u rin g havdalah, at th e conclusion of Shabbat. This m ay also b e connected w ith a co m m en t in Tikkunei Zohar ( 143b), w hich recom m ends sm elling tapuchim d u rin g havdalah, as this corresponds to th e fragrance of th e d u al M essiahs. A nother extension of th is im agery is th e identifica­ tion of th e field of apples as th e d o m ain of m ystical experience. In classical rab b in ic m ysticism th e locus of visionary ascent is referred to as pardes, th e celes­ tial orchard. Pardes and its cognate, paradise, evoke th e p rim al G arden of Eden. This association is m ade ex­ plicit in Tikkunei Zohar 88b. The directive to face w est d u rin g th e Shabbat eve service is cdso highly u n u su a l and deserves consider­ ation. It is based on a talm u d ic statem en t in B. Baba Batra (25a) th a t th e Shechinah (Divine In-Dwelling) is located in th e w est.6 Since th e Shechinah is synonym ous w ith th e Sabbath Bride—in order to w elcom e th e Bride, it is ap p ro p riate to face w est. Nowadays, this custom has been preserved, in a m u c h abbreviated fashion. At the end of h y m n Lecha Dodi, th e congregation tu rn s and faces w est an d bow s to th e Sabbath Bride as she enters. Few of us th in k ab o u t th e act of tu rn in g . We ju st do it w h en necessary. M aim onides discusses th is issue, w hile co n sid erin g th e p ro c e d u re follow ed by th e 6. In his Torah commentary on Exodus 33, Rashi equates east with the Divine front and west with the Divine back. In order to underscore that the Kabbalat Shabbat service was an innovation, in traditional synogogues the shaliach tzibbur will lead services from the bimah and only move to the amud for Maariv, proper.

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kohanim (priests) w h en th e y bless th e people. “W hen th e kohanim tu r n to face th e congregation to bless th e m and also w h e n th e y tu r n fro m th e congregation after blessing th e m , th e y should always tu r n to th e right. Sim ilarly, every tim e a p erso n tu rn s, h e should only tu rn to th e rig h t” (M.T., Hilchot Tefillah 14:13). This ru l­ ing follows Rabbi Y ehudah’s assertion in B. Zevachim 62b. Interestingly, R. Y ehudah adds th a t tu rn in g to th e right entails m oving eastw ards. From all of th e discussion above, we see th a t th ere is a m atrix of kabbalistic symbols, connected w ith Kabbalat Shabbat There is the association of Malchut, th e lowest of th e Sefirot, w ith the Shechinah, the Sabbath Bride and th e sexual energy of m arriage. This is fu rth er com bined w ith th e direction of west, sunset, Friday evening, fields, and the outdoors. All of these motifs are illustrated in the Shabbat zemirot of R. Yitzhak Luria. The following is his Friday n ight song: I shall sing praises to enter the doorways of the field of apples that are holy. Let us invite Her now to this new table, decorated with a fine candelabrum that casts light on our heads. Standing to the right and left, the Bride walks between us. She passes by bedecked in jewels and regal garments. Her Husband will embrace Her in Her Yesod [Foundation]. Giving Her pleasure as they are squeezed together. Woes and even torments are destroyed and nullified.

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Now there are new faces, and spirits and souls. (Zemirot Shabbat, 13).

In addition to th e special Shabbat service th a t th ey innovated, th e m ystics of Tzefat w ould also go o u t into th e fields d u rin g th e w eek to practice a form of m ed i­ tation th a t th e y referred to as gerushin (literally, b a n ­ ishm ents or exiles).7 A m aster w ould w an d er outside of th e city w ith a group of disciples. They w ould ra n ­ dom ly discuss biblical verses. R ather th a n engaging in a focused discourse, th e ir w anderings w ould pro m o te spontaneity, an d th e y w ould perceive startlin g n ew insights. R. M oshe Cordovero described th is process as follows: “For w e w o u ld ‘exile’ ourselves to th e field w ith th e divine Rabbi Solom on b en Alkabetz th e Levite, m ay God preserve h im , to occupy ourselves w ith th e verses of th e T orah extem poraneously w ith ­ out study in depth. [Then] m an y tim es m atters w ere innovated w h ich no one could u n d e rsta n d unless h e saw or experienced th e m a tte r” (I. R obinson, Moses Cordovero’s Introduction, 107). The spirit of Tzefat eventually found a h o m e in East­ ern Europe. U ndoubtedly, th e hasidic m aster w ho re­ sponded to th e call of n atu re in th e m ost p ro found w ay was R. N achm an of Bratzlav. At th e end of th is chap­ ter, we shall exam ine his approach m ore fully. R epre­ sentative of R. N achm an’s lifelong attach m en t to th e outdoors as a stage for sp iritu al actualization is th e follow ing account, as recalled by Rabbi Shim on, one of R. N ach m an ’s senior disciples. W hile v isitin g th e hom e of R. N achm an’s in-laws, w here he lived after his m arriage, R. N achm an and his disciple w en t w alking in th e fields. 7.

See the excellent discussion of this practice in R. Werblowsky,

Joseph Karo: Lawyer and Mystic (Philadelphia, 1977), 50-54.

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Our Rabbi, of blessed memory, became very nostalgic. How wonderful this place was for him—“with each step I experi­ enced the taste of the Garden of Eden.” For there on those paths he used to meditate___ Another time he told me that in his youth he would meditate in the fields or forests. When he returned home, the entire world was new in his eyes and it seemed to him that the entire world was different and it seemed totally dissimilar to how it had been previously. (Hayyei Moharan, no. 107:105)

R. N achm an reflected intensely u p o n his m editative experiences a n d discoursed u p o n th em . C onsider his com m ents in Likkutei M oharan, th e definitive collec­ tio n of R. N a ch m an ’s hom ilies. Significantly, h e dis­ cusses o u r biblical prooftext: Know that when an individual prays in a field, all the plants enter the prayer. They help him and give him strength to pray. It is for this reason that prayer is called sichah, as in “siah (shrub) of the field” (Genesis 2:5)—for each shrub of the field gives him strength and assistance during his prayer. This is the significance of “And Isaac went out to pray (la-suach) in the field” (Genesis 24:63). His prayer was helped and strengthened by the field, since all the field’s plants fortified and assisted his prayer. (Likkutei Moharan 2:11)

T h ere is a w o n d e rfu l an ecd o te to ld b y o n e of R. N ach m an ’s disciples. Once, w h en R. N ach m an w as visiting th is individual, R. N achm an insisted th a t th ey go for a w alk ou tsid e of th e city, in to fields of grasses. R. N achm an th e n said to his follower: If only you merit hearing the sound of the songs and praises of the grasses: how each blade recites a song to Ha-Shem, without any deviation or foreign thought. Nor do they an­ ticipate any reward. How beautiful and pleasant to hear their song. He concluded, “Es is sehr gut, frum tzu zein, tzvishen zaya .” (It is so good to befrum [pious] in their midst.) (Sichot Ha-Ran, no. 163)

Before tracin g th e influence of R. N achm an’s th o u g h t upo n various tw entieth-century figures, there is another

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teaching of his th a t is pertinent. In it R. N achm an dem ­ onstrates how to integrate his love for n atu re w ith th e very act of prayer itself—even indoors. Each and every utterance is an entire universe. When one stands in prayer [i.e., reciting the Amidah ] and utters the words of the prayer, then he is gathering lovely blossoms, flowers and roses. It is like one who is walking in a field and gathering beautiful roses and flowers, one by one, until he has a bouquet. Then he gathers others, one by one, and makes a second bouquet and joins them together. So he continues gathering and collecting many beautiful and lovely bouquets. Similarly, one proceeds in prayer from letter to letter, until several letters are joined together thereby forming an utterance. In this way he makes whole words and then two words are joined together. He continues to collect more until he concludes one blessing.. . . Every utterance pleads and petitions the soul not to leave it. As soon as the first letter is uttered—for example, the let­ ter bet from the word baruch [blessed]—it pleads and peti­ tions the soul not to leave it: “How could you leave me owing to the great bond and love that there is between us?— for you see the preciousness of my beauty, my radiance, my splendor and my grandeur. How can you cut yourself off from me and leave me? It is true that you must proceed, in order to collect other precious treasures and magnificent acquisitions, but how can you leave and forget me? No mat­ ter what, take care that wherever you go, do not forget and leave me.” . . . Accordingly, the basic principle is that it is necessary to make the entire prayer into a unity. In each utterance that is spoken there should be all of the utterances of the prayer. From the beginning of the prayer until the end, all should be one. When a person comes to the last utterance of the prayer, he should still have in mind the first word. (Likhutei Moharan 65:2,186)

This straig h tfo rw ard an d elegant n o tio n of tra n s ­ form ing y o u r prayers into bouquets for Ha-Shem re­ quires m uch concentration an d practice. It is an excel­ lent idea to start out by w o rk in g w ith a short passage.

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As R. N achm an suggests, proceed from one w o rd to an o th er, always k eep in g in m in d w h at you have re ­ cited u p to th a t po in t. A fter you have practiced w ith th is sam e text for several sessions an d m astered th e tech n iq u e, you can g rad u ally expand y o u r b o u q u et. M oving in to th e tw e n tie th century, R. N ach m an ’s involvem ent in n a tu re exerted a p ro fo u n d influence on tw o sem in al relig io u s th in k e rs/p h ilo so p h e rs, R. Hillel Z eitlin an d M artin Buber. Z eitlin w as a p ro ­ lific w rite r an d incisive theologian. His prose p o em Kavvanot ve-Yichudim (M editations an d U nifications) offers a lovely d escrip tio n of th e a u th o r p ray in g in a forest. Behold I am praying and the trees are praying with me. I bend and they bend with me, bow and they bow with me. A large, magnificent tree stands opposite me. He nods his head, bends his torso, bends and straightens up, bends and straightens up. He bends—and the other trees bend after him, bows—and they bow after him; he is a shaliah tzibbur [leader of commu­ nal prayers]. The congregation and the cantor are wrapped in prayer shawls, all embroidered in techelet (blue thread). Their fringes drag on the ground.. . . And we are all praying together with awe and love, with intense concentration and special devekut (attachment). Reciting “one” [i.e., from the Shema] we concentrate on one basic thought: the Holy One, blessed be He, is one and His Name is one—everything is one. All of the differences and distinctions, separations, opposites, oppositions, contradic­ tions, substitutions and permutations are merely illusory. We do not multiply private reflections, rather we concen­ trate on one general idea, which is that not just the entire Torah, but the entire universe is composed of Names of the Holy One, blessed be He.8 (Sifiran shel Yehidim, 180) 8. This concluding concept is an embellishment of Ramban’s theory that the entire Torah consists of a series of Divine Names; see the introduction to his Torah commentary.

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M artin Buber popularized R. N achm an’s stories an d o th e r hasidic tales. His existential p h ilo so p h y w as a direct outgrow th of his hasidic studies. In his classic m ed itatio n on relationships, I and Thou, B uber w rites: In every sphere, through everything that becomes present to us, we gaze toward the train9 of the eternal You; in each we perceive a breath of it; in every You we address the eter­ nal You.. . . I contemplate a tree. I can accept it as a picture: a rigid pillar in a flood of light, or splashes of green traversed by the gentleness of the blue silver ground. I can feel it as movement: the flowing veins around the sturdy, striving core, the sucking of the roots, the breathing of the leaves, the infinite commerce with earth and air—and the growing itself in its darkness.. . . But it can also happen, if will and grace are joined, that as I contemplate the tree I am drawn into a relation, and the tree ceases to be an It.. . . The tree is no impression, no play of my imagination ... it confronts me bodily and has to deal with me as I must deal with it—only differently. (7 and Thou, W. Kaufmann, trans., 57-58)

In M arch 1920, th e Zionist y o u th m o v em en t m et in Prague. The C entral E uropean con tin g en t was headed by M artin Buber. The P alestinian pioneers, know n as halutzim, w ere rep resen te d b y a m iddle-aged A aron D avid G ordon. G ordon to ld th e co nference p a rtic i­ pants: “W hat is h ap p en in g h e re is n o t th a t w e speak to you; it is o u r land th a t speaks to you. We are h ere m erely to express w h at th e la n d itself is saying. We say to you, to o u r en tire people: the land is waiting fo r you” (S. B ergm an, Faith and Reason, 98). G ordon h ad im m igrated to Israel som e fifteen years earlier, and he reflected deeply u p o n th e h u m a n situ9. This is an allusion to Isaiah 6:1, “and the hem of His robe filled the Temple.”

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ation. He characterized m o d e m alienation from n a tu re as follows: “You fin d th a t th e m o re m a n takes from n atu re, th e farth er h e m oves aw ay from it. The m o re w ealth h e acquires, th e m ore industrious are his labors for b u ild in g a th ic k b a rrie r b e tw e e n h im se lf a n d n atu re. He w ith d raw s in to his w alled cities as a tu rtle w ith in its shell” (Selected Essays, F. B um ce, trans., 175). G ordon envisioned a radical tran sfo rm atio n : And when, O Man, you will return to Nature, you will open your eyes on that day and you will gaze straight into the eyes of Nature; you will see therein your own image, and you will know that you have returned to yourself, that when you hide from Nature, you have hidden from yourself__ On that day you will feel with all the strength of your heart the weight with which the walls of the city houses, of the villages, too, press down upon you. You will feel every slight barrier that separates you from the universe, that divides you from uni­ versal life. Then it will happen that when you build a home for yourself, you will set your heart not on multiplying therein rooms and more rooms—but on this you will set your heart: that there be in your home nothing that will act as a barrier between you and the universal expanse, between you and universal life. Then, when you sit within your home, when you lie down, and when you rise up—at every moment and in every hour—your entire being will be surrounded by that expanse, by that life. (Selected Essays, 247-248)

The ra b b in ic le a d e r of G o rd o n ’s g e n e ra tio n w as Rabbi A vraham Y itzhak Kook, th e first C hief Rabbi of Israel. The universalistic th ru s t of Rav Kook’s th in k in g is evident in m u ch of his w ritings. Every plant and bush, every grain of sand and clod of earth, everything in which life is revealed or hidden, the smallest and the biggest in creation—all longs and yearns and reaches out toward its celestial source. And at every moment, all these cravings are gathered up and absorbed by man, who is himself lifted up by the longing for holiness within him. It is during prayer that all these pent-up desires and yearn­ ing are released. Through his prayer, man unites in himself

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all being, and lifts all creation up to the fountainhead of blessing and life. (N. Glatzer, The Judaic Tradition , 558)

You m ay have noticed th at, u p to this point, all of th e sources th a t w e have discussed w ere originated by m ales. It has only b een in th e last cen tu ry or so th a t Jewish w o m en have found a literary voice to express th e ir n atu re-ro o ted sp iritu ality . In terestin g ly , th e ir m ed iu m of expression has frequently b een poetry. A fine exam ple is th e p o em “The M oon Sings to th e Stream ” w ritten in the 1940s by an Israeli poetess, Leah Goldberg. I am unity in heaven; I am multiplicity in the deep. My reflection gazes at me from the stream. My double. I am truth in heaven; I am fiction in the deep. My reflection gazes at me from the stream, In her deceptive fate. Above I am wrapped in silences, Murmuring and singing in the deep. I am the Deity in heaven; In the stream I am the prayer. (Muhdam u-Meuchar, 86)

At th e sam e tim e th a t Leah G oldberg w as w ritin g in Israel, Etty H illesum , a twenty-seven-year-old w o m an living in A m sterdam on th e precipice of th e Holocaust, recorded h e r spiritual grow th in a diary. H ere is th e entry from A ugust 26, 1941: There is a really deep well inside me. And in it dwells God. Sometimes I am there too. But more often stones and grit block the well, and God is buried beneath. Then He must be dug out again. I imagine that there are people who pray with their eyes turned heavenwards. They seek God outside themselves. And there are those who bow their head and

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bury it in their hands. I think that these seek God inside. (An Interrupted Life, 44)

O n A ugust 18,1943, Etty w rote a le tte r fro m W esterbork, a tra n s it cam p, p rio r to h e r final d ep o rta tio n to A uschw itz, w h ere she w ould soon perish. You have made me so rich, oh God, please let me share Your beauty with open hands. My life has become an uninter­ rupted dialogue with You, oh God, one great dialogue. Some­ times when I stand in some corner of the camp, my feet planted on Your earth, my eyes raised towards Your Heaven, tears sometimes run down my face, tears of deep emotion and gratitude. . . . I may never become the great artist I would really like to be, but I am already secure in You, God. Sometimes I try my hand at turning out small profundities and uncertain short stories, but I always end up with just one single word: God----[A]ll my creative powers are trans­ lated into inner dialogues with You; the beat of my heart has grown deeper, more active and yet more peaceful, and it is as if I were all the time storing up inner riches. (An Inter­ rupted Life, 255)

We can d raw at least fo u r conclusions fro m th is su r­ vey of richly variegated m aterial: nature-rooted sp iri­ tu a lity h as n o t b e e n co n fin ed to any p a rtic u la r h is­ torical p erio d o r locale. It finds expression in various genres, in c lu d in g halachic, philosophical, an d literary co m p o sitio n s. In v o lv em en t in n a tu re h as e n ric h e d b o th religious observance as well as daily relations an d living in teg rally in th e w orld. And, finally, th e la n d of Israel h as often acted as a catalyst for th is en terp rise. H aving referred to R. N achm an of B ratzlav as th e forem ost p ro p o n e n t of m e d itatin g outdoors, it is ap­ p ro p ria te to expand u p o n th e sp iritu al p a th th a t h e developed. In k eep in g w ith trad itio n a l term inology, R. N ach m an referred to his te ch n iq u e as hitbodedut. The follow ing selections outline th e m ethods an d goals of hitbodedut.

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To one of his long-tim e disciples, R. N achm an gave th e follow ing advice: “O u r Rebbe com m anded h im to practice hitbodedut for tw o h o u rs a day. D uring th e first h o u r h e should go out an d be silent an d concentrate u p o n speaking [with Ha-Shem]. He should p rep are his h eart for this. Afterwards h e should speak for an h o u r” (Sichot, no. 232). A lthough R. N achm an lived in to w n an d h ad a spe­ cial, private room w here h e could practice his devo­ tions; nevertheless, h e p re fe rre d to jo u rn e y into th e fields an d w oods, seclu d in g h im se lf in p ra y e r (see Sichot, no. 162). “He said th a t it is b etter to engage in hitbodedut outside of th e city am ong th e grasses, for th e grasses prom ote arousal of th e h e a rt” (Sichot, no. 227). R. N achm an especially encouraged his disciples to go outside in th e spring. In the winter all of the grasses and plants are dead, for their strength has been nullified in the winter and they are in a state of death. As summer approaches all awaken and are alive. Then it is good and wonderful to go out “to commune (la-suah) in the field” (Genesis 24:63). This sichah (commun­ ing) is prayer and petition, desire and yearnings for Ha-Shem, may He be blessed. Then each and every shrub of the field begins to live and grow. All yearn and are included within his communing and prayer. (Sichot, no. 98)

O n this them e, R. N atan recalled th a t h e and several o th e r disciples acco m p an ied R. N achm an on daily w alks outside of Lem berg. O ne day w h en it w as tim e for Minchah (the afternoon service), they prayed in th e field. A fterw ard, R. N achm an com m ented th a t in th e sam e w ay th a t his disciples congregated aro u n d h im d u rin g prayer, R. N achm an could see “how every one of grasses knocks against those stan d in g [in prayer], so th a t they could ascend an d e n te r w ith in th e ir p ray er” (Sichot, no. 144). For R. N achm an, th e contents of private p ray er are not nearly as im p o rtan t as sincerity and devotion.

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He also said concerning hitbodedut, for it was his custom, may his memory be blessed, that he would greatly encour­ age everyone to regularly meditate and converse with HaShem daily. He said that even if a person cannot speak at alleven if he is only able to utter one word, this too is very good. He said that if a person can only say one word, he should be mentally strong and recite that word repeatedly, countless times. Even if a person spends many days meditating on that one word, this too is very good. As long as he is strong and courageous and constantly repeats this same word, eventu­ ally Ha-Shem, may He be blessed, will have mercy on him and open his mouth, so that he will be able to fully express himself. (Likkutei Moharan 2:96)

Finally, R. N ach m an offered a p o te n t ratio n ale for th e value of p ersonal, sp o n tan eo u s p ray er th a t form s th e basis of hitbodedut. I have also heard in his name, concerning the value of pri­ vate communing with one’s Master. He said in reference to the prayers, supplications, and petitions, which have been standardized [in the prayer book], that all the destructive spirits and prosecutorial angels already know them and await in ambush on the paths of these prayers because they are well known to them. This is analogous to a well-travelled route that is known and publicized to all. Even murderers and robbers are there, for this road is well known. But when you travel along a new route or path that is not yet known, none [of the destruc­ tive powers] know how to ambush you there, at all.. . . Private communing with one’s Master is like a new path. It is a new prayer that one invents in his heart; therefore, prosecutorial angels do not lie in ambush so much. He never­ theless stressed that it was necessary to recite the rest of the [standard] supplications and prayers. (Likkutei Moharan 2:97)

Each of us c o m m u n es a n d m ed itates d ifferen tly — even if w e w ork w ith th e sam e technique. O ur personal experiences c o n stitu te in d iv id u a l p ath s to Ha-Shem. How p leasan t an d p leasin g to th e M erciful O ne are all of o u r efforts!

4 T he B ody and P ostures in P rayer and M editation

We usually assum e th a t sp iritu ality is an intellectual p u rsu it, rooted in th e m in d . Too often w e ignore th e vital role th a t o u r bodies play. In fact, th e body is an alchem ical la b o ra to ry in w h ic h coarse m a tte r an d em otions are elevated an d tra n sfo rm e d in to spiritual gold. Bodywork is underscored in th e biblical tradition w ith statem en ts such as, “F rom m y flesh I shall see G od” (Job 19:26). In th e follow ing discussion, w e shall explore n u m ero u s biblical an d rabbinic discussions on th e body. Of special in terest w ill be th e significance of th e spine. In th e second h alf of th is ch ap ter w e w ill consider body positions an d postures, especially th e role of sittin g an d p ro stratio n in p ray er an d m ed ita­ tion. A good startin g p o in t is an e n c o u n te r betw een th e sage H illel a n d his disciples. H illel em p h asized th e im p o rtan ce of tak in g care of o n e ’s body. He rem in d ed his students th a t th e ir bodies constitute a heavenly gift, reflecting th e D ivine im age. 67

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Similarly it is stated, “One who cares for himself is a pious individual” (Proverbs 11:17). Thus Hillel the Elder, when he was about to depart from his disciples, persisted in walking with them. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, where are you going?” He said to them, “To perform amitzvah.” They asked him, “What mitzvah ?” He replied, “To cleanse [my body] in the bathhouse.” They asked him, “Is this really a mitzvah?” He said to them, “Indeed. Consider the icons of the emper­ ors that they [i.e., the RomansJ erect in their theatres and circuses. The individual who is appointed to clean and wash them is provided with food and he is even glorified with the heroes of the realm. I have been created in the image and likeness [of God], ‘for in the image of God did He fashion Adam’ (Genesis 9:6). How much more so [must this Divine image be cared for]!” (Va-Yikra Rabbah, Be-Har, 34:3, 52b)

T here is an in terestin g rabbinical co m m en tary on Psalm s 35:10, w hich com pares th e h u m a n body to th e four species of plant-life th a t constitute th e lulav.1 In th e sam e w ay th a t th e fo u r species are b ro u g h t to ­ gether and w aved on Sukkot to celebrate Divine benefi­ cence, so, too, can th e h u m a n body glorify Ha-Shem. This in terp retatio n is found in several differen t collec­ tions. W hereas in Va-Yikra Rabbah it is a ttrib u te d to Rabbi M ani, it is form ulated in Midrash Tanchuma as follows: “You shall take for yourselves [on the first day a lovely tree fruit... ]” (Leviticus 23:40). This is what Scripture states, “all my limbs shall proclaim, ‘Ha-Shem, who is like You?’” (Psalms 35:10). David spoke beautifully when he composed this verse. You should know that the palm frond is like the human spine. The myrtle leaves are shaped like eyes. The willow leaves are shaped like lips and the etrog is like a heart. David affirmed that there are no organs more important than these which are equivalent to the entire body, hence “all of my limbs.” (Midrash Tanchuma, Emor, 19:41a)

1. The Bahir expands upon this theme; see A. Kaplan, The Bahir (York Beach, 1979), 66.

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T he b o d y n o t only m irro rs th e D ivine im age, it is im p rin te d w ith th e n am e of God. In a n o th e r passage from M idrash Tanchum a, th e re is th e a ssertio n th a t th e a n ato m ic al sh ap e of th re e ap p en d ag e s evokes th e sh ap e of th e th re e letters th a t co n stitu te th e n am e Shaddai (com m only re n d e re d “A lm ig h ty ”), w h ich sealed creation. “Every circum cised Jew shall com e to th e G ard en of Eden, for th e Holy O ne, blessed be He h as im p rin te d His n a m e u p o n each Jew, to en ab le th e m to e n te r th e G arden of Eden. W hat is th is n am e an d seal th a t He placed u p o n them ? It is Shaddai. He im p rin te d each nose w ith a shin, a dalet u p o n th e h a n d a n d a yod u p o n th e circum cision” (Midrash Tanchuma, Tzav 14:11a).2 The n am e Shaddai has been traditionally in terp reted as sh-dai, th a t w h ich is enough. This is explained in a m id rash ic statem en t attrib u te d to R. Yitzhak: “T am God A lm ighty (Shaddai)' (Genesis 17:1). I am He w ho said to My u n iv erse—to th e heavens dai (enough) an d to th e e a rth dai (enough). If I h a d n o t said to th e m dai, th e y w o u ld h av e c o n tin u e d to e x p an d u n til to d a y ” (Bereshit Rabbah 46:2). The hasidic m aster R. Pinchas of Koretz expounded u p o n th is further: “The n am e Shaddai connotes th a t th e re is dai (enough) in His Godliness for all of creation ... an d therefore n o th in g else in th e w orld is necessary. U nderstand this thoroughly. [R. Pinchas] w as therefore adam antly opposed to patronizing apothecaries or Gen­ tiles for m edicinal cures” (Midrash Pinchas, no. 3 6 ,14a). T hus, Shaddai represents Divine pow er th a t has b een h a rn e sse d for sacred purposes. O ne can th erefo re ap­ preciate th e custom of w ritin g this D ivine N am e on th e back of th e p a rc h m e n t u p o n w h ich a mezuzah is tran2. For an extended discussion of this and related passages, see E. Wolfson, “Circumcision and the Divine Name,” Jewish Quar­ terly Review 78 (1987): 78.

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scribed. Likewise, m any covers for mezuzot have this N am e inscribed u p o n them , or at least th e initial let­ ter, shin. Mezuzot are th e n positioned on all th e door­ ways of a p erso n ’s residence, th ereb y ch an n elin g cre­ ative D ivine energy into o n e ’s dom icile. In th e Midrash Tanchuma, cited above, w e saw th e association of th e letters of Shaddai w ith different body parts. An in terestin g discussion of how th e letter shin relates to th e nose is fo u n d in th e early th irte e n th century treatise, Hochmat ha-Nefesh, by R. E leazar b. Judah, one of th e m ajor figures of th e Hasidei Ashkenaz (G erm an pietists). He notes th a t th e tw o nostrils, di­ vided by th e septum , form an inverted shin. This text will be cited in C hapter 6, in conjunction w ith b reath ­ ing techniques. R. A braham Abulafia form ulated a detailed descrip­ tion of how th e body is to be integrated in to th e prac­ tice of m ed itatio n . He focused on th re e p a rts of th e body: th e head, u p p e r torso, and low er torso. Each of th ese in tu r n is divided in to th re e sections: front, m iddle, and back. The p e rtin e n t texts from A bulafia have b e e n p re ­ sented an d analyzed by Professor M oshe Idel (M ysti­ cal Experience, 34-37). Idel posits th a t A bulafia derived his th eo ry from studying Sefer Yetzirah. The p e rtin e n t passage th e re in is th e following: “The th re e m o th e r letters alef, m em and shin are fo u n d in each person, [corresponding to th e p rim al elem ents] fire, w ater and air. The h ead is created from fire. The belly is from w ater. The torso is from air, w hich m ediates betw een the o th er tw o ” (Sefer Yetzirah 3:4). A nother text th a t m ay have influenced A bulafia is M aim onides’s directive concerning the tw o straps of the tefillin w orn on the head. M aim onides recom m ended that these straps extend from the head to th e navel (M.T., Hilchot Tefillin 3:12).

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Let us now tu rn to A bulafia’s discussion as it appears in his m ajo r w ork on ecstatic contem plation, Hayye haOlam ha-Ba: There are so to speak three spots on your head: the front, which is the start of the head; the middle, which is the inside of the head; and the back, which is the end of the head. Like­ wise imagine that there are three points on your upper torso, which is where your heart is located.. . . Likewise imagine that there are three points in your belly: the front, which is the point of your navel[,]... the middle, which is the point of your entrails; and the back, which is the point of the end of your spine, which is the place of the kidneys where the spinal cord is completed, the end of the end. (Revised trans­ lation based upon Idel, Mystical Experience, 35)

A final selection on th is topic is tan g en tially related to A bulafia’s discussion of an ato m y a n d is fo u n d in R. H ayyim of V olozhin’s collected w ritings. It is based on th e observation th a t th e re is a fu n d a m e n ta l differ­ ence in th e construction of th e tefillah shel rosh (head phylactery) versus th e tefillah shel yad (arm phylactery). W hereas th e la tter consists of a single co m p artm en t, h o u sin g fo u r d ifferen t passages from th e Torah, th e tefillah shel rosh is divided in to fo u r distin ct co m p art­ m ents, each co n tain in g a different passage. R. H ayyim explains: The reason is that the head exhibits four senses: sight, hear­ ing, smell and speech. All are separate—ears to hear, eyes to see, the tongue speaks and the nose smells. So it is with Him, may He be blessed; He, too, possesses these attributes accord­ ing to the secret of the upper Sefirot. (Nefesh Ha-Hayyim, 370)

R. H ayyim is h e re in referrin g to th e K abbalistic doc­ trin e of th e Sefirot, w hich posits te n d ifferen t charac­ teristics o r m odalities w ith in th e Divine Being. O n one level, th is corresponds to h u m a n processes an d th e re ­ fore exem plifies o u r being created in th e Divine im age.

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Sym bolic of th is p arallelism b etw een Ha-Shem an d h u m a n s is th e com partm entalized construction of th e tefillin. Let us n ow shift o u r focus from a discussion of anatom y to body position. R. Yaakov b. A sher in his religious law code explains th a t th ere are th ree distinct postures for praying: sitting, standing an d prostration. In fact, th e m o rn in g service incorporates all th ree in succession. He notes th at the biblical precedent for each of these m odes is Moses on Mt. Sinai, w h en he received the stone tablets. “I sat on the m o u n tain ” (D euteronom y 9:9); “I stood on th e m o u n tain ” (D euteronom y 10:10), and finally “I prostrated m yself before Ha-Shem” (Deu­ teronom y 9:18); (see Tur Orach H ayyim , 131). By con­ sidering these th ree basic postures, we w ill deepen o u r u n d erstan d in g of th e role of the body in Jewish prayer and m editation. S itting

The in itial segm ent of th e m o rn in g service is charac­ terized as Pesukei de-Zimra, verses from Psalm s. The centerpiece is Psalm s 145. “Rabbi Avina said, ‘A nyone w ho recites “A Psalm of D avid” [i.e.. Psalm s 145] th re e tim es daily is assured of m eritin g th e W orld to C om e’” (B. Berachot 4b). Accordingly, this P salm is rep eated th ree tim es in th e daily liturgy. Each tim e th a t Psalm s 145 is recited, it is preceded by th e verse: “H appy (ashrei) are those w ho sit in Y our house. May they eternally praise You. Selah!” (Psalms 84:5). As w e shall see, th is passage is at th e crux of n u m ero u s rabbinic assertions. The verses th a t im m e­ diately precede this passage evocatively express th e desire to dwell inHa-Shem’s earthly abode: “How lovely are Your residences, Ha-Shem of hosts. My soul yearns,

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even p in es for Ha-Shem's co u rty ard s; m y h e a rt an d bo d y sing o u t to th e living G od” (Psalms 84:2-3). A ccording to M aim onides, Psalm s 84:5 is th e scrip­ tu ra l basis for th e ra b b in ic assertio n th a t sp e n d in g tim e in a synagogue is in itself a m erito rio u s act.3 In th is connection one can also m e n tio n th e custom of sittin g b riefly in a synagogue b efo re d e p a rtin g an d reciting th e verse: “O nly th e righteous w ill give thanks to Y our N am e; th e u p rig h t w ill sit in Y our Presence (Psalm s 140:14).” In his m o n u m e n ta l Guide o f the Perplexed, M aim on­ ides described sittin g as a D ivine state of being. A fter q u o tin g a series of verses, including: “You, Ha-Shem, sit for eternity; Y our th ro n e is p e rp e tu a l” (L am enta­ tio n s 5:19), h e explained th e significance of ascribing “sittin g ” to Ha-Shem: “T h at is, th e stable O ne w ho un d erg o es no m a n n e r of change, n e ith e r a change in His essence—as He has no m odes besides His essence w ith respect to w h ich He m ig h t change—n o r a change in His relatio n to w h at is o th e r th a n H im se lf.. . . Con­ sid er every m e n tio n of sittin g applied to God, an d you w ill discover th a t it is u sed in th is sense” (Guide 1:11, 37f). T hus, sittin g re p re se n ts D ivine stab ility a n d p erm an en ce. A dditionally, w e find th a t Psalm s 84:5 w as th e scrip­ tu ra l basis for th e H asidim Rishonim, w h o m w e dis­ cussed in C h ap ter 1. The core text reads: “T h e Hasidim Rishonim u sed to m ed itate for o ne h o u r p rio r to pray­ ing. W hat is th e basis for this practice? Rabbi Y ehoshua b. Levi said, S cripture states, ‘H appy are those w ho sit in Your h o u se ’ (Psalms 84:5)” (B. Berachot 32b). A re la te d sta te m e n t b y R. Y ehoshua b. Levi is th e following: “A nyone w ho en ters a synagogue or study hall in th is w orld w ill m e rit e n te rin g a synagogue or stu d y hall in th e w orld to com e, as it says, ‘H appy are 3. M.T., Hilchot Tefillah 11:9; cf. B. Megillah 28b.

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those w ho sit in Y our h o u se ’ (Psalm s 84:5)” (Yalkut Shimoni, Tehillim, no. 803, 938). This parallels a th ird statem ent attributed to the sam e Sage: “Rabbi Yehoshua b. Levi said, anyone w ho recites a song shirah in this w orld, will m erit repeating it in the w orld to come, as is said, ‘Happy are those w ho sit in Your house. May they eternally praise you. Selah’” (B. Sanhedrin 91b). In general, Jewish sources are silent ab o u t how one should sit w hile praying. An exception to th is are di­ rectives from R. A vraham , th e son of M aim onides. In th e early th irte e n th -c e n tu ry in Cairo, R. A vraham spearheaded a liturgical reform m o v em en t th a t m et w ith only lim ited success and m u ch opposition. In an attem p t to revitalize Jew ish sp iritu ality h e advocated a n u m b e r of innovations, w hich he contended w ere ac­ tually trad itio n al Jewish practices th a t stem m ed from th e tim e of th e p ro p h ets. A ccording to R. A vraham , these tech n iq u es h ad long since b een neglected an d forgotten by Jews, b u t th e y h ad b e e n p reserv ed by M uslims. Three of th e practices th at he advocated w ere kneeling d u rin g prayers, frequent h a n d raising, and bow ing. We w ill refer to th e last tw o procedures later on in th is chapter and revisit th e Islam ic connection in C hapter 10. C oncerning th e necessity to kneel, ra th e r th a n sit, d u rin g prayer, R. A vraham wrote: In the same way that the obligation to stand [during prayer] is standing in the manner that the Sages of blessed memory have explained “like a servant before his master” (B. Shabbat 10a)—so too is one obliged to sit during the performance of the prayers like a courteous servant before his master, who has granted him permission to sit. This was the way that the prophets sat during their supplications and prayers, as has been explained concerning Solomon and Daniel: they would petition on their knees [cf. 2 Chronicles 6:13 and Daniel 6:11]. This is an obligation from which one should not de­ sist. (Cited in N. Wieder, Islamic Influences on the Jewish Worship, 65)

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W hatever th e actual body positio n th a t is adopted, it sh o u ld be n o ted th a t regulated sittin g w as n o t con­ fined to th e synagogue. Prescribed sittin g is im p o rtan t in th e h o m e as well, in connection w ith th e recitation of th e birkat ha-mazon (the blessings after a meal). The n in eteen th -cen tu ry rabbinic a u th o rity from Baghdad, R. Yosef H ayyim , in his Torah co m m en tary , cites an d expands u p o n an exposition by th e eighteenth-century kabbalist R. Shalom Sharabi. S harabi w as h ead of th e fam ous m ystical academ y in Jerusalem , Beit El. The follow ing are his directives, w ith an a d d itio n in brack­ ets fro m R. Yosef H ayyim . This m aterial is especially in terestin g as it offers a precise description of th e body p o stu re th a t one should assum e p rio r to reciting th e blessings. Before birkat ha-mazon one should concentrate on preparing himself to fulfill the positive commandment of reciting birkat ha-mazon with awe and love, with forceful concentration, great joy and whole-heartedly, in order to channel Divine abundance (shefa), great blessings, wisdom, vitality and sustenance to the holy Malchut oîAtzilut, (the World of Emanation). From her [it will flow] to us and all of the holy realms. He should close his eyes, fold his hands upon each other: the right over the left,4 [placing them upon his chest], sit-

4. The importance of hand position was discussed by R. Yosef Hayyim in relationship to the recitation of Psalms 145:16, “You open Your hands and fulfill every creature’s desire” during the daily liturgy. “The custom in our city is that when one recites the verse potech (open) one should turn one’s palms heavenwards. It is a beautiful custom to do this symbolic act to receive the Di­ vine abundance (shefa) from Above” Ben Ish Hai, uVa-Yigash,n (Jerusalem, 1944), 65. R. Yosef continues by disapproving of those who also raise their hands at this point. Basing himself upon a passage from the Zohar, he contends that there are only two occasions when it is appropriate to raise one’s hands in prayer: following ritual hand washing and when the priests bless the congregation.

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ting as if before a king—the King of the Universe, the holy Malchut of Atzilut. (Ben Ish Hai, Hukkat, 202)

Up to th is p o in t, w e have seen d iscu ssed sittin g w ith in a liturgical context, be it in th e synagogue or at hom e. S itting is also recom m ended as a sp iritu al ac­ tivity in itself. A biblical source for th is is th e follow­ ing: “It is good to w ait quietly for salvation from HaShem. It is good for a m a n to b ear th e yoke [of Heaven] w hile h e is young. Let h im sit alone (badad) in silence, for He has placed it [i.e., th e yoke] u p o n h im ” (Lam en­ tations 3:26-28). Note th a t th e w ord for sittin g alone, badad, is th e root of th e technical te rm for m ed itatio n hitbodedut. The sp iritu al guidebook, Or Ha-Ganuz, w hich is as­ cribed to th e early hasidic m aster R. A aron ha-Cohen of Zelichov an d Apt, contains several b eau tifu l discus­ sions on th e role of sitting in m editation. So it is with an individual, with each movement and espe­ cially with each act of walking, he should perform a yichud [i.e., unification]. When he sits alone and in silence, he be­ comes a chariot for the World of Thought—for he has taken it upon himself and he should greatly sanctify his thought. The moment that he awakens from thought, which is rest prior to movement, he should see to it that there be ayichud, that is a binding of movement and speech and walking and that all be done in sanctity, just like the thought. (Or haGanuz, 46)

For a different perspective, see N. Wieder, Islamic Influences on the Jewish Worship (Oxford, UK, 1947), 79-82, who discusses R. Avraham b. Maimonides’s advocacy of frequent hand raising during prayer; see M. Idel, The Mystical Experience in Abraham Abulafia (Albany, NY, 1988), 29, for Abulafia’s mimicry of the priestly blessing during meditation; see also the hasidic sources cited by Yitzchak Bxixbaumjewish Spiritual Practices (Northvale, NJ, 1990), 168.

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Some forms of Divine service entail movement: these are the positive commandments and the study of Torah and prayer. To perform them entails doing unifications. There is also a type of service by means of resting: when one sits alone and is silent and contemplates upon His exaltedness, may He be blessed. This alludes to the World of Thought, which is the World of Rest that he has taken upon himself. This he should do when he wants to become attached in Divine attachment (devekut), he should sit peacefully amidst holy thoughts, in awe and attachment. Thus we read in the verse “when the ark travelled [etc.]” (Numbers 10:35) “and when it rested [etc.]” (Numbers 10:36)—the mysteries of wisdom [are con­ tained therein].5(Or ha-Ganuz, 72)

S tanding , B owing

and the

R ole

of the

S pine

T he k ey ra b b in ic p ray er, recited th ric e daily is th e Shemoneh Esreh, th e “eig h teen [actually, n in e te e n ] blessings.” It is also referred to as th e Am idah, “stan d ­ in g p ra y e r,” as it is recited w hile standing. T rad itio n ­ ally, one recites th e Amidah, w ith feet pressed together, em u latin g th e celestial beings, described in Ezekiel 1:7, “th e legs of each w ere [fused into] a single rigid leg.” A lthough o n e’s feet are generally im m obile d u rin g th e A m idah, th e body often sways. “R. Y ehudah said, ‘This w as R. A kiva’s practice. . .. [W ]hen h e w as p ra y in g privately h e w ould start in one co rn er of th e room an d en d in th e other, ow ing to all of his bow ings an d pro s­ tra tio n s ’” (B. Berachot 31a). Sw aying is very com m on am o n g h asid ic Jews an d o th ers d u rin g p ray er.6 T here is a w o n d erfu l teach in g of th e Baal Shem Tov on th is issue: 5. Cf. Y. Buxbaum, Jewish Spiritual Practices, 368. 6. For a discussion of the conflicting perspectives on this topic, see the sources cited by L. Jacobs, Hasidic Prayer (New York, 1978), 55.

