page #1 - amazon s3...kavana means kivum, sharp and pointed i. shemen ha’tov – teshuva for doing...

Mindfulness in a Mindless World – Rabbi Efrem Goldberg

Page#1


Page#2

I. Introduction a. Guru – come home b. Mindfulness growingin popularity and research c. In truth, Judaism endorsed, promoted and prescribed mindfulness long before anyone else

II. The Present – The Only Dimension that Matters

a. Rosh Hashana judgment is about the present i. Rosh Hashana 16b ii. Kiddushin 49b

b. Rabbi Soloveitchik – three dimensions blend into one – the present c. Rav Kook – teshuva not about the past but about correcting influence of past in the present

i. Menachem Tziyon – Don’t be stuck in the mistakes of the past d. Avos – Roeh es ha’nolad, anticipate the future

i. Rambam – says nolad, not asid. Being born out of today’s actions, the present. e. Dr. Jon Kabat Zinn – the present

III. Jewish Mindfulness

a. Ramchal – zehirus, caution and mindfulness b. Yetzer ha’rah pushes us to be mindless

i. Alter of Novardok ii. Harvard research

c. R’ Chaim Friedlander – meaningful life is a life of being mindful d. Torah mindfulness

i. Rav Kook – fundamental to living ii. Ramban – you are where your head is

1. V’heyei shaim – be where you are iii. Kotzker Rebbe and R’ Moishele Kobriner iv. Chelban – be immersed entirely in what you are doing

IV. Mindful Meditation

a. Shabbos as a model i. R’ Chaim Friedlander – Hashem created a concept called rest ii. Apter Rav – Shomer Shabbos

b. Breathing i. R’ Aryeh Kaplan – meditation ii. Neshima and Neshama

1. Nefesh Ha’Chaim iii. Breathing exercise together iv. Be a thermostat, not a thermometer

V. Minfulness Living

a. Overcome rote and habit i. Yeshaya – mitzvos anashim milumada ii. Chelban – regel, raglayim

1. Tadir v’she’eino tadir – more emphasis on what we do more often b. Kavana means kivum, sharp and pointed

i. Shemen Ha’Tov – teshuva for doing mitzvos mindlessly c. Zerizus

i. Pesachim ii. Orchos Tzadikim – critical attribute. When focused, will act with alacrity.

d. Pizur Ha’Nefesh – scattered and fragmented i. Chovos Ha’Levovos – prayer to not be distracted

VI. Mindfulness of Hashem


Page#3

a. Emunah i. Rambam – love and awe result from contemplation ii. Rama – Shivisi Hashem l’negdi samid

1. Biur Halacha – 6 constant mitzvos iii. Rambam – berachos keep us conscious of Hashem

VII. Mindfulness Throughout the Day

a. Way we wake up i. Tie shoes ii. Birchos Ha’shachar

iii. Asher Yatzar – mindful of blessing to relieve oneself b. Purpose of berachos – mindfulness c. Mindful of nature around us – thunder, lightening, rainbow, etc.

VIII. Mindful eating

a. Research b. Purpose of kashrus

i. Ohr Ha’Chaim – Adom was eating mindlessly ii. Reb Nachman

iii. Rabbeinu Bachya – kashrus promotes discipline c. Kitzur Shulchan Aruch – chewing d. Berachos on food

i. Berachos 35a – like stealing ii. Rav Tzadok – purpose of berachos to imbue gratitude

iii. Ben Ish Chai – 100 berachos a day to be mindful during day e. Mindful eating exercise together

IX. Mindfulness in Mitzvos

a. L’maan taskilu i. Ibn Ezra – success ii. Yerushalmi – contemplative

b. Birchos ha’mitzvos i. R’ Elimelech – l’sheim kudsha ii. Noda B’Yehudah – no need, we have berachos

c. Yarmulka – promotes mindfulness i. Shabbos 156b ii. R’ Yehoshua of Belz – yarmulke = yarei malak, fear of King

X. Mindfulness in prayer

a. Modeled after korbanos i. Pigul – wrong though invalidates

b. Needs chizuk – berachos 32b c. Easy to be distracted

i. Yerushalmi d. Without concentration no value

i. Rabbeinu Yonah ii. Rambam

iii. Shulchan Aruch

XI. Conclusion a. Christopher Reeve story – mindlessness is our kryptonite b. Pilot or Passenger of your life? c. Disconnect to connect d. Mindfulness key to meaning


Page#4

http

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FW8

Magazine

The

Mud

died

Mea

ning

of ‘

Min

dful

ness

’Fi

rst W

ords

By V

IRG

INIA

HEF

FER

NAN

APR

IL 14

, 201

5

Mos

t new

ly st

ylis

h co

inag

es c

arry

with

them

som

e ev

iden

ce o

f gra

mm

atic

al tr

aum

a.Co

nsid

er “a

fflue

ncer

,” “s

elfie

,” “i

mpa

ctfu

l.” N

otes

of c

ynic

ism

and

cut

esin

ess c

ome

thro

ugh.