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R. Yisrael Baal Shem, peace be upon him, said, “When an in­ dividual is drowning in a river and he is gesturing to remove himself from the water that is engulfinghim, certainly no one who sees him would ridicule his exertions. So it is during prayer, when one gestures, do not ridicule this person, for he is saving himself from the insolent waters, which are the shells and strange thoughts that threaten to undermine his concen­ tration during prayer.” (KeterShem Tov, no. 215, 28a)

H ere is an o th er hasidic statem en t on th is issue: [R. Pinchas] said that all of the winds that blow across the world are a result of the swaying of Jews while preoccupied in Torah. This is why it stated in the Gemara “Just as the world cannot exist without the winds, so too the world needs Jews” [B. Taanit 3b]. Why did he compare [Jews] to the winds, unless the winds were caused by the Jews? The swayings sustain the souls. This is the mystery of all of the medita­ tions connected with the shaking [of the lulav] on Sukkot. (Midrash Pinchas, no. 45:7a)

A n o th er aspect of sw aying an d sh a k in g d u rin g p ray er explicitly associates sp iritu ality an d sexuality. From the Besht, of blessed memory, “For from my flesh I shall see [God]” (Job 19:26). Just like physical coupling is not productive unless intercourse occurs with a vital organ and desire and joy, so too with spiritual coupling, which is speak­ ing Torah and praying, when it occurs with a vital organ and joy and pleasure, then it is productive. (Keter Shem Tov, no. 16:4a, based on Ben Porat Yosef, Noah 19d)

The B esht’s successor, th e M aggid of M ezeritch, also com m ented on this issue: Prayer entails coupling with the Shechinah. Just as there is movement at the start of sexual coupling, so too one must sway at the start of prayer. Afterwards one should stand motionless and adhere to the Shechinah with great devekut. Propelled by the swaying, one can attain a state of great exaltedness. (Torat ha-Maggid, Y. Klafholtz, ed., 1:38)

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A source for th is strik in g assertion is th e classic eth i­ cal m anifesto, Reshit Hochmah, by R. E liahu de Vidas. “It is p ro p e r for a p e rso n ’s com plete desire to [be de­ vo ted to] fu lfillin g a D ivine c o m m a n d m e n t, since th ro u g h its p erfo rm an c e h e couples w ith th e K ing’s d au g h ter, th a t is th e Shechinah” (Reshit Hochmah haShalem, Shaar ha-Ahavah, 4:24, 421). W ithin th is context, w e can appreciate a su rp risin g d irectiv e b y de V idas’ co n tem p o rary , R. M oshe ib n M achir in h is sp iritu al m a n u al, Order o f the Day. As far as I am aw are it is u n p arallele d in any o th e r Jew­ ish source. In d e sc rib in g F rid ay -aftern o o n p re p a ra ­ tio n s for Shabbat, ib n M achir w rites ab o u t g o in g to th e mihvah (ritual bath): “A nd so w e have fo u n d th a t th e ancient hasidim w o u ld im m erse them selves to g e th er w ith th e ir w ives in o rd e r to u n ite th e ir souls in D ivine service” (Seder ha-Yom 41). This co n n ectio n b etw een sexuality an d sp iritu ality w ill be revisited a n d am plified in C h ap ter 11. In ad d itio n to sw aying, th e Amidah entails reg u lar bow ing. R igorous b o w in g fin d s ex p ressio n in th e Tanach. “Elijah ascended to th e su m m it of Mt. C arm el, p ro strate d h im se lf o n th e g ro u n d an d placed h is face b etw een his k n e e s” (1 Kings 18:42). Based on th is b ib ­ lical precedent, o ne finds references to placing o n e ’s “h e a d b e tw e e n o n e ’s k n e e s” in v ario u s po stb ib lical texts. For exam ple, th is practice w as reco m m en d ed in th e an cien t text, Hechalot Z utarti, in a passage th a t w as quoted in C h ap ter 1. To be sure, in n o n e of th e texts is th e p o stu re sufficiently described so th a t w e can p re ­ cisely rep licate it. In th e above-cited passage, Elijah m ay have been kneeling on th e ground w h en he placed his head b etw een his knees. O th er texts im ply th a t this is done from a sta n d in g position. The act of b o w in g d u rin g th e Amidah is hig h ly sym-

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bolic. There are fo u r custom ary bow ings—tw o at th e start of th e p ray er an d tw o d u rin g th e la tter stages.7 These four m otions are associated w ith th e fo u r letters of th e Ineffable N am e, w hich in tu r n are connected w ith th e Four [Primal] W orlds. A fu rth e r extension of this m atrix of sym bols w as suggested by R. H ayyim of Volozhin, w ho related th e letters of th e N am e to th e four term s of e n d e a rm e n t fo und in th e Song of Songs (see Nefesh Ha-Hayyim, 410). An exploration in to th e regulated b ow ing th a t ac­ com panies th e recitatio n of th e Amidah leads in to a m u c h b ro a d e r d iscu ssio n of th e im p o rta n c e of th e spine. “The lifeforce of a perso n an d th e h u m a n stru c­ tu re is d ep en d en t u p o n th e sp in e” (R. E liahu de Vidas, Reshit Hochmah ha-Shalem 3:384). The eighteen benedictions th a t form th e basis of th e th ric e daily p ra y e r service are sym bolically lin k e d to th e spine. N ote th a t once again it is R. Y ehoshua b. Levi, th e sem inal early third-century sage cited n e a r th e start of th e ch ap ter, w ho is accredited w ith th e se in sig h ts. “R. T a n h u m re p o rte d th a t R. Y eh o sh u a b. Levi said, ‘th is corresp o n d s to th e eig h teen v e rte ­ b ra e in th e s p in e .’ R. T a n h u m also re p o rte d th a t R. Y ehoshua b. Levi said, ‘one w ho prays m u st b o w such th a t all of th e v erte b ra e of th e sp in e are loos­ e n e d ’” (B. Berachot 28b). D uring th e M iddle Ages, th e re w as considerable in ­ te re st in th e significance of th e spine. R. E leazar b. Judah, one of th e Hasidei Ashkenaz w hom w e qu o ted above, offers th e follow ing discussion.

7. As noted above, R. Avraham, the son of Maimonides, advo­ cated frequent bowing during prayer. Specifically he prescribed four bowings during the kaddish and two during the kedushah and elsewhere; see Wieder, Islamic Influences, 51-54.

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The soul, residing on the brain, irrigates the spinal column from the brain. It enters the eighteen vertebrae of the spine. Accordingly, it is the practice upon reciting rnodim [i.e., “we are grateful”] that when she [i.e., the soul] recites “we are grateful to you,” she bows until “all of the vertebrae are loosened” (B. Berachot 28b); therefore vitality is hai (eigh­ teen) . . . as is written, “the soul that sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4). Sin (het) has the numerical value eighteen, but if there will be repentance then you will merit [the Garden of] Eden, which is a distance of 18,000 centuries. (Hochmat ha-Nefesh, 146)

R. Eleazar continues by e n u m e ra tin g eighteen angelic entities th a t encircle th e D ivine th ro n e. Tow ards th e start of o u r discussion of th e body, w e quoted a m idrash th a t com pared th e spine to a lulav. In th e m ystical h o m ilie s of th e Tikkunei Zohar, th is m e ta p h o r is developed an d connected to th e Amidah. The eig h teen th h o m ily includes a rich and sym bolic discussion of th e bow ings an d th e spine th a t incorpo­ rates all of th ese m otifs an d others, as well. This p re ­ sentation begins w ith a reference to th e “M asters of th e Komah” (i.e., sta tu re /a n a to m y ). This te rm refers to th o se in d iv id u a ls w h o h av e stu d ie d th e en ig m atic, a n c ie n t m ystical text, Shiur Komah (M easure of th e D ivine S tature), w h ic h is co n cern ed w ith th e astro ­ nom ical d im en sio n s of th e D ivine A nthropos. T he fol­ low ing selection fro m Tikkunei Zohar is p rim arily con­ c ern ed w ith th e h u m a n body, w h ich is im p licitly associated w ith th e D ivine Stature. When they [i.e., the Masters of the Komah] knock on the door [of the Celestial Palace] and recite, “Lord, open my lips,” the door of the Palace is opened with many lights that are em­ broidered with all of the colors of the world. When they enter the Celestial Palace, the Shechinah bestows them with privileges. She proclaims, “Master of the universe, behold, the Masters of the Komah bow four times during the Amidah. Twice during the initial three [blessings] and twice during

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the latter three. This corresponds to the four letters of Your [Name], [i.e., YHVH]. They also straighten up four times, corresponding to its four letters, which are ADoNaY. This results in four occurrences of ADoNaY within YHVH.” One must bend the eighteen vertebrae each time, corre­ sponding to the eighteen benedictions, which are included in the eighteen worlds.8 This is what the Masters of the Mishnah decreed, “[one should bow] until all of the verte­ brae are loosened (B. Berachot 28b). The spine is a lulav, for if it is split, it becomes defective. Accordingly, one must not interrupt the eighteen bless­ ings of the Amidah for they correspond to the eighteen wavings of the lulav.9 Thus the Masters of the Mishnah es­ tablished that even if a snake coils around your foot, you must not interrupt your recitation of the Amidah [cf. B. Berachot 30b]. This is on account of the eighteen worlds, which consist of the union of YHVH and ADoNaY, in this fash­ ion YAHDVNHY.101Its sum is AMeN (91). Therefore even if a snake is coiled around your foot you must not interrupt, when you are bowing at [the word] baruch (blessed). Con­ cerning what is also stated “but one should interrupt [pray­ ing when threatened] by a scorpion” (B. Berachot 33a), this is because it has been established that [the laws of the Torah] are to live by and not to die from them (cf. B. Yoma 85b). (Tikkunei Zohar, no. 18:37a)11

In a technical kabbalistic discussion, th e au th o r th e n asserts th at w hen one bow s d u rin g th e recitation of th e w ord baruch (blessed), a person should concentrate on

8. The expression hay ha-olamim (eighteen worlds/eternal) as an epithet for Ha-Shem who is eternal is found in Y. Berachot 10:2. This is the conclusion of the blessing “borei nefashot” recited upon consuming miscellaneous food items. 9. Shaking the lulav three times in each of the six directions, yields eighteen. See Chapter 8 for a further discussion of this issue. 10. This is the basic configuration of the yichudim ; see Chap­ ter 11. 11. See the discussion of this material in P. Giller, The Enlight­ ened Will Shine (Albany, 1993), 103-105.

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u n ify in g th e te n Sefirot; fu rth erm o re , th e letters of th e w ord baruch allude to th e various Sefirot. In a n o th e r discourse in Tikkunei Zohar th e th e m e of th e lulav is also discussed. When all the other species are bundled together with the lulav, which is the spine, what is the appropriate biblical verse? “And I said, I will ascend (aaleh) the palm tree (Song of Songs 7:9). [The four letters of aaleh form an acrostic.] a=etrog\ a=aravah; l=lulav and h=hadas. All are fashioned to correspond to the four creatures of the Divine chariot, upon whom Ha-Shem rides. (Tikkunei Zohar, no. 13:29a)

To sum m arize, w e have seen th a t th e spine is view ed as th e centerpiece of th e body. It is com pared to a lulav, w hich likew ise is th e an ch o r of th e fo u r species. This is th e n extended to th e fo u r creatu res of th e D ivine C hariot, d escrib ed in Ezekiel, C h a p te r 1. T hus, th e h u m a n body, like th e lulav an d th e C hariot, can b e­ com e a dom icile for Ha-Shem. The spine and b o w in g d u rin g th e Amidah are also connected w ith th e im age of th e snake. We read in th e Talmud: “This is w h at y o u r father [i.e., Rav] said, ‘W hen you bow , bow at th e w o rd baruch (blessed) and w h e n you straig h ten up, straig h ten u p at th e D ivine N am e.’ W hen Rav S heshet bow ed, h e bow ed like a cane an d w h e n h e straig h ten ed u p , h e straig h ten ed u p like a sn ak e” (B. Berachot 12a-b). C o m m en tin g on “sn ak e” Rashi w rote th a t one bow s “slowly, h is h e a d first a n d a fte rw ard s h is body, in o rd er th a t his b ow ing sh o u ld n o t seem like a b u rd e n .” A dditionally, in B. Baba Kam ma 16a a n d Zohar 3:164a, it is asserted th a t after seven years th e h u m a n spine w ill tu r n in to a snake if a p erso n has n o t bow ed d u r­ in g th e modim prayer. A lthough it is ad m itted ly tan g en tial, w e can p u rsu e th e sp in e/sn ak e m o tif fu rth e r. We are predisposed to th in k of th e snake as a negative im age, ow ing to th e

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account in G enesis 3, w h erein th e snake seduced Eve into eating th e p ro h ib ited fruit. This led to th e expul­ sion from th e G arden and m ortality. Even in G enesis, how ever, th e snake is in tro d u ced as b ein g th e shrew d­ est of all creatures of th e field. Recall as well th a t w h en Ha-Shem com m issioned Moses to act as his agent for th e liberation of th e Israelites, Moses w o n d ered how he could convince th e people th a t he w as divinely se­ lected. T h ereu p o n Ha-Shem, told Moses to th ro w h is staff to th e ground, an d it becam e a snake. This w as to be th e Divine sign (cf. Exodus 4:1-5). D uring th e sub­ sequent com petition b etw een Moses and A aron an d P h aro ah ’s m agicians, A aron’s staff was tran sfo rm ed into a snake an d devoured th e Egyptian staves. O ne can also m e n tio n th e co p p er snake th a t M oses w as com m anded by Ha-Shem to m ake, to w ard off th e plague of fiery snakes th a t h ad attacked th e Israelites (cf. N um bers 21:4-9). O w ing to th e snake m otif th a t p erm e ated stories about Moses, it is n o t surprising th a t according to th e Sages, this im agery w as incorporated into th e mishkan (Tabernacle) th a t Moses erected. The m iddle b eam of th e mishkan w as said to be w ondrous (cf. B. Shabbat 98b). It levitated in place w ith o u t being connected to any­ thing. Targum Yonatan on Exodus 26:28 elaborated upo n this, and in so doing refers to the snake simile. The middle beam, between the struts, extends from one end to the other and was derived from the tree that Abraham planted in Beer Sheva. When the Israelites crossed the sea, the angels chopped down the tree and threw it into the sea, where it floated on the surface of the water. Then the angels pro­ claimed: This is the tree that Abraham planted in Beer Sheva and he prayed there according to Divine decree. The Israel­ ites took it and fashioned the middle beam [of the mishkan] from it—70 cubits in length. It was wondrous that when they set up the mishkan, it [i.e., the beam] would wrap itself like a snake around the struts of the mishkan and when they would disassemble it [the beam] would straighten out like a staff.

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H av in g explored n u m e ro u s texts th a t discuss th e role of th e spine d u rin g prayer, let us fu rth e r investi­ gate th e significance of th e spine. T he im p o rtan ce of th e spine is explicated in m edieval m ystical literature. Sefer Bahir, one of th e earliest kabbalistic w orks—from a ro u n d 1200—offers a n an ato m y lesson th a t p ertain s to h u m a n s, as w ell as th e D ivine A nthropos (i.e., God im aged in h u m a n form ). “The b ra in is th e root of th e sp in a l cord. T he b o d y co n stan tly d raw s su sten an ce fro m th ere. If n o t for th e spinal cord, th e b ra in could n o t exist an d w ith o u t th e b rain , th e body w ould no t exist . . . th e re fo re th e sp in al cord d isp en ses to th e e n tire bod y from th e b ra in ” (Bahir, no. 37:9a). The sp in e is critical for sp iritu al as w ell as physical h ealth . A ccording to a n in te re stin g m id ra sh ic state­ m en t, th e soul is ch ain ed to th e spine. “The soul is like a b u tte rfly (lit. w in g ed grasshopper), a n d a ch ain is attached to one of its legs and is connected to th e spine. W hen a p erso n sleeps, his soul leaves [his body] an d roam s th e w o rld ” (Midrash Tehillim, ch. 11:102). O w ing to th e a tta c h m e n t of th e soul to th e spine, u p o n aw ak­ e n in g th e soul re tu rn s to th e body. T h ere are n u m e ro u s references in m id rash ic w rit­ ings to th e concept of an ex trao rd in ary spinal v ertebra th a t w e each possess, com m only id en tified as th e tail b o n e a n d referred to in H ebrew as luz.12 W hereas in general, th e h u m a n body w as fo rm ed from th e earth an d after d eath it decom poses and re tu rn s to th e earth, th e luz, how ever, is ascribed h eavenly origins. Accord­ in g to th e Rabbis, th is b o n e is in d estru ctib le an d can survive an y eventuality. As it is th e only vestige after death of an ind iv id u al’s corporeality, th e luz is destined to be th e start of resu rrectio n (cf. Bereshit Rabbah 28:3). 12. R. Margaliot, in Zohar 1:137a, no. 9, cites a minority opin­ ion that the luz is actually the top of the spine, located opposite the kesher shel tefillin.

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The anonym ous au th o r of th e anthology of mystical insights, Shoshan Sodot, initially discussed th e function of the luz as the basis for resurrection in term s of th e biblical verse, “E verything goes to one place—every­ th in g is from du st an d re tu rn s to d u s t” (Ecclesiastes 3:20). He th e n associated th e origins of th e luz w ith th e Sefirah of Binah (U nderstanding), w hich is com m only referred to as th e S upernal M other and is associated w ith the process of teshuvah, re tu rn to Ha-Shem. Next, a rath er graphic description of resurrection is provided: Behold when the propitious time for resurrection of the dead arrives, dew will descend from Keter Elyon [the high­ est of the Sefirot] to Binah. This corresponds to the luz in the lower realm. It [i.e., the celestial dew] functions like leaveningin dough and stretches out, extending to all of the limbs, sinews, skin and flesh. [All those who are resurrected] are transported [lit. somersault] to the land of Israel. There they receive their souls in the holy and pure land, for then Binah opens her gates and bestows bounty upon the supernal land. (Shoshan Sodot, 57a)

An interesting extension of th e th eo ry of th e luz is th e assertion th a t it only receives n o u rish m e n t from th e post-Shabbat, S atu rd ay -n ig h t m eal, referred to as either melaveh malkah (the accom panim ent of th e Queen), or King David’s m eal. In th e w ell-know n story in Genesis 2, A dam w as co m m anded to refrain from eating from tw o of th e trees in th e G arden of Eden. Adam and Eve transgressed by eating from th e Tree of Knowledge and w ere p u n ish e d by expulsion an d eventual death. As th e y com m itted th e ir sin p rio r to th e Sabbath, th e luz w as uneffected by th e ir tran sg res­ sion and it is for this reason th a t it is in co rru p tab le.13 The luz is described as b e in g nut-shaped. As th e re is also a tree from th e alm o n d fam ily th a t is called luz, presum ably this is th e etym ology of th e nam e. T here 13. R. Avraham Sperling, Sefer Taamei ha-Minhagim (Jerusa­ lem, n.d.), 191, cites all of this in the name of Eliahu Rabba.

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is a tw ofold co n n ectio n b etw een luz an d th e p atriarch , Jacob. The only biblical reference to th e luz tre e is a n a rra tiv e in v o lv in g Jacob (G enesis 30:37). He also experienced a v ery significant event in a biblical to w n th a t w as originally n a m e d L uz14—th a t is w h ere Jacob h a d his fam ous n ig h t vision of th e la d d er to H eaven, w ith angels ascen d in g an d descen d in g u p o n it. U pon aw akening, h e realized th e spiritual significance of th e locale an d re n a m e d th e place Beit El (i.e., th e h o u se of God) (see.G enesis 28:12-19). G iven th e association of luz w ith th e fo u n d atio n of th e spine an d Jacob’s vision of a lad d er from e a rth to H eaven at a place called Luz, it is n o t farfetch ed to associate Jacob’s la d d e r w ith th e h u m a n body. This n o tio n has b een ex p an d ed u p o n b y n u m e ro u s ren ais­ sance an d early m o d e rn lu m in aries. An early fo rm u ­ latio n is fo und in th e in flu en tial T orah co m m en tary of R. M oshe A lshech. A lshech w as an im p o rta n t rab ­ binic au th o rity in sixteenth-century Tzefat. He in te r­ p re te d Jacob’s v isio n as a m essage from Ha-Shem, c o n firm in g Jacob’s sp iritu a l su p e rio rity o ver o th e r rig h teo u s in d iv id u als: “you are elevated over all of th e m for you are ‘a la d d e r set on th e g ro u n d ’” (G en­ esis 28:12). A lshech c o n tin u ed by explaining th e anal­ ogy w ith th e la d d e r as follows. O w ing to Jacob’s physicality, h e is gro u n d ed ; nevertheless, his soul ascends to H eaven; (see Torat Moshe, 43b). A fascinating an d com plex discussion on th is topic was fo rm u lated by th e seventeenth-century M oroccan k abbalist R. A vraham Azulai. He relates th e h u m a n body to th e to p o g rap h y of th e la n d of Israel, as w ell as Jacob’s la d d e r a n d th e h o rd es of angels th a t accom ­ p an ied th e p atriarch . 14. Interestingly, there was another city in the Near East that bore the name Luz. According to the Rabbis, tackelet, the special blue thread for the tzitzit, was manufactured there (see B. Sotah 46b, and B. Sanhedrin 12a).

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Know that this ladder corresponds to the mystery of Adam. It encompasses all of the land of Israel. For the shape of the borders of the land of Israel is neither rectangular, nor cir­ cular, nor square but rather like a human lying on the ground on his back, with his head to the west and his two arms stretched out—one to the north and one south, and his legs opened—the big toe of one foot pointing to Mount Hor, which is the northwest comer and the big toe of the other foot pointing to the Egyptian river, which is the southwest comer. Between both legs the great sea [i.e., the Mediterra­ nean] is interposed, for it is west of Israel. Accordingly, you will discover that the land of Israel is divided into large and small strips and the above-mentioned ladder encompasses all of the strips. There are steps on both sides: facing inwards towards Israel and facing outwards, outside of Israel. Know that anyone who lives outside of Israel is surrounded by 11,000 angels, as is written “One thousand will fall to your left side and 10,000 to your right” (Psalms 91:7). They ascend the steps of the ladder from the outer side, facing outside of Israel. Then they return to their place. As soon as an indi­ vidual enters the air space of the ladder, immediately 22,000 pure angels descend the inner steps of the ladder. This cor­ responds to the 22 letters of the Torah [i.e., the Hebrew alpha­ bet]. They accompany him—twenty thousand on one side and two thousand on the other. This is according to the statement “God’s chariots are 20,000 and 2,000” Psalms 68:18. Thus, there are 22,000 pure angels, as noted previously. If one has the misfortune of departing Israel, as he ap­ proaches the above-mentioned ladder the 22,000 [angels] leave him and ascend the steps of the ladder and disperse to their places. Thereupon, 11,000 angels descend to accom­ pany him outside of Israel. (Hesed Le-Avraham, 19a)

T here are also n u m e ro u s texts from th e late eigh­ te en th an d early n in e teen th cen tu ry sources th a t dis­ cuss th e la d d er m otif and are w orth considering. For exam ple, R. Yaakov Yosef of Polnoyye, th e faithful dis­ ciple of th e Besht, w rote: The point is that man stands upon the earth and his head reaches Heaven. God’s angels ascend and descend within him, for man is referred to as ascending and descending. It

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is impossible to remain stationary on one level. One must concentrate to unify the Divine attributes, whether he as­ cends or descends. Everything is connected to the Shechinah. Thus it is written, “In all of your paths, know Him” (Prov­ erbs 3:6). Understand this. (Ben Porat Yosef, 42a)

Like Azulai, R. Yaakov draw s a connection b etw een th e h u m a n bod y a n d Jacob’s ladder, th o u g h w ith dif­ feren t results. H erein, th e angels of God are connected to H eaven from w ith in th e individual. A hasidic expansion th a t explicitly refers to th e G en­ esis n arrativ e is th e following: “And he [i.e., Jacob] dreamed” (Genesis 28:12)—the explana­ tion is that in this world a human is like a dreamer, lying in darkness. Indeed no supernal light is revealed to a human in this world. When one awakens by means of serving HaShem, namely when one’s thoughts come to the supernal realm, then one sees “and behold there is a ladder” (Gen­ esis 28:12) for he himself is the ladder. Even though he is lying on the ground, nevertheless his head reaches heaven. And behold the angels of God [ascend], by means of his study of Torah. (Or ha-Ganuz, 22)

This doctrine was also taught by R. Hayyim of Volozhin. R. Hayyim, the pioneer of the L ithuanian yeshivah move­ m ent, was the leading disciple of the Vilna Gaon and hence th e leader of the opponents of H asidim (i.e., mitnagdim). This indicates the universality of this teaching. Behold, as we have written, man is like a ladder that stands upon the earth and reaches heaven. The angels of God as­ cend and descend within him. That is to say, they receive ascent or descent from him, as we have written. This is what they said in the Midrash [i.e., Bereshit Rabbah 68:16]: ladder (sulam ) corresponds to Sinai.15 At Sinai the ladder from

15. Sinai and sulam (ladder) each have the numerical value of 130. Based on this midrash, the Baal ha-Turim noted: sulam has the numerical value of Sinai, for He showed him (i.e., Jacob) the Sinai event; see Baal ha-Turim on Genesis 28:12.

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above to below was completed by means of Moses. (Nefesh ha-Hayyim, Likkutei Maamarim, 344)

Several o th er com m ents of R. H ayyim explore this issue of th e celestial roots of th e in d iv id u al an d are w o rth reflecting upon. Accordingly, the perfect human is like a tree that is planted Above and his shade extends below, which is the body. He is very attached to his root, until he is close to prophecy, for he is very attached to Above and from there to even higher levels extending upwards to the Infinite, Blessed is He. There­ fore he is like a pillar that is positioned below, yet he is en­ tirely connected Above, as if by a rope. Thus it is written, “Jacob is a rope that is His allotment” (Deuteronomy 32:9). That is to say, [it is] just like a rope which has one end con­ nected Above and the other below. (Nefesh ha-Hayyim, 343)

This im age of Jacob as a rope attached to Ha-Shem form s th e basis for an o th er of R. H ayyim ’s p e n e tra t­ ing discourses: Each person who believes in the Torah, his soul is attached and grasps the Tree of Eternal Life—grasping onto one of the letters of the Torah that transcends all of the worlds. He is linked, as if by a rope, below to this lowly world. His head, however, is attached above to his root, as it is written “Jacob is a rope that is His allotment” (Deuteronomy 32:9), just like a rope that is connected Above and its end descends below. If, God forbid, he destroys a spark from his soul, by trans­ gressing a sin that entails cutting off (karet), immediately that spark is split from its root—from the rope that it was attached to until now. This is the significance of the follow­ ing: “And this soul is cut off” (Leviticus 22:3), the explana­ tion is that the small spark that transgressed [is cut off]. The entire soul, however, is not cut off from its root, God forbid. For the part that remains, still rooted and grasping the Holy Torah, redeems him from sin. (Nefesh ha-Hayyim, 316)

An extension of this th em e is found in th e w ritings of the late nineteenth-century Baghdadi Sage R. Yosef Hayyim. In a discussion of th e soul h e notes th a t no t

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everyone can actualize all five levels; nevertheless, there is no need to despair ow ing to o u r descent from Adam: In any case, every person has a part in primal Adam who comprises all of the created souls. Accordingly, if a person properly participates in Divine service, he will merit con­ necting the soul to her supernal source. As a result he will be accredited with all [five] levels [of the soul], as previously mentioned. I shall offer an analogy to this: there is a great rope that hangs in the heart of Heaven. It is many thousand metres wide. A person has a slender string. If he can attach his string to the end of the [celestial] rope that extends to the earth, behold it is considered as if he is holding on to the great rope, “whose head reaches the Heavens” (Genesis 28:12). (Ben Ish Hai, Va-Yeshev, 45)

T hese early m o d e rn discussions th a t em p lo y th e im age of Jacob’s la d d e r o r rope are clearly in terco n ­ n ected . T hey w ere likely in flu e n c e d b y tw o rela ted texts fo u n d in zo h aric w ritings: “All k n o ck o n th e Shechinah, w h ich is a la d d e r w ith six ru n g s, an d th is is th e h eart. O n it th e angels of God ascend an d descend” (Tikkunei Zohar, no. 25:70b). H ere is a m ore elaborate discussion fro m th e Raaya M ehemna: The windpipe has six rings, about which it is written “As­ cribe to Ha-Shem, O Divine beings . . . ” (Psalms 29:1). Upon it the voice ascends, dividing into the six voices of the Shechinah. The seventh ascends to the mouth, which is the throne. The six rings of the windpipe are like six stairs to the royal throne and the windpipe is a ladder, upon which the angels of God ascend and descend. These are the breaths that arise from the heart and descend to the heart. (Zohar 3:235a)

These early texts explicitly refer to th e Shechinah as a conduit for prayers th a t are tran sfo rm ed into angels; nevertheless, th e a n th ro p o m o rp h ic im ag ery of th e Kabbalah m akes it easy to transfer this m otif to hum ans.

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P rostration

A final p o stu re th a t is incorporated into th e Jew ish lit­ urgy is prostration. It is referred to in H ebrew as nefillat appayim, lit. falling on o n e’s face. It is practiced daily in a m odified form and dram atically enacted on Yom K ippur, d u rin g the narrative of th e High P riest’s activi­ ties in th e Tem ple—w h en th e High Priest w ould u tte r the shem ha-meforash (Ineffable N am e), th e people w ould p ro strate them selves in awe. The follow ing biblical text is b o th a source for th e practice, as w ell as th e core of th e daily p ro stra tio n prayer, tachanun (petition), or nefillat appayim. H aving displeased God by u n d e rta k in g a census, D avid ad­ dressed Gad, th e co u rt pro p h et. “A nd D avid said to Gad, I am greatly troubled. Let us fall in to th e h a n d of Ha-Shem for His m ercies are m an ifo ld , b u t in to th e h a n d of m a n let m e n o t fall” (2 Sam uel 24:14). P rostration is perform ed in th e daily m o rn in g ser­ vice after th e Amidah prayer. M aim onides describes th e p ro ced u re as follows: “H ow is th e p ro stra tio n [per­ formed]? . . . He should sit on th e g ro u n d an d fall on his face an d u tte r any petitions th a t h e w ish es” (M.T., Hilchot Tefillah 5:13). An even earlier source is found in th e Talmud: “Pros­ tratio n [involves] spreading o n e’s h a n d s an d feet, as is stated, ‘Shall I and y o u r m o th er an d b ro th ers com e and bow to you u p o n th e ground?’ (Genesis 37:10)” (B. Megillah 22b). Y itzchak B uxbaum has assem bled an in te re st­ ing collection of p ray er practices of hasidic m asters. T herein w e read th a t certain Rebbes w ere accustom ed to p ro stratin g them selves at various p arts of th e ser­ vice. An exam ple is th e follow ing d e sc rip tio n of R. M oshe T eitelbaum . “W hen h e recited th e Shema, he p ro strated him self fully on th e g ro u n d , w ith ou t­ stretched arm s and legs for several h o u rs, an d he ut-

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te re d groans, an d all his lim bs shook so th a t his tallit w ould slide off h im —th o u g h h e w a sn ’t aw are of th a t at all” (Jewish Spiritual Practices, 170). In th e next chapter, w e shall revisit th is passage and place it in th e context of p ray er an d m arty rd o m ; for now , it is sufficient to n o te th a t p ro stra tio n w as n o t confined to th e nefillat appayim prayer, w h e n it w as m a n d a to ry . S p o n tan eity an d p e rso n a l in te n sity are also involved. The m ystical significance of nefillat appayim is dis­ cussed w ith m u c h technical detail b y R. H ayyim Vital. O ne aspect of h is exposition is th e re la tio n sh ip b e­ tw een th e Am idah and nefillat appayim . T he fo rm er h e relates to olam ha-atzilut, th e W orld of E m an atio n n am ely , th e h ig h e st of th e F o u r W orlds. Vital th e n associates nefillat appayim w ith olam ha-assiyah, th e W orld of Action, nam ely, th e low est of th e F our Worlds. This is what it is necessary to contemplate, while reciting the nefillat appayim. Behold, now, when we are reciting the Eighteen Blessings, we are standing in the World of Ema­ nation__ Then we cause ourselves to fall from high above in the World of Emanation, where we are currently, and descend below to the depths of the World of Action. This is just like someone who jumps off of a roof to the ground below. This is the secret meaning of nefillat appayim. (Shaar ha-Kavanot, Inyan Nefillat Appayim 2:303f)

R. H ayyim Vital continues by in d icatin g th a t once a p e rso n h as d escen d ed to th e lo w est d e p th s of th e W orld of Action, h e is in position to g ath er th e fallen sparks of light th a t have becom e tra p p e d in th is realm . A fter th e y have b een gathered, it is possible to elevate th e m th ro u g h th e W orlds an d resto re th e m to th e ir celestial origins. This can only be accom plished if a p erso n dedicates all of his sp iritu al capacities to th is task, even to th e p o in t of death. The association of nefillat appayim w ith d eath w as already m e n tio n e d in th e Zohar.

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Come and see. Moses and Aaron handed themselves over to death. Why? As is written, “And they fell on their face and said, ‘God, God of the ruch[o]t winds/spirits [of all living things]”’ (Numbers 16:22). Ruch[o]t is written without a vav. Accordingly, it refers to the Tree of Death. Whenever nefillat appayim is performed, it is located there. (Zohar 3:176b; see also 3:121a)

A final exposition on th e m ystical significance of nefillat appayim th a t w e shall consider is fo u n d in R. A vraham A zulai’s Hesed le-Avraham. It is b o th intricate an d inform ative, as it connects th e calendar w ith th e celestial realm . Know that the number of days of the year that are days of sadness (namely when nefillat appayim is recited) are days served by the intermediate chariot (merkavah ), which is Metatron’s chariot, comprising 222 days [equallingrechev]. For Metatron is a rechev (carriage) and chariot to the Shechinah, in the World of Formation. This is the secret of “on the Chebar river” (Ezekiel 1:l).16 On these 222 (rechev) days Metatron serves with the Holy Creatures and the Four Camps [of the Shechinah] and the nine celestial spheres. This leaves 132 days [of the lunar year] in which nefillat appayim is prohibited. On these days the throne of Creation serves. The letters ft, I, and b [i.e., 132] also spell kabbel [i.e., he re­ ceived]. These are the letters of Kabbalah, for one does not transmit the secrets of the merkavah, except to the masters of the Kabbalah. (Hesed le-Avraham, 14a)

The m aterial in this chapter confirm s th a t th ere has been intense interest in the role of th e body in Jewish spirituality. D ifferent postures—sitting, stan d in g and prostration—have been incorporated into th e daily lit­ urgy, reflecting the m ood of the accom panying prayers. O ur task is to integrate this aw areness of th e body and its varying postures into o u r m editative practice. 16. See Chapter 1 for a discussion of this verse. Also, the Hebrèw letters of the river Chebar are the same as the word rechev, though in a different order.

5 N octurnal S pirituality AND K lD D U SH H a - S h EM

N ighttim e beckons th e seeker. Recall th e advice given by R. Y ehudah al-Botini (cited in C h ap ter 2), “It is b et­ ter, how ever, if a p e rso n m e d itates at n ig h t an d he should have m an y candles b u rn in g in th e h o u se.”1 In th is section, w e shall co n sid er various discussions of n o ctu rn a l sp iritu ality an d conclude w ith a m editative tech n iq u e developed by Rebbe Elim elech of Lizhensk. This m ed itatio n connects th e tw o th em es of n ig h ttim e practices an d Kiddush Ha-Shem (Sanctification of God th ro u g h self-sacrifice). In rabbinic and m edieval literature, th e paradigm for nocturnal spirituality is King David. David’s statem ent, “At m id n ig h t I will arise to give thanks to You” (Psalms 119:62), en g endered m u ch discussion in th e Talmud. O ne of th e loveliest com m entaries w as th e following: 1. An interesting account of the application of Abulafian tech­ niques and the nocturnal visions that resulted has been preserved by a disciple of Abulafia; see L. Jacobs, Jewish Mystical Testimo­ nies (New York, 1977), 67. 95

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“Rabbi S him on the pious said, ‘A lyre was suspended over D avid’s bed. W hen m id n ig h t arriv ed th e n o rth w ind cam e and blew on th e harp, w hich started to play by itself. Im m ediately David arose an d becam e occu­ pied in Torah, until d aw n’” (B. Berachot 3b). T he Zohar depicts th e process of arisin g at m id n ig h t as a cosm ic battle betw een th e forces of good an d evil. Come and see: At the hour when night comes, the celestial doors are closed and the dogs and donkeys roam the world. Permission is given to the evil spirits to be destructive. Every­ one is asleep in bed and the souls of the righteous ascend and enjoy being Above. When the north wind is aroused and divides the night, a holy arousal is released in the world, as has been mentioned on a number of occasions. Happy is he who arises at that time and is occupied in Torah study. When he opens up the Torah, he delivers the evil spirits into the holes of the great deep. (Zohar 1:242b)

R. N achm an of Bratzlav offered his ow n perspective on D avid’s practices. [R. Nachman] said that King David, of blessed memory, com­ posed the Book of Psalms based on this [i.e., hitbodedut/ meditation]. He said that the principal time that King David meditated was lying down in bed. He would cover himself with a blanket and pour out his heart before Ha-Shem, may He be blessed. Thus it is written, “Every night I meditated in tears upon my bed” (Psalms 6:7). Happy is the individual who accustoms himself to follow this practice. This the high­ est [pursuit] of all. (Sihot ha-Ran, no. 68:46)

As w e have seen, th e Psalm s have always b een a bea­ con for spiritual guidance. They are also replete w ith references to noctural spiritual questing. Now bless Ha-Shem, all servants of Ha-Shem, who stand in Ha-Shem’s house at night. Psalms 134:1 My soul thirsts for God, the living God; When will I come and appear before God? . . .

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By day Ha-Shem directs His mercy to me and at night I sing to Him— a prayer to the God of my life. (Psalms 42:3, 9) God, You are my God; I search for You, my soul thirsts for You, my body yearns for You, as a parched and thirsty land that has no water. I shall behold you in the sanctuary, and see Your might and glory__ I am sated as with a rich feast, I sing praises with joyful lips when I call You to mind upon my bed, when I think of You in the watches of the night. (Psalms 63:2, 6-7, Jewish Publication Society translation)

N ighttim e an d visions of v isitin g th e Tem ple, b o th earthly an d celestial, perm eate these verses. The pow er of th is im ag ery influenced n o t only Jews b u t all w ho h av e b e e n exposed to th is m a terial. O ne n e e d only m e n tio n in passing M oham m ed, th e fo u n d er of Islam . He h a d a vision of em b ark in g on a n o c tu rn a l jo u rn e y to Jerusalem on his legendary steed, Barak. U pon ar­ riv in g at th e T em ple M ount, h e stood u p o n th e Rock an d ascended to heaven. It is n o t su rp risin g th a t this m a terial likew ise h a d a p ro fo u n d im p act u p o n R. Y ehudah Halevi, th e m ed i­ eval poet lau reate of th e Jewish people. H alevi’s poetry is rep lete w ith n o ctu rn a l m ystical questing. H ere are a few selections: Would that I could see Him in my dreams! I would gladly sleep eternally and never awaken. If only I could see His face in the interior of my heart, I would not require my eyes to look outward. (H. Schirmann, Ha-Shirah ha-Ivrit be-Sefarad uv-Perovans, 1:2,516) My God, Your dwelling places are lovely And Your nearness is in a vision, without riddles. My dream has brought me to the holy places of God And I gazed upon His beautiful liturgies. . . . I awoke and I was still with You, God, And I gave thanks—to You it is so becoming to thank. (H. Schirmann, Ha-Shirah, 517)

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My musings on Your Name awakened me, As I set Your mercies before Me. They caused me to understand that You formed the soul entity, Which is bound to me— She is marvellous in my eyes! And my heart saw You and believed in You, As if standing at Sinai. I sought You in my dream visions; Your Glory passed by nie and descended into the clouds. My thoughts aroused me from my bed. To bless the Name of Your Glory, Adonay. (Shirim Nivcharim, 1)

In one of H alevi’s poem s, it is clear th a t his n o c tu r­ nal questing w as p a rt of a larger spiritual m ovem ent. Go outside at midnight in the footsteps of the men of renown. Upon their lips are praises; they embody neither guile nor extortion. Their nights are devoted to prayers; Their days to fasts. Their hearts are pathways to God. There are places for them in His throne. Their way—a ladder upon which to ascend To Ha-Shem, our God. (H. Schirmann, Ha-Shirah, 518)

M aim onides likew ise extolled th e virtues of n ig h t­ tim e. He recom m ended: When, however, you are alone with yourself and no one else is there and while you lie awake upon your bed, you should take great care during these precious times not to set your thought to work on anything other than that intellectual worship consisting in nearness to God and being in His presence in that true reality that I have made known to you. (The Guide of the Perplexed, S. Pines, trans., 3:51, 623)

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A dditionally, in his code M aim onides offers b o th a scrip tu ral an d m id rash ic basis for th e superiority of n ighttim e. Even though it is commanded to study during the day and night—one acquires most of his wisdom at night... The sages have said, “The song of Torah is only at night” (see Exodus Rabbah 47), as is stated, “Arise and sing out at night [at the start of the watches, pour out your heart like water before the presence of Ha-Shem]n (Lamentations 2:19). (M.T., Hilchot Talmud Torah 3:13)

U ndoubtedly, one of th e m o st in trig u in g develop­ m en ts in m edieval Jew ish sp iritu ality w as th e practice of th e sheelat halom , d re a m in q u iry . T he classic ex­ am p le of th is is R. Yaakov of M arvege’s Responsafrom Heaven. P rior to going to bed, th is rab b in ic au th o rity w o u ld fo rm u late a halachic question. W hile asleep h e w ould receive a celestial reply, w hich he th e n recorded u p o n aw akening.2 An in terestin g ad ap tio n of th is practice is fo und in th e d iary of R. Hillel Z eitlin (1871-1942), th e leading in terp reter of Jewish m ysticism an d H asidism for early tw en tieth -cen tu ry E astern E u ro p ean Jews. In an en try recorded d u rin g W orld W ar I, h e w rites about a series of p ecu liar d ream s h e experienced. From th e conclu­ sion of th is account w e see th a t p rio r to falling asleep h e w ould m ed itate u p o n a p a rtic u la r biblical verse or passage from th e Siddur. I slept enmeshed in great spiritual pain and intense long­ ing for the One who transcends this earth. Then the abovementioned dream recurred, but entailing much greater flight. There was no house, no ceiling, nor any 2. See M. Verman, The Books of Contemplation: Medieval Jewish Mystical Sources (Albany, 1992), 19 n. 46, for bibliographical ref­ erences on this subject.

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obstacle or barrier: no restraint or hindrance. I flew and flew, floating and floating, ascending ever higher, until I hovered above the supernal garden. I saw the garden from a distance, approached it and “peered through the lattice” [Song of Songs 2:9]. I wanted to enter, but the garden was completely closed. I ascended even higher by means of the biblical verse that I was reciting: “In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, when I was in the community of exiles by the Chebar Canal, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God” [Ezekiel 1:1]. I ascended higher and higher by means of this recitation, but “visions of God” I did not see. I circled about Pardes, but I could not enter Pardes.3 Usually, I perceive myself ascending by means of a bibli­ cal verse or mystical doctrine. Today, this morning, I was able to ascend by means of the prayer: “Please, by the strength of Your right hand’s greatness.”4 (Al Gevul Shnei Olamot, 176)

O ne of th e benefits of n ig h ttim e in p ro m o tin g spiri­ tu a l aw areness is th e relative lessening of activity and th e d im in u tio n of distractions. A w ay to artificially create this en v iro n m en t is sim ply to close y o u r eyes. M oshe Idel has collected a n u m b e r of sources on th is practice. The follow ing com m ents by an anonym ous kabbalist is representative: “And w h at is th e essence of hitbodedut? By closing th e eyes for a long tim e, an d in accordance w ith th e len g th of tim e, so shall be th e greatness of th e apprehension. T herefore, let his eyes always be sh u t u n til h e attain s ap p reh en sio n of th e D ivine, and to g e th er w ith s h u ttin g his eyes negate every thought and every sound th a t he h ears” (M. Idel, Studies in Ecstatic Kabbalah, 134). 3. Pardes is a cognate of Paradise and constitutes the locus of rabbinic theosophy; see B. Hagigah 14b. 4. The start of a prayer attributed to R. Nehuniah b. Ha-Kanah, which has been incorporated into the morning service and con­ sists of an acrostic for the Forty-two-Letter Name.

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U ntil th is p o in t w e have b een focusing on th e rela­ tio n sh ip b etw een n ig h ttim e an d p riv ate sp iritu al de­ velopm ent. M ention should also be m ad e of th e prac­ tice b y th e pious to arise at m id n ig h t a n d m o u rn for th e d estru ctio n of th e Tem ple. It is to ld ab o u t R. Avrah a m H alevi B eruchim : “Always at th e m id n ig h t h o u r h e ra n th ro u g h th e streets of Tzefat, w eep in g and cry­ in g out: Arise in Ha-Shem's nam e, for th e Shechinah is in exile, th e h o u se of o u r sa n c tu a ry is b u rn e d , an d Israel is in great distress. He w ailed outside th e w in ­ dow s of th e learned and did n o t desist u n til he saw th a t th e y h a d arisen from th e ir sleep” (G. Scholem , On the Kabbalah, 149). R. A vraham lived in sixteenth-century Tzefat, an d it w as th e n an d th e re th a t a form al m id n ig h t p ray er ser­ vice w as developed. It is know n as Tikkun Hatzot.5After arisin g a n in d iv id u al w ould take som e ash an d place it u p o n h is forehead o n th e spot w h ere th e tefillah shel rosh is affixed. He w ould th e n rem ove h is shoes, w ash his h a n d s, sit on th e floor n e a r th e do o rp o st an d recite th e basic confession. A fterw ards p salm s an d h y m n s are ch an ted , b eg in n in g w ith Psalm 137, “By th e rivers of B abylon, th e re w e sat an d w ep t w h e n w e rem e m ­ b ered Z ion.” An im p o rta n t source for th is ritu al is a statem en t in th e Zohan “These are th e m o u rn ers of Zion. They w eep over th e d estru ctio n of th e Tem ple. At th e start of th e m id d le fo u r h o u rs of th e n ig h t th e y b eg in an d recite, ‘By th e rivers of Babylon, th e re w e sat a n d w ept [etc.]’ (Psalm s 137)” (Zohar 1:295b). We have ju st seen th e connection b etw een n o ctu r­ nal sp iritu al practices an d th e co m m em o ratio n of th e tragedies of o u r n atio n al history. P u rsu in g th is topic 5.

On the evolution of this practice, see G. Scholem, On the Kabbalah and Its Symbolism (New York, 1969), 146-150.

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fu rth e r will act as a bridge to th e cu lm in atio n of th is chapter, nam ely, Rebbe E lim elech’s n ig h ttim e m ed i­ tation. M artyrdom for th e sake of h o n o rin g Ha-Shem is an integral p a rt of Judaism . It has b een o u r u n fo rtu n a te lot th a t th o u g h o u t th e ages m illions of Jews have b een com pelled to m ake th e su p rem e sacrifice. The Shoah is th e m ost recent and horrific exam ple of th is tragic process. M arty rd o m w as ch aracterized b y th e R abbis as Kiddush Ha-Shem (sanctification of th e Nam e). This p rin cip le is based on th e follow ing biblical passage: “You shall p ro tect an d fulfil m y co m m an d m e n ts: I am Ha-Shem. You shall n o t p rofane My holy Nam e, so th a t I m ay be sanctified in th e m id st of th e Israelites: I am Ha-Shem w ho sanctifies you—w ho b ro u g h t you out of th e lan d of Egypt to be y o u r God: I am Ha-Shemn (Leviticus 22:31-33). M aim onides enum erated th e obligations in cu m b en t u p o n all to uphold this biblical com m andm ent. In part, h e w rote. All Jews are commanded to sanctify His great Name, as it is stated, “And I shall be sanctified in the midst of the Israel­ ites” (Lev. 22:32).... If it is a time of national persecutionsuch as during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar, the wicked, and his cohorts—if a decree is issued to nullify our religion or any of the commandments, one should submit to death rather than violate any of the commandments. (M.T., Yesodei ha-Torah, 5:1, 3)

W hile Jewish history is replete w ith acts of m arty r­ dom , one of th e exem plary cases is th a t of th e great sage R. Akiva. The story of his heroic d eath has b een recorded in th e Talmud an d is also retold on Yom Kippur. In th e Talmud it is p a rt of a discussion concern­ ing th e significance of th e second verse of th e Shema, “You shall love Ha-Shem, y o u r God, w ith all of y o u r

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h e a rt a n d w ith all of y o u r soul an d w ith all of y o u r m ig h t” (D euteronom y 6:5). Since it is stated “with all of your soul,” why was it also nec­ essary to state “with all of your might”?... Rabbi Akiva said “with all of your soul”;this signifies even if he removes your soul [i.e., he kills you]. Our Rabbis taught: Once the wicked [Roman] empire decreed that Jews must not study Torah. Pappus b. Yehudah came upon Rabbi Akiva teaching public classes in Torah. He asked him, “Akiva, aren’t you afraid of the empire?” He re­ plied, “I’ll formulate a parable for you to explain what this is like—to a fox that was walking along a riverbank. He saw many fish huddled together in various places. He said to them. What are you fleeing from? They said to him, From the nets that humans use against us. He said to them, Why don’t you come up onto the dry land and we will dwell to­ gether as our ancestors used to? They said to him, Are you really the one who is called the wisest of animals? You aren’t smart, but stupid. If we are in our natural environment and we are nevertheless afraid, how much more so if we would be in a deadly environment! So too with us. Now we are sit­ ting and studying Torah, in which it is written, ‘for it is your life and a lengthening of your days’ (Deuteronomy 30:20) and we are in this predicament; how much more so, if we would go off and abolish it!” The Rabbis said: It was only a few days later that R. Akiva was captured and imprisoned. They captured Pappus b. Yehudah and imprisoned him as well. R. Akiva said to him, “Pappus, what brought you here?” He replied, “Happy are you. Rabbi Akiva, who was caught while teaching Torah. Woe to Pappus, who was caught while involved in worth­ less activities.” They took R. Akiva out to execute him at the time of the recitation of the Shema. They combed his flesh with iron combs, as he accepted upon himself the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven [i.e., he recited the Shema]. His students asked him, “Our Rabbi, even now [you are able to pray]?” He said to them, “All of my life I have been troubled by the expression ‘with all of your soul’ (Deuteronomy 6:5), signifying even if they take your soul. I said [to myself], When will I be able to fulfill this? Now that the opportunity is at hand, shall I not fulfill it?” He lengthened the word echad (one) so that he died while

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reciting the word echad. A heavenly echo called out, “Happy are you, Rabbi Akiva, whose soul departed with the word echad . . . Happy are you, Rabbi Akiva, for you have been granted eternal life.” (B. Berachot 61b)

For alm ost tw o m illenia R. Akiva’s h ero ism and de­ votion to Ha-Shem have acted as a sp iritu al paradigm . D uring th e C rusade m assacres, thousands of Jews died w hile recitin g th e Shema .6 A ccording to th e Zohar, th is act of R. Akiva’s should even be em ulated d u rin g daily prayers: “Next [the one praying] should place h im self am ongst those w ho have su b m itted them selves to th e sanctification of Ha-Shem. This occurs d u rin g th e u n i­ fication of th e Shema. A nyone w ho has th is in te n tio n w hile reciting th is verse is considered to have u n d e r­ gone th e sanctification of Ha-Shem” (Zohar 3:195b). W ith this background, we can b etter u n d e rsta n d th e actions of R. M oshe T eitelbaum th a t w e q u o ted previ­ ously. “W hen h e recited th e Shema, he p ro strate d h im ­ self fully on th e ground, w ith o u tstretch ed arm s and legs for several hours, an d h e u ttered groans, and all his lim bs shook so th a t his tallit w ould slide off h im — th o u g h h e w a sn ’t aw are of th a t at all” (Buxbaum , Jew­ ish Spiritual Practices, 170). Thus, R. M oshe h a d clearly in tern alized th e classical statem en ts on m a rty rd o m and th e recitation of the Shema. His su rren d erin g to th e experience m anifested itself in physical p ro stratio n . In o rd er to u n d e rsta n d th e in ten sity of th is hasidic m aster, let us consider several general statem en ts on prayer from th e Besht, th e fo u n d er of H asidism , an d his brother-in-law , R. G ershon Kutover. Each u n d e r­ scores th e absolute devotion th a t should be cultivated, in order for an individual to address th e M aster of th e Universe. 6. See S. Spiegel’s poignant study, The Last Trial (New York, 1969), esp. p. 18.

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Know that each word [of prayer] is a complete organism (komah shelemah). It is necessary for one to devote all of his energy to it, for if not then the word will become deficient, as if it were missing a limb. (Tzevvaat ha-Rivash, 6) I heard them say that the holy Rabbi, our teacher, Gershon, once told our teacher, Rivash [i.e., Rabbi Israel Baal Shem], these words, “Whenever you are still able to recite the prayer ‘Blessed are You. . out of your own volition, know that you have not yet achieved proper concentration. An individual should achieve such a state of ego dissolution (hitpashtut) that he no longer possesses any strength or intellectual en­ ergy for the particulars of the prayer.” [R. Yisrael of Koznitz, who transmitted this teaching, added the following comments, thereby underscoring that proper ecstacy does not have antinomian consequences. “It is true that an individual can be so removed from all physicality and desire, being connected only to his Creator, that he is not even aware of reciting his prayers, owing to the extent of his awe and devekut. He nevertheless recites all the prayers in their prescribed order—for Heaven is merci­ ful to him and bestows upon him speech and the power to pray, as is written, ‘My God, open my lips . . .’ (Psalms 51:17).”] (Avodat Yisrael, Metzora, cited by M. Hallamish, “AI ha-Shetikah ba-Kabbalah uv-Hasidut,” in Dat ve-Safah, M. Hallamish, ed., 81)

The last source in th is series of hasidic texts is like­ w ise from th e Besht. You should think prior to praying that you are prepared to die during that prayer owing to the intensity of the concen­ tration. There are those who pray with such intensity that sometimes it would be natural for them to die after uttering two or three words to Him, may He be blessed___ Truly it is a great mercy that Ha-Shem, may He be blessed, gives them the strength to complete their prayer and continue living.... Behold, I wish to humble myself in order that I might serve Ha-Shem, may He be blessed, in truth and with a com­ plete heart in love and fear, in order that I will bring about His unification; therefore, I desire to humble myself to such an extent that I will offer myself as a sacrifice to Him. (Tzevvaat ha-Rivash, 7)

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O ther horrific events in o u r history have also acted as a catalyst for sp iritu ality . R. A vraham b. E liezer Halevi, w ho settled in Jerusalem follow ing th e expul­ sion from Spain, described in vivid detail a m editation th a t was developed to escape th e p ain of in q u isitio n al torture. This is a tradition of our Sages. One who resolves to hand himself over for the honor of Ha-Shem, no matter what hap­ pens to him, this person will not feel the pain of the blows that would be painful to other people, who did not make this resolution. . . . [When he is being tortured], he should meditate on the honorable and awesome Name affixed be­ tween his eyes__ And the holy Name is a burning fire and its letters spark throughout the expanse of the universe. He can enlarge them according to the power [of his concentra­ tion]. Then he can be assured that he will overcome this tribulation . . . nor will he feel the pain of the blows and tortures. (Megillat Amrafel, 153)

D uring th e m id-seventeenth century, Eastern Euro­ pean Jewry was ravaged by th e Chm ielnicki m assacres, in w hich an estim ated 100,000 Jews w ere killed and 300 com m unities w ere destroyed. In th e ensuing decades, a nu m b er of spiritual m anuals w ere com posed in w hich visualizations on m artyrdom play an im p o rtan t role, such as R. A lexander Siskind’s Yesod Ve-Shoresh haAvodah and R. Tzevi H irsh Kaidanover’s Kav ha-Yashar.78 The latter text offers an especially graphic visualization. When one arrives at a place [during the prayer service] when it is appropriate to sacrifice himself for the sanctification of Ha-Shem, he should raise his arms and hands, as if he is sub­ mitting to the sanctification of Ha-Shem. Thus he should consider himself to be a burnt-offering (olah).s 7. See Y. Buxbaum Jewish Spiritual Practices, (Northvale, 1990), 425, for a discussion of these sources. 8. This notion is in keeping with the verse: “a contrite spirit constitutes sacrifices to God” (Psalms 51:19). On the topic of rais­ ing one’s hands during prayer see above, Chapter 4.

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Sacrificing oneself for the sanctification of Ha-Shem is [appropriate] during the recitation of the Shema when he says “And you should love Ha-Shem with all of your heart and all of your soul” (Deuteronomy 6:5) He should think to himself that it is his lot to reside among idolators. The world is dark around him. He can never repay the goodness that the Holy One, blessed be He, bestowed upon him by not making him an idolator. Certainly, when he realizes this his heart will flame with great happiness. From this happiness and burning love, he should imagine that there is a fire in front of him and they want to force him to convert, God forbid. Then he should jump into the bonfire out of love and affection for the unification of the Holy One, blessed be He and His Shechinah. (Kav ha-Yashar, ch. 63)

This visu alizatio n of ju m p in g into a fire to sanctify Ha-Shem co n stitu tes th e basis of a sp iritu al directive form ulated by Rebbe Elim elech of Lizhensk, one of th e pivotal th eo retician s of H asidism .9 In Noam Elimelech, h is o ft-p rin ted collection of serm o n s o n th e w eekly T orah section, h e developed th e th eo ry of th e role of th e tzaddik, th e righteous leader of th e hasidic com m u­ nity. The tzaddik is a sp iritu a l bridge, s p a n n in g th e ch asm b e tw e e n h u m a n s a n d God. M ost e d itio n s of Noam Elimelech are prefaced by a “short list” of contem ­ plative practices, based on a m a n u scrip t from Rebbe Elim elech. T he first p arag rap h of this text offers th e follow ing directive: Each moment when one is unoccupied with Torah study, and especially when sitting idly alone in a room, or lying 9. An even earlier text and possible source of influence is the following passage from Bahya’s Hovot ha-Levavot: “A pious man who used to get up at night and say, ‘My God, You have made me hungry and naked, and You have put me in the darkness of night. But I swear by Your power and greatness, that were You to burn me with fire, it would only add to my love for You and my attachment to You.’” Bahya ibn Pakuda, The Book of Direction to the Duties of the Heart, M. Mansoor, trans. (London, 1973), 428.

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in bed and unable to sleep, one should contemplate this positive commandment, “And I shall be sanctified in the midst of the Israelites” (Leviticus 22:32). He should think and imagine in his mind that a great and awesome fire is burning before him, ascending to the midst of heaven. In order to santify Ha-Shem, he should act against his nature and throw himself into this fire, for the sanctifica­ tion of Ha-Shem. “And the Holy One, blessed be He, joins a good thought to a deed” (see T. Peak 1:4). He will discover that he is no longer sitting or lying idly, but rather is ful­ filling a positive biblical commandment. (Noam Elimelech, Introduction)

At first Rebbe E lim elech ’s suggestion m ay seem rath e r extrem e and even off-putting. Please do n o t dis­ m iss it out of h an d . In th e sam e w ay th a t it is th e n a ­ tu re of fire to ascend upw ards, so too is it th e goal of spirituality to ascend to Ha-Shem. It can be n o ted th a t th e stan d ard , biblical w o rd for sacrifice is korban, based on th e ro o t signifying “d raw in g n e a r.” This is indicative of all sacrifice, en ab lin g th e in d iv id u al to com e close to Ha-Shem. F urtherm ore, th e p rin cip al biblical sacrifice is referred to as an olah, a b u rn toffering th a t is totally consum ed by fire; (see Leviticus 1:3). The w ord olah m eans “th a t w hich ascen d s” an d is em blem atic of th e elevation of th e soul. As an extended footnote to this discussion on Kiddush Ha-Shem, let us consider several classical sources on this them e. The biblical paradigm for self-sacrifice associ­ ated w ith fire is th e account found in Daniel, ch. 3, re­ lated to th e th re e co m m u n al leaders: H ananyah, Mishael and Azaryah (Shadrach, M eshach, an d AvedNego), w ho refused to w orship idols and w ere punished by being th ro w n into a fiery furnace, w here th ey w ere m iraculously saved. This m otif was subsequently incor­ porated into th e Midrash an d applied to A b rah am .10 10. See Bereshit Rabbah 38:19, wherein Abraham, in his youth, was thrown into a fiery furnace by Nimrod.

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Interestingly, according to th e ta lm u d ic Sages th e p reced e n t for su b m ittin g to m a rty rd o m in fire w ere th e frogs of th e second plague in Egypt. Todos the Roman expounded: How did Hananyah, Mishael and Azaryah know that they should throw themselves into a burning furnace in order to sanctify Ha-Shem?They derived it by extrapolating from the account of the frogs." Frogs are not obliged to fulfill Kiddush Ha-Shem; nevertheless, it is writ­ ten about them, “[The Nile will swarm with frogs, and they will come up and enter] your palace ... and your ovens and kneading bowls” (Exodus 7:28).... [If frogs were willing to do this], since we are commanded to fulfil Kiddush Ha-Shem, how much more so [must we]! (B. Pesahim 53b)

Incidentally, R. Akiva w as in trig u ed by a linguistic peculiarity in th e biblical account of th e frogs in Egypt. He concluded th a t th e text described a frog of m ythical proportions. Exodus 8:2 literally states: “Aaron stretched his h a n d on th e w aters of Egypt, and th e frog arose an d covered th e land of Egypt.” O w ing to th e reference to frog in singular, R. Akiva asserted, “There w as one frog th a t encom passed all of Egypt” (B. Sanhedrin 67b). To conclude, th e u ltim ate self-sacrifice of Kiddush HaShem should be view ed as an act of spiritualization, th e transference of life from th e m aterial to th e Eternal. The su stain in g pow er of Ha-Shem is neverending. This w as exem plified by M oses’ initial en co u n ter w ith Ha-Shem, w h erein h e w as confronted by a b u sh th a t b u rn e d w ith fire b u t was n o t consum ed (Exodus 3:2). If you choose to w ork w ith Rebbe E lim elech’s visualization, always be m in d fu l o îHa-Shem's providential sustenance—“And you w ho connect w ith Ha-Shem, your God, all of you are alive this day” (D euteronom y 4:4).1 11. The devotion of the frog is also echoed in the anecdote re­ counted in Chapter 3 involving King David.

6 B reathing

The m o v em en t is n atu ra l an d gentle: air, o m n ip resen t an d im palpable, is quietly inhaled. W hat w as outside enters w ithin, filling expansively. The external is tra n s­ fo rm ed into in n e r vitality an d su sten an ce—th e n it is expelled. So, too, w e shall p ro ceed in th is survey of Jew ish m usings on th e significance of b re a th by con­ sid erin g concepts th a t are external an d th e n becom e in tern alized . W ithin Jew ish sp iritu al lite ra tu re th e re is m u c h dis­ cussion co n cern in g th e significance of b reath . W hat follows is an exploration of som e of th is m aterial. After e x a m in in g th e fu n d a m e n ta l co n cep t th a t all life is d e p e n d e n t u p o n th e b reath of God, w e shall consider th e biblical connection b etw een b re a th and th e soul. This w ill be followed by an ex am in atio n of kabbalistic a n d h asid ic texts, c u lm in a tin g w ith R. N ach m an of B ratzlav’s teach in g s on th e m ystical significance of b reath . The th ru s t of m u ch of th is m aterial is th e o re ti­ cal, th o u g h o ne could easily dev elo p specific te c h ­ n iq u es based u p o n th ese sources. in

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Divine b re a th anim ates. Ha-Shem blew th e “b reath of life” into th e nostrils of th e p rim o rd ial h u m a n , as is w ritten: “Ha-Shem, God, form ed th e e a rth lin g (haadam) from the dust of the earth. He exhaled th e b reath of life into his nostrils, and th e earth lin g becam e a liv­ in g b e in g ” (Genesis 2:7). Similarly, in D euteronom y 8:3 w e read th a t we are n o t sustained “by b read alone, b u t each individual shall live on th a t w h ich com es from G od’s m o u th .” Thus Job affirm ed, “The sp irit (mach) of God has m ade me; and th e b re a th (nishm at) of th e A lm ighty has given m e life” (Job 33:4). This was th e n extended to all of creation: “By th e w ord of Ha-Shem th e heavens w ere m ade, and all th e hosts by th e b reath of His m o u th ” (Psalms 33:6). At th e en d of days, it w ill be th e Divine b reath th a t effectuates n atio n al resurrec­ tion: “You w ill know th a t I am Ha-Shem, w h en I o pen y o u r graves an d raise you. My nation, u p from them . I w ill place My spirit in you and you w ill be revived, and I w ill settle you in y o u r la n d ” (Ezekiel 37:13-14). W ithin halachah, th e principal criterion for assessing w h eth er an individual is still alive is by checking to see if h e o r she is breathing. Rashi noted: “[they check] his nose—if th e re is no life force in his nose, in th a t h e is no longer breathing, assuredly he has d ie d ” (B. Yoma 85a). From th e D ivine perspective o u r lives are exceed­ ingly short. A ccording to King David, th e life span of a h u m a n b ein g is b u t one b reath of Ha-Shem. “You have designated m y days and life span a few h an d b re a d th s long; it is n o th in g to You—th e e n tire existence of a h u m a n is m erely a breath. Selah!” (Psalm s 39:6). G enesis 2:7, cited above, resonated w ith m a n y Jew­ ish th in k ers. R am ban asserted th a t th e h u m a n soul stem s “fro m G od’s soul (me-nishmat eloah)” (Kitvei Ramban, 2:285). Sefer ha-Yashar—w hich has been attrib­ uted to a n u m b e r of different authors and w as p resu m ­ ably com posed in th e early th irte e n th cen tu ry —noted

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th a t in G enesis 2:7 th e h u m a n bod y is form ed a n d cre­ ated, w hereas th e soul is u n iq u e in h e r origin. “We can discern from th e expression “He exhaled” th a t He took h e r [i.e., th e soul] a n d d id n o t create h er, ra th e r He em an ated one of th e facets of His G lory an d gave it to A dam ” (Sefer ha-Yashar, 58). Reflecting o n th is issue, a n u m b e r of m edieval an d early m o d e rn th in k e rs rep eat th e statem en t “o ne w ho exhales, exhales from inside of him self,” nam ely, w h at is essential.1A tre n c h a n t fo rm u latio n of th is p rin cip le is by R. S h n eu r Z alm an of Liadi, th e fo u n d er of Lubavitch H asidism . The second soul of a Jew is truly a part of God from Above, as it is written, “And He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (Genesis 2:7) and “You breathed it [the soul] into me” [B. Berachot 60b and morning prayer]. It is writ­ ten in the Zohar, “one who exhales, exhales from inside of himself,” namely from his interior and innermost being— for the interior and innermost life-force of man is emitted by exhaling forcefully. (R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi, Likkutei Amarim , ch. 2, 6a)

In C h ap ter 4, w e h a d occasion to discuss at som e len g th th e story of Jacob’s vision of th e h eavenly lad ­ d e r an d its association w ith th e spine. In th e Zohar w e fin d a n o th e r in terp retatio n . T h erein a co n n ectio n is m ad e b etw een th e nose, th e life-soul, Jacob’s la d d e r a n d th e D ivine th ro n e . W ith in th is fram ew o rk , th e angels th a t ascend an d descend th e la d d e r are in te r­ p rete d as b reath . 1. This notion is found in R. Moshe Alshech, Torat Moshe (Is­ rael, 1970), 7b, who was paraphrasing Ramban’s Torah commen­ tary; see also Sefer ha-Besht 1, no. 91, and R. Dov Baer of Mezeritch, Maggid Devarav le-Yaakov, ed. R. Shatz (Jerusalem, 1970), 251, where this statement appears in Hebrew. In even later sources, such as the Tanya/Likkutei Amarim , ch. 2, f. 6a, it is cited in Ara­ maic and attributed to an unknown passage from the Zohar.

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What is the significance of the nose? “He breathed into his nostrils the life-soul” (Genesis 2:7). This [i.e., the life-soul] is the image that is on a human, about which it is written, ‘And he dreamed and behold there was a ladder’ (Genesis 28:12). The ladder is the life-soul, the throne for the Name, Ha-Shem, which comprises fear and love, Torah and commandments. [The Name] resides on her. From this throne are hewn all of the Jewish souls; it is the image on the human head. “Behold the angels of God are ascending and descend upon it” (Genesis 28:12). These .are the breaths that ascend and exit the body, by means of this ladder. (Zohar 3:123b)

Philo, th e p io n eer of Jew ish philosophy, offered an additional insight on Genesis 2:7. He asserted th a t h ad it n o t b e e n for th is act of D ivine in fu sio n , h u m a n s w ould n o t have th e capacity to co ntem plate God. “Breathed into” (Genesis 2:7) is equivalent to ‘inspired’ or ‘be-souled’ the soulless__ [T]hat which inbreathes is God, that which receives is the mind, that which is inbreathed is the [Divine] breath. What, then, do we infer from these ele­ ments? A union of all three is produced, as God extends his power through the mediant breath to the subject. And to what purpose, save that we may obtain a conception of Him? For how could the soul have conceived of God had He not infused it and taken hold of it as far as was possible? For the human mind would never have made bold to soar so high as to apprehend the nature of God had not God Himself drawn it up to Himself, so far as it was possible for the human mind to be drawn up, and imprinted it in accor­ dance with the (divine) powers accessible to its reasoning. (Philo of Alexandria, D. Winston, trans., 127)

Let us look a little m ore carefully, at th is key verse from G enesis. “Ha-Shem, God, fo rm ed th e e a rth lin g from th e d u st of th e earth. He blew into his nostrils th e b reath of life, and the earth lin g becam e a living b eing” (Genesis 2:7). Thus, we see th at the Deity w ho anim ated th e o rig in al h u m a n is ch aracterized b y tw o pivotal nam es: Ha-Shem and God [i.e., Elohim]. A ccording to th e talm u d ic Sage R. S hm uel b. N achm an, Ha-Shem refers

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to th e a ttrib u te of D ivine m ercy—as in “Ha-Shem, HaShem, God of m ercy . . (Exodus 34:6)—w hereas God refers D ivine ju d g m en t, as in, “th e case of b o th parties shall com e before G od” (Exodus 22:8) (see Bereshit Rabbah 73:2). This p a tte rn is evident in various biblical accounts. For exam ple, R am ban, in his com m entary on G enesis 22:12, perceptively no ted th a t in th e akedah story of th e b in d in g of Isaac, it w as God w h o tested A braham b y co m m a n d in g h im to sacrifice h is son, w hereas it w as th e angel of Ha-Shem w ho stopped him . These tw o D ivine N am es w ere in co rp o rated in to an in te re s tin g b re a th in g te ch n iq u e, d ev elo p ed b y an a n o n y m o u s h asid ic m aster. It is m e n tio n e d in th e T orah c o m m e n ta ry of R. H irsh of Zydaczow , w h o h e a rd ab o u t it fro m his b ro th er. “For even one tw e n ti­ eth of a tw enty-four h o u r period he [i.e., th e u n n a m e d tzaddik] d id n o t cease to ad h ere to th e C reator___ W ith each an d every breath , w h en h e in h aled h e focused on th e N am e, Elohim, an d w h e n h e exhaled h e focused on th e N am e, Ha-Shem, blessed is He an d blessed is His N am e” (Tefillah le-Moshe, 10b).2 R. E liahu de Vidas offers a theoretical discussion on th e relationship betw een b reath in g an d th e Four-Letter Name: There are 1,080 parts to an hour, corresponding to the FourLetter Name, which has 1,080 different letter-vowel permu­ tations. These 1,080 parts of the hour correspond to 1,080 breaths that a person breathes [each hour]. Each breath cor­ responds to one of the letter-[permutations] of the FourLetter Name, giving life to each breath. Thus, “[not by bread alone,] but each individual shall live on that which comes from God’s mouth” (Deuteronomy 8:3). (Reshit Hochmah haShalem, Shaar ha-Yirah 1:10:26, 184; cf. R. Isaiah Horowitz, Shnei Luhot ha-Brit Shaar ha-Otiyyot, 2:47a) 2. Thanks to Dr. Zeev Gries for providing me a copy of this text; see also Y. Buxbaum, Jewish Spiritual Practices (Northvale, NJ, 1990), 109.

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This verse from D euteronom y also serves as a spring­ board for an im p o rta n t reflection. Since w e are an i­ m ated by th e D ivine spirit, w hy do w e n eed to su stain ourselves physically? R. H ayyim of V olozhin su m m a­ rized th e an sw er given by R. H ayyim Vital as follows: This is the real issue. Certainly the soul (neshamah) is not nourished by physical bread. At the moment that the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “let the earth sprout vegetation” (Genesis 1:11) and all such statèments, from the air of His mouth, may His Name be blessed, the potential was created for this entity and its ability to exist. The absence of Divine Providence would negate the physical existence of this en­ tity. The power that sustains it is spiritual. Accordingly, each food substance is comprised of two elements: one physical and the other spiritual. (Nefesh Ha-Hayyim, 383)

R. H ayyim ’s co n ten tio n is th a t o u r bodies are n o u r­ ished by th e food th a t w e eat and sim u ltan eo u sly o u r souls are n o u rish e d by th e sp iritu al force th a t has b ro u g h t this food into existence. Before leaving this p articu lar issue on th e relatio n ­ ship betw een th e body an d soul it is w o rth consider­ in g a d o ctrin e fo rm u lated by M aim onides. He con­ tends th a t each person possesses tw o essentially dif­ ferent souls, w hich he designates neshamah a n d nefesh. An in d iv id u al’s life force (neshamah) needs a body to support it. At d eath th e neshamah perishes; w hereas th e D ivine soul (nefesh), w h ich com prises p u re con­ sciousness (daat), retu rn s to Ha-Shem, its source (see M.T., Yesodei ha-Torah, 4:8, 9). The D ivine spirit-breath was view ed as th e first cos­ m ic principle (Sefirah) in the classic cosmological work, Sefer Yetzirah: “T here are 10 non-corporeal Sefirot. The first is th e Spirit of th e living God, w ho is blessed, and blessed is th e N am e of th e etern al living. Voice and b reath an d speech, this is th e Holy S p irit” (Sefer Yetzirah 1:9). The th irteen th -cen tu ry m ystical theologian. Rabbi

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E lh an an b e n Y akar, in one of h is co m m e n ta rie s on Sefer Yetzirah, w rote about th e D ivine Spirit as follows: “Ruach, th is is th e P rim al E th er w hich w as th e exhala­ tio n th a t issued forth, resu ltin g from th e fo rm u latio n of th e alef” (Tekstim be-Torat ha-Elohut, 54). The universe w as fashioned th ro u g h th e p e rm u ta tio n of th e letters of th e p rim o rd ial alphabet, th e D ivine ruach b e in g a p ro d u ct of th e silent vocalization of th e first letter. The external, w h ich is D ivine in origin, is paralleled by an in n e r dim ension, th e God-image in w h ich A dam w as created. All biblical w ords th a t express th e concept of th e soul are related to th e D ivine breath: ruach, th e spirit; neshamah, th e so u l/b re a th of life; a n d nefesh, a tra n q u il sigh, as evidenced in Exodus 31:17, “a n d on th e seventh day He ceased and rested (va-yinafash); (see also Exodus 23:12). C o m m en tin g on th is verse, Rashi explains th a t th e root w ord “nofesh” indicates a resto­ ratio n of o n e ’s soul an d calm breath in g . The lin g u istic lin k b etw een nesham ah, soul, a n d neshim ah, b re a th , is n o te d in m id ra sh ic lite ra tu re . “Rabbi Levi ta u g h t in th e n am e of Rabbi H anina, W ith every b re a th (neshim ah) th a t one breathes, o ne sh o u ld praise his C reator. W hat is th e scriptural basis for this? “Every living soul (neshamah) shall praise God (Psalm s 150:6). [Read instead] each b re a th shall p raise G od” (Bereshit Rabbah 4:11). An an o n y m o u s hasidic w rite r used th is M idrash as a basis for view ing p ray er as a cosm ic cycling of b re a th fro m th e h u m a n in d iv id u al to God an d b ack again: “For b re a th goes o u t from h im , from below to Above, a n d re tu rn s to h im fro m Above to below . C ertain ly w ith ease one can jo in th e D ivine p a rt w ith in m a n to its ro o t” (Likkutey Yekarim, 12a). This b rie f s ta te m e n t can m o st assu red ly b e u sed as th e basis for a p o w erfu l m e d ita tiv e te c h n iq u e focused, G od-centered breathing. W ith each in h alatio n be m in d fu l of th e b re a th as a gift from Ha-Shem. As you

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exhale, realize th a t you are re tu rn in g th e b re a th to its source. Note th a t th e re is a tw ofold significance to th e te rm m ach, d ep e n d in g on w h eth er it is D ivine or h u m a n b reath . This is discussed in th e quasi-philosophical treatise, e n title d “A C h ap ter on H ap p in ess” a n d as­ cribed to M aim onides. T herein, th e process of D ivine revelation, em pow ered w ith resu rrectin g th e souls of the dead, is com pared to breathing. “For it is ju s t like b reath in g th a t gives life to th e h eart and is th e source of its health, cu rin g it from any sickness w h ich afflicts it. A dditionally, m ach has tw o m eanings: som etim es referrin g to th e b re a th in g process and som etim es re­ ferrin g to pro p h ecy ” (Perakim be-Hatzlachah, 1-2). H erein w e see the association of mach, th e m u n d an e breath, and Ruach ha-Kodesh, the sacred b reath of pro­ phecy. This conceptual relationship is evident even in English, Divine inspiration being derived from spirare, w hich is Latin for “breathing.” Likewise anim ation is derived from the Latin anima, signifying breath and soul. All th re e soul concepts are b ro u g h t to g e th er in th e analogy of th e glass-blow er. This m e ta p h o r is m e n ­ tio n ed in p assin g in th e Talmud (B. Sanhedrin 91a) and was subsequently elaborated u p o n by n u m e ro u s kabbalistic w riters, in clu d in g th e m id-thirteenth-century text, Pem sh Shem hen Arba Otiyyot, R. M oshe A lshech and Rabbi H ayyim Vital.3 Let us consider A lshech’s discussion, as it is th e m ost extensive. With this, we can understand the description of the exhala­ tion that was mentioned in connection with God’s giving a soul to Adam. It is like one who exhales into a glass vessel.

3. For the latter source, see A. Kaplan, Meditation and the Bible (York Beach, 1978), 18; see also, R. Hayyim of Volozhin, Nefesh Ha-Hayyim 1:15, 50.

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The air that is in his mouth adheres to that which is in the vessel. So it was when God gave Adam a soul. The part [of the soul] that was inside of Adam was attached to that which was inside of God. There is however a difference between a human blowing into a glass vessel and God blowing into Adam. In terms of the human exhalation, when the vessel is finished the connection is severed between what is inside of the vessel and the human’s breath, because it is a physi­ cal object. The exhalation of God is not like this, the breath of His exhalation remains eternally bonded. (Torat Moshe, Bereshit, 8a)

As n o ted above in C hapter 4, R. E leazar b. Ju d ah as­ serted th a t th e tw o nostrils, d ivided by th e sep tu m , form an in v erted shin. R. Eleazar prefaced th is by n o t­ in g th a t shin re p re se n ts cosm ic fire. This can be d e­ duced from th e fact th a t th e H ebrew for fire is esh, a sh o rt w ord in w h ich th e le tte r shin d o m in ates. R. Eleazar continues: “It seem s th a t an inverted shin is on th e nose. From th e re th e neshamah (soul) b reath es an d th e m ach (spirit) exits from th e re constantly” (Hochmat ha-Nefesh, 145). A related exam ple of th e sym bolism of th e in v erted shin is fo u n d in several passages from th e Bahir, in w h ich th e le tte r shin is described as fo rm in g th e roots of th e cosm ic T ree of Life (see A. Kaplan, The Bahir, 30, 45). In this in stan ce as well, th e in v erted shin plays a life-giving role. An in terestin g relationship betw een o n e’s nose an d soul is delin eated in th e Zohar. Before q u o tin g th is source, som e in tro d u c to ry rem ark s are necessary. A ccording to th e Rabbis, w h en one sleeps, o n e’s soul tem porarily departs th e body; hence, sleep is view ed as m ini-death.4 U pon aw akening in th e m orning, it is cus­ to m ary to th a n k Ha-Shem for com passion in b e in g 4. In B. Berachot 57b sleep is characterized as one-sixtieth of death.

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revived, by reciting th e modeh prayer. Next, th e follow­ ing blessing is recited. (Note th at soul is a fem inine n o u n in H ebrew and is translated accordingly.) “My God, th e soul th at You have given m e is pure. You have created her; You have form ed her; You have breathed h e r into m e___ Blessed are You, Ha-Shem, w ho restores souls to the corpses of th e d ead ” (Siddur Rinnat Yisrael, 15). The Zohar expands u p o n th is n o tio n , co n clu d in g w ith a practical application of this theory. The human soul in this world departs from the individual every night. In the morning she is returned to him. She re­ sides on the person’s nose and does not enter or resettle in his innards until he blesses the Holy One, blessed be He, and he prays for his life. Only then does she resettle in her place. ... If not, [i.e. if he does not recite the appropriate blessing], then she flies away and departs and the individual will lack the sanctity of the soul. Since he lacks his soul, “what is his value?” (Isaiah 2:22). Absolutely nothing. It is as if he does not exist. Accordingly, it is prohibited for someone to bless his friend, before he blesses his Master at the start of the prayer service. (Zohar Hadash 90d)5

Im m easurable is th e pow er of G od-centered b re a th ­ ing. R. Pinchas of Koretz, an early hasidic leader, dis­ cussed th e function of b re a th an d its celestial im pact as it clears th e Divine M ind. In so doing h e focused on th e m e ta p h o r of clouds as sp iritu a l obstacles. This im age is based on L am entations 3:44. “You have cov­ ered Yourself w ith a cloud, so th a t no p ray er m ay pass th ro u g h .” R. P inchas’s com m ents on achieving clarity th ro u g h focused b re a th in g are applicable to us, as well. The reason that the Heavens sometimes cloud over without reason is because there are clouds that cover the Mind, as is 5.

See B. Berachot 14a; cf. L. Englander and H. Basser, The Mys­ tical Study of Ruth (Atlanta, 1993), 160, for the full text.