But

eve

ry n

ow a

nd th

en a

bri

ght e

xcep

tion

to th

is d

ispi

ritin

g ro

utin

eap

pear

s. A

rook

ie w

ord

mak

es it

s big

-leag

ue d

ebut

, a st

adiu

m o

f ped

ants

pre

pare

s to

peg

it w

ith to

mat

oes a

nd —

not

hing

. A h

alfh

eart

ed h

eckl

e. T

he n

ew w

ord

look

s onl

ypa

ssab

ly p

athe

tic. M

adde

ning

ly, i

t has

hef

t.

“Min

dful

ness

” may

be

that

hef

ty w

ord

now

, one

that

can

’t re

adily

be

dism

isse

das

triv

ia o

r pro

paga

nda.

Yes

, it’s

cur

rent

am

ong

jaw

-gri

ndin

g Fo

rtun

e 50

0 ex

ecut

ives

who

take

slee

ping

pill

s and

hav

e “l

eade

rshi

p co

ache

s,” a

s wel

l as w

ith th

e m

oney

edea

rnes

t, w

ho sh

op a

t Who

le F

oods

, whe

re M

indf

ul m

agaz

ine

is o

n th

e ne

wss

tand

alon

gsid

e gl

ossi

es a

bout

woo

dwor

king

and

the

envi

ronm

ent.

It lo

oks l

ike

noth

ing

mor

e th

an th

e no

un fo

rm o

f “m

indf

ul” —

the

prop

er a

ttitu

de to

war

d th

e Lo

ndon

subw

ay’s

gaps

— b

ut “m

indf

ulne

ss” h

as m

ore

exot

ic o

rigi

ns. I

n th

e la

te 19

th c

entu

ry,

the

heyd

ay o

f bot

h th

e Br

itish

Em

pire

and

Vic

tori

an O

rien

talis

m, a

Bri

tish

mag

istr

ate

in G

alle

, Cey

lon

(now

Sri

Lan

ka),

with

the

form

idab

le n

ame

of T

hom

asW

illia

m R

hys D

avid

s, fo

und

him

self

char

ged

with

adj

udic

atin

g Bu

ddhi

stec

cles

iast

ical

dis

pute

s. H

e se

t out

to le

arn

Pali,

a M

iddl

e In

do-A

ryan

tong

ue a

nd th

elit

urgi

cal l

angu

age

of T

hera

vada

, an

earl

y br

anch

of B

uddh

ism

. In

1881

, he

thus

pulle

d ou

t “m

indf

ulne

ss” —

a sy

nony

m fo

r “at

tent

ion”

from

1530

— a

s an

appr

oxim

ate

tran

slat

ion

of th

e Bu

ddhi

st c

once

pt o

f sat

i.

The

Mud

died

Mea

ning

of ‘

Min

dful

ness

’ - T

he N

ew Y

ork

Tim

esht

tp://

ww

w.ny

times

.com

/201

5/04

/19/

mag

azin

e/th

e-m

uddi

ed-m

ean.

..

1 of

510

/5/1

6, 1

0:14

AM

The

tran

slat

ion

was

inde

ed ro

ugh.

Sat

i, w

hich

Bud

dhis

ts c

onsi

der t

he fi

rst o

fse

ven

fact

ors o

f enl

ight

enm

ent,

mea

ns, m

ore

near

ly, “

mem

ory

of th

e pr

esen

t,” w

hich

didn

’t tr

ack

in te

nse-

preo

ccup

ied

Engl

ish.

“Min

dful

ness

” stu

ck —

but

may

hav

esa

ddle

d th

e su

btle

sati

with

fals

e-no

te c

onno

tatio

ns o

f Vic

tori

an c

autio

n, o

r eve

nob

edie

nce.

(“M

ind

your

man

ners

!”)