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mentioned in the Tikkunim.6 The proof is found in the Tal­ mud (B. Berachot 32b) for Rava did not declare a fast on a cloudy day, as it is written, “You have covered yourself with a cloud” (Lamentations 3:44). The dispersion of the clouds is by the breath, namely the movements—the way one moves during prayer. For the movements come from the lung which corresponds to breath, as is mentioned several times in the Zohar and the Tikkunim. Understand this. Afterwards [Rabbi Pinchas] added, “If I had said this sev­ eral years ago, everyone would have served Ha-Shem, may He be blessed, in this manner for a time and dispersed the clouds, but now no one pays any attention.” (Midrash Pinhas, no. 29:10a)

An earlier discussion of th e clouds as a negative sym ­ bol th a t m ay h av e in flu en ced R. P inhas is fro m th e early e ig h te e n th -c e n tu ry savant, R. M oshe H ayyim Luzzatto: “W hen th e clouds converge, p erm issio n is given to th e evil spirits (sheidim ) to ro am th e w orld. T hat is w hy clouds are referred to as seirim (g o ats/rain show ers)—d u rin g th e ir designated tim e, b an d s of evil spirits battle each other, shooting arrow s at each other, a n d h u m a n s n e e d p ro te c tio n ” (R. M oshe L uzzatto, Daat Hochmah, 35b). R. P inchas d iscu ssed th e to p ic of d isp e rsin g th e clouds in a n o th e r context, as well. I heard in his name [i.e., in the name of R. Pinchas], when an individual is totally nullified in his own eyes, then the 6. The zoharic sources of R. Pinchas and the ensuing statement by R. Moshe Hayyim Luzzatto include: Tikkunei Zohar 21: 50b, wherein Lamentations 3:44 is related to “Greater Rome and Lesser Rome, covering over the prayers”;Zohar Hadash, Tikkunim 97a, wherein Lamentations 3:44 is used as an example of when the Shechinah has been separated from the upper Sefirot, and Zohar Hadash, Midrash ha-Neelam, Shir Ha-Shirim, 61b, wherein clouds are associated with the pernicious arch-angels of the na­ tions of the world.

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clouds and rain are dispersed. One who has achieved selfabnegation has no need for clouds and rain or anything else. Therefore, in the time of Rabbi [Yehudah, the Prince]—who was extremely humble, as it says in the Gemara, “with the death of Rabbi, humility [and the fear of sin] disappeared” (M. Sotah 9:15)—there was never any rain and nevertheless “he plucked radishes from the ground [etc.]” (B. Avodah Zarah 10a). Similarly, Moses, our Rabbi, who was the most modest human ever, during his lifetime there was no need for anything, as manna descended from Heaven. Reflect well [on this issue.] (Midrash Pirichas #36, 6a)

From this second source we see th a t th e rem oval of th e obstacles is d e p e n d e n t u p o n ach iev in g th e state of ayin, or self-abnegation. The M aggid of M ezeritch, a co n tem p o rary of R. Pinchas, also refers to th e “clouds.” C o m m enting on “solu (extol/clear) a p ath for H im w ho rides th e clouds; YH is His N am e” (Psalms 68:5), th e Maggid contended th a t if one prays fervently “th e Holy O ne, blessed be He, w ould rest u p o n him , th e n th e Spirit [i.e., Tiferet] w ould d isp erse th e clo u d s” (Maggid Devarav le-Yaakov, R. Shatz, ed., 73). Let us tu rn now to m ystical significance of th e nos­ trils. B eginning in th e th irte e n th century, th e re are n u m e ro u s references to a n th ro p o m o rp h ic im agery of th e D ivine Being, in w hich nostrils play a role. In an early com m entary on th e Sefirot, th e tw o highest lev­ els are referred to as P rim al Intellect an d Fixed Intel­ lect—corresponding to Keter an d Hochmah, in th e m ore conventional kabbalistic term inology. How is it? The first Sefirah, which is the Primal Intellect, is in the head at the place where the tefillin are worn. This place has two windows, namely the Primal Intellect and the Fixed Intellect, having their counterpart in the two nostrils of the nose. Behold, these two aspects are situated in one place and they comprise the Balanced Unity. (Perush le-Eser Sefirot, Kitvei Yad, Scholem ed., 204-205)

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Thus, th e nostrils are situ ated so as to correspond to th e tw o w indow s of th e Intellect, located in th e fore­ head, w h ere th e tefillah shel rosh is affixed. In th e Zohar, th e re are highly technical discussions of th e D ivine A nthropos, n am ely , God im ag ed h u ­ m an ly . T h erein th e left n o stril is associated w ith Gevurah, D ivine P ow er a n d Ju d g m en t, w h ereas th e rig h t nostril is related to Hesed, D ivine Grace. Rather in the house there are two windows: concerning the left [nostril], it is written, “and smoke arose in His nose” (Psalms 18:9). What is the significance of “arose”?Rather, it ascended from the heart which is the left, corresponding to Gevurah. From the right, from the side of Hesed, descended the breath to cool it and quiet His anger—for the brain is there, which is Hochmah, located on the right. Thus, one who wants to become wise should turn to the south.7Binah is in the heart, corresponding to the left. One who wants to be­ come rich should turn to the north. (Zohar 3:224a)

Accordingly, th e nostrils have distin ct functions: th e rig h t n o stril draw s th e cool, com passionate air dow n fro m th e b rain , an d th e left uplifts th e h o t air from th e h e a rt.8 A lthough no specific te c h n iq u e is advocated; nevertheless, th is th e o ry could certain ly be applied. In a n o th e r section of th e Zohar, th is topic is elabo­ ra te d u p o n , based im plicitly on th e verse, “The b reath of o u r nostrils, G od’s M essiah” (L am entations 4:20): Come and see what is the difference between the Atika [the Ancient One, i.e., the highest of the Sefirot] and the Zeir Anpin [Impatient One, i.e., the lower levels of the Sefirot]. This one is Master of the Nose—from one nostril comes life and from the other nostril comes the life of life. This nose is a receptacle from which the breath of life is drawn to the Zeir Anpin. And we call it forgiveness, and it is equanimity, the perfuming of the breath. 7. Namely, to the right if facing east; see B. Baba Batra 25b. 8. A parallel discussion is found in Zohar 3:235a.

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For the breath issues from these nostrils, one breath goes out to the Zeir Anpin to awaken it in the Garden of Eden. The other is the breath of life which is reserved in the future for the son of David, in order to know wisdom. From this nostril the breath is awakened and issues forth from the hid­ den brain. It is reserved to dwell upon the King Messiah, as it is written, “And the breath of God shall rest upon him, the breath of Hochmah and Binah, the breath of counsel and Gevurah, the breath of knowledge and the fear of God’” (Isaiah 11:2). (Zohar 3:10b)

Here, too, th e nostrils play discrete roles. The left sustains th e low er Divine realm s and th e ir functions in th e p re se n t w orld, w h ile th e rig h t ch an n els th e b reath of life into th e future, m essianic w orld. A fu rth er discussion of th e role of nostrils, w ith prac­ tical im plications, is found in th e u n p u b lish ed treatise on alchem y, w ritten by R. H ayyim Vital. T herein, R. Hayyim offers an explanation for an im p o rtan t p h e­ n o m en o n in h u m a n resp iratio n —w e b reath p rim arily w ith only one nostril an d at different tim es of th e day th e d o m in an t nostril changes. Know that the nostrils of a person are connected to the regu­ lated hours of the day in this fashion. From the beginning of the first hour of the morning—according to the equality principle, wherein each day is divided into 12 daytime hours and 12 nighttime hours—the strength of the breath of the nostrils increases with the right nostril and there is a dimi­ nution of the left nostril, until the end of the first hour. During the second hour, most of the strength of the breath comes from the left nostril... Accordingly, during the first regulated hour of the day or night, most of the breath will exit the right nostril. (Alchemical Text, Mousayeff manuscript)

In breathing, as in this essay, th e re is a co ntinuous m ovem ent from external to internal, and th e n back out again. Yet th e re is a m o m en t, like th a t of th e p e n d u ­ lu m at th e n a d ir of its arch, w h e n m ovem ent stops. It is a tim e of p rep arato ry inactivity, w hich can be tra n s­ form ed into a m e d iu m for d y n am ic spirituality. An

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an o n y m o u s th irteen th -cen tu ry m ystic described th is m o m e n t as th e basis for creatio n itself. This passage is o ne of th e sources of th e sem in al kabbalistic th eo ry of tzim tzum , th e act of D ivine self-contraction—a p rereq ­ u isite for creation: “And h o w d id He produce an d cre­ ate His universe? It is like a m a n w ho holds his breath; for by co n tractin g His U nity, th e u niverse rem ain ed in darkness an d from th is darkness He cut th e form s a n d hew ed th e rocks” (Florence 2:18, 101a). The M aggid of M ezeritch takes a d ifferen t perspec­ tive o n th e intake of air in p re p a ra tio n for exhaling. As is typical of m an y of th e h asid ic teachings th a t w e have seen, th e b o u n d aries b etw een th e D ivine an d th e h u m a n do m ain s are b lu rred . “Make Ha-Shem great with me, [let us exalt His Name to­ gether]” (Psalms 34:4). The mystical allusion is that the Sefirah of Malchut is associated with the Realm of Speech [i.e., the lowest level]. The Maggid, of eternally blessed memory, said that all the time a person is preoccupied with trying to speak, his mind is not open to thinking as previously—‘as long as it is exuding, it is not absorbing’.9 This is what King David was teaching Nathan in the midst of the holy nation of Israel, “Make Ha-Shem great,” namely the Realm of Thought [i.e., the upper Sefirot]. You shall be­ come great and expansive. How shall the Realm of Thought become great?—“with me,” for I am the Realm of Speech. When breath is inhaled in preparation for speaking, then the Realm of Thought becomes great and expansive. (Torat Ha-Maggid, 2:51, in the name of Or ha-Meir, Ruth)

U ntil th is po in t, w e have view ed b re a th in g as a con­ sciously controlled u n d e rta k in g th a t can have a spiri­ tu a l co m p o n en t to it. O ne can go beyond th is fram e­ w o rk of self-generated lim itatio n . A key facet of th e hasidic th eo ry of devekut, a tta c h m e n t to God, is th a t 9. This expression is actually a halachic principle associated with draining meat of its blood.

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th ro u g h th e negation of th e ego, one can actualize th e D ivine sp ark w ith in . Rabbi S h n eu r Z alm an of Liadi applied th is th eo ry of self-negation to b reath in g . In so doing h e evoked th e no tio n of aco sm ism 10 (nam ely, th a t Ha-Shem is th e only reality), as a necessary corol­ lary of D ivine unity. One who contemplates this matter will thoroughly under­ stand how all that has been created and exists, is in reality to be considered as nought and veritable nothingness in relation to the power of the Actualizer and the breath of His mouth, which is within the actualized and which animates him .. . . For it is the breath of His mouth which alone, con­ tinually transforms him from nothingness and nought into that which exists, for it animates him. Accordingly, “There is nothing outside of Him” (cf. Isaiah 45:6), in truth. (Shaar ha-Yichud ve-ha-Emunah, ch. 3)

The nostrils are th e m ed iu m for th e tran sm issio n of th e D ivine b reath . T hey form a b rid g e b etw een th e m u n d a n e and th e spiritual. If ego-negation is at­ tem p ted th ro u g h conscious, oppositional th o u g h t, th e re su ltin g in n e r tu rm o il w ill only n o u ris h th e egosystem . Instead, let th e ego w alk o u t over th e nostril bridge. Passively w atch th e ebb a n d flow of D ivine breath. In this state of relaxed God-centered aw areness, th e b o u n d aries m ark in g in tern al an d external, so de­ lineated b y th e m ind, w ill gradually dissolve. A m ong th e hasidic m asters w ho em phasized th e sig­ nificance of b reath in g , R. N achm an of Bratzlav, th e great-grandson of th e Baal Shem Tov, stan d s out. He w as especially attu n ed to this issue ow ing to his p e r­ sistent b re a th in g problem s. U ltim ately, h e p erish ed from tuberculosis. 10. For a more extended discussion of this important concept, see the end of Chapter 8.

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In a straightforw ard discussion, preserv ed in one of R. N achm an’s ow n m anuscripts, w e read about th e role of sig h in g in th e process of rep en tan ce. One who truly wants to return to Ha-Shem, may He be blessed, must transform himself into a new creature. Know that in a sigh one can transform oneself into a new creature. A human cannot cease to breathe. For at each moment that he breaths, he exhales and inhales air. This is the es­ sence of his being. This air is rooted Above. There is the good air of the righteous and the bad air of the wicked. The righteous continually draws air from the realm of holiness and the wicked draws air from the realm of impurity. Therefore when one wants to undertake teshuvah , [returning to Ha-Shem], he must ensure that he pre­ vents the bad air from entering. Accordingly, he should sigh. This sigh lengthens the inhaling and the exhaling, and ex­ tends the air by increasing it. This increase is referred to as “they increase their breath and perish” (Psalms 104:29), that is death. Before death, air fills the individual and at death the air departs. When one sighs the air increases and then it is cut off. Thus, he releases himself from the channel of impure air and connects himself to the channel of pure air. He then receives this air and is sustained by the pure air. By means of a sigh for one’s transgressions, an individual can release himself from the root of impurity and connect himself to the root of holiness. (Hayyei Moharan, no. 27:28)

A m o re com plex d iscu ssio n is fo u n d in th re e of R. N ach m an ’s discourses, each fo rm u lated som ew hat differently. We shall cite one of these. In th e following, m u ltilev eled exposition, R. N ach m an explicitly con­ nects b reath in g w ith th e purifying of intellect and com ­ p ares th is process to a candle b u rn in g . Im plicit are b asic k ab b alistic associations, w h ic h h e explains in statem ents scattered th ro u g h o u t his hom ilies. He iden­ tifies o il/w ax /fat as Malchut, th e low est of th e Sefirot; (see also Likkutei Moharan 1,49:7). Lungs are associated w ith Tiferet, th e nucleus of th e Sefirot (cf. 1, 92) an d in ­ tellect is connected w ith Hochmah (1, 8:7).

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This is the meaning of, “an understanding individual is a cold wind” (Proverbs 17:27). By means of a cold wind—that is, the cold wind of the breath—by these means they merit the understanding that comes from wealth (as mentioned previously). This is the meaning of, “And the breath of the Almighty causes them to understand” (Job 32:8)—for the basis of un­ derstanding is by means of the breath, which is associated with the cold wind, as discussed above. The basis of the res­ toration (tikkun) of the intellect is by means of the breath. The essence of the intellect functioning properly so that it can contemplate is by means of the oils/fats in the body. For the intellect is like a burning candle and it burns by means of the oils that are drawn to it and they are like the oil that is drawn to the burning wick. When there are no oils in the body, the intellect cannot bum in contemplation. This re­ sults in insane people when the moisture in the body dehy­ drates. The brain becomes defective when there are no oils to bum. All the moisture and oils in the body are a result of the breath. “If it were not for the wings of the lung that blow on the heart, the heart would set the whole body on fire” (Tihkunei Zohar, no. 13, f. 28a; no. 21, f. 49a; no. 25, f. 70a). Accordingly, the basis of the existence of oil and moisture in the body is due to the breath. The lungs receive the cold wind from outside, in order to cool the heart, and this also enables the intellect to bum in contemplation, as discussed above. This is the significance of “the candle/lamp of HaShem is the soul/breath of man” (Proverbs 20:27). The exist­ ence and restoration of the candle of Ha-Shem, namely the intellect, is dependent upon the breath. (Likkutei Moharan 1, 60:3; cf. 225; 2, 8:12)

H erein R. N achm an m akes th e follow ing argum ent: in th e sam e w ay th a t flam es are su stain ed by oil, w e are n o u rish ed by ou r physicality an d th e Divine realm is su p p o rted by h u m a n activity. The u ltim ate goal is to elevate and tran sfo rm m a tte r o n every level, into p u re light (i.e., intellect). This is accom plished th ro u g h th e m e d iu m of breathing. B reath req u ires a tw ofold m o v em en t, in an d out. Thus, too, is th e p e n d u la r b o n d b etw een h u m a n s an d

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God. T he p rim a l D ivine act is ex h alatio n , b lo w in g th e life-force in to A d am ’s nostrils. This parallels th e flow of th eshefa. D ivine energy, channeled dow nw ard th ro u g h th e Sefirot. W e in h a le th is energy a n d th e n exhale, red irectin g it back u p w ard th ro u g h o u r sp iri­ tu a lly o rie n te d activity. By co n n e c tin g k ab b alistic sym bolism w ith th e im age of th e b u rn in g candle, R. N achm an offers a p o w erfu l tool for ap p reciatin g th e m ystical significance of breathing. The flam e is w ithin, glow ing w ith each b re a th th a t is devoted to D ivine aw areness.

7

Music and C h a n tin g

M usic can be m agical and tran sfo rm in g , if you b u t lis­ te n . R. M oshe H ayyim E p h ra im of Sudylkow , com ­ m e n tin g on th e sounds accom panying th e revelation at M o u n t Sinai, tra n sm itte d a p arab le in th e n am e of his g ran d fath er, th e Baal Shem Tov: Once someone was playing very beautifully on an instru­ ment, with great sweetness and melody. All who heard could not restrain themselves, owing to the sweetness and plea­ sure, such that they danced with boundless enthusiasm, almost to the ceiling. The closer one got to the music, the more pleasurable it sounded and the more energetic the dancing. In the midst of this celebration a deaf person arrived. He could not hear the music at all. He only saw people dancing fervently and thought they must be crazy.. . . Had he been wise, he would have understood that the celebration was caused by the sweet and pleasurable music. Then he too would have danced there. The meaning of this analogy is transparent. (Degel Machaneh Ephraim, Yitro, 35a) 131

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In th e previous chapter, w e traced th e role of b re a th in m editation. O ne of th e techniques th a t is d ep en d en t u p o n b reath regulation entails chanting. In th e la tte r p art of this chapter, w e shall investigate this issue. By w ay of background, w e shall first explore th e connec­ tion betw een m usic an d m editation. There is general agreem ent th a t spiritual elevation through m editation requires extensive preparation and a p ro p er m indset. Joy an d eq u an im ity are tw o p re ­ requisites. In o rder to prom ote this attitude, m usic is frequently recom m ended. R. Y ehudah Al-Botini, quoted in C hapter 2, noted th a t a key elem ent in p rep arin g to m editate was m aking m usic. He suggested the follow­ ing: “M oreover, h e should try to play on all types of m usical instrum ents, if h e has th em and know s how to play them . If not, he should sing verses from Psalms and th e Pentateuch, in o rd e r to please th e an im al soul, w hich is a p a rtn e r w ith th e rational soul and intelli­ gence” (Sulam, ch. 10). R. Eleazar Azikri takes th is no tio n even fu rth e r by asserting th a t singing to Ha-Shem is th e fulfillm ent of a biblical com m andm ent. Codifiers of biblical prescrip­ tions list the obligation to love Ha-Shem as one of th e fundam ental obligations—based on D euteronom y 6:5 “You shall love Ha-Shem, y o u r God, w ith all of y o u r h e a rt.” Azikri discussed th e im p le m e n ta tio n of th is co m m an d m en t as follows: “It is th e w ay of a lover to sing, since th e love of o u r C reator is m ore m arvellous th a n h u m a n affection, a p erso n w ho loves H im full heartedly will sing for th e Blessed One, ju st like Moses, th e Israelites, M iriam , D eborah, Joshua, th e descendents of Korah, David an d Solom on, sang by m eans of th e Holy S pirit” (Sefer Haredim, ch. 9, 56). Azikri belonged to a group of like-m inded co n tem ­ platives, w hom h e referred to as “th e association of h eark en in g frien d s.” (This expression is based u p o n Song of Songs 8:13.) T hey w o u ld g ath er an d c h a n t

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D ivine love songs. O ne of A zikri’s com positions th a t th e g ro u p san g w as th e classic poem , Yedid Nefesh, w hich eventually becam e incorporated into th e Siddur an d is trad itio n ally su n g in th e synagogue on Shabbat evening, as w ell as d u rin g th e th ird m eal on Shabbat aftern o o n (see C hapter 9). Azikri prefaced th is song: “As w e have previously w ritten , one of th e p rin cip al b ran ch es of th e ecstacy of D ivine desire is th a t th e lover w ill sing a love song to Him . Accordingly, I shall set dow n before you a few love songs w h ich w e sang joyously in th e ‘association of h e a rk e n in g frien d s.’” (Sefer Haredim 161). As A zikri n o te d above, n u m e ro u s biblical figures com posed songs to Ha-Shem. In fact, one of th e w eekly Sabbaths is n am ed Shabbos Shirah, th e Sabbath of Song, since th e T o rah p o rtio n for th a t w eek in clu d es th e “Song of th e Sea” (Exodus 15:1-19) and th e Haftorah th a t is ch an ted is D eborah’s song (Judges 5:2-31). It is also custom ary to feed b ird s on Shabbos Shirah. The traditional reason involves a story about how birds p re se rv e d M oses’ in teg rity , in co n n ectio n w ith th e descent of th e m an n a, w h ich is also p a rt of this bibli­ cal narrative. R. Pinchas of Koretz offered a differen t rationale: “W hy is it cu sto m ary to th ro w kashi to birds on Shabbos Shirah? They are referred to as m asters of song, for th e re is n o th in g th a t can sin g like a b ird am o n g all of th e creatures, w ith th e exception of h u ­ m ans, because th e b ird s ru le th e air and songs com e fro m th e air. S im ilarly m usical in stru m e n ts req u ire a ir” (Midrash Pinchas 16b, no. 39). R. P inchas th e n co n n ected m u s ic ’s d e p en d en c y u p o n a ir to th e scribal custom of w ritin g th e “Song of th e Sea” in a p ecu liar m a n n e r in T orah scrolls, such th a t th e re are gaps (of air) in each line. O w ing to th e im portance of song in Jewish spiritual­ ity, it is, therefore, n o t su rp risin g th a t m usic played a significant role in p ro m o tin g prophesy, as attested in

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several biblical narratives. For exam ple, th e great prophet Sam uel encouraged th e new ly crow ned King Saul to join “a band of prophets com ing dow n from th e shrine, preceded by lyres, drum s, flutes, and harps, and they will be prophesying” (1 Sam uel 10:5). Similarly, the prophet Elisha sum m oned a m usician. “W hile th e m usician played, th e h a n d of Ha-Shem cam e u p o n h im ” (2 Kings 3:15). On the basis of this incident, th e Rabbis concluded th a t happiness w as a prerequisite for receiv­ ing “the holy spirit,” nam ely, prophecy (see B. Shabbat, f. 30b). By extension, joyousness is also congruent w ith successful m editation. The Psalm s are replete w ith m usical invocations: Sing out, righteous people to Ha-Shem. . .. Praise Ha-Shem with a harp. With a ten-stringed lyre sing to Him. Sing a new song for Him. (Psalms 33:1-3) My heart is resolute, God; I will whole-heartedly sing and play. Awake, harp and lyre! I shall wake the dawn. (Psalms 108:2-3)

These passages gave rise to th e Rabbinic legend (cited previously in C hapter 5) concerning a special h arp th a t w ould aw aken King D avid each n ig h t at m id n ig h t. “Rabbi Shim on, the pious, said, ‘A h arp was suspended over D avid’s bed. W hen m id n ig h t arrived th e n o rth w ind cam e and blew on th e h arp , w hich started to play by itself. Im m ediately David arose and becam e occu­ pied in Torah, until daw n.’” (B. Berachot 3b). This im age of th e p rim al h a rp was evoked in a poem by R. A vraham Yitzhak Kook. The First One drew me with His rope To the Holy of Holies of His dwelling-place.

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From the strings of his lyre My soul listens to His song. (Habermann, “Shirat ha-Rav” 17)

M usic also played a significant role in R. A braham A bulafia’s th e o ry of m e d itatio n and th e a tta in m e n t of prophecy. This th e m e h as b een system atically studied by M oshe Idel in his The Mystical Experience (53-71). An especially in te re s tin g p re s e n ta tio n is A bulafia’s assertion th a t m usic directly effects th e body, as w ell as th e spirit. In th e follow ing selection, h e com pares th e h u m a n bo d y to a g ard en an d th e n to King D avid’s kinnor (lyre). Just as the owner of a garden has the power to water the garden at will by means of rivers, so does the one making music with the Name have the power to water at will his limbs by means of his soul, through the Almighty, Blessed Name; and this is [the meaning of] “and it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him” (2 Kings 3:15)—this is thekinnor that hung above David’s bed, which used to play of itself and praise Him with the nevel and kinnor. But this would only be after receiving the divine effluence, which is called the seventy-two letter name, together with the understanding of its paths. (M. Idel, Mystical Experience, 56)

A bulafia also refers to th e analogy of m usic w h en h e describes his m ed itativ e te ch n iq u e of tseruf, com bin­ in g letters. Know that the method of tseruf can be compared to music; for the ear hears sounds from various combinations, in ac­ cordance with the character of the melody and the instru­ ment. Also, two different instruments can form a combina­ tion, and if the sounds combine, the listener’s ear registers a pleasant sensation in acknowledging their difference. The strings touched by the right or left hand move [i.e., vibrate], and the sound is sweet to the ear. And from the ear the sen­ sation travels to the heart, and from the heart to the spleen [the centre of emotion], and enjoyment of the different

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melodies produces ever-new delight. It is impossible to pro­ duce it except through the combination of sounds, and the same is true of the combination of letters. It touches the first string, which is comparable to the first letter, and proceeds to the second, third, fourth and fifth, and the various sounds combine. And the secrets, which express themselves in these combinations, delight the heart which acknowledges its God and is filled with ever fresh joy. (G. Scholem, Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, 134. This passage was also translated in M. Idel, Mystical Experience, 53)

As noted above in C hapter 3, an early Jew ish source on m usic is Philo of Alexandria. Som e 2,000 years ago, he w rote th a t “heaven is ever m ak in g m usic, p ro d u c­ ing in accordance w ith its celestial m otions th e perfect h a rm o n y ” (W inston, Philo of Alexandria, 115). Accord­ ing to Philo, it was this m usic th a t Moses listened to for th e forty days and nights th a t h e w as atop M ount Sinai, receiving th e Torah. In his co m m en ta ry on th e T en C o m m an d m en ts, Philo contended th a t th e reason th a t God revealed th e Ten C om m andm ents at Sinai was th a t te n is th e p e r­ fect n u m b er. He th e n related this to geom etrical and m usical patterns. Here our admiration is at once aroused by their number, which is neither more nor less than is the supremely per­ fect. Ten. . . . Ten also contains the properties observed in triangles, quadrilaterals and other polygons, and also those of the concords, the fourth, fifth, octave and double octave intervals, where the ratios are respectively 4:3, 3:2, 2:1 and 8:2. (Philo, F. H. Colson, trans., 7:15-17)

P hilo’s ideas w ere em b ellish ed by th e great six­ teenth-century Italian hom ilist, R. Judah Moscato, w ho associated m usical patterns w ith th e four letters of th e T etragram m aton: Concerning the most sublime of inner matters, we should believe that the creation of the melodies of music is blessed

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with complete unity, wherein all the forms are united. It is the natural order for all that exists—whether Above or below. Let Him come, come and relate the correctness of His essen­ tial and unique Name, whose letters allude to all the inter­ vals of music. The yod is indicative of the eighth, which is called octave. For this is just like the number ten, which includes all the numbers. This is what the sage. Rabbi Yedidya [i.e., Philo], wrote in his book entitled The Decalogue, explaining the Ten Commandments—how this number in­ cludes all the interval patterns__ And included in the yod is the interval called the third, which is the root of the tenth. The hay is indicative of the interval called the fifth and the vav, the sixth. And the hay is doubled to complete the sum of the four letters, to correspond to the interval called the fourth, and also to teach about the mixture of the intervals: one with the other. For vav and hay correspond numerically to eleven—the essence of which is the fourth. Similarly, the initial yod is joined with its neighboring hay, correspond­ ing numerically to 15, which is the quintodecima [i.e., 15th], namely the double octave. (R. Judah Moscato, Nefutzot Yehudah, Derashah #1)

In th e early eighteenth century, a special institute was established in Jerusalem nam ed Beit El. Its purpose was to tra in kabbalists in th e reco n d ite m e d itativ e tech ­ niques for p raying developed by R. Yitzhak Luria and R. H ayyim Vital, as codified by th e Y em inite lum inary, R. S halom S harabi—w ho h ead ed th e academ y in th e m id-eighteenth century. This school still exists. A fasci­ n atin g account of th e spiritual activities of th e Beit El m ystics is fo u n d in Ariel B ension’s m o n o g rap h . The Zohar in Moslem and Christian Spain. B ension’s father was an active m em b er of this group. W hat follows are several selections from B ension’s account, especially as it p ertain s to th e th em e of m editation an d m usic. The members of the mystical group in Beth-El [Beit-El] were known under the name Mechavenim, i.e., those who make prayers with meditation. The harmony that ruled Beth-El followed the Mechavenim into their public as well as their private lives. At home and abroad, Beth-El was at peace. (244)

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In Beth-El, joy was attained by no artificial means, but by si­ lent meditation, by introspection in an atmosphere in which music, blending with men’s thoughts, induced a forgetful­ ness of externals. Each man’s eyes were turned inwards. Seek­ ing to mine the wealth of his own soul, he found there the soul of the universe. Amazed at his own discovery of this hidden treasure the mystic pursues his course upwards un­ til he attains the ecstasy that brings him to the mystery of creation, where sits Joy enthroned. In a silence in which alone the soul may meet its God, destroyed worlds are recon­ structed and restored to their pristine perfection. And this is the aim of the Kavanoth—the meditation on the mystic mean­ ing of certain prayers with intention to bring restoration. In a song which follows the meaning-full word, continu­ ing and deepening its meaning—even as a pause in the ren­ dition of a symphony is but the continuation of the music—, this wordless song attains that which cannot be reached through the medium of words. And the word of prayer, aris­ ing at a given moment from the throats of all Israel, attains its highest form in the silence of Beth-El, imaged in song by the Master seated on his divan and surrounded by silent, thought-inspired mystics. (243-244) Beth-El also introduced something new to Jewish liturgy: melodies to mark the period of meditation. The meditation is sung aloud by the Rav HaChassid to stimulate and inspire the silent meditation of the Mechavenim. At first, it had been the custom to carry on the meditation in a deep silence—the meditation on a single word, sometimes lasting for fifteen minutes. But with the introduction of the musical interludes the Kavanoth began to be performed during the intoning of a melody that was at the same time suggestive of the form which the meditation was to take. So true are these tunes, in searching out and expressing the emotions of souls dwell­ ing on the mystic meaning of the prayer, that even the lis­ tener, uninitiated though he may be, feels himself trans­ ported into the realms of thought, where dwell those who commune with the Infinite. Under the magic of these tunes Mechavenim and listeners, animate and inanimate objects, become one in true pantheistic sense. Thus, on hearing the Master sing the Umevi Go’el (“and He will bring a Redeemer unto their children’s children for His Name’s sake in love”)—hearing his voice rise in trium-

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phant rapture to the words—“In Love”—when the Mechaven must be prepared to die for the sanctity of the Ineffable Name “In Love”—the listener feels himself a heroic spirit ready to do battle for pure love. And he is able to understand the ecstasy of saints and martyrs as they joyfully gave them­ selves to the flames of the stake “In Love.” And hearing the Master sing the Shmah (“Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is ONE!”), it is as if a great music had come into the soul washing away all its imperfections, bringing man nearer to his fellow-men: his hates trans­ formed, his world unified and ennobled. Thus it came about that the Kavana—sent forth in the hope of bringing together the conflicting fragments of the shattered Sephiroth and of re-creating them into the perfect UNITY—first pours its heal­ ing balm into men’s souls, bringing them into unity with things eternal. The life of the Sephardi Chassidim of Beth-El was a life of beauty, of sanctity, of melody, of silence. And it was in this fashion that Beth-El in Jerusalem kept alight the flame of Sephardi mysticism down to the present day. (245-246)

Even if you do n o t have access to an e n v iro n m e n t like Beit-El, you can still becom e attu n e d to sp iritu ally elevating m usic. T here is a p rev alen t th e o ry th a t for each in d iv id u al th e re is a special song th a t flows from th e source of o n e ’s soul. This n o tio n is allu d ed to in th e first text th a t w e shall cite an d is m a d e explicit in th e next: It will happen sometimes that as you sing, without intend­ ing it, you will spontaneously begin to speak words of prayer to God. If at first these words may be associated with the life and desires of the body, the more you become spiritually aroused, and your soul comes out of its sheath to fly up­ wards, the more will you leave this world and its concerns and from the depths of your heart you will cry out in pure prayer to God. And lest you think that such prayers are some­ how less important than those written down in the Siddur, you should know that prayers such as these come from the very same quarry from which the soul itself is hewn. (R. Kalonymous Kalman of Peasetzna, Hachsharat ha-Avrechim, translated by Y. Buxbaum,/eu>ish Spiritual Practices, 485)

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C onsider th e follow ing rem arks by R. Dov Baer of Lubavitch, th e second Lubavitcher Rebbe in his Tract o f Ecstasy : What is the nature of melody? There is a well-known saying that the Faithful Shepherd [i.e., Moses] used to sing every kind of melody in his prayers. For he included the six hun­ dred thousand souls of Israel and each soul can only ascend to the root of the Source whence she was hewn by means of song. This is the category of essential ecstasy, mentioned above, with “love of delights,” according to the manner in which the soul is rooted on high in the supernal delight. He who included them all was the Faithful Shepherd who, therefore, used to sing with every kind of melody. (On Ecstasy, L. Jacobs, trans., 76f)

Not always are these m elodies readily evident. In th e sam e w ay th a t Jew ish life is played o u t in a state of exile, aw aiting red em p tio n , so too m an y holy songs have been dispersed am ong th e nations an d aw ait re­ covery. A well-know n exam ple of th e restoration of lost m elodies is th a t of th e H ungarian m aster, R. Y itzhak Eizik of Kalov. As a young boy he heard shepherds sing­ in g lovesongs. Slightly alterin g th e w ords h e w ould sing: “Shechinah, Shechinah, how far away you are! Exile (galus), exile, how enorm ous you are! If th e exile w ould be rem oved, w e could be together again.” W hen asked by Rebbe Leib S a ra h ’s w h at th e sh ep h e rd s actually sang, Eizak replied: “They sing about a beloved instead of th e Shechinah an d about a forest instead of galus— b u t w ho is th e beloved if n o t th e Shechinah an d w h at is th e forest th a t separates us, if n o t galus?” (M. Buber, Or ha-Ganuz, 308). By discussing a series of biblical verses, R. N achm an of Bratzlav form ulated an in trig u in g th e o ry of shep­ h e rd ’s songs. In so do in g h e refers to Perek Shirah (C hapter of Song), w hich w e discussed in C h ap ter 3. (This an cien t text d elin eated th e songs su n g b y th e various creatures of th e w orld.)

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Know that when Jacob sent the ten brothers to Joseph [in Egypt], he also sent a melody from the land of Israel with them. This is the secret meaning of “take some zemrat (choice produce/song) from the land with your belongings” (Genesis 43:11)___Know that every shepherd has a special melody according to the grasses and place, wherein he is pasturing [his flock]—for each animal requires a special kind of grass to eat. Furthermore, he doesn’t always pasture in the same place and according to the grasses and place there is a particular melody, since every grass has its own song that it recites. This is the message of Perek Shirah. . . . Therefore King David, who knew how to play music, was a shepherd—likewise all the Patriarchs raised animals. This is the meaning of the verse: “from the corner of the land we heard songs” (Isaiah 24:16). Thus songs and melodies emanated from the comers of the land: melodies are formed by the grasses that grow on the land. Since the shepherd knows the melody, he invigorates the grasses thereby pro­ viding sustenance for the animals to eat. This is the meaning of “the blossoms appeared in the land; the time of zamir (pruning/singing) has arrived” (Song of Songs 2:12). Thus, the blossoms flourish in the land owing to the songs and melodies that pertain to them .. .. Melodies are also beneficial to shepherds. Since the shep­ herd is continuously among animals, it is possible that they might draw him down from the spiritual level of a human to that of an animal... by means of the melody he is saved from this, for melodies promote the purification of souls ... for the essential quality of melodies is to gather and pu­ rify good souls. (Likkutei Moharan 2:63, 68f)

Like th e sh ep h erd s, hasidim te n d e d to p re fe r nig­ gunim , w o rd le ss m e lo d ies th a t are rh y th m ic a lly h u m m e d , ra th e r th a n songs w ith lyrics. Especially sig­ n ifican t are th e tish (table) n ig g u n im , th a t w ere ch a n te d w h e n th e hasidim h a d g a th ered a ro u n d th e ir m a ste r’s ta b le —u su ally for th e last Shabbat m eal, Sat­ u rd a y afte rn o o n . It w as th e n th a t th e R ebbe w o u ld give h is w eekly discourse. To p u t all assem b led in to th e p ro p e r m ood, reflective niggunim w o u ld be sung. N iggunim can be even m ore effective th a n eru d ite discourses. The L ubavitcher H asidim tell th e follow-

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in g story about th e ir fo u n d er, R. S h n eu r Z alm an of Liadi. It is well known that a niggun is a high level of the World of Emanation. . . . Once, when the Rebbe [R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi] had publicly delivered a hasidic discourse concern­ ing a profound topic, he noticed that opposite him at the tish (table) sat an elderly Jew. Although it was obvious that this person was deeply attached to the Rebbe and enjoyed see­ ing his face, the holy words that the tzaddik had uttered didn’t make any impression upon him. Realizing that the lesson was lost on this simple disciple, the Rebbe spoke with him privately and learned about the hardships of his life. Moved by the plight and sincerity of this elderly follower, the Rebbe told him: “Nu, listen to me— I will explain my lesson to you with a niggun. And so he began to sing.” Now, according to the hasidim, wordless melodies are filled with meaning: Each niggun is permeated with a sea of Torah, a sea of faith, a sea of longing for Ha-Shem with attachment to the Infinite, a sea of contemplation, filled with love for the Cre­ ator of the universe.. . . [I]n sum, the niggun comprises all of Hasidic doctrine, the entire teaching of the Baal Shem Tov, may his merit protect us. The more the Rebbe sang, the more the aged hasid ab­ sorbed the sound and with it he began to understand the profundity of the world. He eventually comprehended the grandeur of the holy Torah and finally cried out with all of his strength: “Rebbe, now I can unite with Ha-Sheml Your niggun has given me the proper devekut to the Master of the Universe.” From this time on after each of his lessons, the Rebbe would chant this particular melody, which became known as “The Rebbe’s Devekut.” (M. Indritz, In Di Gezeiten fun Habad, 47-49)

R. Shlom oh Zalm an of K opust (1830-1900), a great grandson of R. S h n eu r Z alm an of Liadi, w hile discuss­ in g th e sound of th e shofar, provides an in te re stin g theoretical discussion on th e n a tu re of m elody an d its sim ilarity to color theory:

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The explanation of this issue pertaining to the sound of the shofar is that its sound is simple, without embellishment; therefore, it does not produce pleasure like other music. Just the same way that loveliness and beauty in colors comes from the blending of several colors together, as opposed to a solitary color, which is not so beautiful—so it is exactly with melody. Essential pleasure comes from the blending of op­ posing notes and sounds that are mixed together: namely those notes that gladden the heart and notes that produce sadness and neutral ones, as well. This will result in joy and sweetness for the listener’s soul. (Magen Avot, 2:35a)

We have already noted th a t Rav N achm an of Bratzlav freq u en tly discussed th e role of niggunim in Jew ish spirituality. We shall conclude th is section w ith a p ar­ tial tra n sla tio n of his discourse on th e im pact of m usic in o v ertu rn in g Divine judgm ent. R. N achm an connects m u sic to p ray er an d th e keshet (bow /rainbow ), all of w h ich are th e d o m a in of th e Shechinah. In th e kabbalistic fram ew o rk of th e Sefirot, Shechinah/M alchut re­ ceives D ivine energy from th e u p p e r Sefirot. H erein, Rav N ach m an focuses o n th e c e n tra l Sefirot: Hesed (Grace), Gevurah (Valor), an d Tiferet (Beauty), w h ich likew ise co rresp o n d to th e th re e Patriarchs: A braham , Isaac, a n d Jacob. He also associates th e se a ttrib u te s w ith th e colors of th e ra in b o w a n d th e p rim a l ele­ m ents: w ater, fire, and air. All of these various sym bols are u n d e rsto o d as b ein g aspects of m u sic/p ray er. “He [i.e., Ha-Shem] took note of their distress, when He heard their song” (Psalms 106:44). Behold, music can sweeten harsh judgments. Thus, it is written in the holy Zohar (Pinchas 3:215), the rainbow represents the Shechinah. The three colors of the rainbow correspond to the Patriarchs and they are the garments of the Shechinah. Whenever She is clothed in radiant garments “when I [i.e., God] see it, I will remem­ ber the eternal covenant” (Genesis 9:16); furthermore, “then the wrath of the king subsided” (Esther 7:10). This is analogous to a king who was angry with his son. When the king saw the queen wearing her radiant garments then he had compassion for his son.