“Min

dful

ness

” fin

ally

bec

ame

an A

mer

ican

bra

nd, h

owev

er, a

hun

dred

yea

rsla

ter,

whe

n th

e be

-her

e-no

w, E

aste

rn-in

flect

ed e

xplo

ratio

ns o

f the

’60s

cam

e to

dove

tail

with

self-

impr

ovem

ent r

egim

es. I

n th

e 19

70s,

Jon

Kab

at-Z

inn,

a m

olec

ular

biol

ogis

t in

New

Eng

land

and

a lo

ngtim

e m

edita

tor i

n th

e Ze

n Bu

ddhi

st tr

aditi

on,

saw

in R

hys D

avid

s’s w

ord

a ch

ance

to sc

rub

med

itatio

n of

its r

elig

ious

ori

gins

.K

abat

-Zin

n be

lieve

d th

at m

any

of th

e se

cula

r peo

ple

who

cou

ld m

ost b

enef

it fr

omm

edita

tion

wer

e be

ing

turn

ed o

ff by

the

whi

ffs o

f rei

ncar

natio

n an

d ot

her r

elig

ious

esot

eric

a th

at c

lung

to it

. So

he d

evis

ed a

new

and

ple

asin

g de

finiti

on o

f“m

indf

ulne

ss,”

one

that

now

mak

es n

o m

entio

n of

enl

ight

enm

ent:

“The

aw

aren

ess

that

ari

ses t

hrou

gh p

ayin

g at

tent

ion

on p

urpo

se in

the

pres

ent m

omen

t, an

dno

n-ju

dgm

enta

lly.”

Und

er c

over

of t

his i

nnoc

uous

wor

d, B

uddh

ist m

edita

tion

nose

d its

way

into

ase

cula

r aud

ienc

e be

nt o

n pe

rson

al g

row

th a

nd e

ven

succ

ess s

trat

egie

s. T

he id

ea th

atpe

ople

mig

ht o

verc

ome

psyc

holo

gica

l and

phy

siol

ogic

al sh

ortc

omin

gs w

ithse

lf-in

duce

d co

mfo

rtin

g th

ough

ts h

ad a

lrea

dy ta

ken

hold

by

othe

r nam

es: p

ositi

veth

inki

ng, t

he re

cove

ry m

ovem

ent,

self-

help

. In

her s

cath

ing

1992

cri

tique

of t

his

idea

, “I’m

Dys

func

tiona

l, Yo

u’re

Dys

func

tiona

l,” W

endy

Kam

iner

mig

ht h

ave

been

desc

ribi

ng th

e di

ssem

inat

ion

of m

indf

ulne

ss a

s a k

ind

of sh

orth

and

for b

ette

rmen

tw

hen

she

talk

ed a

bout

how

to w

rite

a se

lf-he

lp b

ook:

“Pac

kage

pla

titud

es a

bout

posi

tive

thin

king

, pra

yer o

r affi

rmat

ion

ther

apy

as su

refir

e, sc

ient

ific

tech

niqu

es.”

In th

e ye

ars t

hat f

ollo

wed

, Kab

at-Z

inn

publ

ishe

d a

seri

es o

f boo

ks o

n m

indf

ulne

ssth

at in

deed

pla

yed

like

erud

ite se

lf-he

lp, n

otab

ly, i

n 19

94, “

Whe

reve

r You

Go,

The

reYo

u Ar

e: M

indf

ulne

ss M

edita

tion

in E

very

day

Life

.” Cu

rren

t boo

ks b

y K

abat

-Zin

nan

d sc

ores

of o

ther

s now

dro

p th

e w

ord

“med

itatio

n” a

ltoge

ther

and

pro

pose

min

dful

ness

as t

he p

harm

akon

for a

het

erog

eneo

us d

eck

of m

oder

n in

firm

ities

.R

ecen

t vol

umes

in th

e sa

me

genr

e in

clud

e “M

indf

ul W

ork,

” “Th

e M

indf

ul W

ayTh

roug

h D

epre

ssio

n,” “

Min

dful

Bir

thin

g,” “

Min

dful

Mov

emen

ts,”

“The

Min

dful

The

Mud

died

Mea

ning

of ‘

Min

dful

ness

’ - T

he N

ew Y

ork

Tim

esht

tp://

ww

w.ny

times

.com

/201

5/04

/19/

mag

azin

e/th

e-m

uddi

ed-m

ean.

..

2 of

510

/5/1

6, 1

0:14

AM

1. N

Y Ti

mes

“The

Mud

died

Mea

ning

of

Min

dful

ness”


Page#5

Child

,” “T

he M

indf

ul T

een,

” tw

o bo

oks c

alle

d “M

indf

ul E

atin

g,” a

nd “T

he M

indf

ulW

ay T

hrou

gh S

tres

s.” I

n th

ese

book

s, m

indf

ulne

ss h

as c

ome

to c

ompr

ise

a di

zzyi

ngra

nge

of m

eani

ngs f

or p

opul

ar a

udie

nces

. It’s

an

intim

atel

y at

tent

ive

fram

e of

min

d.It

’s a

rela

xed-

aler

t fra

me

of m

ind.

It’s

equa

nim

ity. I

t’s a

form

of t

he ri

goro

usBu

ddhi

st m

edita

tion

calle

d vi

pass

ana

(“in

sigh

t”),

or a

form

of a

noth

er k

ind

ofBu

ddhi

st m

edita

tion

know

n as

ana

pana

smrt

i (“a

war

enes

s of t

he b

reat

h”).

It’s

M.B

.S.R

. the

rapy

(min

dful

ness

-bas

ed st

ress

redu

ctio

n). I

t’s ju

st k

ind

of st

oppi

ng to

smel

l the

rose

s. A

nd la

st, i

t’s a

life

styl

e tr

end,

a so

cial

mov

emen

t and

— a

s a T

ime

mag

azin

e co

ver h

ad it

last

yea

r — a

revo

lutio

n.

If it

’s a

revo

lutio

n, it

’s no

t a g

rass

-roo

ts o

ne. A

lthou

gh m

indf

ulne

ss te

ache

rsre

gula

rly

offe

r the

pra

ctic

e in

dis

enfr

anch

ised

com

mun

ities

in th

e U

nite

d St

ates

and

abro

ad, t

he p

ower

ful h

ave

real

ly m

ade

min

dful

ness

thei

r ow

n, e

xact

ing

from

the

delic

ate

idea

con

cret

e pr

omis

es o

f lon

ger l

ives

and

gre

ater

pro

duct

ivity

. In

Janu

ary,

duri

ng th

e W

orld

Eco

nom

ic F

orum

in D

avos

, Sw

itzer

land

, Kab

at-Z

inn

led

exec

utiv

esan

d 1 p

erce

nter

s in

a m

indf

ulne

ss m

edita

tion

mea

nt to

pro

mot

e ge

nera

l wel

l-bei

ng.

Man

y in

pin

stri

pes a

nd c

onfe

renc

e la

nyar

ds a

lso

took

tim

e aw

ay fr

om p

anel

s on

Bitc

oin

and

cybe

rsec

urity

to c

omm

unal

ly b

reat

he, a

nd to

att

end

a pa

cked

sess

ion

calle

d Th

e H

uman

Bra

in: D

econ

stru

ctin

g M

indf

ulne

ss, l

ed b

y Th

omas

R. I

nsel

, the

dire

ctor

of t

he N

atio

nal I

nstit

ute

of M

enta

l Hea

lth.

“The

re’s

a m

indf

ulne

ss-t

rain

ing

prog

ram

that

’s ve

ry lo

gica

l and

ver

y ca

lm, q

uiet

,an

d w

e’ve

star

ted

the

proc

ess w

ith th

is te

am,”

anno

unce

d Ph

il Ja

ckso

n, th

e pr

esid

ent

of th

e N

ew Y

ork

Kni

cks,

last

yea

r. W

hen

Amar

’e S

toud

emir

e, a

pow

er fo

rwar

d th

enw

ith th

e te

am, w

as a

sked

whe

ther

he

thou

ght m

indf

ulne

ss tr

aini

ng w

ould

hel

p hi

m,

he re

plie

d: “I

t will

def

inite

ly h

elp,

for s

ure.

It ju

st k

eeps

you

focu

sed

on th

e ta

sk a

tha

nd. I

t kee

ps y

ou in

tune

.”

Min

dful

ness

as “

keep

ing

in tu

ne” h

as a

nic

e ri

ng to

it. B

ut it

’s “f

ocus

ed o

n th

eta

sk a

t han

d” th

at a

ppea

ls to

man

ager

s, li

ke J

acks

on, w

ho a

re c

onsc

ious

of

perf

orm

ance

goa

ls. M

ight

wor

kpla

ce m

indf

ulne

ss —

in th

e cu

bicl

e or

on

the

cour

t —be

just

ano

ther

way

to k

eep

empl

oyee

s und

istr

acte

d an

d to

get

them

to w

ork

hard

erfo

r not

hing

but

air

y re

war

ds?