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The letters of prayer are the Shechinah, as is written “Lord, (Adonay) open my lips” (Psalms 51:17). Speech corresponds to the Name Adonay. It is also referred to as rainbow, as Rashi explained “with my [i.e., Jacob’s] sword and bow” (Genesis 48:22) connotes prayer. The sound of music is comprised of the three colors of the rainbow, for sound comprises fire, water and air, which correspond to the Patriarchs. . . . Ac­ cordingly, when one chants the letters of prayer and the sound of the music is positive and shines brightly, then the Shechinah—namely the letters [of prayer]—is clothed in radi­ ant garments. When the Holy One, blessed be He, sees Her, then “the wrath of the king subsides.”. .. This explains the significance of “And Shaddai attends your suffering” (Job 22:25)—for the name Shaddai comprises the Patriarchs (Zohar 3:231). Accordingly, the shin possesses three branches of the Tree, which are the Patriarchs. They are the three Names in the unification: “. . . Ha-Shem, our God, Ha-Shem” (Deuteronomy 6:4). These Names have 14 (yod dalet) letters, which correspond to the yod dalet of Shaddai. The initial [Hebrew] letters of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, correspond to the initial (Hebrew) letters of uHa-Shem, our God, Ha-Shem.” (Likkutei Moharan 1:42, 124f)

C hanting is a form of m usical breathing. All discus­ sions of ch an tin g w ith in th e Jew ish trad itio n revolve a ro u n d th e th irte e n th -c e n tu ry savant, R. A b rah am Abulafia, th e m a ster of p ro p h etic Kabbalah. He devel­ oped a special technique th a t he tau g h t to his disciples, w hich was revived in th e sixteenth century, w h e n his volum inous w ritings enjoyed a renaissance. First, let us consider a passage from Abulafia, w h ich illustrates his special approach to breathing. H erein, th e nostrils are described as Aravot, H eavenly Plains, and correspond to th e tw o cherubs atop th e sacred Ark. M uch of this treatise w as w ritten in a peculiar fashion such th a t th e gematria (num erical value) of th e im p o r­ ta n t w ords an d expressions is equivalent. In th e case of th e follow ing passage, all th e key term s add u p to 678. These equivalences have been italicized: “Behold, you possess t wo nostrils w hose nam e is Aravot. U nder-

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stan d th a t th e y are nostrils o f the soul. A nd they secretly correspond to th e two cherubs, an d th e y are two compos­ ite beings, which force the Divine Presence to dw ell on e arth an d to speak w ith m a n from on to p of th e cu r­ ta in b etw een th e two cherubs” (Hayyei Olam ha-Ba, 770). R ep resentative of A bulafia’s special te c h n iq u e for ch an tin g are th e follow ing directives co n cern in g th e p ro p e r vocalization of th e D ivine Name: One should take each letter [of the Ineffable Name] and nod according to the duration of the breath, such that one would breathe only once between each pair of letters—a breath as long as possible and afterwards resting the length of one breath. In this manner he should proceed with each letter, such that there would be two breaths for each letter: one [breath] to allow for exhalation at the time of expressing the vowel of the letter and a second [breath] for resting between each letter. It is known to everyone that each breath [cycle] is com­ posed of taking air in from outside, that is from bar (outside) to gav (inside). The secret of this points to the truth of the attribute of Gevurah (Valor) and its nature—for with it an individual will be called gebor (hero), that is to say gav bar, according to his ability to conquer his passions [cf. M. Avot 4:1]. (Mafteach ha-Shemot, cited by Idel, Rav Avraham Abidafia, 257; cf. Idel, Mystical Experience, 24)

We see th a t A bulafia’s te ch n iq u e entails reg u lated breathing, vocalizing each syllable independently, an d accom panying this ch an tin g w ith certain h ead m ove­ m ents. A bulafia describes in detail his tech n iq u e in Or ha-Sechel (Light of th e Intellect). Several centuries later, this sam e process w as explained by R. Y ehudah al-Botini (and som ew hat later by R. M oshe Cordovero, in Pardes Rimmonim 21:1). A lthough th e technique described in each of these sources is th e sam e, th e instructions an d preparatory com m ents com plem ent each other. Accord­ ingly, w e shall first offer an abridged tra n sla tio n of A bulafia’s instructions an d th e n al-Botini’s m ore expan­ sive an d edifying directives.

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It is necessary to keep in m in d th a t H ebrew letters are essentially consonants. The d ifferen t vow els are n o t in d ep en d en t letters, b u t sim ply dots or lines th a t are associated w ith th e consonants. A bulafian ch an t­ in g com bines th e p ro n u n c ia tio n of each co n so n an t w ith a m otioning of o n e’s h ead according to th e shape of th e accom panying vowel. For exam ple, th e holam is an “o h ” vowel th a t consists of single dot placed above an y consonant. W hen c h a n tin g a co n so n an t th a t is vocalized w ith a holam, A bulafia reco m m en d ed th a t you raise y o u r head upw ards, th ereb y evoking th e dot above th e letter. A bulafia’s depiction of his ch an tin g m eth o d begins: When you desire to vocalize this Glorious Name... prepare yourself and isolate yourself in a place where your voice will not be heard. Purify your heart and soul from thoughts of this world. Contemplate that at this moment your soul will depart from your body and you will die from this world and be revived in the World To Come, which is the source of all life.. . . When you begin to pronounce the letter alef with any of the vowels—since the alef refers to the secret of unityonly prolong its pronunciation for the length of one breath, nor should you interrupt this breath for any reason. You should prolong this breath for as long as you can. Similarly, each letter should be pronouned with awe, fear and dread, combined with the spiritual joy of providence, which is its compensation. The form of the chanting of each letter should resemble its vowel. Thus, a holam should ascend. When you begin to pronounce it, you should face eastward, neither down nor up. Sit cloaked in clean white garments, over your clothes, or wrapped in a tallit over your head that is crowned in tefillin, facing eastward—for that is the direction where light comes into the world. (Abulafia, Or ha-Sechel, Florence ms. 44:16, f. 97b-98a)

Al-Botini p resen ts th is sam e m e th o d m o re elabo­ rately:

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The ninth chapter deals with vowels and how they are visu­ alized in the inner heart and the manner of [expressing] them through nodding of the head and other external limbs. From this you will know the marvelous way of reciting the Holy Names, such as the High Priest would utter when the Temple stood and also other righteous and pious persons who conjured the Holy Names. [This chapter will explain] how they would recite them with their appropriate vocal­ ization and vowels. But before this explanation it is neces­ sary to know that the vocalization of a letter is, as it were, its soul and its moving force. If you tried to pronounce any letter without its vocalization, it would be impossible, ac­ cording to the nature of speech—“For voice, air and speech: this is the Holy Spirit” (Sefer Yetzirah 1:9). “Voice” is divided into five vowels, which utilize the “air.” Thus, “speech” is composed of both of them.. . . Know that the nodding of each letter is according to its vocalization with the inner heart and external limbs in this manner. Behold, when the High Priest, prophet or any righ­ teous person would conjure the Holy Names, or when you will pronounce any letter that is vocalized with aholam [i.e., “oh” vowel], you should direct your heart and mind and nod according to the form of this vowel, as follows. Do not turn your head either to the right or left at all, nor down or up, rather straighten your head, as if it hung in a balance, as if you were talking face to face with someone who was as tall as you. As you begin to pronounce the vocalized letter move your head upwards, towards heaven. Close your eyes and open your mouth. Speak clearly and clear your throat of any phlegm, so that it will not interfere with the pronunciation of the letter. The upward movement of your head should correspond to the duration of your breath, such that your breath and head movement will stop simultaneously. The vocalization of the holam entails moving your head upwards, as if you were acknowledging the sovereignty of your Cre­ ator—ever higher above all the celestial beings. The kamatz [“ah” vowel] is like a straight line drawn by a scribe, from left to right and below the line there is a dot. When you pronounce it with any letter, first turn your head to your left shoulder and pronounce the letter with a pleas­ ant, clear voice and move your head from left to right, re­ sembling the straight line drawn by someone vocalizing a text. Afterwards return your head facing east, which should

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be straight ahead, for this is the direction that one faces when uttering the Name, as well as the direction of the Temple that one faces while praying to Ha-Shem, may He be blessed. Next bow your head slightly for this nodding cor­ responds to the dot that is under the straight line of the kamatz. The entire movement should be completed with one breath, as indicated above. Thus the movement of the kamatz is from left to right and then facing ahead and bow­ ing, as if you were acknowledging the sovereignty of your Owner to the north, south and lower regions. The tzayray [“ay” vowel] is composed of two dots: one to the right and one to the left. When you vocalize any letter with it, begin by nodding your head to the right and then left. This is the opposite of the straight line of the kamatz, for the kamatz is considered to be the Great Kamatz, whereas tzayray is the Little Kamatz. It is as if you were acknowledg­ ing Ha-Shem's sovereignty from south to north. The heereek [“ee” vowel] is a single dot under the letter. When you vocalize any letter with it, nod your head down­ wards in the form of a bow before Ha-Shem, may He be blessed, as if you were speaking with Him and He were stand­ ing before you. This is the opposite of the holam, for you are hereby acknowledging His sovereignty in the lower regions. The shoorook [“oo” vowel] is a single dot in the middle of the letter, called full mouth. When you pronounce it with any letter straighten yourself and start to draw your head from in front of you, until the end of the extension of your neck behind you, as straight as you can. Don’t raise or lower your head or turn it to the left or right, but a straight line forwards and backwards, as if you were acknowledging HaShem's sovereignty from the east to the west. Consequently, by the movement of these five vowels you will have affirmed your Owner’s dominion over the six directions___ The patach’s [another “ah” vowel] movement is like the straight line of the kamatz, from left to right. And the sheva, which is two dots, one on top of the other, has two move­ ments: the upper dot is like the holam and the lower is like the heereek. The two dots of the segol that are to the right and left of each other are like the tzayray. And the third dot which is below them is like a heereek. The shoorook, which is three dots, diagonally arranged—the highest dot is like a holam, the middle like a shoorook and the lowest like a heereek. (Sulam ha-Aliyah, ch. 9, G. Scholem, ed., 166-167)

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A lthough it w ill tak e som e p ractice to m a ste r th e h ead m ovem ents, insofar as th e y follow th e shape of th e vowels, th e y are relatively straightforw ard. The A bulafian c h a n tin g m eth o d can be applied to th e p ro n u n c ia tio n of any H ebrew w ord. A good choice is shalom (peace), for according to th e Sages, it is also an ep ith et for God (see B. Shabbat 10b). This w o rd has tw o syllables. The first is “sha,” w hich is vocalized w ith a kamatz, w hile th e second syllable, “lorn,” is vocalized w ith a holam. To apply A bulafia’s tech n iq u e to th e ch an tin g of sha­ lom, sta rt b y sittin g , facing eastw ard a n d lo o k in g straig h t ahead. Close y o u r eyes an d inhale. T u rn y o u r h ead to y o u r left sh o u ld er an d begin to in to n e th e first syllable, “sha.” As you ch an t “sha,” you sho u ld m ove y o u r h ead from y o u r left sh o u ld er to y o u r rig h t shoul­ der. T hen b rin g y o u r h ead back to th e cen ter an d bow it d o w n w ard s. W ith th e se m o v e m en ts you h av e ac­ know ledged Ha-Shem's dom inion over th e north, south, an d low er realm s. This en tire process should last th e d u ra tio n of one exhalation, such th a t you are ch an tin g “sh a” th e en tire tim e th a t you are m oving y o u r head. This syllable is com pleted w ith y o u r h ead bow ed. Inhale an d re tu rn y o u r h e a d to th e c e n te r in p re p a ra tio n for th e n ex t syllable. As you exhale an d b eg in to ch an t “lorn,” very slowly m ove y o u r h ead u p w ard s to H eaven, th e re b y acknow ledging Ha-Shem's sovereignty above all celes­ tial beings. You sh o u ld try to synchronize th e en d of y o u r h ead m o v e m en t u p w ard s w ith th e conclusion of y o u r exhalation. After you becom e proficient at co m b in in g th e h e a d m ovem ents a n d ch an tin g , you m ig h t decide to w ork w ith th e com plex vocalizations of th e vow el p e rm u ta ­ tio n s of th e F our-L etter N am e th a t A bulafia h im se lf advocated. A ch a rt of th is in tricate pro ced u re is fo u n d in A ryeh K aplan’s Meditation and Kabbalah (90).

8 A n A ncient M editation

Let us n o w focus on a m e d ita tio n th a t w as first described in th e Talmud m ore th a n 1,500 years ago. This concise m e d ita tio n w as su b se q u en tly in c o rp o ­ rated in to n u m e ro u s m edieval Jew ish religious law codes. O w ing to its “can o n izatio n ” in n o rm ativ e halachah, it has b e e n co ntinuously practiced for alm ost tw o m illenia. Even today, countless Jews use th is tech ­ nique tw ice daily. Accordingly, it is one of th e m ost sig­ n ifican t form s of m e d ita tio n developed w ith in an y religious trad itio n . This a n c ie n t p ractice in stru c ts an in d iv id u a l h o w b est to recite th e Shema, a biblical p ray er th a t is at th e h e a rt of th e Jew ish liturgy. It begins, “H ear (Shema) Israel, Ha-Shem is o u r God, Ha-Shem is oneness (echad)” (D euteronom y 6:4). A ccording to th e rab b in ic Sages, this biblical passage an d its successive verses are to be recited m o rn in g an d night, in fulfillm ent of a biblical com m andm ent, (as reflected in D euteronom y 6:7). The initial verse—w ith its com pelling affirm ation of faith— 151

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requires special attentiveness. This is in h e re n t in th e w ord Shema (hear/listen) itself. In o rder to create a p ro p e r m ind-set for th is critical recitation, let us consider M aim onides’s counsel: “The first th in g th a t you should cause y o u r soul to h old fast onto is th a t, w hile recitin g th e Shema p ray er, you should em pty your m ind of everything and p ray th u s ” (The Guide of the Perplexed, 2, 3:51, 622). Once you have rem oved extraneous thoughts from your m ind, you will be able to engage in the m editation. It focuses on th e co n cen tratio n th a t an ind iv id u al should have w hile reciting th e w ord echad (one). The Rabbis attached particular im portance to th e last letter of the w ord echad—the dalet—w hich is w ritten overly large in all T orah scrolls. Since th e letter dalet corre­ sponds to th e n u m b e r 4, it w as in terp reted as alluding to the four compass points. The pivotal discussion of this issue in th e Talm ud is th e following: And it was taught: Symmachos said: Anyone who prolongs the pronunciation of echad (one), his days and years will like­ wise be prolonged. R. Aha b. Jacob said: This refers to the letter dalet. R. Ashi said: Moreover, one should not shorten the letter chet. R. Jeremiah was seated before his teacher, R. Hiyya b. Abba. The latter saw that he was greatly prolong­ ing [the recitation] and said to him: Once you have acknowl­ edged His sovereignty above and below, and in the four directions [literally, winds], more than that is not required of you. (B. Berachot 13b)

The text continues by n o tin g th a t th e lead in g rab ­ binic authority, Rabbi Judah th e Prince, w ould cover his eyes w ith his h a n d w hile reciting th e Shema. This, too, has been incorporated into th e norm ative practice. An in terestin g discussion of th is tech n iq u e is fo u n d in th e prayer book com m entary of th e Hasidei Ashkenaz. It connects th e talm u d ic re q u ire m e n t to acknow ledge Ha-Shem’s sovereignty in six d im ensions (i.e., above,

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below , a n d th e fo u r directions) w ith th e special char­ acteristics of th e angels. And I, Asher b. R. Yaakov ha-Levi, heard directly from R. Eleazar ha-Darshan, of blessed memory, they prolong the dalet of echad in order to acknowledge His sovereignty in Heaven and on earth and in the four directions. These are the six aspects as is written, “Each [of the seraphim , i.e., fiery angels] possessed six wings: with two he would cover his face, with two he would cover his legs and with two he would fly” (Isaiah 6:2). (Siddur of Rabbenu Shelomoh b. R. Shimshon of Worms, 93)

This passage concludes by n o tin g th a t th e flight of th e angels co nstitutes songs of praise to God. A m u c h expanded discussion of th e Shema m ed ita­ tio n is fo und in th e sem inal tw elfth-century legal code, Sefer Ha-Eshkol, w h ich w as com piled b y R abbi A bra­ h a m b. Isaac of N arbonne. A ccording to th e testim o n y of R abbi A braham , it w as th e custom of th e eleventhc e n tu ry B abylonian Sage, Rabbi Hai G aon, to n o d his h ead in th e six directions: th a t is—up, dow n, east, w est, south, a n d n o rth , w hile reciting th e w o rd echad. This p a rtic u la r o rd er w as derived from a key passage in th e classic m ystical w ork, Sefer Yetzirah (The Book of Cre­ ation), in w h ich God is d escrib ed as sealin g th e six planes of o u r three-dim ensional u n iv erse w ith p e rm u ­ ta tio n s of th e Ineffable Name. A fter referrin g to th e above-quoted passage from th e Talmud, R. A braham com m ents: We have learned that one does well to shorten the alef, and it is commanded to do so. We can deduce this from R. Ashi’s stipulation that specifically the chet should not be shortened. The fact that he did not mention the alef implies that one does well to shorten it. It has been stated that one should lengthen the chet to a count of three and the dalet to twice three. First, one should acknowledge sovereignty below and above while reciting the chef, and then do the four directions during the dalet.

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When contemplating the four directions, one should nod one’s head first east, then west, then south, then north. We learn this practice from the Hilchot Yetzirah (The Laws of Creation), as is taught there (Chapter 1:13).... “At the fifth [stage], He chose three simple letters: yod, hey, vav, and fixed them for His great Name. He sealed the six directions with them. He sealed the heights and turned upward and sealed it with yod, hey, vav. The sixth [stage] He sealed below and turned downward and sealed it with yod, vav, hey. The seventh [stage] He sealed the east and turned before Himself and sealed it with hey, yod, vav. The eighth [stage] He sealed the west and turned backwards and sealed it with hey, vav, yod. The ninth [stage] He sealed the south and turned to His right and sealed it with vav, yod, hey. The tenth [stage] He sealed the north and turned to His left and sealed it with vav, hey, yod.” Since we are taught this, it is proper that we acknowledge the sovereignty of the Creator of the universe, during our recitation of the Shema, following the same pattern with which the Creator created and sealed the universe. And our teacher, Hai, of blessed memory explained [that one should prolong the recitation of echad] long enough to motion with one’s head in the six directions and thereby accept the do­ minion of Heaven. And Rabbi [Judah the Prince] would cover his eyes with his hands, [when facing his students during the recitation]. Our sages explain that he was pro­ tecting himself from having his students see his eyes when he was rotating them in the various directions. [This text was translated from the printed edition of Sefer ha-Eshkol and corrected by referring to Paris ms. H-91-A, 3b]

It sho u ld be n o ted in p assin g th a t a n in te re s tin g parallel to th e p a tte rn of this n o d d in g is th e ritu alized shaking of th e lulav (palm frond) on Sukkot, w h ich follows a sim ilar circuit. The only difference is th a t th e four directions precede th e u p and dow n m ovem ent. Presum ably, th is change is indicative of th e im p o r­ tance of the four w inds in bringing life-sustaining rain, w hich is of p rim a ry concern d u rin g Sukkot. The p er­ tin e n t talm udic text begins: “R. Y ohanan said, ‘Extend and th e n d raw in [the lulav] for He w ho possesses th e

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fo u r w inds; next elevate th e n low er [the lulav] for He w ho possesses H eaven a n d e a rth ” (B. Sukkot 37b). A lthough th ere have b een n u m ero u s rabbinic discus­ sions of th e Shema m ed itatio n , o ne of th e m ost signifi­ can t is found in R. Isaac of C orbeil’s thirteenth-century p re se n ta tio n of th e 613 biblical co m m an d m en ts, Sefer Mitzvot Katan (SeMaK). R. Isaac focused on th e key w ord echad (one), w hich concludes th e o p en in g line of th e Shema. In o rd er to appreciate his reasoning, it is nec­ essary to be aw are of th e n u m e rical significance of th e th re e letters th a t constitute th e w ord echad: alef{= 1), chet (=8), an d dalet (=4). R. Isaac ex p o u n d ed u p o n th e second biblical co m m an d m e n t as follows: {We are commanded] to unify the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written, “Hear, Israel, Ha-Shem our God, Ha-Shem is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). This represents accept­ ing the yoke of the sovereignty of heaven. Concerning uni­ fication, R. Saadia Gaon explained that accompanying our belief that our God is the universal ruler, we must also be­ lieve that there is no other ruler__ [F]rom this it is derived that He is unique on earth and in the seven Heavens. This is alluded to in the alef and chet of echad and the dalet refers to the four directions. In the future everyone will believe this, as is written, “On that day the Lord will be one and His name one” (Zechariah 14:9). The explanation of this is that the entire world will believe that He is one. (Sefer ha-Semak me-Zurich, R. Isaac Rozenberg, ed., 1:50)

A b rief discussion an d elu cid atio n of th is exposition is b y Rabbi Joshua Falk, in his sixteenth-century com ­ m e n ta ry on th e Tur code (Prishah, Orah H ayyim 61:9). He quotes th e Semak an d in so d o in g slightly m odifies th e key p h rasin g to m ake it clearer. “This is w hat it says in th e Sefer Mitzvot Katan: W hen recitin g th e a le f one sho u ld consider th a t He is One; at th e chet, th a t He is u n ite d in th e seven h eav en s a n d o n earth , w h ich m akes eight; an d th e dalet alludes to th e fo u r direc­ tions. In th e future, all w ill declare th a t He is O ne.”

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To sum m arize, echad has th re e distin ct an d in terre­ lated com ponents. W hile recitatin g th e initial syllable eh for one beat, focus your consciousness on th e one­ ness of th e Holy One. Next, p ro n o u n ce cha to a count of th ree and raise your head u p and th e n dow n, indica­ tive of G od’s dom inion above and below. Finally, vo­ calize th e “d ” of dalet to six beats, an d nod y o u r h ead first east, th e n west, th e n south, th e n no rth . A ddition­ ally, based on th e prophecy of Zechariah, b o th Rabbis Isaac of Corbeil and Joshua Falk asserted th a t d u rin g th e M essianic era everyone—Jew an d G entile a lik e w ili participate together in this act of unification. A related, though som ew hat different presentation is found in the w ritings of R. Ezra of Gerona. R. Ezra, w ho was a leading religious figure in early thirteenth-century Spain, was an older contem porary of R am ban (Nachm anides). R. Ezra was a kabbalist and one of th e earli­ est, possibly the first, to w rite full-fledged treatises using th e kabbalistic term inology of th e Sefirot. Included am ong his w ritings are a com m entary on th e Aggadot of th e Talm ud and a com m entary on th e Song of Songs, w hich was eventually attributed to Ram ban. The follow­ ing is his discussion of the recitation of th e Shema. You should know about Divine unification that when one mentions various Names and matters, he should be careful to unify everything to the Infinite (Ayn Sof), thereby ac­ knowledging that He is the cause of everything and every­ thing is from Him. He should not be afraid of any separa­ tion or cutting off in the universe, as a result of mentioning the Names. In the same way that the branches of a tree are numerous and all protrude from the trunk in the middle, when you reflect upon each in turn, so too with the issue of Divine unification. The essence of reciting the Shema is to unify everything. Each word possesses a special significance; therefore, one must concentrate upon each word according to its sig­ nificance and unify everything at the word “one” (echad). The alef of the word hints at what one’s thought cannot

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abstract.1The chet hints at the eight Sefirot. And the dalet is large, hinting at the tenth Sefirah [i.e., Malchut = Sover­ eignty], in order to designate Him as king over the four directions, which correspond to the four Camps [of the Shechinah]. It is necessary to be precise when pronouncing every let­ ter, neither adding nor subtracting anything. The signifi­ cance of the recitation of Shema is like the seal of a king, which he has sent to his subjects. They recognize the image of his seal and stand erect and shout ecstatically and call out to him in awe, trembling and fearfully. The Holy One, blessed be He, however, did not trouble Israel to recite the Shema standing erect and shouting ecstatically, rather they recite it normally, by precisely pronouncing the letters and neither adding nor subtracting what has been written down. (G. Scholem, pub., “Seridim Hadashim . . . , ” in SeferZikaron Le-Asher Gulak, 222)

O th er kabbalistic suggestions for th e p ro p e r recita­ tio n of th e Shema are recorded by R. Yosef H ayyim of Baghdad. Initially, h e cites a visualization fo u n d in a m a n u sc rip t entitled Keter Malchut: “O ne w ho recites [the Shema] should visualize w ith his m in d ’s eye all of th e letters of th e v erse” (Ben Ish Hai 81). R. Yosef also reco m m en d s th a t w h ile recitin g th e w ord echad, one should concentrate on th e collation of th e tw o Divine Names: YHVH and ADoNaY, thereby yield­ in g th e u n ified Name: YAHDVNHY. (This practice is know n as yichudim , m ean in g unifications, an d is th e subject of C hapter 11). Finally, h e suggests th a t w h en one recites th e w ord malchuto (His kingdom ) from th e passage th a t im m ed iately follows th e first verse of th e Shema, he should low er his head. R. Yosef explains the reason: “There is in this m atter th e m ystery of bring­ in g do w n th e D ivine illu m in atio n to th e Shechinah, [nam ely]Malchut, w ho is the Mistress of th e H ouse” (Ben Ish Hai 82). 1. This corresponds to the highest Sefirah, Keter; cf. R. Yitzhak of Acco, Meirat Aynayim, uVa-ethanan" (Jerusalem, 1975), 274.

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A m ong th e m an y reflections on th e significance of th e Shema m ed itatio n are th e follow ing com m ents by th e M aggid of M ezeritch, w ho a ttrib u te d th e su p er­ n a tu ra l pow ers of th e h asid ic m asters to its p ro p e r recitation. I heard from the Maggid, of eternally blessed memory, con­ cerning the explanation of their statements about reaching the word echad and nodding one’s head in the six directions. One wonders what is gained by this [procedure]? If one were to nod to all of the corners of the universe and his heart is unaware what his head is doing? He explained that when one unites himself in union with Ha-Shem, may He be blessed, then there is a complete union with the Holy One, blessed be He. Thereupon, he would have the potential to invalidate His [harsh] decrees and also to decree and have [his desires] fulfilled, as was stated [by the sages] of blessed memory, “The Holy One blessed be He issues decrees and thetzaddih (righteous) invalidates [them]” (see B. Moed Katan 16b). This is the proper intention [that one should have] upon reciting the word echad and uniting oneself with the Cre­ ator of the universe in a complete union. Its benefits are great. When one has the power to nod in the six directions, which were the six planes upon which the universe was built, he can shake and direct them according to his will and desire. He can change the times and transform the seasons (cf. Daniel 2:21) since he has achieved complete union with the Supernal Unity, which transcends time. (Torat ha-Maggid 2:48.)

A nother p ro fo u n d extension of th is m e d ita tio n is ev id en t in several co m m en ts by R. H ayyim of Volozhin, th e early n in e te e n th -c e n tu ry p io n e e r of th e yeshivah (Rabbinical Sem inary) m ovem ent. R. H ayyim asserted: Accordingly, when engaged in the unification of the first verse of the recitation of the Shema, at the word “one” it is appropriate for a true servant to contemplate in the holiness of his thoughts that He, may His Name be blessed, from the

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Divine perspective is actually one, even in respect to all of the created beings. He exists alone in pristine oneness, as was the case prior to the creation of the universe. (Nefesh ha-Hayyim, 166.)

He also w rote, Concerning the unification process associated with the first verse [of the recitation of the Shema], in conjunction with the word “one,” the individual should contemplate that Ha-Shem, may He be blessed, is unique. He is one in respect to all of the worlds and all of the created beings. He exhibits a pristine oneness and everything else is considered to be none existent—for there is nothing else other than Him, at all (cf. Deuteronomy 4:39). (Nefesh ha-Hayyim, 162)

A final co m m en t th a t h e m akes on this th e m e is th a t in th e Shema God is referred to as b o th Eloheinu an d Ha-Shem. The reason th a t this passage refers to Eloheinu (i.e., o u r God) is: One should contemplate that He, may He be blessed is Eloheinu (our God), the Master of Divine powers and the source of our souls and our life forces, and of all created beings and worlds. Even though He created and brought into existence the powers and worlds and creatures; never­ theless, from His own perspective He is in a state of pure being and absolute oneness, such that no creature can in­ trude, forfend, in any way upon His pristine oneness, may He be blessed, which infuses everything. Thus, even now [i.e., after the creation of the universe] He is absolute exis­ tence and oneness. (R. Hayyim, Nefesh ha-Hayyim, 178)

In these statem en ts, R. H ayyim is expressing a doc­ trin e th a t is k n o w n as acosm ism , literally a n eg atio n of th e cosm os.2 It is th e te ach in g th a t God is th e only essential reality a n d th a t ev erything else is ep h em eral 2. For an expanded discussion of this concept, see M. Verman, “Panentheism and Acosmism in the Kabbalah,” Studia Mystica 10:2 (1987).

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and w ithout tru e being. A lthough this doctrine was not particularly evident in Jewish circles u n til th e late eigh­ teen th century, R. Hayyim an d certain hasidic m asters (especially R. S h n eu r Z alm an of Liadi and his disciple, R. Aaron), based them selves u p o n a literal in terp reta­ tio n of D euteronom y 4:39, “And you shall know today an d place it u p o n your h e a rt th a t Ha-Shem is God in H eaven above an d on th e e a rth below ; th e re is no o th er.” Thus, w e see th a t each le tter of echad has a special significance th at is expressed m editatively in o u r daily affirm ation of Divine unity. By casting your aw areness in all directions, you can traverse th e u niverse in one w ord. T hrough concentrating on “o ne,” you can p e r­ ceive th e vastness of th e cosm ic k in g d o m th a t o u r C reator has form ed and in w hich w e have been placed.

9 P erceiving

the

L ight

Light is prim al. Light is th e beginning. The first act of God in th e creatio n of th e u n iv e rse w as fash io n in g light; h ence th e initial u tte ra n c e of D ivine speech w as “Let th e re be lig h t” (G enesis 1:3). It is n o t su rp risin g th a t th e m ost com m on m e ta p h o r in Jew ish m ystical w ritings th a t connotes D ivine m an ifestatio n is spiri­ tu a l light. This is read ily ev id e n t in th e titles of th e classic books of Jew ish m ysticism : Sefer ha-Bahir (The Book of B rilliant Light); Sefer ha-Zohar (The Book of Radiance); Shaarei Orah (The Gates of Light). In discuss­ in g this topic, w e shall offer a b rief selection of classical texts an d th e n focus on th e w ritings of th e renaissance m ystic, R. E leazar Azikri, w ho ex p o u n d ed extensively u p o n co n tem p la tio n of D ivine light. This su stain ed discussion will be followed by subsequent elaborations on th is them e. We shall conclude w ith several concise tech n iq u es involving eye m ovem ents, an d finally th e Zohar’s candle-gazing m ed itatio n . 161

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Ha-Shem is identified at th e start of th e first blessing th a t precedes th e m o rn in g Shema recital as th e “Cre­ ator of Light___ The O ne w ho illum ines th e e a rth and [all] those th a t dw ell u p o n it w ith com passion.” This b lessing concludes, “M ay You sh in e a n ew lig h t on Zion and m ay w e all speedily m e rit its light. Blessed are You, Ha-Shem, C reator of th e lights.” Sim ilarly, th e last blessing of th e m o rn in g Amidah invokes D ivine light: “Bless us, o u r Father, all of us together in th e light of Your Presence, for in th e light of Your Presence You have given us, Ha-Shem o u r God, th e T orah of life.” Not only is Ha-Shem th e source of light, b u t lig h t im agery serves as an ep ith et or signifier for Ha-Shem. For exam ple, th e p ro p h e t Isaiah p ro claim ed , “The Light of Israel w ill be fire an d [Israel’s] H oly O ne a flam e” (Isaiah 10:17). The ancient text Sefer Ha-Razim (The Book of M ysteries) is p a rt of th e Hechalot corpus and describes th e seven H eavens. Its account of th e seventh and highest stratu m begins: The seventh firmament, all of it is sevenfold light, and from its light all the heavens shine__ There is no calculation or limit to the great light within it, and the fullness of the light illumines all the earth. The angels are fixed in pillars of light, and their light is as the light of the brilliant star [i.e., Venus] and cannot be extinguished, for their eyes are like flashes of lightning, and they stand upon the margins of [the Divine light], and glorify in fear the One who sits upon the throne of glory. (Sepher Ha-Razim, M. Morgan, trans., 81)

T u rn in g now to R. Elezar Azikri, w ho lived in Tzefat —a lovely to w n in th e h ill country, n e a r th e Sea of Galilee. Now fam ous as an artist colony, it w as once th e hom e of spiritual artisans, th e m edieval kabbalists of Israel. M any of these pillars of th e Jew ish m ystical tradition are well-know n figures: R. M oshe Cordovero, R. Yitzhak Luria, an d th e ir stu d e n t an d lite ra ry v ir­ tuoso, R. H ayyim Vital. We have already en co u n tered each of th e m m an y tim es th ro u g h o u t th is book.

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R. E leazar devoted his life to a n in te n s e sp iritu a l practice. This focus w as a straightforw ard, yet pow er­ ful m ed itativ e technique, based on biblical directives. It is ro o ted in th e in ju n ctio n to c o n tin u o u sly attach oneself to God: “I have set Ha-Shem before m e alw ays” (Psalm s 16:8). This verse convinced A zikri th a t m ed i­ ta tio n sh o u ld n o t be confined to a specific tim e or set­ ting, b u t ra th e r it m u st be an ong oing activity, u n d e r­ ta k en th ro u g h o u t th e day. Instead of contem plating th e m ore tran scen d e n t as­ pects of th e Divine Being, Azikri concentrated on th e Shechinah, th e D ivine In-Dwelling, G od’s im m a n e n t presence in th e w orld. A ccording to classic thirteenthcentury kabbalists, like R. Yosef Gikatilla in th e open­ in g ch ap ter of his Shaarei Orah, w hoever desires to con­ tem p late th e Sefirot m u st start w ith th e low est level, Malchut. This corresponds to th e s ta n d a rd rab b in ic term , Shechinah, and is seen as a gate th ro u g h w hich all cosm ic energy flows, from Above to below an d below to Above. R. E leazar co n te n d e d th a t th e D ivine P resence is m an ifest as sp iritu al light, an d accordingly one m u st be ev er m in d fu l of b e in g en v elo p ed b y th e D ivine effulgence. This is clearly reflected in A zikri’s wellk n o w n song, Yedid Nefesh (Lover of th e Soul), w hich is trad itio n a lly su n g as a p relu d e to th e Shabbat ev ening service. He in tro d u ced this lovely h y m n b y n o tin g th a t its th e m e is D ivine u n ity an d love, an d th a t it is based on an acrostic; each stanza corresp o n d in g to one of th e letters of th e Four-Letter Name. The second stanza begins: Splendorously beautiful, light of the universe, My soul is lovesick for You. Please, God, please cure her. By revealing to her the delightfulness of Your light. (Sefer Haredim, 163)

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In this century, A zikri’s fam ous poem w as echoed by Rav Kook: My soul longs For the supernal light For infinite light For the light of the God of truth.. .. Please satisfy my desire; Satiate me with the light of Your revelation. Fulfill my thirst for Your light. Let Your Countenance shine that I might be saved. (A. Habermann, “Shirat Ha-Rav,” 18)

Both Azikri and Rav Kook are rooted in th e Jew ish m ystical tradition, w hich view ed light as th e p rincipal im age of th e Divine realm . They w ere also influenced by M aim onides’ statem ent, “Just as w e apprehend H im by m eans of th a t light w hich He caused to overflow tow ard u s[,]. . . w e are always before Him , m ay He be exalted, and w alk ab o u t to an d fro w hile his Shechinah is w ith us (Guide of the Perplexed, 3:52, S. Pines, trans., 629). In his extrem ely p o p u lar handbook, Sefer Haredim (The Book of th e God-Fearers), Azikri w rote: In several treatises it is recorded that the Jewish pietists used to engage in hitbodedut (seclusion), withdrawal and devekut, attachment; that is to say when they were alone they would remove all worldly concerns from their thought and connect their thoughts to the all embracing Lord. Similarly our teacher and rabbi. Rabbi Y. [Yitzhak Luria], the aforemen­ tioned kabbalist, taught that it is sevenfold more beneficial for the soul than study.1According to the perseverance and capacity of the individual, one should withdraw and go into seclusion one day a week, or once a fortnight, or at least once a month. Ramban, of blessed memory, commented on the 1. Azikri relied on a manuscript text from R. Yitzhak Luria en­ titled Beit Middot; see R. Eleazer Azikri, Sefer Haredim (Jerusalem, 1984), 253, 309.

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verse referring to the patriarch Jacob, “Get up and go to Beit El and dwell there” (Genesis 35:1), what does the phrase “and dwell (ve-shev) there” mean? It is the same as “in sit­ ting still (be-shuvah) and rest you shall be saved” (Isaiah 30:15). That is to say, one should direct one’s thought by securing one’s mind with Him, may He be blessed. It is taught that the ancient pietists would wait for an hour and then pray, in order to direct their hearts to the Place [i.e., Ha-Shem]; (seeM. Berachot 5:1). The commentators explained that this indicates that they would empty their minds of worldly matters and attach their thought to the Lord of all, may He be blessed, with awe and love. Behold, for nine hours [daily] they would desist from their study and be engaged in meditation and attachment. They would imag­ ine the light of the Shechinah upon their heads, as if it had spread out all around them and they were sitting inside the light. So I have found in an ancient pamphlet of the early ascetics. Then they would tremble naturally and rejoice in the trembling, as it says, “Serve Ha-Shem in fear and rejoice in trembling” (Psalms 2:11). {Sefer Haredim 254)

R. E leazar also kept a diary sp a n n in g m a n y years in w hich h e jo tted dow n a series of observations on spiri­ tu a lity . T his w o rk h as b e e n p re se rv e d in a u n iq u e m a n u scrip t. W hat follow are tw o selections from it. Realize that you are standing before your Creator. When you are studying the Torah, you are gazing on the light of His garment. And when you are walking in the market-place or sitting anywhere, you are encountering the light of the Shechinah. For “His glory fills the whole world” (Isaiah 6:3); face to face you shall meet Him. When you speak with some­ one it is as if He is speaking, for from His power everyone speaks. (J. T. S. ms., Adler 74, f. 205a) Let the light always shine on your face. Speaking with Him, and walking with Him, and being silent with Him, and asleep with Him, and awakening with Him, and sitting with Him, and standing with Him, and lying down with Him; all my movements are for Him. The King rests on His throne and the servant runs to Him and serves Him personally, not through an agent. I fulfill the conditions of a servant and

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am not at all stubborn. I unify His Names, may He be blessed, at every moment, in joy and trembling, and flee from social contact, as much as possible. Complete silence in the fiery light; alone, fearful and crawling. Make the light which is always upon your head a teacher, and acquire it for yourself as a friend, (f. 202a)2

A zikri’s intoxication w ith love for God, echoes th e follow ing co m m en ts by M aim önides. It sh o u ld be n o ted th a t “love of Ha-Shem” co n stitu tes one of th e foundational co m m an d m en ts as form ulated by Maim onides in M.T., Yesodeiha-Torah, 2:2. He subsequently expanded u p o n this: What is the love that is appropriate for a person to love HaShem? It should be a love that is surpassingly great, exceed­ ingly strong such that one’s very soul is bound up with the love of Ha-Shem. It happens when one is completely infatu­ ated with someone, as if they are love-sick and their mind is never free from thinking about that person. They are con­ stantly infatuated, whether sitting or standing, even when they are eating and drinking. Even more than this should the love of Ha-Shem be in the hearts of His lovers. They are infatuated with her [i.e., love of Ha-Shem] always, as we are commanded “with all your heart and all your soul” (Deuteronomy 6:5). This is what Solomon said by way of analogy, “for I am love-sick” (Song of Songs 2:5), for all of Song of Songs is an analogy for this topic. (M.T., Teshuvah 10:3)

O ne can find m an y echoes of A zikri’s light-centered spirituality. R. Moshe Hayyim Luzzatto, in the introduc­ tio n to his fam ous 138 Doorways to Wisdom, offers a beautiful exposition on th e n atu re of th e study of Torah and th e suprem e value of every single letter of th e text. This recalls ou r earlier discussion, in C hapter 2, on this them e. 2.

Note that the last sentence is an interesting reworking of

M. Avot 1:6.

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Consider a coal that is not burning and the flame is hidden and closed inside. When someone blows upon it, then it spreads and flares and it continues to expand. Within this flame there are many different colors, which were not ap­ parent initially; nevertheless, everything is coming from the coal. So too with this Torah that is before us. Every one of her words and letters are like a coal. When one sets them out as they are, they appear like coals, somewhat dim. If an indi­ vidual endeavors to study her, then from each letter a great flame bursts forth, filled with many colors. These are the data that are hidden in each letter. This was already explained in the Zohar concerning the alefbeit. This is not an analogy, but literally something that is indeed essential, for all of the letters that we see in the Torah correspond to the twenty-two lights that exist Above. These supernal lights shine on the letters. From here is derived the holiness of the Torah, the Torah scrolls, the tefillin, mezuzot and all sacred writings. According to the sanctity with which they were written, so too will grow the Divine inspiration and illumination of these lights on the letters. Therefore a Torah scroll that has only one mistake is totally invalidated, for there is not the appro­ priate illumination by reading from it, from which will flow sanctity to the nation. (KL”CH Pitchei Hochmah, 3)

The follow ing lines from Keter Shem Tov, th e tra d i­ tional anthology of th e teachings of th e Baal Shem Tov, is v irtu a lly id en tical to Azikri: “T he soul becom es a th ro n e for th e light of th e Shechinah above th e head. A nd it is as if th e light spreads a ro u n d h im an d he is w ith in th e light, sittin g an d tre m b lin g w ith jo y ” (Keter Shem Tovt cited in B uxbaum , Spiritual Practices, 378). R. Isaac Safrin (1806-1874) w as a fascinating hasidic m aster. In his secret diary, Megillat Setarim , h e re ­ corded his earliest vision. WTiile studying Talmud, in the middle of the day. Suddenly a great light fell on me. The whole house became filled with light, a marvelous light, the Shechinah resting there. This was the first time in my life that I had some little taste of His light, may He be blessed__ Afterwards I fell once again for a time

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so I came to realize that I must journey to the saints who would draw down His light, blessed be He, upon me since I already had a refined vessel wherewith to receive the light. (Jacobs, Jewish Mystical Testimonies, 240)

R. A aron Roth, a tw entieth-century hasidic m aster w ho eventually settled in Jerusalem , also connected th e issue of love of God w ith p ercep tio n of light. I shall explain the matter to you by means of a parable, all having to do with the idea of love. A man is in prison where he has sat so long in darkness that he is unaware that there is any such thing as light. Adjacent to his prison is a room in which there shines a brilliant light. Suddenly a small aperture is opened and he sees the light. . . . Even though the light which comes through this aperture is as nothing compared to the light which shines through the open doors, yet since it shines directly on the recipients a great and holy illumination is theirs. When a man is worthy of seeing this light his soul longs and is set on fire without limit until he feels that he is about to expire [in ecstasy]. In his great long­ ing he risks his life to break open the door of his dungeon and springs energetically to enjoy the light. But as soon as he emerges [from the dungeon] the light is concealed. (Jacobs, Jewish Mystical Testimonies, 249-250)

The parable continues and u ltim ately ends w ith a les­ son o n th e benefit of attaching oneself to a tzaddik an d th e re u p o n receiving help. W hen Azikri discussed th e th eo ry of hitbodedut, as cited above, he m entioned th a t he h ad found som e of his m aterial in “a n ancient p a m p h le t of th e early ascetics.” It is quite likely th at th e text h e was referring to is th e anonym ous th irteen th -cen tu ry treatise, “A C hapter on C oncentration [kavvanah] b y th e Early Kabbalists, of Blessed M emory.” This im portant, though enigm atic text advocated th e visualization of sittin g inside the Divine light. Near its beginning w e read, “You should im agine in your m ind th at you are light and th at

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all of y o u r su rroundings, from each co rn er an d side, are co m p rised of light. In th e m id st of th e lig h t is a th ro n e of light.”3 Let us also co n sid er tw o o th e r th irte e n th -c e n tu ry texts, in o rd e r to have a fuller p ictu re of th e m ind-set th a t lay b e h in d th e m editative tech n iq u es th a t w e w ill shortly p resen t. The Fountain o f Wisdom is one of th e m ost com plex an d challenging w ritings of th is period. It w as a ttrib u te d to Moses, w ho p u rp o rte d ly received it fro m a m ysterious angel. T herein, one finds a de­ sc rip tio n of th e P rim al D arkness th a t p reced e d cre­ ation an d fro m w hich te n colored lights em an ated . These ten colors flow from the Darkness. They are the fol­ lowing: light from light, radiance from radiance, lustre from lustre, radiance from light, light from radiance, lustre from light, light from lustre, lustre from radiance, radiance from lustre, and flaming fire from flaming fire. Behold, there are ten. The first is Marvellous Light; this is light from light. The second is Hidden light: this is radiance from radiance. (Verman, The Books of Contemplation, 59)

U ndoubtedly, th is text influenced th e “C h ap ter on C o n cen tratio n ,” as d id th e w ell-know n Iggeret haKodesh (Holy Letter), w hich is trad itio n ally a ttrib u te d to R am ban. Know that [in the case of] a spring of water, since it flows from an elevated place to a lower place, there exists the possibility of raising the water to another elevated place, corresponding to the elevated place from whence it origi-

3. Originally published by G. Scholem, “Der Begriff der Kawwana in der alten Kabbala,” MGWJ (1934): 511. This work has also been translated by Aryeh Kaplan, Meditation and Kabbalah (York Beach, 1982), 119-122. The complete Hebrew text, along with R. Hayyim Vital’s commentary is found in Ketavim Hadashim le-Rabbenu Hayyim Vital, “Shaarei Kedushah,” (Jerusalem, 1988), 15-18.

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nated. Similarly, it is known to the masters of the Kabbalah that the source of human thought is the rational soul, which emanated from the supernal spheres. Thought is capable of expanding, elevating and reaching her place of origin. When she reaches the source, she adheres to the Supernal Light from which she was emanated. Then they will become one entity. When this thought emanates again from Above to below, everything will become like one line and the Super­ nal Light will be drawn below by the power of the thought to draw it below. Then the Shechinah will reside below. As a result of this [process] the Radiant Light will be drawn down and expand within the place where the sage is sitting. Thus, the ancient pietists attached their thoughts to the supernal spheres and drew down the Supernal Light. As a result [their] activities prospered and were blessed by the power of thought.4

Note how th e a u th o r in terp rets th e classic talm u d ic statem ent about th e m editative practices of th e ancient pietists, according to his th eo ry about th e celestial ori­ gins of th o u g h t. T he reaso n th a t th e ir deeds w ere blessed w as ow ing to th e S upernal Light, w hich w as draw n dow nw ards by th e ir m editation. Jewish m ystics developed specific techniques to pro­ m ote th e con tem p latio n of Divine light. For exam ple, the Zohar reco m m en d s special eye m o v em en ts for perceiving th e supernal lights. “This is the secret. Close your eye[s] an d roll y o u r eyeball[s]. Those colors th a t are lu m in o u s an d rad ia te w ill be revealed. It is n o t perm itted to see them , except w ith closed eyes for th ey are h id d e n (Zohar 2:23b). One can even find biblical su p p o rt for this practice of eye-rolling in th e follow ing verse: “Gal (open/roll) m y eyes th a t I m ight see th e w onders of Your T o rah ” (Psalms 119:18). 4. “Iggeret ha-Kodesh,” in R. Moshe b. Nachman Kitvei Ramban, (Jerusalem, 1763), 2:333. This text was also published and trans­ lated by S. Cohen, The Holy Letter (Ktav, 1976).

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In an early th irte e n th -c e n tu ry text b y R. E lh an an b. Yakar, an even m o re d ra m a tic p ro c e d u re is m e n ­ tioned. It is p o ten tially h a rm fu l an d could cause p e r­ m a n e n t eye dam age. Accordingly, I am definitely not sugg estin g th at anyone experim ent w ith it! It is offered sim ply as an illu stratio n of th e scope of m edieval Jew­ ish explorations of D ivine light. The soul is a red light that resides on the brain, between two membranes. It is the size of a hazel-nut. If you shut your eye and place your finger at the tip of your eye adjacent to your nose and massage there with your finger, you will perceive a red, circular light on your eyeball. This is the light of the soul shining on your eye. At the time of death this small light grows and assumes the shape of the individual from whom it emanated. The proof of this is the prophet Samuel.5

A nother te c h n iq u e th a t is fo und in th e Zohar entails candle gazing. It is rooted in th e verse from Proverbs 20:27, “Ha-Shem's c a n d le /la m p is th e soul of m a n , searching all th e in tern al organs (literally, room s of th e belly).” (A sim ilar concept is fo u n d in th e Talmud, B. Shabbat 22b, w h erein th e light from th emenorah attests to th e Shechinah resid in g in th e w orld.) A ccording to th e Zohar, n o t only does th e relatio n sh ip b etw een th e flam e and th e candle exem plify th e u n io n of u p p e r an d low er, b u t even w ith in th e flam e itself th e re are tw o dim ensions, p arallelin g th e u p p e r an d low er realm s w ith in th e D ivine Being. This text is a good exam ple of th e in te rp la y b e tw e e n lig h t a n d colors in Jew ish m ystical w ritings. Rabbi Shimon began by stating. There are two verses, “For Ha-Shem, your God, is a consuming fire” (Deuteronomy 4:24), and it is also written there, “But you that are attached 5.

Sod ha-Sodot in Tekstim be-Torat ha-Elohut shel Hasidut Ashkenaz,Y. Dan, ed. (Jerusalem, 1977), 28. The concluding state­

ment is an allusion to 1 Samuel 28.

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to Ha-Shem, your God, are all alive today” (Deuteronomy 4:4). These are two verses I have explained on several occasions, for my colleagues were stirred up by them. Come and see: “For Ha-Shem,, your God, is a consuming fire.” This has already been clarified among the group that there is a type of fire which consumes fire. It consumes and destroys it. For there is one type of fire which is more po­ tent than another, as previously explained. But come and see: One who desires to know the mystery of the Holy Unity should gaze on the flame that rises from the coal or from a lit candle, for a flame cannot ascend ex­ cept if it is holding on to coarse matter. Come and see: An ascending flame has two lights, a white luminous light, and another which clings to it and is either black or blue. The white light is higher and ascends in a straight path. Underneath is either a blue or a black light which acts as a chair for the white, and this white light rests on it. Each grasps the other such that everything is one. For the black or blue light is a Throne of Glory for the white light. This is the secret of the tackelet [i.e., the blue thread of the tallit]. Moreover, the blue/black throne is at­ tached to something else, which is below it, enabling it to bum, and it [i.e., what is below the blue/black flame] encour­ ages it to grasp onto the white light. Sometimes the blue/ black light becomes red; however, the white light which is above it never changes—for white is perpetual but blue changes to these colors: sometimes blue or black and some­ times red. This light is joined on two sides. It is joined above to the white light and joined below to what is under it, which is transformed because of it, en­ abling it to shine and grasp onto it. This light constantly consumes and destroys whatever lies beneath it. The blue light destroys and consumes whatever is attached to it from underneath and it rests on, as it is its nature to destroy and consume. The destruction of everything and the death of all is dependent upon it. Accordingly, it consumes everything that is attached to it from below. But the white light, which rests on it, never consumes or destroys, and its light never changes. And Moses had this in mind when he said, “ForHa-Shem, your God, is a consuming fire.” [This fire] assuredly con­ sumes; it consumes and destroys whatever resides under­ neath it. Accordingly, Moses specified “Ha-Shem, your God”

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and not “our God,” for Moses was associated with the upper white light, which does not destroy or consume. (Zohar, l:50b-51a)

C onsider th a t th e re are tw o basic w ays of looking at som ething, as suggested by M artin B uber in I and Thou. Usually, w e affirm th a t th ere is a gulf separating us from th a t w h ich is being perceived. The existence of this gap is continually supported by constant m o n ito rin g of th e Self as it is engaged in th e act of perception. T here is a n o th e r w ay to perceive an d experience th e w o rld —b y “dis-reg ard in g ” th e Self, one can id en tify w ith w h a t is b ein g perceived. D arken th e room an d light a candle. Sit in a com fort­ able p o sitio n . Take a few d eep b re a th s. Relax an d candle-gaze. W ork w ith th e above-quoted sta te m e n t from th e Zohar, “O ne w ho desires to know th e m ystery of th e H oly U nity sho u ld gaze in th e flam e . . . for a flam e can n o t ascend except if it is h o ld in g on to coarse m a tte r.” Id en tify w ith th e candle, by closing th e p erceptual distance th a t seperates you from th e candle. Identifi­ cation can m ove in tw o directions. E ither you can b rin g th e candle im age in y o u r m in d closer, u n til it is w ithin, or you can allow yourself to be d raw n to w ard an d u lti­ m ately in to th e candle. B oth approaches can resu lt in a u n ity of aw areness. M erge w ith th e candle. Let its lig h t illu m in a te you, fro m w ith in . R em em b er, th is light is y o u r soul—Ha-Shem’s lam p. As a postscript, it is w o rth w h ile to consider th e in ­ te rp re ta tio n of th is m aterial by R. E leazar Azikri. Note especially th e association of th e congregation of Israel w ith th e candle-wick. The various colors of th e flam e allude to d ifferen t Sefirot, w ith M alkut (Sovereignty = Shechinah) b ein g th e low est. The nine Sefirot altogether are called the white light, and Malchut is the blue light, being a throne for the white light.

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Together they are a throne for the Emanator, may He be blessed, for all ten comprise a single unity, without any di­ vision. This is analagous to the light of the candle. Above is the white light and below, the blue light. The blue light is a throne for the white. And He commanded the nation whom He chose to attach their thought to this blue light. They are compared to the wick that is joined to the blue light and on which is the white light—thereby they are joined to both of them. This is what it says, “But you that are attached to Ha-Shem, your God, are all alive today (Deuteronomy 4:4). That is to say that even though you are compared to the wick which is linked to the blue, destructive light as is stated, “For HaShem, your God, is a consuming fire” (Deuteronomy 4:24)— and concerning it is written in Chronicles, “When Solomon concluded praying a fire descended from heaven and con­ sumed the olah and zevachim [i.e., sacrifices]” (2 Chronicles 7:1)—nevertheless, you will not be consumed. On the con­ trary, owing to your attachment to Ha-Shem, you shall con­ tinue to live. This is explicit in the section on Genesis in the Zohar, f. 51.” (Sefer Haredim, 34)

We shall end this section on th e quest for Divine light w ith a description of th e practices of a sm all netw ork of Israeli m editators w ho refer to them selves as th e HugeiArgaman (Circles of Royal Purple). I encountered th em in Jerusalem a dozen years ago. At th e tim e they also had a group in Tel Aviv. Perhaps they are still active. They based th e ir sp iritu al practice on th e teachings of an itin e ra n t Polish k ab b alist n a m e d Max T héon (1848-1927). T héon h ad a disciple, David Them anlys, an d it w as T h em an ly s’s son, Pascal, w ho h ead s th e HugeiArgaman. T héon p u b lish ed volum inously at th e start of th e century in an arcane, theosophical jo urnal, Revue Cosmique. U nder T h em an ly s’s d irectio n , th e group culled T héon’s w ritings and com piled an anthol­ ogy entitled Shaar le-Sodot ha-Hitbonenut (Gateway to th e M ysteries of M editation). They sold this slender, yet fascinating, volu m e in a bookstore devoted to

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K abbalah a n d H asidism called “The H id d en C o rn er” (alas defunct), w hich w as operated by several m em bers of th e group. The Hugei Argam an m e t w eekly. T he d o zen or so m em b ers sat in a circle, read an d discussed passages from th e Gateway. Som eone th e n recited a preparatory text th a t shall be p resen ted shortly. A cen tral com po­ n e n t of th is tex t is th a t th e titles of th e in itia l fo u r parshiyyot (sections) of th e T orah are in te rp re te d as sp iritu al guideposts. T he recitatio n w as follow ed by h alf an h o u r of silent m ed itatio n . A fterw ards, th e in ­ dividuals sh ared th e ir experiences. The percep tio n of violet lig h t w as especially valued in th e group. Text of the Concentration before Meditation and Serenity

We view this meditation as part of holy service—to help build the bridge between this world and the higher realms. We must try to open ourselves to receive blessings, lights and powers from Above, to open [our] spiritual senses, ac­ cording to the tradition of the prophets, kabbalists and hasidic masters. Especially according to the teaching of the holy ARI[i.e., R. Yitzhak Luria], who brought his disciples to drink the liv­ ing waters of the well of Miriam, the prophetess. We hope to dedicate this meditation, to reach inner quiet, introspection, heartfelt prayer and serenity, until [achiev­ ing] devekut (attachment), as the early pietists did—accord­ ing to Berachot [i.e., M. Berachot, 5:1]. For the covenant of serenity is one aspect of the myster­ ies of Shabbat. We sit in the violet light of the tabernacle (sukkah ) of peace. The order of the parshiyyot (sections) of Genesis hint at the levels of spiritual ascension: “In the beginning,” “Noah,” “Go forth,” “And He ap­ peared.” “In the beginning”—wisdom, “Noah”—serenity (menuchah), “Go forth”—ascension of the soul, “And He ap­ peared”—for all the Israelites saw the thunderings [lit. voices] while standing at Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:15).

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May He remember us so that Your Shechinah will reside upon us, And the spirit of wisdom and understanding will shine upon us. And we will fulfill the scriptural verse: ‘The spirit of Ha-Shem shall rest upon him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and valor. The spirit of the knowledge and fear of Ha-Shem’ (Isaiah 11:2). “In the beginning” “Noah”—in the beginning [la-nuach] one must rest, as it is written, “you shall be silent” (Exodus 14:14). (Shaar le-Sodot ha-Hitbonenut, 83)

10 H eart-C entered S pirituality

R. Hiyya bar Abba said, “Where do we find that the Holy one, blessed be He, is called Israel’s heart?—from this verse, ‘God is the rock of my heart and my portion forever’” (Psalms 73:26). —Shir ha-Shirim Rabbah 5:2 Jew ish sp iritu al lite ra tu re has always focused on th e h eart. F rom bib lical tim es to p resen t, th e h e a rt h as b een th e fu lcru m for Jew ish m editation. A fter explor­ in g som e of th e jew els fro m th e tre a su ry of sources on h e a rt sp iritu ality , w e shall conclude th is c h a p te r w ith a pow erful, heart-centered m editative te ch n iq u e fo rm u lated by R. Isaac of Acco, an early fo u rteen th cen tu ry figure. H eart sp iritu ality p erm eates th e H ebrew Scriptures. Well know n is th e passage from th e Shema, “You shall love Ha-Shem w ith all y o u r h e a rt and all soul an d all of y o u r stren g th ” (D euteronom y 6:5). R ededication to HaShem is characterized by receiving a new h eart. K ing 177

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David, after sin n in g w ith B athsheba, petitioned: “Cre­ ate a p u re h e a rt for m e, God, a n d re n e w a resolute spirit w ith in m e ” (Psalms 51:12). This th e m e w as de­ veloped by Ezekiel, w h e re in Ha-Shem p ro m ises th e exiled Israelites: “I w ill give you a n ew h e a rt an d em bue you w ith a new spirit. I w ill rem ove th e h e a rt of stone from y o u r flesh and give you a h e a rt of flesh. . . . T hen you w ill dw ell in th e la n d th a t I gave to yo u r fathers, and you shall be My n a tio n an d I w ill be y o u r G od” (Ezekiel 36:26-28; cf. 11:19, 18:31). A com plem entary biblical im age for sp iritu al tra n s­ fo rm atio n is th a t of th e circu m cisio n of th e h eart: “T hen Ha-Shem, y o u r God, w ill circum cize y o u r h eart an d th e h e a rt of y o u r seed to love Ha-Shem, y o u r God, w ith all y o u r h eart and soul th a t you m ay live” (Deute­ ro n o m y 30:6; cf. 10:16, Jerem iah 4:4). For those interested in num erology, th e first letter of th e Torah is a bet = 2 and th e last le tter is a lamed = 30. W hen com bined, these tw o letters form th e w ord lev, w hich is th e H ebrew for h e a rt an d yields th e n u ­ m erical value thirty-tw o. M oreover, Elohim (God) ap­ pears thirty-tw o tim es in G enesis 1. It is presu m ab ly for th ese reasons th a t th e classic text of Jew ish theoso­ phy, Sefer Yetzirah 1:1 begins: “W ith thirty-tw o m arvel­ lous p ath s of w isdom Ha-Shem inscribed . . . His N am e an d created th e universe.” The Rabbis endorsed th e cen trality of th e heart. “All th e lim bs [of th e body] d e p e n d u p o n th e h e a rt” (Y. Terumot 8:4,47a). “W hy was w isdom given to th e heart? Because all of th e lim bs depend u p o n th e h e a rt” (Yalkut Shimoni, Mishlei, no. 929). The h eart is also th e focus of n u m ero u s interesting halachic rulings. For exam ple, th e h e a rt is attributed w ith sight. Based on Ecclesiastes 1:16, “My h e a rt has seen m uch w isdom ,” the Rabbis decreed th at one’s geni­ tals m ust be covered during prayer, so th a t the heart will

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n o t see th e m an d becom e distracted (B. Berachot 24b). A nother regulation pertain s to Shabbat observance and th e restriction on not w alking m ore th a n approxim ately h alf a m ile beyond a city’s b o u n d aries. The Mishnah specifies h o w one sho u ld hold th e ta p e m easu re for establishing th e param eter: “O ne should n o t m easure except at th e level of th e h eart” (M. Eruvin 5:4). Addition­ ally, th e verse, “The h e a rt know s a p erso n ’s b ittern ess” (Proverbs 14:10) is th e scriptural basis for p erm ittin g som eone to eat on Yom K ippur. The Rabbis ruled th a t one should even disregard m edical advice and listen to th e individual (B. Yoma 83a). R eferrin g to a n o th e r situ atio n , th e ta lm u d ic com ­ m e n ta to r M eiri noted: “Even if a p erso n is a tran sg res­ sor, if som eone is p resen t at th e m o m en t w h en his soul d ep arts, [the observer] is obligated to re n d [his gar­ m ent]; ju s t like a b u rn t Torah, th e co m m an d m e n ts of th e h u m a n h e a rt are like letters o n a T orah scroll” (Beit ha-Bechirah Shabbat, 405). Two fascin atin g issues p e rta in in g to th e h e a rt are ra ise d in th e collection of cu sto m s a ttrib u te d to R. Y itzhak Luria. The first p ertain s to th e practice of b e a tin g o n o n e ’s chest w ith o n e ’s rig h t h a n d d u rin g th e C onfession (vidui), w h ich is recited repeatedly on Yom Kippur. In th is text th e re is referen ce to th e stan­ d ard kabbalistic sym bolism , w hich associates th e right side w ith Hesed (Mercy): We have previously explained about the secret of the human heart which is located in the chest—that is where the illu­ mination of the Mercies and Harsh Judgments, which issue forth from Yesod (Foundation), stop. Accordingly, it is nec­ essary for an individual to strike his heart completely to sig­ nify that he is causing the Mercies to ascend from the hid­ den place. . . . The secret of the right hand is the secret of the Mercies, as is well known, and therefore one beats with one’s right hand. (Shulhan Aruch ha-Ari 37:32)

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The next text is predicated u p o n th e kabbalistic doc­ trin e of gilgul, nam ely, tran sm ig ratio n /rein c arn atio n .1 One should refrain from eating meat and drinking wine during the week, in order to avoid sinning even uninten­ tionally. One should be particularly careful to avoid eating the heart of an animal or bird because the animal spirit re­ sides therein. If a person eats it, then the animal spirit will adhere to him and cause stupidity and forgetfulness. Some­ times a soul transmigrates into an animal or bird and ad­ heres to it [i.e., the heart] for the sanctuary of the soul is the heart. (Shulhan Aruch ha-Ari 58:9)

As th e ta lm u d ic sages noted, sp iritu a l p assio n is highly valued by Ha-Shem—“The Holy One, blessed be He, desires th e h e a rt” (B. Sanhedrin 106b). M aim onides expanded u p o n th is expression: “T he M erciful O ne desires th e h e a rt and according to th e in te n tio n of th e h e a rt are all th in g s ju d g e d ” (Iggerotav, 23b). This is w onderfully illustrated by th e classic story of th e u n ­ schooled h e rd sm an w ho each day w o u ld affirm th a t if Ha-Shem h ad any cattle, h e w ould te n d th e m for free. Once a scholar h ap p en ed to h e a r th is naive proclam a­ tio n an d decided to teach th e h e rd sm a n how to p ray “p ro p e rly .” A fter a tim e, th e h e rd s m a n forgot th e stan d ard prayers, b u t was reticent to resu m e his p e r­ sonal affirm ation, as it h a d b e e n d isp arag ed by th e scholar. He therefore ceased p ray in g altogether. O ne n ig h t th e scholar h ad a dream in w h ich he w as com ­ m an d ed to ensure th a t th e h erd sm an resu m e his daily proclam ation. The n arrativ e continues: Behold, here there is neither Torah [study] nor works [obe­ dience to the Law], but only this, that there was one who had it in his heart to do good, and he was rewarded for it, as if 1. An informative discussion of this theory is found in G. Scholem, On the Mystical Shape of the Godhead (New York, 1991), 197-250.

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this were a great thing. For [tradition teaches that] “the Merciful One desires the heart.” Therefore let people think good thoughts, and let these thoughts be turned to the Holy One, blessed be He. (Sefer Hasidim , cited in M. Fishbane, Judaism, 16)

The scriptural basis for Ha-Shem’s focus on th e h eart is found in th e story of D avid’s selection to replace Saul as king. Recall th a t Saul w as originally chosen as a stop­ gap m easure, in response to th e clam oring of th e m asses for a m onarch. Saul’s principal qualifications w ere his physical characteristics, “th e re being n o n e of th e Isra­ elites m o re h a n d so m e th a n he; n o n e of th e people reached his sh o u ld er” (1 Sam uel 9:2). O w ing to his im ­ patience an d n u m e ro u s errors in judgm ent, Saul w as a failure an d eventually lost Divine support. W hen th e p ro p h et Sam uel w as sent by Ha-Shem to an o in t one of Jesse’s sons as Saul’s successor, as soon as h e w as in tro ­ duced to Eliav, th e handsom e and statuesque eldest son, Sam uel n atu rally assum ed th a t he was th e chosen one. Ha-Shem said to S am uel, “Do n o t look u p o n h is appearance, n o r h is height, for I have rejected h im ; w h at m atters is n o t w h at a m a n perceives, for m a n p er­ ceives th e eyes, w h ereas Ha-Shem perceives th e h e a rt” (1 Sam uel 16:7). T hus, Sam uel w as in stru c ted to pass over Jesse’s seven a d u lt sons in favor of D avid, th e youngest—a red-faced sh ep h erd . Not only does Ha-Shem focus on th e h eart, b u t th e h e a rt is p o rtray ed as b ein g th e m e d iu m for perceiving God. N um erous poem s by R. Y ehudah H alevi refer to th e h u m a n h e a rt as th e source of visionary experience. To behold Him the eye fails, But from my flesh He is revealed to my heart.2 2. This and related passages are cited by Elliot Wolfson, “Merkavah Traditions in Philosophical Garb,” Proceedings of the American Academy fo r Jewish Research 57 (1990/1991): 225-231.

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A lthough w e assum e th a t th e m o u th is th e organ of speech, sincere speech is ro o ted in th e h e a rt. “My m o u th speaks w isdom ; th e u tteran ce of m y h e a rt is in sig h tfu l” (Psalm s 49:3). This h o n e sty is expressed by th e p o p u la r rab b in ic m axim : “w h a t com es from th e h eart, enters th e h e a rt.”3 The D ivine response to h u m a n com m itm ent is characterized by h eartfelt reci­ procity. “And they shall be My nation and I will be th e ir God, w h e n th e y re tu rn to Me w ith all th e ir h e a r t” (Jerem iah 24:7). “Prayer is d ep en d en t u p o n th e h e a rt” (Sefer Hasidim, no. 1590). It has long b een conten ded th a t th e h e a rt is th e h o m e of prayer. The connection b etw een th e h eart and p ray er is so strong th a t th e ta lm u d ic Sages char­ acterized p ray er as avodah she-be-lev (service of th e heart) (see B. Taanit 2a). Thus, w e find th a t the p ray er p a r excellence, th e Amidah, is concluded w ith th e fol­ low ing biblical verse: “May th e w ords of m y m o u th and th e m ed itatio n of m y h eart be acceptable to You, Ha-Shem, m y rock an d red eem er” (Psalm s 19:15). The biblical p arad ig m for sin cerity in p ra y e r w as S am uel’s m other, H annah: “Now H an n ah w as speak­ ing to h e r heart; only h e r lips m oved, b u t h e r voice was n o t h e a rd ” (1 Sam uel 1:13). R. H a m n u n a asserted th a t this verse contains m an y basic regulations p e rta in in g to a rd e n t prayer, in clu d in g th e n eed to d irect o n e ’s h eart to Ha-Shem an d p ray in g quietly b u t w ith preci­ sion (see B. Berachot 31a). The Midrash offers an in te re stin g in sig h t in to th e difference betw een Divine and h u m a n n atu re. If a human owns a vessel, as long as it is whole, he is pleased with it. As soon as it breaks, he no longer wants to see it. The 3. A. Hyman, Otzar Divrei Hachamim u-Fitgameihem (Tel Aviv, 1972), 198, notes that this maxim is not found in the Talmud but is nevertheless based upon the statement, “The words of a God­ fearing person are accepted” (B. Berachot 6b).

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Holy One, blessed be He, is different. If a certain object is whole, He does not want to see it. If it is broken, then He desires it. What is this object belonging to the Holy One, blessed be He?—the human heart. If the Holy One, blessed be He, sees that a person is haughty—[literally, high­ hearted]—He does not want him, as is written “all the haughty are an abomination to Ha-Shem” (Proverbs 16:5). If he is shattered, then He says, “This is Mine”—as is written, “Ha-Shem is close to the broken-hearted” (Psalms 34:19). (Midrash ha-Gadol on Genesis 38:1)

E steem in g th e b ro k en h earted su p p lican t is an im ­ p o rta n t m o tif in Jew ish sp iritu al literatu re. “A lthough th e an cien ts w ere able to concentrate o n th e p ro p e r kavvanah (in ten tio n ) th a t w as a p p ro p ria te for each context, now adays w e lack kaw anot—the only response is a b ro k e n h eart, w h ich is an o p en in g for ev ery th in g ” (Maggid of M ezeritch, Or ha-Emet, 14a). C onnected w ith th is th e m e is th e n o tio n of th e h e a rt as a san ctu ary /altar: An altar will I construct from my shattered heart.. . . [T]he shards of my spirit are Your offerings. (Shir ha-Yichud le-Yom Rishon, Machazor Rabba, 78)

C onsider also th e follow ing from th e philosophical text, “A C h ap ter on H appiness”: “K now th a t th e sanc­ tu a ry of y o u r h e a rt is th e sanctuary of th e ark, seques­ te rin g th e Tablets of th e Testim ony. S im ilarly it is se­ q u estered in y o u r h e a rt an d inscribed o n th e tab let of y o u r h eart. T hus you w ill see th a t th e y have said: ‘. .. O people w h o b e a r My T orah o n th e ir h e a rt’ (Isaiah 51:7)” (Perakim be-Hatzlahah, 2). A lovely expansion of th is th e m e constitutes a p o p u ­ lar song b ased on R. N ach m an ’s teachings: I I will build a sanctuary in my heart, to adorn His Glory. In this sanctuary I will place an altar, for the rays of His Splendor.

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For the eternal flame, I will take the fire of the Binding [of Isaac]. For a sacrifice I will offer to Him my sublime soul.

O u r final selection on this topic is from R. H ayyim of Volozhin: “Each perso n in d iv id u ally is a Tem ple, com prising all of th e w orlds, b u t is m o re sacred th a n any of th em . The h eart is even m ore sacred still an d is com parable to th e Holy of Holies, as is w ritte n ‘[dur­ ing prayer] direct your h e a rt to th e Holy of H olies’ (B. Berachot 30a)” (Nefesh ha-Hayyim 309). From th e tw elfth cen tu ry an d onw ards, th e re w as a p ro n o u n ced influence of Islam ic m ysticism u p o n S ephardic Jewish spirituality.4 This is especially tru e in m atters of th e heart, as is evidenced by th e p io n eer­ in g classic of this genre, R. Bahya ib n P aq u d a’s Duties o f the Heart. Bahya begins by noting: “Religion itself is divided into tw o parts. O ne is th e know ledge of th e external duties of th e body and its m em bers; th e oth er is th e in tern al know ledge of th e secret duties of th e h e a rt” (The Book of Direction to the Duties o f the Heart, M. M ansoor, trans., 87). Duties is n o th in g less th a n a p re s e n ta tio n of th e stages of th e Sufi tariqa (path) to God, u sin g Jew ish m otifs. Each of its te n chapters describes an o th er level on th e spiritual quest, beginning w ith th e u n ity of God, co n tin u in g w ith such topics as rep en tan ce and asceti­ cism an d concluding w ith love of God. In justifying th e study of Sufi practices, R. A vraham , th e son of M aim onides, asserted: “A nd do n o t regard as u n seem ly o u r (com parison) of th a t to th e b ehavior of th e Sufis, because th e Sufis im itate th e prophets and w alk in th e ir footsteps, n o t th e p ro p h e ts in th e irs ” 4. An excellent overview of the synergy between Judaism and Sufism is Paul Fenton’s introduction to his translation of Obadayah Maimonides’ Treatise of the Pool (London, 1981), 1-71.

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(A braham M aim onides, The High W ays to Perfection, 2:321). T hus, R. A vraham a rg u e d th a t th e Sufis h a d p re ­ served au th en tic Jew ish p ro p h etic practices an d th a t it w as w o rth w h ile to stu d y th e ir b eh av io r an d th e re b y recover th is aspect of th e Jew ish heritage. As w e n o ted in C h ap ter 4, h e even advocated specific liturgical in ­ n o v atio n s, such as k n e e lin g d u rin g p ra y e r a n d fre­ q u e n t bow in g an d hand-raising. He w as nevertheless very distressed at th is course of events: Observe then these wonderful traditions and sigh with re­ gret over how they have been transferred from us and made their appearance among someone else than our nation and had been hidden from us, about situations like which they have said, blessed be their memory “My soul shall weep . . . because of the pride of Israel that was taken away from them and given to the nations of the world” (B. Hagigah 5b). (High Ways, 323)

O w ing to th is perceived affinity b etw een Judaism an d Sufi spirituality, in th e early th irte e n th century, several Sufi texts w ere p a ra p h ra s e d a n d tra n s la te d from Arabic into Hebrew. O ne such treatise w as a w ork by al-Ghazali, w h ich w as repackaged by R. A vraham b a r H asdai as Moznei Tzedek (Scales of R ighteousness). So the Sage5 has said, heresy begins like a black dot in the heart. This [heresy] can increase until the heart becomes totally black. Similarly, faith begins like a white dot. As faith increases so does the whiteness. If a person’s faith is com­ plete, then his heart becomes totally white. So it is written, “Even though your sins are scarlet, they can become snowwhite” (Isaiah 1: 18). (Moznei Tzedek, 81 )

5. This was originally attributed to Ali, though in the Hadith literature it is attributed to Mohammed; cf. A. Schimmel, Mysti­ cal Dimensions of Islam (Chapel Hill, 1975), 135.

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This process of clean sin g th e h e a rt w as ro o ted in biblical directives such as, “w ash y o u r h e a rt clean of w ickedness, Jerusalem , th a t you m ay be saved” (Jerem iah 4:14). A nother relevant biblical form ulation is th e verse from Proverbs 27:19, “As one face [m irrors] a n o th e r face in th e w ater, so too does one h e a rt to an o th er h e a rt.” H eart-centered spirituality associated w ith w ater was developed by Sufism an d eventually reintegrated into Jewish th o u g h t. It becam e th e cen­ tral m otif of an intriguing m id-thirteenth-century spiri­ tual text, The Treatise o f the Pool, com posed by O badyah M aim onides, son of R. A vraham M aim onides an d grandson of R. Moses M aim onides. The significance of th e pool m etap h o r is described in som e detail: Imagine a certain person who, possessing a very old pool, desireth to cleanse the latter of dirt and mire and to restore it. Certainly a Divine favour hath been bestowed upon him. He must therefore ensure that the pool cease to be polluted, occupying himself with its gradual cleansing until it is com­ pletely purified. Only after having ascertained that there remaineth therein no impurity can the living waters that go forth from the House of God flow therein, concerning which it is said, “And a source from the House of God” (Joel 4:18). The foregoing is an allegory alluding to the purification, cleans­ ing and purging of the heart, the correction of its defects and failings and its being emptied of all but the Most High. He who accomplisheth this will comprehend invaluable notions which were hitherto hidden from him, deriving therefrom that which none else can acquire (even) after much time and with plenteous knowledge, as Solomon hath said, “above all that thou guardest keep thy heart; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23). (Obadyah Maimonides, The Treatise of the Pool, 91)

Even in th is century, th e re are Jews w ho have focused on Sufi h e a rt-sp iritu a lity —th e best-know n being Samuel Lewis, th e pioneer of Sufi dancing in this country. Some of his m usings on th e h e a rt evoke tra ­ ditional Jewish them es an d include th e following:

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For nothing stands between God and the human heart. Nothing tarnishes the altar within the heart. (In the Garden, 94) Whereby with the opening of the heart The heart can regain heart, Man comes face to face with his Creator, The soul finds its eternal resting-place, And the purpose of existence is revealed.. . . Within the secret confines of the heart There lies the sacred door. (In the Garden, 176)

Lewis also fo rm u lated a “m e d itatio n of th e h e a rt”: This meditation is a difficult task: For it is not of the body, neither is it of the mind . . . Its very simplicity is its difficulty . . . Let us turn, in silence let us turn to the heart. Let us seek the secret asylum of the heart, For therein lies the city of refuge, great beyond conception. There is repose, there is salvation.. . . Feel this love, find this love, follow this love.. . . This is tauba [Ar.], this is shuvo [Heb.], this is repentance, This is the Way toward Love. (In the Garden, 178-179)

H aving traced a h isto ry of Jew ish heart-spirituality, w e can now go back to th e early fourteenth cen tu ry and th e p ro fo u n d m e d itatio n fo rm u lated b y R. Y itzhak of Acco. His k ab b alistic c o m m e n ta ry on th e T o rah is essentially a su p er-com m entary on R am b an ’s fam ous T orah co m m en tary . Deuteronomy 11:22 ends, “to love Ha-Shem, y o u r God, to w alk in His w ays an d to attach y o u rself to H im .” In d iscu ssin g th is verse, R am b an w rote, “You sh o u ld re m e m b e r Ha-Shem alw ays, an d y o u r love sh o u ld n ev er b e rem o v ed fro m y o u r th o u g h ts.” T hese co m m en ts served as a catalyst for R. Y itzhak of Acco’s m ed itativ e technique.

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I, Yitzhak the youth, the son of Rabbi Shmuel, may the Com­ passionate One guard him, from Acco, may it be rebuilt and restored, say both to specially trained individuals and the general public, that one who wants to know the secret of connecting one’s soul Above and attaching one’s thoughts to the Supreme Master, will acquire the World to Come through this perpetual, uninterrupted thought process. Ha-Shem will be with you, now and in the future. You should place the letters of the Unique Name [i.e., YHVH], may He be blessed, against the eyes of your mind and thought, as if they were written before you in square letters in a book. Each letter should appear infinitely large to your eyes; that is to say, when you place the letters of the Unique Name opposite your eyes, your mind’s eyes should focus on them and your heart’s thought should be concentrated on the Ayn Sof (The Infinite). Together, both your visualization and your thought should be as one. This is the true attach­ ment as it is written, “Adhere to Him” (Deuteronomy 30:20), “and in Him you should adhere” (Deuteronomy 10:20), “and you who adhere [etc.]” (Deuteronomy 4:4). As long as your soul is attached to Ha-Shem, may He be blessed, in this manner, no evil will befall you___ Owing to the honor of Ha-Shem, may He be blessed, be careful not to attach your thought to Him except in a clean place, not in dirty alleyways, nor with unclean hands, nor in a place of idolatry, etc.” (Meirat Aynayim, 278f)

R abbi Y itzhak stressed th a t th is m e d ita tio n is for anyone w ho sincerely desires to ad h ere to God. It can be practiced any place th a t is ap p ro p ria te to D ivine co n tem p latio n . T here are tw o d istin ct, yet sim u lta ­ neous concentrations. W ith y o u r m in d ’s eye, visualize th e four letters of th e U nique N am e—yod/hey/vav/hey/ —as if th ey are infinitely large. At th e sam e tim e, open y o u r h e a rt to the Ayn Sof, th e infinite, undefinable, and h id d en m o st aspect of th e Divinity. The Four-Letter N am e w as view ed by th e early kabbalists as th e pivotal nam e. R. Yosef G ikatilla, w ho com posed his classic book, Shaarei Orah, a few decades p rio r to R. Yitzhak, stated th a t all th e o th e r holy N am es in th e Torah d ep en d on It. He com pares

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this N am e to th e tru n k of a tree, w hich possesses m an y b ran ch es.6 O r consider th e early kabbalistic hom ily: After the destruction of the Temple, only the Great Name remained for them. The righteous and pious individuals and the men of good deeds would go into isolation and unify the Great Name, may He be blessed. They would light a fire in the altar place of their hearts—and with pure thought, they would unite all of the Sefirot:joining one to the other, pro­ gressing to the flame source, whose exaltedness is infinite. (Scholem, Begriff, 506)

D etailed directives on th e concentration appropriate for each le tter of th e Ineffable N am e are found in th e H asidic anthology. Or ha-Ganuz la-Tzaddikim: Concerning the topic, “I have continuously placed Ha-Shem before me” (Psalms 16:8) one should always visualize the Ever-Existent Name. The proper concentration is that the yod of the Name alludes to the attribute [Sefirah] of Wisdom that is the Source of Life, animating everything; therefore one should concentrate on the attribute of Wisdom animat­ ing him. This leads to the attribute of Love [corresponding to heh]. In the same way that a person loves his being and his life, such is the love of Ha-Shem. Moreover, Fear is in­ cluded in Love. This is the Fear of separating, God forbid, from the source of life, which is Ha-Shem. The first heh is the attribute that fills all of the worlds encompassing the six directions of the worlds, alluded to by the vav. The final heh corresponds to Malchut (Sovereignty), which brings him into existence from nothingness—like the great light of the sun and the shield of Ha-Shem of the Hosts, radiating and bestow­ ing upon him life and existence from the Source of Life. (Or ha-Ganuz la-Tzaddikim, 5)

The letters of th e N am e are like p ath s lead in g th e m in d to th e palace of consciousness of th e e te rn a l 6. An excellent translation of this incomparable book has re­ cently been published: Joseph Gikatilla, Gates of Light: Shaare Orah, trans. A. Weinstein (San Francisco, 1994).

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Divine Presence. There is, how ever, an o th er realm th a t cannot be perceived th ro u g h th e intellect. It is th e root an d source of th e tree, h id d e n below th e surface. The A yn Sof can only be approached via th e heart, w hich expands and contracts, em u latin g th e Divine. Two different modes: a conceptual exercise designed for th e m ind, and an en co u n ter w ith Infinity for th e h e a rt—sim ultaneously, tw o co m p lem e n tary m e d ita­ tions, like arm s reaching o u t to em brace th e D ivine th a t is w ithin.