In th

is c

onte

xt o

f per

form

ance

enh

ance

men

t,“m

indf

ulne

ss” s

eem

s per

ilous

ly c

lose

to d

ogge

rel f

rom

the

sam

e pl

aybo

ok th

atbr

ough

t us c

orny

affi

rmat

ions

, inn

er c

hild

ren

and

visi

on b

oard

s.

The

Mud

died

Mea

ning

of ‘

Min

dful

ness

’ - T

he N

ew Y

ork

Tim

esht

tp://

ww

w.ny

times

.com

/201

5/04

/19/

mag

azin

e/th

e-m

uddi

ed-m

ean.

..

3 of

510

/5/1

6, 1

0:14

AMM

aybe

the

wor

d “m

indf

ulne

ss” i

s lik

e th

e Pr

ius e

mbl

em, a

bad

ge o

f enl

ight

ened

and

self-

satis

fied

cons

umer

ism

, and

of s

ucce

ss a

nd a

chie

vem

ent.

If so

, not

dep

loyi

ngm

indf

ulne

ss —

taki

ng p

ills o

r nap

s for

anx

iety

, say

, or g

oing

out

to c

hurc

h or

cock

tails

— m

akes

you

look

sort

of b

ackw

ard

or c

lass

less

. Lik

e dr

ivin

g a

Hum

mer

.

As u

sual

with

mod

ish

and

ideo

logi

cally

frei

ghte

d w

ords

, thi

s one

has

als

o co

me

to in

form

hig

h-m

inde

d pr

escr

iptio

ns fo

r rai

sing

chi

ldre

n. E

vide

ntly

they

’re n

o lo

nger

expe

cted

to m

ind

thei

r man

ners

; we

are

expe

cted

inst

ead

to m

ind

thei

r em

otio

nal

stat

es. R

ecen

tly, H

anna

Ros

in, i

n Sl

ate,

arg

ued

that

min

dful

par

entin

g m

ight

be

aTr

ojan

hor

se: T

houg

h th

e m

indf

ul m

othe

r cla

ims t

o st

ay o

pen-

min

ded

abou

t her

child

’s ev

ery

actio

n an

d co

mm

unic

atio

n, sh

e en

ds u

p be

ing

hosp

itabl

e to

onl

y th

eki

d’s h

ippi

e, p

eace

nik

side

— th

e si

de sh

e co

mes

to p

refe

r.

In R

osin

’s ex

ampl

e, a

mot

her s

uppo

sedl

y m

indf

ul o

f her

son’

s cap

acity

for

viol

ence

non

ethe

less

doe

sn’t

rest

unt

il he

giv

es a

pea

ceab

le, s

ympa

thet

ic e

xpla

natio

nfo

r it —

that

he

was

hur

t and

ove

rrea

cted

. “I w

as m

ad, a

nd h

e ha

d it

com

ing,

” whi

chm

ight

be

the

lad’

s ow

n tr

uth,

doe

sn’t

fly. T

he m

othe

r’s “m

indf

ul a

tten

tion,

” rat

her

than

repr

esen

ting

free

dom

from

judg

men

t, pu

ts a

thum

b on

the

scal

e.

It’s

prof

ound

ly te

mpt

ing

to d

ism

iss a

s can

t any

wor

d cu

rren

t with

Dav

os, t

heN

.B.A

. and

the

mot

herh

ood

guilt

com

plex

. Min

dful

frac

king

: Cou

ld th

at b

e ne

xt?

Putt

ing

a ne

uros

cien

ce h

alo

arou

nd a

byw

ord

for b

oth

uppe

rs (“

prod

uctiv

ity”)

and

dow

ners

(“re

laxa

tion”

) — to

ens

ure

a m

ore

com

plia

nt w

ork

forc

e an

d a

mor

epr

ospe

rous

C-s

uite

— a

lso

seem

s tw

iste

d. N

o on

e w

ord,

how

ever

shin

y, h

owev

erin

trig

uing

ly E

aste

rn, h

owev

er b

olst

ered

by

scie

nce,

can

eve

r fix

the

hum

anco

nditi

on. A

nd th

at’s

wha

t com

mer

cial

min

dful

ness

may

hav

e lo

st fr

om th

e m

ost

rigo

rous

Bud

dhis

t ten

ets i

t rep

lace

d: th

e im

plic

atio

n th

at su

fferi

ng c

anno

t be

esca

ped

but m

ust b

e fa

ced.

Of t

hat s

hift

in m

eani

ng —

in th

e W

este

rniz

atio

n of

sati

— w

e sh

ould

be

espe

cial

ly m

indf

ul.

Cor

rect

ion:

Apr

il 2

6, 2

015

An a

rtic

le o

n Ap

ril 1

9 ab

out m

indf

ulne

ss m

isst

ated

the

publ

icat

ion

date

of J

on K

abat

-Zi

nn’s

book

“Whe

reve

r You

Go,

The

re Y

ou A

re.”

It w

as 19

94, n

ot 2

005.

Sign

up

for

our

new

slet

ter

to g

et th

e be

st o

f The

New

Yor

k Ti

mes

Mag

azin

e de

liver

edto

you

r in

box

ever

y w

eek.

The

Mud

died

Mea

ning

of ‘

Min

dful

ness

’ - T

he N

ew Y

ork

Tim

esht

tp://

ww

w.ny

times

.com

/201

5/04

/19/

mag

azin

e/th

e-m

uddi

ed-m

ean.

..

4 of

510

/5/1

6, 1

0:14

AM


Page#6

2. APA

Benefits of Mindfulness


Page#7

3.

Min

dful

ness

Med

itatio

n


Page#8


Page#9

4. Meditation Instead of Detention


Page#10

7. Out of the Whirlwind R’ Yosef Dov Soloveitchik

(1903-1993)

6. Kiddushin 49b

5. Rosh Hashana 16b


Page#11

8. H

alakh

ic M

an

R’ Y

osef D

ov S

olove

itchi

k (19

03-1

993)


Page#12


Page#13

“Nowisalwaystherighttime,becauseitistheonlytime.”

9. Ma’ariv “Hashkiveinu”

10. Menachem Tziyon R’ Menachem Benzion Zaks

(1896-1987)

11. Pirkei Avos 2:13

12. Rambam (1135-1204)

13. Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn


Page#14

14

. Mesi

llas Y

eshar

im

R’ M

oshe C

haim

Luz

zatto

(17

07-1

746)


Page#15


Page#16

“The power of the Satan lies in rushing a person to carry out an action right away, before he stops to consider and wonder about what he is doing. The deed is done and there he stands, deliberating after the fact.“

16. Wandering Mind

15. R’ Yosef Yozel Hurwitz Alter of Novardok (1847-1919)


Page#17

Whenweelevatematterswithourclarityofintent,ourawarenesscontinuouslyexpandsintheabundanceofasuperiorreality.Atthatpoint,ourdesire—adesireofeternallove,ofgreatlove—forthelightoftheinfiniteisscentedfromtheEdenoflife.Thenweshallgazeandbeillumined.Butifourmindfulnessisdislodgedandgrowsimpoverished,thefaceofheavendarkens.Beautyturnstomourningandtobarrenness.Thenthatclarifyingprocessthatcomesfromheaven,whichdemandstherighttoplayitsrole,depressesthespecialmissionofhumanity.Itdullsthelightofmindfulnessandthecompletecontentsofafulllife.Thisclarifyingprocess,reachingtotherootofallbeing,isanecessity:deeplyimplantedandflowingwithoutcease.Now,thewellspringsoftheflowoflifedryupbecauseourhandsarefeebleindealingwiththesupernalTorah.Buteverythingreturnstoitslightandtoitsshininglifewhenweengageinsupernalrepentancefilledwithknowledgeandpositivemindfulness,illuminedwiththelightofTorahcontainedwithinthewisdomoftheJewishpeople,whichistheinheritanceofourpatriarchsandwhichisfilledwithaneternalglory.Thetextoftheblessing,“Heplantedeternallifewithinus,”referstotheoralTorah:inallitslevelsandinthetotalityofitsbeauty.

17. Menuchas Ha’Nefesh R’ Chaim Friedlander

(1923-1986)

18. Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook (1865-1935)

Orot Ha’Torah 3:2


Page#18

”.A person exists where his thoughts are״

Hashem said to Moshe, “Ascend to Me to the mountain and be there, and I shall give you the stone tablets and the teaching and the commandment that I have wri#en, to teach them.”