11 Yichudim : U nifications

In th is p e n u ltim a te chapter, w e shall discuss th e tech ­ n iq u e of yichudim (unifications). In m an y ways, it can be seen as th e cu lm in atio n of th e Jew ish m editative trad itio n , ow ing to its w id esp read u tilizatio n d u rin g th e M iddle Ages. Them es th a t w e have previously con­ sid ered , such as focusing on D ivine N am es an d th e c o n n ectio n b etw een sp iritu a lity a n d sexuality, are b ro u g h t into sh arp relief in th is practice. M any of th e m editative tech n iq u es th a t w e have dis­ cussed u p to th is p o in t can be characterized as private m editations. We have also seen exam ples of co m m u ­ nal practices, such as th e ancient m editation connected w ith th e Shema, u n d e rta k e n tw ice daily d u rin g public p ray er services. Yichudim (unifications) w ere also as­ sociated w ith th e daily litu rg y . Basically, yichudim entail th e m erging of tw o distinct Divine Names, w hich co rresp o n d to u p p e r an d low er intraD ivine states, as w ell as m ale an d fem ale D ivine attributes. This tech ­ n iq u e o rig in ated in th e th irte e n th c e n tu ry an d w as 191

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com prehensively developed in th e sixteenth century. Although vestiges of it rem ain, it is not currently widely practiced. The m ajor p ro p o n en t of yichudim w as th e sixteenthcen tu ry lu m in ary R. Yitzhak Luria. In fact, m u ch has been published on th e role of yichudim in his m ysti­ cism .1 L urianic tech n iq u es are h ig h ly com plex an d ra th e r convoluted. They w ere n ev er in te n d e d for th e general public, b u t solely for circles of adepts. R ather th a n rep risin g this m aterial, w e shall instead focus on th e m edieval kabbalists, w ho first form ulated th e tech­ n ique of yichudim. W hile still challenging, this m ate­ rial is m ore accessible, yet little know n. In add itio n to providing substantial inform ation about th e yichudim, th e selections th a t w e shall consider offer significant insig h t into th e m echanics of th e early Kabbalah. A lthough various co m b in atio n s of D ivine N am es have b een used in yichudim , th e m o st im p o rta n t is th e m erging of YHVH w ith ADoNaY, th ereb y yielding YAHDVNHY. As w e m en tio n ed in C hapter 1, th e FourLetter Name, YHVH, w h ich is in d icativ e of e tern al existence, is th e m ost sacred; therefore, it is n o t vocal­ ized. Instead, it is tra d itio n a l to su b stitu te ADoNaY (My M aster/Lord), w h en p ro n o u n cin g th e Four-Letter Name. These tw o Names have therefore b een intercon­ nected for m illenia and th e te ch n iq u e of yichudim is sim ply a contem plative focusing on th is relationship. Insofar as these two Names are standardly associated in th e Kabbalah w ith th e Sefirot, Tiferet (Beauty), an d Malchut (Sovereignty), it is q u ite u n d erstan d ab le th a t th e com pilation YAHDVNHY w o u ld be u sed to repre1.

See the material presented by Aryeh Kaplan, Meditation and Kabbalah (York Beach, 1982), esp. 218-260; as well as Lawrence Fine’s essay, “The Contemplative Practice of Yihudim in Lurianic Kabbalah,” in Jewish Spirituality 2, A. Green, ed. (New York, 1987), 64-98, and the panoramic overview by R. Patai, The Hebrew God­ dess , (Detroit, 1990), 161-201.

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sent th e u n ificatio n of th ese Sefirot. Thus, yichudim are indicative of h a rm o n y in th e intraD ivine realm .2 An ap t conceptualization of th is process of u n ifica­ tio n is fro m th e B aghdadi Sage R. Yosef H ayyim : “It is k n o w n th a t fro m th e le tters of th e N am e, YHVH, th e vitality a n d existence of H eaven are derived, an d from th e letters of th e nam e, ADoNaY, th e vitality an d existence of th e e a rth are derived. T hus h e said, “O u r h e lp is th ro u g h th e N am e of Ha-Shem, w h o m akes H eaven an d e a rth ” (Psalm s 124:8)” (Ben Ish Hai, VaYeira, 19). In a n o th e r discourse, R. Yosef H ayyim explains th e significance of th e fact th a t th e collated N am e, YAHDVNHY, b egins an d en d s w ith th e le tte r yod. He asserts th a t th e in itial yod corresponds to th e first let­ te r of Yisrael, th e exalted nam e th a t was bestow ed u p o n th e P atriarch Jacob w h en h e w restled w ith a n angel (see G enesis 32:29). T he final yod, h o w ev er, co rre­ sp o n d s to th e first le tte r of Jacob’s o rig in a l n am e, Yaakov, w h ich is derived fro m th e H ebrew akev (heel), allu d in g to Jacob’s b irth , w h ere u p o n h e h eld o nto th e h eel of his b ro th e r Esau (see G enesis 25:26). R. Yosef H ayyim adroitly relates these tw o yodim to th e te n (i.e., yod) Sefirot: “This is th e aspect of Malchut th a t is th e akev (heel) of th e Sefirot, an d is alluded to th e n am e Yaakov, w h ich h as th e letters Y[od] akev, th a t is to say th e yod th a t stan d s at th e heel. This is th e opposite of th e n am e Yisrael, w hich alludes to Y[od] le-rosh (at th e b eg in n in g )” (Ben Ish Hai, 263f). A lthough th e te c h n iq u e of yichudim ach iev ed p ro m in e n c e in th e six teen th cen tu ry , it w as first de­ veloped in th e co rp u s of texts co m m o n ly re fe rre d to as th e w ritin g s of th e “Circle of C o n te m p la tio n .” This te rm w as co in ed by G ershom Scholem , o w in g to th e 2. On the liturgical use of the unification of the Sefirot, see L. Jacobs, Hasidic Prayer (New York, 1973), 140-153.

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cen trality of a sh o rt th eo so p h ical w ork. The Book o f Contemplation .3 It is attributed to an individual kn o w n only as R. H am m ai (i.e., S eer/C o n tem p lato r). Al­ th o u g h Scholem co n ten d ed th a t th is text o rig in ated in Provence in th e tw elfth century, m y research in to its various recensions has lead to th e conclusion th a t it w as a product of m id -th irteen th century Castile (i.e., w estern Spain).4 O ne of th e m ore im p o rta n t treatises of th e “C ircle” and one w hich contains significant m aterial related to yichudim is th e Com mentary on the Four-Letter Name (hereafter Commentary).5Tow ards th e end of th e Com­ m entary, th e re is a discussion of four pivotal D ivine Names: YHVH, ADoNaY, YYAY and EHYeH. The a u th o r asserts th a t b y c o m b in in g th e ir letters in a specific m a n n e r th e ir hotam ot (seals) w ill be form ed. T hese seals are said to “guide an d su stain ” previously fo rm u ­ lated le tter p e rm u ta tio n s derived from th e o p e n in g verse of Genesis. Hence, they have a cosm ological sig­ nificance in th a t th e y are associated w ith th e creation of th e universe. “Now you shall m ix th e ir letters an d discover th e ir seals. How? Y from th e Four-Letter N am e w hich is YHVH, A from th e nam e ADoNaY, Y fro m YYAY, A from EHYeH. You shall place this by itself an d it w ill yield for you th e nam e, YAYA” (Florence ms. 2:41,200b). In all, fo u r n ew N am es—YAYA, HDYH, VNAY, a n d HYYH—w ere form ed b y com bining successive letters from each of th e D ivine Names. O w ing to th e elabo­ rate detail of these instructions one can p resu m e th a t th is p ro ced u re for g e n e ra tin g new N am es w as n o t 3. See G. Scholem’s Origins of the Kabbalah (Princeton, 1987), 309-364. 4. See M. Verman, The Books of Contemplation: Medieval Jewish Mystical Sources (Albany, 1992). 5. This text was partially translated in J. Dan’s The Early Kabbalah (New York, 1986), 54-56.

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w idely k n o w n a n d m ay have even b een p io n eered by th is an o n y m o u s author. It is significant th a t these seals, along w ith th e p e r­ m u tatio n s from G enesis are asserted to have a litu rg i­ cal role. For exam ple, YAYA is to be used, “w h en you d irect y o u r h e a rt in p ra y e r” (200b). A m o re specific liturgical usage, connected w ith th e recitation of th e Shema, is th e follow ing directive: Afterwards you should return and join and collate the four seals one against the other. They are: YAHA HDYH, VNAY, and HYYH and your concentration should focus on this seal: “HaShem, our God, Ha-Shem is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). Guard this unity of seventeen, corresponding to good, in order that you shall know from this that everything comes from One and exists in One and returns to One.. . . Happy is he who concentrates on the perfect One who is Master of all the unities, blessed is His Name for ever. (201a)

T he “u n ity of sev en teen ” p resu m ab ly refers to th e sev en teen H ebrew letters th a t co n stitu te th e expres­ sion “Ha-Shem, o u r God, Ha-Shem is one.” A dditionally, th is represents th e gematria, i.e. n um erical value, of tov (good). It is in terestin g th a t alth o u g h th e first of th e seals, YAHA w as derived from th e initial letters of four D ivine N am es, it also h a p p e n s to correspond exactly to th e initial letters of th e fo u r w ords from th e verse u n d e r discussion. A fu rth e r liturgical association entails th e recitation of th e Am idah, th e stan d in g prayer. “W hen you stan d to p ray an d are com pleting each of th e eighteen bless­ ings, u p o n reciting each D ivine N am e of th e blessings, co n cen trate y o u r m in d an d re m e m b e r one of th ese fo u r afo rem en tio n ed seals th a t are seals of tru th . You w ill be answ ered from H eaven an d y o u r prayers w ill n o t re tu rn e m p ty ” (201a-b). F rom th e previous passages w e see clearly th a t th e p rim a ry fu n ctio n of yichudim in th e Commentary is to p ro m o te co n tem p latio n d u rin g prayer.

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At one p o in t th e a u th o r asserts th a t these fo u r seals constitute a sixteen-letter entity, “one N am e from en d to b eg in n in g ” (201a). A lthough this com posite N am e is n o t presen ted in th e Commentary, it form s th e crux of an o th er w ork from th e “Circle,” entitled This Is the Knowledge of the Blessed Creator (hereafter. Knowledge). It is a brief piece w hich has been preserved in only tw o m anuscripts. Knowledge com m ences w ith a N eoplatonic discus­ sion of th e Four-Letter Name. It asserts th a t th e fo u r letters correspond to four panim (aspects), of w hich tw o are m asculine an d tw o are fem inine. T ogether th e y co n stitu te “th e essence of th e shekel, (i.e., a biblical w eight), w h ich w as w eighed b y th e P rim e M over” (Florence ms. 2:53, 23b). This peculiar use of th e te rm “shekel” calls to m in d b o th th e H ebrew w ritin g s of R. M oshe de Leon an d th e Zohar itself.6 The text continues by depicting th e p rim o rd ial state as one in w hich th e forces coexisted in “crystalline, balanced unity.” Thereupon, “the m asculine em braced th e fem in in e, as it w ere, an d th e sep arate pow ers em anated from th e m an d w ere form ed like an em bryo in an expansive w om b. From th e m w ere generated th e thirty-tw o m arvellous paths of w isdom . These are YOD HA HA” (23b).7 After a b rief discussion of th e concept of “balanced u n ity ,” th e focus shifts to th e com posite n a m e YAAYHHDYVYNAHHYY, w hich is said to re p re se n t its yichud. This seem s to be th e first instance of th e com ­ pilation of Divine N am es referred to by th e technical term , yichud. E ventually this becom es stan d ard usage. Like th e Four-Letter N am e Itself, YAAYHHDYVYNAHHYY also consists of tw o m ale and tw o fem ale com ponents. 6. See, for example, R. Moshe de Leon’s Shekel ha-Kodesh. 7. It should be noted that the numerical value of YOD HA HA is thirty-two.

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T he tex t offers a sc rip tu ra l allu sio n to su b sta n tia te th is ch aracteristic—“a w o m a n shall encircle a m a n ” (Jerem iah 31:22). It is notew o rth y th a t in Knowledge, no guidance is offered as to how this n am e w as generated. Perhaps, fam iliarity w ith th e in stru ctio n s in th e Commentary, w as assum ed b y this au th o r. Finally, in Knowledge, as in th e Commentary, th e yichud is depicted as h av in g a liturgical function. “You shall im agine th is form d u r­ in g th e h o u r of prayer. W hen th e re is no p ray er do no t im agine it” (Florence m s. 2:53, 23b). As w e have ju st seen, a fu n d am en tal elem ent of th e p rin cip le of un ification in th ese texts is th e in tim ate connection betw een spirituality and sexuality, a them e th a t w e originally discussed in C hapter 4. The sources of this notion are surely ancient. For exam ple, m ention can be m ade of R. Akiva’s ch am p io n in g of King Solo­ m o n ’s sensual love poem s th a t constitute th e Song of Songs, as th e “Holy of Holies.” “R. Akiva declared . . . “For th e en tire w orld is n o t as w o rth y as th e day on w hich th e Song of Songs w as given to Israel, for all th e W ritings are holy, b u t th e Song of Songs is th e Holy of Holies” (M. Yadayim 3:5). Even m o re an cien t is th e sta tu a ry of th e C herubs atop th e ark, in itially in th e M osaic T abernacle an d eventually in th e First Tem ple. These angelic figures, re p re s e n tin g th e D ivine P resence, w ere p o sitio n ed facing each other. A ccording to th e Rabbis, th e y w ere em b racin g “like a m a n w ith his consort” (B. Yoma 54ab, based on 1 Kings 7:36). In a n enigm atic text. The Kabbalah ofR. Meshullam the Zadokite, w h ich is possibly th e earliest of th e w ritings of th e “Circle of C o n tem p latio n ,” th e re is an in terest­ in g discussion concerning th e sexuality of th e Cherubs. “Hashmal is th e great C herub: som etim es it is tra n s­ fo rm ed in to a m ale a n d so m etim es in to a fem ale” (V erm an, Books o f Contemplation, 208). In a related text

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from th e “Circle” w e read: ‘“[Cherub, lions and palm s] according to th e spacing of each, and w reaths [encir­ cling]’ (1 Kings 7:36). T here is in this th e secret of th e Cherubs: an allusion for one w ho u n d erstan d s w hat is w ritten in S cripture—‘m ale and fem ale He created th e m ... and He called th e ir n am e A dam ’ (Genesis 5:2)” (M. V erm an, Books o f Contemplation 201). R eturning to th e evolution of yichudim, an o th er text from th e “Circle” th a t is p e rtin e n t is a co m m en tary on th e Sefirot p u blished b y G ershom Scholem .8 The anonym ous a u th o r discusses th e Sefirot in th ree dis­ tin ct ways. Initially, h e divides th e m into tw o groups of five each. The first group bears nam es indicative of in tellectual capacity, such as sechel kadm on (Prim al Intellect), w hereas th e second group is associated w ith light: for exam ple, or ha-bahir (Shining Light). These term s also ap p ear in o th e r w ritings from th e “Circle.” The u p p e r Sefirot are th e n discussed in te rm s of kabbalistic doctrines. Finally, in th e th ird phase th e initial five Sefirot are associated w ith shemot. D ivine Names. These involve p erm u tatio n s of th e com bina­ tio n of YHVH and ADoNaY: YAHDVNHY, YHNDVNHY, YNHDVNHY, HYNDVNHY an d HHNDVNHY. The first of these is th e basic yichud. T he next th re e are in te rre ­ lated. YHNDVNHY w as p resu m ab ly form ed by tak in g th e final th ree letters of th e initial com bination (i.e., NHY) an d tra n sp o sin g th e m , th e re b y p ro d u c in g th e m irro r im age, YHNDVNHY. This is followed by two stan­ dard p erm u tatio n s of th ese th re e letters. First YHN is tran sfo rm ed into YNHDVNHY an d th e n HYNDVNHY. If th e p a tte rn w ould have c o n tin u ed , th e fifth should have read HNYDVNHY. It is u n clear w hy it com m ences instead HHNDVNHY. Although one cannot date th e w ritings of th e “Circle” w ith any precision—ow ing in p a rt to th e fact th a t all 8. G. Scholem, Kitvei Yad ba-Kabbalah, 204-206.

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of th e se texts are e ith e r a n o n y m o u s or p se u d o n y ­ m o u s—th e re is another, early occurrence of a yichud th a t m ay be easier to p in p o in t. It is found in a p ray er a ttrib u te d to R. Yaakov ha-C ohen an d p u b lish e d by G ershom Scholem .9 For various reasons Scholem w as som ew hat h esitan t to accept its authenticity; neverthe­ less, it is p reserv ed in a m a n u sc rip t dated 1298 and is accordingly relev an t to o u r discussion, w hoever th e a u th o r m ay have been. T he Prayer consists of n u m e ro u s acrostics. O ne of its stanzas focuses on th e th e m e of D ivine unicity. It con­ cludes w ith a p roclam ation co n cern in g G od’s salvific p o w er th a t yields th e yichud, YAAHHDVYNHHY. This rep resen ts a com bination of th e th re e Names: YHVH, EHYeH an d ADoNaY; (Scholem , “Kabhalot,” 60). A nother datable attestatio n is fo u n d in Sefer ha-Ot, one of R. A braham A bulafia’s la te r w orks, w ritten in 1288. O w ing to A bulafia’s great in terest in letter p er­ m u tatio n s of D ivine N am es, it is som ew hat su rp risin g th a t one does n o t find m ore such instances. At th e en d of th e second section of this p ro p h etic w ork Abulafia w rites, “We w an t Your salvation YAHDVNHY. ”101A m ore in te re stin g usage is fo u n d n e a r th e conclusion of th e book. “And happiness, joy, levity an d gaiety are jo in ed in th e h e a rt of all th a t seek Ha-Shem, th ro u g h th e nam e YHAVHDYHNVHYYHVH. ”11 This consists of th e first tw o letters of th e Four-Letter N am e, follow ed by th e first le tte r of ADoNaY, th e n th e c o n c lu d in g p a ir of FourL etter N am e letters, follow ed b y th e second letter of 9. G. Scholem, “Kabbalot R. Yaakov ve-R. Yitzhak,”Maddaei haYahadut 2 (1927): 58-64. 10. A. Abulafia, Sefer ha-Ot, ed. A. Jellinek, in Jubelschrift des H. Graetz (Breslau, 1887), 69; cf. Vatican ms. 245, f. 20a. 11. Jellinek’s edition, 75, is problematic for it divides the name thusly, YHAVHDYHNYH YYDVD. We have followed the reading in Vatican ms. 245, f. 56b.

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ADoNaY, and th e n th e p a tte rn repeats. It is concluded w ith a th ird reference to th e Four-Letter Name. O ther p e rtin e n t m aterial is evident in th e w ritin g s of R. Yosef G ikatilla, an im p o rta n t late th irte e n th century figure. In his Ginnat Egoz, th e re is a su stain ed discussion of th e esoteric im plications of th e Shema based on gematriot. G ikatilla w rites. And in truth in this palace (hechal = 65) called ADoNaY (=65) the Unique Name is hidden.. .. You should know that this hechal contains the secret of the yichud. . . . Therefore you shall discover that hechal (=65) includes the secret of the Name, which is YHVH (=26), plus the secret of its explana­ tion, which is “YHVH echad” [i.e., Ha-Shem is one = 39).1213

This th em e is repeated in G ikatilla’s Shaarei Or ah, w ithout the num erical underpinnings stated explicitly. Gikatilla begins w ith th e assertion th a t “ADoNaY is a hechal for the Name, YHVH.” He concludes: “Accordingly there is no w ay to en ter into the knowledge of the nam e, YHVH, except by m eans of AD oN aY... and this shall be a sign for you, ‘YHVH is one an d His N am e is o n e ’ (Zecheriah 14:9). T hat is to say th a t YHVH is ADoNaY through th e read in g of ‘o n e’ (ba-keriat echad).”15 The concluding statem en t is adm ittedly am biguous; how ever, it is u n d erstan d ab le in light of th e gematriot cited above th a t R. Yosef G ikatilla h a d w o rk ed o u t in Ginnat Egoz. T hus YHVH can be tran sfo rm ed in to ADoNaY by m eans of echad as follows: YHVH (26), plus echad (13), plus YHVH (26), equals ADoNaY (65).14 12. J. Gikatilla, Ginnat Egoz, “Shaar ha-Hechal” (reprint, n.d.) 14b; cf. the discussion by E. Gottlieb, Ha-Kabbalah be-Kitvei Rabbenu Bahya ben Asher (Jerusalem, 1970), 152f. 13. Y. Gikatilla, Shaarei Orah. 1 , ed. Y. Ben-Shlomoh, (Jerusa­ lem, 1981), 87. 14. Yosef Ben-Shlomoh, ibid., n. 107, offers a different expla­ nation by interpreting the phrase ba-keriat echad as a simulta­ neous reading. UYHVH and ADoNaY are joined simultaneously

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R. M oshe de Leon was a colleague of R. Yosef Gikatilla, as well as b ein g th e dissem inator of th e Zohar. In his H ebrew w ritin g s, th e re is evidence of yichudim . For exam ple, in Mishkan ha-Edut th ere is an in terestin g as­ sertion th a t links th e unification of th e Divine Nam es to th e angelic beings th a t Ezekiel saw. “The m ystery of the Living C reatures (hayyot), w hich are called Hashmal, w h en th e y are u n ited is th e m ystery of YAHDVNHYth a t is know n in th e depths of w isdom . It is th e m ystery of th e su p e rn a l creatures, w h en th ey are jo in e d in one N am e” (C am bridge ms., Dd. 4.2. f. 53a [29a]). T here is also a general statem ent on th e process of unification th a t is found in one of th e earliest strata of the Zohar itself. The topic is th e respective roles of th e priests, levites an d Israelites in b rin g in g sacrifices d u r­ ing th e T em ple period. “The essential elem en t of th e sacrificial offering is th e p riest’s. He m u st concentrate on the holy N am e an d arrange th e exalted levels and unify everything in a com plete union, th ereb y bringing joy to th e u p p e r and low er realm s, by m eans of his will and in te n tio n ” (Zohar Hadash, Midrash Ruth, 82a). To be sure, th e re are a n u m b e r of o th er references to yichudim in th e w ritings of R. Yosef Gikatilla, R. M oshe de Leon, a n d th e Zohar p ro p e r.*15 T hey are, on th e w hole, b rief an d relatively sparse. The situ atio n is very differen t w h e n one considers th e latest stran d s of th e zoharic corpus: Tikkunei Zohar and Raaya Mehemna. These tw o su b stan tial w orks w ere p re su m ab ly com ­ posed b y th e sam e an onym ous au th o r, w h ich w ould acco u n t for th e ir in te rd e p e n d e n c e . This in d iv id u a l when the Ineffable Name is referred to by its epithet, ADoNaY." Not only is this rendering grammatically problematic, but the material from Ginnat Egoz appears to be more to the point. 15. For additional references, see M. Verman, “The Develop­ ment of Yihudim in Spanish Kabbalah "Jerusalem Studies in Jew­ ish Thought 8 (1989): 32-33.

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m ay have been a stu d en t of R. Yosef Gikatilla. A lthough Tikhunei Zohar is p u b lish ed as an in d e p e n d e n t w ork, Raaya Mehemna has b een incorporated into th e stan ­ d ard editions of th e Zohar. An exam ination of Tikhunei Zohar and Raaya Me­ hemna reveals m o re th a n a do zen discussions of yichudim. As Tikhunei Zohar (hereafter T.Z.) offers a richer p resen tatio n of this m aterial, w e shall use it as th e basis for o u r analysis. The p rim ary focus of T.Z. ’s len g th y in tro d u c tio n are th e in te rre la te d th e m e s of exile an d reu n ificatio n . Exile is ch aracterized by th e biblical in ju n c tio n co n cern in g tra p p in g b ird s, “send th e m o th e r b ird an d take th e chicks (banim )” (D euteronom y 22:7). This is in terp reted according to kabbalistic sym bolism . “M o th er” is associated w ith “S upernal Shechinah” (i.e., Binah). F u rth erm o re, D eu­ tero n o m y 22:6 states, “d o n ’t take th e m o th er an d h e r banim." According to T.Z., “banim are th e m asters of th e Kabbalah” (lb). A m ong those listed as banim are seers and prophets. Later on, w e are told th a t seers an d p ro ­ phets derive specifically from th e Sefirot, Netzach an d Hod, “for in th e m are included th e tw o nam es th a t are YAHDVNHY, w hich contains eight letters co rrespond­ ing to th e eight p ro p h etic books, an d ‘p ro p h e ts’ are two, yielding ten, corresponding to th e te n Sefirot’’ (T.Z. 2a). Thus, initially th eyichud is considered in te rm s of the m erging of th e right side of th e Sefirotic superstruc­ ture, represented by Netzah, w ith th e left side, Hod. The point of contact of these Sefirot is Yesod and, as w e shall see, m ost discussions of YAHDVNHY in T.Z. are con­ nected w ith eith er Yesod or, occasionally, Tiferet, its m ore elevated co unterpart. The discourse continues w ith various interpretations of the two yodim of the yichud. The first yod is associ­ ated w ith the sign of brit milah (covenantal circumcision, an allusion to Yesod), and th e latter, w ith th e sign of Shabbat (T.Z. 2a). A sim ilar analysis connects th e initial yod from YHVH w ith the sign of circum cision, naturally

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considered to be m asculine, w hereas the concludingyod from ADoNaY is considered to be fem inine and to rep ­ resen t th e sign of th e tefillin . 16 An in te re stin g com ­ p lem en t to this is found in a subsequent discourse on th e significance of th e tw o yodim, based on the exege­ sis of Psalms 145:16 “O pen your h an d .” “Don’t read your h a n d (yadecha) b u t yodecha [i.e., y o u r yodim]. This cor­ responds to YY from YAHDVNHY” (T.Z. 7b). A nother discussion of th e tw o yodim focuses o n th e bow ing th a t is p a rt of th e recitation of th e Amidah. This process entails tw o acts: b o w in g and straig h ten in g up. Each of th ese actions e n g e n d e r th e u n ificatio n of th e te n Sefirot. The act of b o w in g causes th e D ivine energy to flow from th e u p p e r Sefirot to th e low er Sefirot, an d straig h ten in g u p reverses th is process from below to Above. In th is connection, bow in g is associated w ith th e final yod from ADoNaY a n d straig h ten in g u p is as­ sociated w ith th e in itial yod of YHVH; (see Tikkunim, Zohar Hadash 115a). Most of th e expositions in T.Z. concerning YAHDVNHY are predicated on its n um erical value corresponding to 91. For exam ple, in o u r discussion on th e role of th e spine in C hapter 4, w e already cited at length a passage from T.Z. no. 18, in w h ich YAHDVNHY is associated w ith AMeN (= 9 1).17 The first discourse in T.Z. th a t develops this th e m e focuses o n th e sukkah (festive booth/tabernacle), w hich likewise equals 91. Initially “M other” (i.e., Binah) is com pared to a sukkah, insofar as b oth shield and protect. The association of th e o ther ritual objects 16. T.Z. 2b. Soon after, in f. 3a, the two yodim of YAHDVNHY are said to correspond to knots of the tefillin of the head and arm. Moreover, YHVH is related to the four biblical sections which constitute the tefillin and ADoNaY corresponds to their four com­ partments; see also f. 34b. 17. There is a source that predates T.Z., which offers the basic association amen = 91 = YHVH plus kinnuav (Its epithets), see the Responsum of R. Yekutiel, cited in R. Shem Tov ibn Gaon, Baddei Aron , 229.

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of Suhkot (The Feast of Booths) w ith th e Sefirot contin­ ues. The th ree m yrtle branches are said to correspond to the “Patriarchs,” (i.e.,Hesed, Gevurah, a n d Tiferet); th e tw o w illow b ran ch es rep resen t th e afo rem en tio n ed “p ro p h ets,” Netzach and Hod; th e p alm fro n d is con­ nected w ith th e “righteous o n e” (i.e., Yesod), and finally, th e citron is associated w ith th e Shechinah, n am ely Malchut. This totals eight, w hich corresponds to th e eight letters of YAHDVNHY.18 This th em e is fu rth e r developed in th e sixth h o m ­ ily, w ith a discussion of th e ph rase suhhat shalom (tab­ ernacle of peace), w hich is designated by YAHDVNHY (T.Z. 22b). Here, too, suhkah is associated w ith Binah, and “p eace” is said to co rresp o n d to Tiferet. T his is based on th e assertio n th a t th e Holy O ne (a D ivine epithet standardly associated w ith Tiferet), exem plifies peace (T.Z. 3a). M oreover, th e letters of th e w ord sukkat can be rearran g ed to yield kos t , nam ely, cup of Tiferet. A nother exposition based on th e n u m erical equiva­ lence of ninety-one follows soon after. It concerns a sym bolic b ird w hich is said to have originated from Yesod and hence is em blem atic of th e righteous. Even­ tually, this b ird is characterized as a malach (i.e., angel). This celestial fig u re is also id e n tifie d as M etatron, w hose task is to elevate th e “voice” of re c ita tio n of the Shema a n d th e “w o rd ” of th e p ray er, n am ely , th e Amidah. We are th e n inform ed th a t “voice” corre­ sponds to Tiferet an d “w o rd ” to Malchut. Finally, “he, i.e., M etatron, is a chariot for b o th of th e m in th is fash­ ion YAHDVNHY. T herefore malach [=91] yields th e su m of th e tw o nam es together.”19 18. T.Z. 2b; see alsoR.M. 3:255b wherein thegemetria of sukkah is mentioned. Therein is also found a passing comment connect­ ing YAHDVNHY to Yom Kippur. 19. T.Z. 2b, as well as the continuation on f. 3a. For an intri­ cate discussion of “voice” and “word” related to both the celes­ tial realm and YAHDVNHY in R.M., see Zohar 3:228a.

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T here is a n extended discourse in Raaya Mehemna section of th e Zohar p ro p e r (hereafter R.M.), w h ich is related to th is m aterial at h an d . It begins w ith a dis­ cussion of th e te rm ani, I, especially as fo u n d in D eute­ ronom y, C h ap ter 32, “I am G od.” Ani is said to refer to ADoNaY and, rem in iscen t of G ikatilla, w e are told th a t ADoNaY corresponds to hechal. M oreover, it is re­ lated to Gevurah an d th e left side, w h ereas YHVH is said to stem from Hesed an d th e rig h t side. “A nd in Tiferet th ese tw o N am es are joined, YAHDVNHY’ (Zohar 3:223a). T his is follow ed b y a n in te re s tin g analysis of th e shape of th e initial letter, alef. It is said to consist of tw o yodim divided by a vav (as noted in C h ap ter 2). This allu d es to th e G enesis story of th e cosm ic w aters d iv id ed b y th e firm a m e n t an d is stated to be re p re ­ sen ted b y th e m ystery of YAHDVNHY. T he first yod cor­ resp o n d s to th e m asculine w aters an d th e co ncluding yod to th e fem in in e w aters. B etw een th e m are six let­ ters (i.e., th e n u m erical value of vav). A dditionally, th is allu d es to M etatro n , th e six-lettered an g el (Zohar 3:223b). T hus, in b o th T.Z. an d R.M., th e yichud is asso­ ciated w ith M etatron. A n o th er text from R.M. com bines th e se basic ele­ m en ts w h ile offering a novel in te rp re ta tio n of m eal­ tim e protocol as set dow n in B. Berachot 47a. One who breaks bread [i.e., recites the ha-motzei blessing in public] is not permitted to begin eating until those that are participating in the meal answer amen. Nor can the partici­ pants eat until the one who has broken the bread has eaten. Indeed the host breaks bread and distributes it to the par­ ticipants. He does not calculate the same measure [for everyone], since it is not the custom of hosts to distribute bread evenly. To one he will give an egg size portion and to another an olive size. When they respond amen to the breaking of bread before the host eats, then they have joined the two measures to­ gether: the egg size and the olive size—YAHDVNHY. This amen

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does not pertain to the act of eating but rather to the break­ ing of bread. After the two measures are joined in the amen, the host can eat. (Zohar 3:245a)

Once again, w e fin d th a t amen (=91) is related to th e unification YAHDVNAY, w hich also corresponds to 91. This tim e th e subject m atter is th e b reak in g of b read into tw o distin ct q u an tities, w hich are sym bolically in terp reted as allu d in g to th e fem inine and m asculine principles. Only w h en they are united, by m eans of th e proclam ation “amen,” can th e bread be consum ed an d sustenance derived. R etu rn in g to T.Z., one finds an ex p an sio n of th e liturgical function of YAHDVNHY. The au th o r notes th a t th e unification of tw o Divine N am es takes place w hile standing, d u rin g th e silent recitation of th e Amidah. Therefore, “th e jo in in g of th e tw o N am es m u st b e in silence.” The fo u r letters of YHVH are said to co rre­ spond to fo u r w h ite priestly garm ents, w h ereas th e four letters of ADoNaY correspond to four golden gar­ m ents for th e queen. This discussion concludes w ith th e assertion, “H appy is he w ho clothes th e k in g an d qu een in th e te n Sefirot of Beriah, (Creation), w hich are included in th e n am e YAHDVNHY’ (T.Z. 3b). The expression “Sefirot of C reation” is an allusion to th e kabbalistic th eo ry of th e Four (Cosmic) W orlds. The highest realm is referred to as E m anation, followed by Creation, Form ation, an d finally, Action. A significant statem en t d ifferen tiatin g these F our W orlds follows soon after. It is p red icated u p o n th e fact th a t w h e n Ezekiel rep o rted his vision of th e Divine C hariot a n d th e four Holy C reatures he was careful to qualify w h at h e w rote. He continually em phasized th a t his charac­ terizatio n only resem bles reality. The a u th o r of T.Z. w rites about Ezekiel’s vision. [He saw] the image of those Creatures, but he didn’t actu­ ally see the Creatures. Rather it is like a king that sends a

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document with his seal and the image of the king is em­ bossed on the sealing wax. For the Sefirot of Emanation rep­ resent the actual image of the king. The Sefirot of Creation correspond to the signet ring of the king. The Sefirot of Formation represent the angels which are the Creatures, namely the form of the seal in the wax. (T.Z. 4a)

F rom th is w e see th a t YAHDVNHY, w h ich is associated w ith th e “sefirot of C reation,” is like th e signet rin g of th e D ivine king. A n o th er discourse in T.Z. th a t is based o n n u m e ro l­ ogy is connected w ith th e w ord am en, w h ich equals 91. In a ra th e r tech n ical p resen tatio n th e re is th e u n e q u i­ vocal assertion th a t w ith o u t th e fear of God, even if one has m a stered th e en tire M ishnaic corpus, it w ould be considered as if he h a d accom plished n o th in g . M ore­ over, th e pivotal te rm is emunah, faith, w h ich is related to b o th Binah a n d Malchut. T heir p o in t of m e d iatio n is Yesod, “in w h o m is in c lu d e d th e tw o n am es. Am en [=91]. T hey are YAHDVNHY.” {T.Z. 5a; cf. 34b). W hereas w ords w hose n um erical value is ninety-one serve as th e p rim a ry im p etu s b e h in d m a n y of th e dis­ cussions co n cern in g YAHDVNHY, a n o th e r catalyst in ­ volves pairs of fours. We have already en co u n tered this in con junction w ith th e m ystical significance of tefillin, as w ell as th e tw o sets of fo u r garm ents. T here is also a n in te re stin g analysis of Ezekiel 1:6, w h ich states th a t each of th e C reatures h ad fo u r faces an d fo u r w ings. A ccording to T.Z. th e fo u r faces co rresp o n d to th e four letters of YHVH an d th e fo u r w ings to ADoNaY. W hen jo in ed to g eth er th ey form th e u n io n YAHDVNHY, w hich is also re fe rre d to as Hashmal. Later on w e read, “Any­ one w ho is w ra p p e d in th e cloak of c o m m a n d m e n t it is as if h e h a s p re p a re d a th ro n e for th e H oly O ne, blessed b e He an d th is is YAHDVNHY’ (T.Z. 25b). Finally, m a n y of th e m otifs m e n tio n e d previously are b ro u g h t tog ether in an im pressive exposition in th e 18th hom ily. It constitutes an extended analysis of th e

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ability of th e righteous co m m u n al leader, tzaddik, to have his prayer h eard on high. The gates of th e celes­ tial hechal are opened th ro u g h th e recitation of th e start of th e Amidah, “ADoNaYo p en m y lips.” P rayer an d th e yichud m erge in an im ag in ativ e in te rp re ta tio n of a stan d ard rab b in ic m axim . A ccording to th e Rabbis, (as discussed in C h ap ter 4), d u rin g certain ben ed ic­ tio n s of th e Amidah o ne sh o u ld bow w h ile recitin g “blessed” and straighten, w h en reciting YHVH (see B. Berachot 12a). In T.Z. w e read: “Bowing in th e presence of ADoNaY is by th e tzaddik (the righteous one) about w hom it is said, “And K ing Solom on shall be blessed” (1 Kings 2:45). Likewise h e straightens in th e presence of YHVH. These tw o should be jo in ed in th is fashion, YAHDVNHY' (T.Z. 33a). Im plicit in this discussion is th e am bivalence of th e te rm tzaddik, w hich refers sim ultaneously to th e righ­ teous individual and is also as an ep ith et for Yesod, th e sefirotic source of ADoNaY/Malchut. A nother segm ent of th is discourse begins by refer­ rin g to D aniel 1:4 w h erein th e re is m e n tio n of stan d ­ ing in th e hechal (palace) of th e king. This leads, once again, to th e association of hechal and ADoNaY an d a com m ent on stan d in g d u rin g th e Amidah, w hich com ­ m ences w ith th e nam e, ADoNaY. A nother verse is in ­ troduced: “T hen [az=8] you shall call o u t an d God w ill answ er” (Isa. 58:9). Az rep resen ts eight letters YHVH EHYeH. ‘And God will an sw er’—He an d His court. This is YHVH ADoNaY, YAHDVNHY co rresp o n d in g to these eight letters” (T.Z. 33b; cf. 40a an d 78b). Thus, there are actually tw o distinct eight letter com ­ pilations. Eventually, w e are inform ed th a t these com ­ binations correspond to th e m edian points of th e struc­ tu re of the Sefirot—in o th e r w ords, those Sefirot th a t constitute th e “m iddle lin e ” w hich are seen as rep re­ senting a balancing of th e right and left side. The u p p e r Sefirot are designated by th e com bination of YHVH an d

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EHYeH. This co rresp o n d s to “F ath e r,” Hochmah, a n d “M other,” Binah, a n d yields YAHHVYHH. F u rth erm o re, th e low er Sefirot are rep resen te d by YAHDVNHY (T.Z. 34b). It is likely th a t this th e o iy is b eh in d a brief discussion in R.M. The sta rtin g p o in t is th e th reefold reference to YHVH in th e p riestly b lessin g (N um bers 6:24-26). This evolves into an exposition on th e relationship b etw een th ree Divine Names: EHYeh, YHVH, an d ADoNaY, (w hich calls to m in d R. Yaakov ha-C ohen’s Prayer). The “m id ­ dle p illar” of th e Sefirot is said to be rep resen ted by th e co m b in atio n YAHDVNHY, w h ereas Malchut is d esig ­ n a ted by a yichud, w h ich com m ences w ith th e letters AY. U nfortunately th e textual tran sm issio n of th is pas­ sage is faulty a n d v ario u s versions are offered. Of th e possible readings, th e only o ne th a t is readily u n d e r­ standable is AYDHVNHY, d eriv in g from ADoNaY a n d YHVH (Zohar 3:146b). R etu rn in g to T.Z., th e discourse continues by b rin g ­ in g to g eth er stran d s fro m previous sections concern­ in g th e celestial entity, Hashmal. U sing th e sta n d a rd rab b in ic etym ology th a t Hashmal is a com posite fo r periodic silence a n d speech,20 m e n tio n is m ad e of tw o types of p ra y e r—seated, vocal p ra y e r a n d sta n d in g , silent prayer. This fits v ery w ell w ith th e earlier differ­ e n tiatio n of th e “voice” of th e Shema an d th e “w o rd ” of th e Amidah (T.Z. 34b). An ex p an sio n of th is tw ofold, litu rg ical th e m e is fo u n d in R.M. w h e re in th e process of u n ific a tio n is depicted as b e in g tw o-directional. YHVH is associated w ith th e m o u th a n d ADoNaY w ith th e heart. And when YHVHdescends to the heart towards ADoNaYjudg­ ment is joined with mercy in the heart, which is YAHDVNHY. And when ADoNaY ascends to the mouth, namely “ADoNaY 20. B. Hagigah 13b; cf. R.M., 3:228a.

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open my lips” to meet YHVH in the mouth to join there the two names in one union YAHDVNHY YAHDVNHY, just like they are joined in the heart. (Zohar 3:235b) In conclusion, w e have seen th a t th e concept of u n i­ fication of Divine Names, especially YHVH an d AdoNaY, was quite prevalent in Spanish Kabbalah in th e la tte r h alf of th e th irte e n th century. It received its in itia l form ulation in th e w ritings of th e “Circle of C ontem ­ plation” and eventually was adopted am ong others, by R. Yosef Gikatilla, th e a u th o r of th e Zohar an d th e au ­ th o r of T.Z. and R.M. The earlier sources refer to yichudim in a ra th e r lim ited fashion. It is only in th e T.Z. an d R. M. th a t w e find elaborate discussions of th is concept. In th e lengthy in tro d u ctio n to T.Z., in p articu lar, yichudim function as a central m otif fo rm in g th e basis of m an y of th e discourses. The creativity of T.Z. is ev id en t in th e w ay th e a u th o r exploited and em bellished u p o n th e w ork of his predecessors. It was R. Yosef G ikatilla and his pred ilectio n for num erology th a t acted as a m odel. In T.Z. th e n u m erical correspondence betw een YAHDVNHY (=91) an d sukkah, malach an d amen all form th e basis of extended discussions. O ther discourses are rooted in th e n u m b e r eight, corresponding to th e eight letters of th e yichud, or tw o sets of four, re p re se n tin g th e tw o, Four-Letter N am es. A dditionally, th e re is a p red o m in an t concern w ith th e celestial realm , espe­ cially as depicted in Ezekiel’s vision and its rab b in ic interpretation. W ithin this context th e angel M etatron plays an im p o rta n t role. Finally, fro m th e earliest source and onw ards, these yichudim w ere used p rim a r­ ily to prom ote con tem p latio n of th e D ivinity d u rin g prayer. May we all m erit particip atin g in th e u ltim ate u n ifi­ cation at th e End of Days.

12 C onclusion

The p rim a ry goal of th is book has b een to fam iliarize you w ith th e richness an d incredible diversity of tra ­ ditional Jew ish m ed itativ e practices. To th is end, w e have p resen ted an d discussed m yriad texts o n topics as diverse as visualizing th e Divine Name, m artyrdom , candle gazing, an d chanting. It is m y assu m p tio n th a t even if you do n o t read ily connect w ith e v e ry th in g offered h erein , hopefully, som e of this m aterial w ill resonate w ith each of you. T he m a te ria l th a t w e h av e co n sid ered h as b e e n d ra w n fro m th e c o rn u co p ia of th e Jew ish s p iritu a l heritage. I have always attem p ted to provide faithful an d intelligible tran slatio n s of th e original texts. We have seen th a t th e fo u n d atio n of Jewish sp iritu ality in general, a n d Jew ish m e d ita tio n in p a rtic u la r, is th e H ebrew S criptures; accordingly, w e have focused on specific biblical figures an d sem inal passages. To be sure, m uch of o u r discussion concentrated on stan d ard kabbalistic an d h asid ic sources, such as th e Zohar an d th e w ritings of R. N achm an of Bratzlav.

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There has also b een a conscious effort to extend th e scope of discourse beyond w hat one n o rm ally finds in a tre a tm e n t of th is topic. S triv in g for b re a d th , o u r purview has spanned m ore th a n th re e th o u san d years of sources—from th e H ebrew S criptures an d th e an ­ cient p hilosopher Philo to th e m o d e rn Israeli m ed ita­ tive group know n as th e Hugei Argaman. Inclusivity has likew ise b een an im p o rtan t goal. T here are vari­ ous constituencies th a t have b een h ith e rto neglected in co n tem porary accounts of Jew ish m ed itatio n . We have dem onstrated th a t relevant m aterial is also found outside of m ystical w ritings; therefore, w e frequently q u o ted poetry, p h ilo so p h y an d s ta n d a rd h alach ic w orks. We also began to m in e th e rich S ephardic h e ri­ tage, b y extensively citing th e late n in eteen th -cen tu ry B aghdadi Sage, R. Yosef Hayyim. We have likewise dem o n strated th a t Jew ish sp iritu ­ ality, an d Jewish religious expression in general, are a d y n am ic an d evolving p h e n o m e n o n . O ccasionally, one finds evidence of an openness an d receptivity to external influences. W hile this m ay be problem atic for som e, nevertheless, in cases, such as th e im p act of Sufism on Jew ish h eart-sp iritu ality (as p re se n te d in C hapter 10), th e evidence is irrefutable. G ender issues w ere also directly addressed: b o th th e th e m e of fem inine aspects of th e D ivine Being, as w ell as th e p articipation of w om en in Jew ish spirituality. Despite th e adm itted paucity of m aterial p e rta in in g to this la tter topic; nevertheless, w e h ighlighted th e in ­ volvem ent of w om en in th e ancient sect of th e Therapeutae, as well as th e personal sp iritu ality of m o d e rn Jew ish w om en, exem plified by th e p o ig n a n t d ia ry of Etty H illesum an d th e evocative p o e try of Leah Goldberg. We shall conclude by referrin g to th e previous chap­ ter, w h ich w as devoted to a d etailed survey of texts describing th e intricate m editative tech n iq u e oiyichu-

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dim (unifications). O w in g to th e com plexity of th is m aterial, it is possible to becom e so involved in th e process th a t one loses sight of w h at is really im portant. This p o in t w as ad d re sse d b y th e tw e n tie th -c e n tu ry lu m in ary , R. Hillel Z eitlin in a p atern al w arn in g to his disciples: You are mistaken concerning the yichudim, since you still think—as many presume—that the yichudim are essentially a matter of concentrating and combining supernal lights, to which the letters allude. This is not truly the case. To be sure, one must undertake the proper concentrations and combinations while engaged in the yichudim, but it is nec­ essary to first establish the greatness, valor and radiance of the holiness of the soul of the person who is undertaking these unifications. . . . [N]ew supernal lights will descend below, only by means of souls who have become enlight­ ened by the light of Emanation and girded by Divine valor. These are united in holiness and purity, in order that all the residents of the world will become enlightened with the light of Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge. (Sifran Shel Yechidim, 41) R. Z eitlin’s com m ents can likew ise be applied to any of th e practices th a t have b e e n p resen ted in this book. A lthough each of th e tech n iq u es described h e re in has th e o re tic a l a n d p ractical aspects; n ev erth eless, y o u should n o t becom e so p reoccupied w ith th e m ech an ­ ics of m e d ita tio n th a t you neglect w h a t is essential: striv in g for h o lin ess a n d in te g rity in th e service of Ha-Shem.

G lossary

Adonay—“My Lord,” a Divine epithet. Amidah—The “Standing Prayer,” also called the Shemoneh Esreh (“The Eighteen [Blessings]”). Ayn Sof—The “Infinite” and incomprehensible aspect of Ha-Shem, which transcends the Sefirot. Binah—“Understanding,” the third of the Sefirot. Birkat Ha-Mazon—“Blessing of food,” namely, grace after meals. Devekut—“Attachment” to Ha-Shem. Echad—“One.” Elohim—God. G em atria (pi. G em atriot)—Numerology, whereby each letter of a word is considered according to its numerical significance. Gevurah—“Power,” the fifth of the Sefirot. Haftorah—Shabbat scriptural reading from the Prophets. Halachah—Jewish religious law. Ha-Shem—“The Name”—a substitution for the sacred and unutterable Four-Letter Name of God. Hasid (pi. Hasidim)—a pious individual, especially a fol­ lower of a tzaddik. 215

216

GLOSSARY

Hasidei Ashkenaz—“German pietists,” a medieval spiritual movement. Havdalah—“Separation,” the ritual that concludes Shabbat. Haver (pi. Haverim)—colleague/companion. Hechalot—“Celestial Palaces/Temples.” Hesed—“Compassion,” the fourth of the Sefirot. H itbodedut—“Self-isolation” or m editation. Social and spiritual introspection and communion with Ha-Shem. Hochmah—“Wisdom,” the second of the Sefirot. Hod—“Majesty,” the eighth of the Sefirot Kabbalah—“Received Tradition”; synonymous with Jewish mysticism. Kabbalat Shabbat—“ReceivingShabbat,” the prayer service that ushers in Shabbat. K aw anah (pi. Kawanot)—Concentration upon Ha-Shem, while praying or performing any religious activity. Keter—“Crown,” the first or highest of the ten Sefirot. Kiddush Ha-Shem—“Sanctification of the Name,” or mar­ tyrdom. Lulav—A palm branch, which is waved on Sukkot. Luz—Spinal tailbone. Maariv—The daily Evening Prayer Service. Malchut—“Sovereignty,” the tenth of the Sefirot—equated with the Shechinah. Merkavah—The celestial “Chariot” described in Ezekiel, Chapter 1. Mezuzah (pi. Mezuzot)—Doorpost amulet. Midrash—Classical rabbinic biblical interpretation. Minchah—The Afternoon Prayer Service. Mishkan—The biblical Tabernacle. Mishnah—The first authoritative rabbinic law code, com­ piled in 200 c .e . by R. Judah the Prince. Mitzvah (pi. Mitzvot)—any of the 613 biblical command­ ments. Nefesh—Soul. Nefillat Appayim—“Prostration” prayer; see Tachanun. Neshamah—Soul. Netzach—“Victory,” the seventh of the Sefirot. Niggun (pi. Niggunim)—Hasidic wordless melodies. Rosh Ha-Shanah—New Year.

GLOSSARY

217

Ruach—“W ind/spirit.” One of the levels of the soul. Sefirah (pi. Sefirot)—the ten intraDivine states or attributes that constitute the prim ary doctrine of the Kabbalah. Shacharit—The Morning Prayer Service. Shaddai—“Almighty,” a Divine Name. Shechinah—“The Divine In-Dwelling,” usually character­ ized as a feminine force. Shema—The biblical affirmation of faith that begins: “Hear, Israel.” (Deuteronomy 6:4). Shiviti—“I have placed,” referring to a type of am ulet/ plaque. Shulhan Aruch—The classic sixteenth-century Jewish law code compiled by R. Yosef Karo. Siddur—The traditional Jewish prayer book. Sukkot—Tabernacles, referring to the autum nal festival of booths. Tachanun—“Petition”; see Nefillat Appayim. Tallit (Tallis)—“Prayer shawl,” on whose corners are at­ tached the ritual fringes (tzitzit). Talmud—The vast body of classical rabbinic literature, con­ sisting of the Mishnah and subsequent commentaries. Tanach—An acronym for the Hebrew Scriptures and their three parts: Torah (the five books of Moses), Neviim (Pro­ phets), and Ketuvim (miscellaneous writings). Targum —“Translation” of the Hebrew Scriptures into Aramaic. Tashlich—“Casting,” a ritual performed alongside a body of water on Rosh Ha-Shanah. Tefillin—“Phylacteries,” biblically mandated prayer objects consisting of two leather casings that contain scriptural passages and are worn on the head and arm during the daily M orning Prayer Service. Teshuvah—“Return” or repentance. Tiferet—“Beauty,” the sixth of the Sefirot. Tikkun—“Restoration.” Tikkun Hatzot—The midnight prayer vigil. Torah—“Instruction”: referring to the Five Books of Moses and by extension any authoritative Jewish teaching. Tzaddik (pi. Tzaddikim)—“A righteous person,” used as a designation for the charismatic leader of a hasidic group.

218

GLOSSARY

Tzitzit—“Fringes”; see Tallit. Yeshivah—A rabbinical seminary. Yesod—“Pillar/Foundation,” the ninth of the Sefirot. YHVH—The sacrosanct Four-Letter Name of God. Yihud (pi. Yihudim)—“Unification,” a meditative technique. Yom Kippur—Day of Atonement. Zemirot—“Songs,” especially those sung on Shabbat.

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Ben Porat Yosef. R. Yaakov Yosef of Polnoyye. New York, 1976. Daat Hochmah. R. Moshe Luzzatto. Jerusalem, 1961. Degel Machaneh Ephraim. R. Moshe Hayyim Ephraim of Sudylkow. Israel, 1983. Emet le-Yaakov. R. Yaakov Kamenetzky. New York, 1991. Ha-Kabbalah be-Kitvei Rabbenu Bahya ben Asher. Ephraim Gottlieb. Jerusalem, 1970. Ha-Shirah ha-Ivrit be-Sefarad uv-Perovans. Hayyim Schirmann. Jerusalem, 1961. Hayyei Moharan. R. Nachman of Bratzlav. Jerusalem, 1985. Hechalot Zutarti. Ed. Rachel Elior. Jerusalem, 1982. Hemdat Yamim. Facsimile ed. Constantinople, 1763. Hesed le-Avraham. R. Avraham Azulai. Lemberg [Lvov], 1863. Repr. Israel, 1968. Hochmat ha-Nefesh. R. Eleazer b. Judah. Bnei Brak, 1987. Hovat ha-Talmidim. R. Kalonymus Kalmish Peasetzna. War­ saw. Repr. Israel, n.d. Iggeratov. R. Moshe b. Maimon. Leipzig, 1865. In Di Getzeltenfun Habad. M. Indritz. Chicago, 1927. Kav ha-Yashar. R. Tzevi Hirsh Kaidanover. N.p., n.d. Kerem Yisrael. Lubin, 1930. Ketavim Hadashim le-Rabbenu Hayyim Vital. R. Hayyim Vital. Jerusalem, 1988. Keter Shem Tov. R. Aharon ha-Kohen. Brooklyn, NY, 1987. Kitvei Ramban. R. Moshe b. Nachman. Jerusalem, 1963. KL”CH Pitchei Hochmah. R. Moshe Hayyim Luzzatto. Jerusalem, 1961. Likkutei Moharan. R. Nachman of Bratzlav. New York, 1980. Likkutey Yekarim. Lemberg [Lvov}, 1863. Magen Avot. R. Shlomoh Zalman of Kopust. Berdichev, 1902. Maggid Devarav le-Yaakov. R. Dov Baer of Mezeritch. Ed. Rivkah Shatz. Jerusalem, 1976. Maggid Mesharim. R. Yosef Karo. Jerusalem, 1970. Machazor Rabba. Jerusalem, n.d. Megillat Amrafel. R. Avraham b. Eliezer Halevi. Ed. G. Scholem, Kiryat Sefer 7 (1930-1931). Meirat Aynayim. R. Yitzhak of Acco. Jerusalem, 1975. ------. Ed. Amos Goldreich. Jerusalem, 1981.

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

223

Meor va-Shemesh. R. Kalonymus Kalman Epstein. Jerusa­ lem, 1987. Midrash Pinchas. R. Pinchas of Koretz. Tel Aviv, 1980. Midrash Tanchuma. Jerusalem, 1970. Mukdam u-Meuchar. Leah Goldberg. Tel Aviv, 1968. “Natan Adler . . . ” Rachel Elior. Tzion 59:1 (1994). Nefesh ha-Hayyim. R. Hayyim of Volozhin. Bnei Brak, 1989. Noam Elimelech. R. Elimelech of Lizhensk. Jerusalem, 1960. Or ha-Emet. R. Dov Baer of Mezeritch. Brooklyn, NY, 1960. Or ha-Ganuz. Martin Buber. Jerusalem, 1958. Orha-Ganuz [la-Tzaddikim]. R. Aharon ha-Kohen. Jerusalem, 1966. Otzar Divrei Hachamin u-Fitgameihem. Aaron Hyman. Tel Aviv, 1972. Pardes Rimmonim. R. Moshe Cordovero. Jerusalem, 1962. Perakim be-Hatzlahah. Meyuchas le-Rambam. Jerusalem, 1939. Perush ha-Torah le-Rabbenu Avraham. R. Avraham b. Maimonides. London, 1958. Reshit Hochmah ha-Shalem. R. Eliahu de Vidas. Jerusalem, 1980. Sefer Bahir. Jerusalem, 1975. “Sefer ha-Ot. ” R. Avraham Abulafia. Ed. Adolf Jellinek. In Jubelschrift des Heinrich Graetz. Breslau, 1887. Sefer Haredim. R. Eleazer Azikri. Jerusalem, 1984. Sefer ha-Semak me-Zurich. R. Yitzhak of Corbeil. Ed. R. Yitzhak Rozenberg. Jerusalem, 1973. Sefer Hasidim. Ed. J. Wistinetzki. Berlin, 1891. Sefer ha-Yashar. Jerusalem, 1967. Shaarei Orah. R. Yosef Gikatilla. Ed. Yosef Ben Shlomoh. Jerusalem, 1981. Shaar ha-Gilgulim. R. Hayyim Vital. Jerusalem, 1981. Shaar le-Sodot ha-Hitbonenut. Jerusalem, 1981. “Shirat ha-Rav.” Avraham Habermann. Sinai 17 (1945). Shirim Nivcharim. R. Yehudah Halevi. Jerusalem, 1950. Shivhei ha-Besht. Ed. Avraham Rubinstein. Jerusalem, 1991. Shnei Luhot ha-Brit. R. Yeshayahu Horowitz. Israel, n.d. Shoshan Sodot. Koretz, 1784. Shulhan Aruch ha-Ari. R. Yizhak Luria. Munkacs, 1940. Sichot ha-Ran. R. Nachman of Bratzlav. Bnei Brak, n.d.

224

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Siddur Rinnat Yisrael. Jerusalem, 1982. Sidrei de-Shimusha Rabba. Ed. Gershom Scholem. Tarbitz 16(1945). Sifiran Shel Yechidim. R. Hillel Zeitlin. Jerusalem, 1979. “Sulam ha-Aliyah. Perek Tet.” R. Yehudah al-Botini. Ed. Gershom Scholem. Kiryat Sefer 22 (1945). “Sulam ha-Aliyah. Perek Yod.” R. Yehudah al-Botini. In Kitvei Yad ba-Kabbalah, ed. Gershom Scholem. Jerusalem, 1930. Taamei ha-Minhagim. R. Avraham Sperling. Jerusalem, n.d. Tefillah le-Moshe. R. Hirsh of Zidaczow. Lemberg [Lvov], 1856. Tekstim be-Torah ha-Elohut. Ed. Yosef Dan. Jerusalem, 1977. Torat ha-Maggid. Maggid of Mezeritch. Ed. Yisrael Klafholtz. Bnei Brak, 1976. Torat Moshe. R. Moshe Alshech. Israel, 1970. Tzeror ha-Mor. R. Avraham Saba. Brooklyn, NY, 1961. Tzevvaot Ve-Hanhagot. Ed. R. Yaakov Weintraub. Bnei Brak, 1987. Zemirot Shabbat. Jerusalem, 1985.

C redits

T he a u th o r g ratefu lly acknow ledges p e rm issio n to re p rin t from th e follow ing sources: Philo o f Alexandria, b y D avid W inston. C opyright © 1981 D avid W inston. U sed b y p erm issio n of P aulist Press. In the Garden, b y Sam uel L. Lewis. C opyright © 1975 th e Lam a F oundation. Used b y p erm issio n of th e Sufi Islam ia R u h an iat Society. P ortions of chapters 5, 6, 8, 9, an d 10 w ere revised from essays b y M ark V erm an th a t originally ap p eared in Four Worlds Journal 1, 2, 3 (1984-1985). C opyright © 1984-1985 Four Worlds Journal. Used b y perm ission. A p o rtio n of c h a p te r 9 w as revised fro m a n essay b y M ark V erm an th a t o rig in ally ap p eare d in Studia M ystica 8:3 (1985). C o p y rig h t © 1985 T he F o u n d a ­ tion, C alifornia State U niversity, Sacram ento. Used by perm ission. C h a p te r 11 w as rev ised fro m a n essay b y M ark V erm an th a t originally ap p eared in Jerusalem Studies 225

226

CREDITS

in Jewish Thought 8 (1989). C opyright © 1989 th e He­ b rew U niversity of Jerusalem . Used b y perm ission. The Zohar in Moslem and Christian Spain, b y Ariel Bension. Published by Routledge. P o rtio n of th e p o em “Me S hirei H aN ahal” (“The M oon Sings to th e S tream ”), by Leah G oldberg. P ub­ lished b y Sifriat Poalim in Mukdam u-Meuchar. Used by perm ission.

I ndex

Abraham, and Isaac, 115 Abraham b. Isaac, R. (of Norbonne), 153-154 Abulafia, R. Abraham, 4142, 70-71, 135-136, 199-200 chanting of, 144-146, 149 Acosmism, 126, 159-160 Adam and Eve, 86, 91 Age limits, for studying mysticism, 19-21 Akiva, R., 23, 109 m artyrdom of, 102-104 Al-Botini, R. Yehudah, 3941, 95, 132 chanting of, 145-149 Alef (letter), 70-71, 205 Alenu (prayer), 5 Alshech, R. Moshe, 87, 118119

Amen, numerology of, 205207 Amidah, 195 bowing in, 79-80, 206, 208 posture for, 75-77, 93 Angels, 81, 89, 152-153 ascension of, 91, 113-114 symbolism of, 204-205 in visions, 7, 11 Apples, symbolism of, 5354 Ari, the. See Luria, R. Yitzhak Ark, skylights for, 37-38 Ascension of angels, 91, 113-114 and descending, 88-89, 171-173 of Mohammed, 97

227

INDEX

228

Ashkenazim, mysticism of, 20-21

Avraham b. Maimonides, R., 7, 74, 184-185 Avraham bar Hasdai, R., 185 Azaryah (Aved-Nego), martyrdom of, 108-109 Azikri, R. Eleazar, 15-16, 42, 132-133, 173-174 on Divine light, 161-167 Azulai, R. Avraham, 87-88, 94

Breathing, 111-129 and chanting, 144-149 Buber, Martin, 60, 173 Buxbaum, Yitzchak, 92

Calendars, and celestial realm, 94 Candles, and breath, 127129 Celestial journeys, 11-16, 99-100 Celestial realm, 93-94 Chanting, and music, 144149 Baal Shem Tov (the Besht), “Chapter on Concentration 24-25, 33-34, 131, 167 by the Early Kabbalists, of Blessed and nature, 49-51 on prayer, 78, 104-105 Memory, A,” 168-169 Baer, R. Dov, 140 Cherubs (atop the Ark), Bahya ibn Paquda, R., 184 197-198 Baruch, and bowing, 82-83 “Circle of Contemplation,” Beit El institute, 137-139 193-200 Ben Azzai, 23 Circles, significance of, 38Bension, Ariel, 137-139 39 Beruchim, R. Avraham Circumcision Halevi, 101 of the heart, 178 Besht, the. See Baal Shem symbolism of, 202-203 Tov Clarity, through focused Birkat ha-mazon, 75-76 breathing, 120-121 Blessings Cleansing in morning services, of the body, 68 119-120 of the heart, 185-186 of mysteries, 29-31 before meditation, 40 posture for reciting, 75-77 Clothing Body, the, 67-94, 135 for prayer and Book of Contemplation, The, meditation, 39, 41194 42 Bowing symbolism of, 206-207 duringAmidah, 79-80,208 Clouds, symbolism of, 120in Tikkunei Zohar, 81, 203 121

INDEX

Colors, 169, 185 and light, 170-173 for meditation, 41-42, 175-176 and music, 142-144 of Sefirot, 173-174 Commandments, movement in, 77 Commentary on the FourLetter Name, 194-195 Community, 3, 9 vs. isolation, 21-26 Confession, beating one’s chest during, 179-180 Contemplation ecstatic, 71 of Four-Letter Name, 192 in prayer, 195 of Shechinah, 163 Contraction, of self, 125 Çordovero, R. Moshe, 20, 31, 56 on numerology, 29, 46 Creation, 125, 169, 206207 and breath of God, 112114, 116-119 Dalet, 69 numerology of, 152-156 Dancing, Sufi, 186-187 De Leon, R. Moshe, 201 De Vidas, R. Eliahu, 23, 36, 79, 115 Death, and prostration, 9394 Devekut, 5-6, 77 social aspects of, 25-26 through meditation, 187-188

229

through self-negation, 125-126 Diaspora, effects of, 51-52 Directions; see also Orientation and numerology, 152154 Divine Anthropos, 81, 85, 122-123 Divine breath. See God, breath of Divine Chariot, 12, 14-15, 50, 83 Divine energy, 69-70 Divine judgm ent, 143-144 Divine light, 161-176 Divine Name. See Names of God Divine nature, vs. hum an, 181-182 Divine Presence, 16, 163, 189-190 Divine Spirit, and breath, 116-117 Divine Stature, in Tikkunei Zohar, 81-83 Divine throne, and breath, 113-114 Dream inquiry (sheelat halom), 99-100 Dreams, 9-10, 99-100 Duties of the Heart (R. Bahya), 184 Ecstatic mysticism, 41 Eizik, R. Yitzhak (of Kalov), 140 Eleazar, R., 23-24 Eleazar b. Judah, R., 70, 8081, 119

INDEX

230

Elements, natural, 70 Elhanan b. Yakar, R., 116117, 171 Elijah, bowing by, 79-80 Elimelech, Rebbe Noam (of Lizhensk), 37-38, 102, 107-109 Elohim breathing technique with, 115 numerology of, 46-47 Emotions, and meditation, 40 Enoch, 11-14; see also Metatron Environment, effect on meditation, 35-39 Epstein, R. Kalonymus Kalman, 21-22 Equanimity, for meditation, 132 Exile effects of diaspora, 51-52 symbolism of, 202 Eyes closing, 7, 100 covering, 152 and supernal lights, 170171 Ezekiel, 14-15 visions of, 50, 206-207 Ezra, R. (of Gerona), 156-157 Falk, R. Joshua, 155-156 Fasting, in Hechalot literature, 15 Female. See Male/female elements Fifteen (15), significance of, 4-5

Fire consuming, 171-173 martyrdom in, 107-109 Food, 180; see also Meals and meditation, 39-40 Forty-two (42), significance of, 33-34 Foundation of Wisdom, The (Moses), 169 Four (4), significance of, 207 Four Cosmic Worlds, 80, 93,206-207 Four-Letter Name, 29, 196, 199- 200; see also Names of God Frankist heresies, 20 Frequency of meditation, 42-43, 163 of prayer, 37 Gaon, R. Hai, 153 Garden of Eden, 53-54, 84, 86

Gematria, 46, 195; see also Numerology Genesis meditation in nature in, 45 and significance of breath, 113-114 Genizah (book), 48 Gerushin meditation, 56 Gikatilla, R. Yosef, 188-189, 200

-

202

Gilgul (transmigration doctrine), 180 Ginnat Egoz (Gikatilla), 200

INDEX

God breath of, 112-114, 117119, 126 hum ans in image of, 6768, 71-72 love of, 166-168, 187 singingto, 132-133 unity of, 31-34, 191-210 Goldberg, Leah, 62 Gordon, Aaron David, 6061 Ha-Cohen, R. Aaron (of Zelichov and Apt), 76 Ha-Cohen, R. Yaakov, 199 Halachic rulings, about the heart, 178-179 Halevi, R. Avraham b. Eliezer, 106 Halevi, R. Yehudah, 97-98, 181 Hananyah (Shadrach), martyrdom of, 108109 Harps, primal, 134-135 Hashmal, 207, 209 Hasidei Ashkenaz, 152-153 Hasidim Rishonim (Hasideans), 8-9, 73 Hasidism literature of, 12 opposition to, 89-90 songs of, 141-142 Hayye ha-Olam ha-Ba (Abulafia), 71 Hayyim, R. (of Lithuania), 89-90 Hayyim, R. (of Volozhin), 71-72, 116, 158-160, 184

231

Hayyim, R. Yosef (of Baghdad), 90-91, 157, 193 Head, 70-71 movements of, 145-149, 156-157 Healers. See Therapeutae Heart and mouth, 209-210 significance of, 177-190 Heavens, 16, 162; see also Angels; Celestial journeys Hechalot literature, 15-16 Hechalot Zutarti, 79 Hemdat Yamim, 52-53 Hillel, Sage, 48-49, 67-68 Hillesum, Etty, 62-63 Hirsh, R. (of Zydaczow), 115 Hithodedut (meditation process), 63-65 Hochmat ha-Nefesh (R. Eleazar), 70 Honi the Circle Drawer, 38 Hugei Argaman (Circles of Royal Purple), 174-176 Human nature, vs. Divine, 181-182 I and Thou (Buber), 60, 173 Ibn Ezra, R. Abraham, 46 Ibn Machir, R. Moshe, 52, 79 Idel, Moshe, 70, 100, 135 Iggeret ha-Kodesh (Ramban), 169-170 Infinite, the, 2

INDEX

232

Intellects and breath, 122-123, 127-129 purifying, 39 Interdependence, of Jews, 24-26 Internalization, and breathing, 111-129 Isaac, meditation by, 6-7, 45-46 Isaac, R. (of Corbeil), 155156 Isaiah, on Divine light, 162 Islam, 74, 184 Isolation. See Seclusion Israel and God, 31-34 reconnection with land in, 52, 60-61, 63 topography of, 87-88 Israelites, num ber of, 2630 Isserles, R. Moshe (Rama), 6 Jacob, meditation by, 7 Jacob’s ladder, 87-91, 113114 Jerusalem, orientation toward, 36-37 Joy as requirem ent for meditation, 132, 134 as requirem ent for prophecy, 8, 134 Judah the Prince, R., 152 Kabbalah of R. Meshullam the Zadokite, The, 197 Kabbalat Shabbat service, 52-55

Kabbalism, 12-13, 192, 198 associations with breath, 127-129 recondite meditation techniques of, 137139 and Shema, 156-157 studying mysticism of, 20

Kalisker, R. Avraham, 2526 Karo, R. Yosef, 12-13 Kavvanah, lack of, 182 Keter Shem Tov, 167 Kiddush Ha-Shem, martyrdom as, 102-109 King David, 48 and the heart, 177-178, 181 prayer of, 95-96, 134 Kneeling, during prayer, 74 Knowledge. See This Is the Knowledge of the Blessed Creator Knowledge, and God as one, 31 Kook, R. Avraham Yitzhak, 61-62, 134-135, 164 Kutover, R. Gershon, 2425 Ladders, symbology of, 8791 Language, of nature, 49-51 La-suach, meanings of, 4546 Leib, R. Aryeh (Yehudah) (of Polonnoye), 50 Leib, R. Moshe, 21

INDEX

Letters, 205; see also Names of God and bodies, 69-70 in chanting, 146-149 of echad, 152-156, 160 and music, 135-137 in Sefirot, 208-209 in the Torah, 26-33 Lewis, Samuel, 186-187 Life-style, and meditation, 3435, 39-40 Light significance of, 161-176 supernal, 169-171, 213 Likkutei Moharan (Nachman), 57 Love and compassion, 23-24 of G o d ,166-168, 187 Lulav (palm branch), 68 and spine, 81-83 on Sukkot, 154-155 Luria, R. Yitzhak (the Ari), 20, 24, 137, 192 on the heart, 179-180 on services, 52, 55-56 Luz (tailbone), 85-87 Luzzatto, R. Moshe Hayyim, 121, 166-167

233

on prayer, 35, 70, 98-99, 152, 180 on prophecy, 7-8 Malach, 207 symbolism of, 204-205 Male/female elements wisdom as feminine, 1011

in yichudim, 196-198, 202-203 Mani, R., 68 Martyrdom, 102-109 Meals post -Shabbat, 86 protocol of, 205-206 songs at, 141-143 Mechavenim, of Beit El institute, 137-139 Meditation, 34, 106; see also Hitbodedut of biblical figures, 6-7 and environm ent, 35-39 purposes of, 2 Meiri (talmudic commentator), 179 Melodies. See Music Mem (letter), 70-71 Metatron, 11-14, 46, 204205 Methuselah, 11 Mezuzot, 69-70 M idnight prayer services,

Maggid of Mezeritch, 28, 35- 36, 125 101 on nature, 50-51, 122 Midrash, 117, 181-182 on prayer, 78-79, 158 Maimonides, Obadyah, 186 Midrash Tanchuma, 68-70 Maimonides, R. Moses, 8-9, Mikvah (ritual bath), 40, 68, 79 47, 116 Mishael (Meshach), on God, 102, 164, 166 m artyrdom of, 108on postures, 54-55, 73, 109 92

INDEX

234

Mishkan ha-Edut (R. de Leon), 201 Mishneh Torah, 7-8 Mohammed, ascension of, 97 Mordecai, R. (of Chernobyl), 42 Morning services, 72, 119120

Moscato, R. Judah, 136137 Moses, 84, 136 Mount Sinai, Revelation at, 26-28, 72 Mourning, for Temple, 101

Mouth, and heart, 209210

Moznei Tzedek (R. Avraham bar Hasdai), 185 Music and chanting, 131-149 to welcome Shabbat, 5253 Mysteries, blessings of, 2931 Mystical Experience, The (Idel), 135 Mysticism of Ashkenazim, 20-21 in Hechalot literature, 15 Nachman, R. (of Bratzlav), 36, 59-60, 140-141, 183-184 on breathing, 126-129 on meditation, 42-43, 63-65 and nature, 56-59 on prayer, 96, 143-144

Nachmanides (Ramban), 112, 115, 187 on blessings of mysteries, 30-31 on Names of God, 31-32 on thought, 169-170 Names of God, 3-5, 69-70, 143-144, 178 and bowing, 80-82 and breath, 114-115 in chanting, 145-149 letters of, 80, 188-189 numerology of, 29, 3334, 46 sanctification of, 102-109 in Shema meditation, 157, 159 Torah as, 31-32 unification of, 191-210 Natan, R., 64 Nature, 61 meditation in, 43, 45-64, 63-65 Nefesh (type of breath), 116-117 Neshamah (type of breath), 116-117 Niggunim (songs), 141-143 Nighttime, 95-109 Ninety-one (91), significance of, 206207 Noam Elimelech (R. Elimelech), 107-108 Nonhumans, 141, 180 spirituality of, 47-51, 57, 64 Noses and breath, 113-114 as shin, 70, 119

INDEX

Nostrils, 122-124, 144-149 Numerology, 4, 33-34, 46, 178 of amen, 205-207 of echad, 152-156, 160 of Torah letters, 26-33 in yichudim, 203-204

235

Poetry, by women, 62-63 Post-Shabbat meal, 86 Postures in meditation, 72-94 while chanting, 145-149 Praise, 47-48, 117 Prayer; see also Shema as bouquets, 58-59 Obstacles, 120-122 environm ent for, 35-36, 138 Doorways to Wisdom (R. 64-65 Luzzatto), 166-167 from the heart, 180-182 Or Ha-Gahuz (ha-Cohen), methods of, 5, 92, 117, 76 195, 209 Or ha-Ganuz la-Tzaddikim, and music, 143-144 orientation for, 36-37 189 Or ha-Sechel (Abulafia), 145 postures for, 77-79 yichudim in, 195-198 Order of the Day (ibn Preparation Machir), 79 Orientation inactivity as, 124-125 for meditation, 39-43, 64, and prayer, 36-37 132 on Shabbat eve, 54 meditation as, 2 Outdoors. See Nature for Shabbat, 79 Pain, meditation to escape, for Shema, 152 Prophecy, 118 106 and meditation, 7-8 Paul, celestial journey of, 14 at Mount Sinai, 27-28 Peasetzna, R. Kalonymus music in, 133-134 Kalmish, 16 and Sufi practices, 184Perception, role of self in, 185 173 Prostration (nifillat Perek Shirah, 48, 50, 140appayim), 92-94, 104 141 Psalms, 72-73, 134 Philo (of Alexandria), 47, and nighttime, 96-97 114, 136 Pinchas, R. (of Koretz), 26, Raaya Mehemna, 91 33, 69, 133 yichudim in, 201-202, on God-centered 205-206, 209 breathing, 120-122 Rabbinical Council of Place, and meditation, 35Brody, 20 39

236

INDEX

Sefer Haredim (R. Azikri), 164-165 Sefer Mitzvot Katan (R. Isaac of Corbeil), 155 Sefer Yetzirah, 116-117 Sefirot, 12-14 and bowing, 82-83 and breath, 116, 122-123 contemplation of, 163 of creation, 206-207 Divine Being in, 71-72 letter combinations in, 208-209 levels of, 173-174, 198 symbolism of, 202-203 terminology of, 156-157 unification of, 192-193 Self-negation, 126 Sephardim, 20 Sephardism, and Islamic mysticism, 184 Service, Divine, movement Saba, R. Avraham, 7, 33 in, 77 Sabbatean heresies, 20 Services Sacrifice, and martyrdom, midnight, 101 102-109 morning, 72, 119-120 Safrin, R. Isaac, 167-168 prostration in, 92 Sanctuary, hearts as, 183singing in, 133 184 Sexuality, and spirituality, Scholem, Gershom, 38-39, 39-40, 78-79, 196-198 193-194, 198-199 Shaar le-Sodot haSeals, by combining Names Hitbonenut (Gateway to of God, 194-196 the Mysteries of Seclusion, 7-8, 9, 164-165 Meditation) (Théon), vs. community, 21-22 174-175 Seder ha-Yom (ibn Machir, Shaarei Orah (R. Gikatilla), R. Moshe), 52 188-189, 200 Seder Yetzirah, 70 Shaarei Tzedeh, 41-42 Sefer Bahir, 85 Shabbat, welcoming, 52-53 Sefer Ha-Razim, 162 Shabbat zemirot, 55-56

Ramban. See Nachmanides Rashi, 22, 30, 83, 112 Recondite meditation techniques, 137-139 Repentance, and sighing, 127 Responsafrom Heaven (R. Yaakov of Marvege), 99 Resting, as Divine service, 77 Resurrection, and the luz, 85-86 Rituals, conducted outdoors, 51-52 Rope, Jacob as, 90-91 Rosh Hashanah, prayers of, 5 Roth, R. Aaron, 168 Ruach (spirit), 117-118 Ruth, 21

INDEX

Shabbos Shirah, 133 Shaddai numerology of, 46 significance of name, 6970 Shalom, chanting of, 149 Sharabi, R. Shalom, 75-76, 137 Shechinah, 12-13, 79, 89, 91, 163 and music, 140, 143-144 welcoming, 40-42, 5254 Sheelat halom (dream inquiry), 99-100 Shema, 200 and martyrdom, 102104, 107 recitation of, 151-160 Shemoneh Esreh. See Amidah Shepherds, songs of, 140141 Shin. See Nose Shiviti, 5-6 Shmuel b. Nachman, R., 114-115 Shoshan Sodot, 29-30, 86 Shulhan Aruch (Ari), 52 Shulhan Aruch (Isserles), 6 Sight, by the heart, 178179, 181 Silence, 76-77, 206, 209 Singing. See Music Sitting, significance of, 7277 Sleep, 85, 119-120 Smaller and Larger Praxis, The (Scholem), 38-39 Snakes, 83-84

237

Solomon (son of King David), 48 Soloveitchik, Rabbi Joseph B., 1-2 “Song of the Sea,” 133 Songs, 139, 163; see also Music Souls, 85, 116, 119, 139 and breath, 112-113, 116-117 levels of, 40-41, 90-91 as source of thought, 169-170 Spine, importance of, 8091 Spirituality influences on Jewish, 184-187 of R. Azikri, 165-166 reform of Jewish, 74 and sexuality, 78-79, 196-198 Spiritualization, as selfsacrifice, 109 Standing, 208 Study environm ent for, 35-36, 96 on gerushin meditation, 56 as service, 9-10, 22, 77 Sufism, adoption of, 184187 Sukkah, symbolism of, 203204 Sukkot, lulav on, 154-155 Supernal lights, 169-171, 213 Swaying, during prayer, 77-79

238

Synagogues architecture of, 37 sitting in, 72-74 Tallit, 41-42 Tanach, 45-46, 79 Targum Yonatan, 84 Tefillin, 41-42, 70-72 Teitelbaum, R. Moshe, 9293, 104 Temple m ourning for, 101 symbolism in, 3-5 Ten (10), significance of, 136 Ten Commandments, revelation of, 27-28, 72 Tetragrammaon (patterns), 136-137 Themanlys, Pascal, 174 Théon, Max, 174 Therapeutae (healers), 915 This Is the Knowledge of the Blessed Creator, 196197 Thought; see also Intellect and Supernal light, 169170 Tikkun Hatzot (midnight prayer services), 101 Tikkunei Zohar, 81-83, 201210 Torah, 167, 175 numerology of, 26-34 Tract of Ecstasy (Baer), 140 Treatise of the Pool, The (Obadyah Maimonides), 186 Truth, absoluteness of, 34

INDEX

Tseruf (method of meditation), 135-136 Turning, symbolism of, 5455 Tzaddik, 107, 208 Tzefat, 87 mystics of, 56, 162 services in, 52, 101 Tzimtzum (self-contraction), 125 Understanding, and breath, 128 Unifications, 77 Shema meditation as, 156-160 through candle gazing, 173 through prayer, 61-62 yichudim, 191-210 Unity, Divine, 126 Universalism, of Rav Kook, 61-62 Va-Yikra, 68 Vilna Gaon, 20-21 Visions of Ezekiel, 14-15, 50, 206-207 of Jacob, 7, 87 of R. Safrin, 167-168 Visions of Ezekiel, The, 14-15 Vital, R. Hayyim, 93, 116, 124 Water, symbolism of, 186 Windows, and prayer, 3738 Wings, significance of, 42 Wisdom, 10-11

INDEX

Wisdom of Solomon, 10-11 Women, 9; see also Male/ female elements spirituality of, 62-63 Wurzburger, R. Walter, 2324 Yaakov, R. (of Marvege), 99 Yaakov b. Asher, R., 72 Yedid Nefesh (song), 163 Yehoshua b. Levi, R., 7374, 80 Yehudah, R., 55 Yeruham, Shlomoh B., 48 Yesod, symbolism of, 202 Yichudim (unifications), 191-210 Yitzhak, R. (of Acco), 12, 69 on meditation, 34, 187188 Yodim, symbolism of, 69, 205 Yohanan, R., 32, 154-155 Yohanan b. Zakkai, Rabban, 49

239

Yom Kippur, 3-4, 5, 38-39, 92 Yosef, R. Yaakov (of Polnoyye), 88-89 Zak, Berchah, 31 Zalman, R. Shlomoh (of Kopust), 142-143 Zalman, R. Shneur (of Liadi), 47, 113, 126 Zeitlin, R. Hillel, 59, 99100,213 Zionist youth movement, 60-61 Zohar, 20, 119-120, 123124 on Divine Names, 104, 201-202

methods in, 170, 171-173 and nighttim e prayer, 96, 101 and Torah, 28-30, 31 Zohar in Moslem and Christian Spain, The (Bension), 137-139

A bout th e A u th o r M ark V erm an is currently a visiting professor and di­ rector of Judaic Studies at Carleton College. He received rabbinical o rd in atio n in 1974 from Rabbi G edalyah Felder, z ”l. His academ ic degrees include a m asters degree in m edieval studies from th e U niversity of Toronto and a doctorate from H arvard University, spe­ cializing in kabbalistic literature. A m ong his publica­ tions are The Books o f Contemplation: Medieval Jewish Mystical Sources an d som e fifty jo u rn a l articles an d reviews, including th e entry on Jewish m editation for The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion. Since 1980 he has tau g h t courses an d w orkshops th ro u g h o u t th e country in Jew ish m ysticism and m ed itatio n . Dr. V erm an and his wife. Dr. S hulam it H. Adler, reside in M inneapolis.