19. Ramban Iggeres Ha’Kodesh chap. 5

20. Shemos 24:12

21. Talelei Chaim Chelban

R’ Chaim Cohen


(1923-1986)


Page#19


Page#20

23. To Be an Erev Shabbos Jew Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter


(1923-1986)


Page#21

25. M

edita

tion

and

Kab

bala

h R

abbi

Dr.

Arye

h K

apla

n (19

34-19

83)


Page#22

27. Nefesh Ha’Chaim R’ Chaim Volozhener

(1749-1821) 26. Bereishis


Page#23

“And their fear of Me was by rote”

28. Yeshayahu 29:13

29. Talelei Chaim Chelban

R’ Chaim Cohen


Page#24


Page#25

30. Shemen Ha’Tov R’ Bernard Weinberger

31. Pesachim 50b


Page#26

32. O

rcho

s Tza

dikim

15

th C

entu

ry G

erman

y


Page#27

34. Chovos Ha’Levavos R’ Bachya Ibn Paquda

11th Century Spain

35. R’ Ovadia Bartenura


(1923-1986)


Page#28

1

It is a mitzvah to love and fear this glorious and awesome God, as [Deuteronomy 6:5] states: "And you shall love God, your Lord" and, as [Deuteronomy 6:13] states: "Fear God, your Lord."

2

What is the path [to attain] love and fear of Him? When a person contemplates His wondrous and great deeds and creations and appreciates His infinite wisdom that surpasses all comparison, he will immediately love, praise, and glorify [Him], yearning with tremendous desire to know [God's] great name, as David stated: "My soul thirsts for the Lord, for the living God" [Psalms 42:3].

When he [continues] to reflect on these same matters, he will immediately recoil in awe and fear, appreciating how he is a tiny, lowly, and dark creature, standing with his flimsy, limited, wisdom before He who is of perfect knowledge, as David stated: "When I see Your heavens, the work of Your fingers... [I wonder] what is man that You should recall Him" [Psalms 8:4-5].

Based on these concepts, I will explain important principles regarding the deeds of the Master of the worlds to provide a foothold for a person of understanding to [develop] love for God, as our Sages said regarding love: "In this manner, you will recognize He who spoke and [thus,] brought the world into being."

36. Or Ha’Meir R’ Zev Wolf of Zhitomir

37. Rambam Hilchos Yesodei Ha’Torah


Page#29

38. Shulchan Aruch Rama Siman #1

39. Biur Halacha R’ Yisroel Meir Kagan

(1839-1933)


Page#30

Just as we recite blessings for benefit which we derive from the world, we should also recite blessings for each mitzvah before we fulfill it.

Similarly, the Sages instituted many blessings as expressions of praise and thanks to God and as a means of petition, so that we will always remember the Creator, even though we have not received any benefit or performed a mitzvah.

40. Rambam Hilchos Berachos 1:3

41. Shulchan Aruch

42. Mishna Berura

43. Shulchan Aruch


Page#31

Kenneth M.Prager, M.D. Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York

When I was an elementary school student in yeshiva - a Jewish parochial school with both religious and secular studies - my classmates and I used to find amusing a sign that was posted just outside the bathroom. It was an ancient Jewish blessing, commonly referred to as the asher yatzar benediction, that was supposed to be recited after one relieved oneself. For grade school children, there could be nothing more strange or ridiculous than to link to acts of micturition and defecation with holy words that mentioned God's name. Blessings were reserved for prayers, for holy days, or for thanking God for food or for some act of deliverance, but surely not for a bodily function that evoked smirks and giggles.

It took me several decades to realize the wisdom that lay behind this blessing that was composed by Abayei, a fourth-century Babylonian rabbi.

Abayei's blessing is contained in the Talmud, an encyclopedic work of Jewish law and lore that was written over the first five centuries of the common era. The Jewish religion is chock-full of these blessings, or brachot, as they are called in Hebrew. In fact, an entire tractate of Talmud, 128 pages in length, is devoted to brachot. On page 120 (Brachot 60b) of the ancient text it is written:

"Abayei said, when one comes out of a privy he should say: Blessed is He who has formed man in wisdom and created in him many orifices and many cavities. It is obvious and known before Your throne of glory that if one of them were to be ruptured or one of them blocked, it would be impossible for a man to survive and stand before You. Blessed are You that heals all flesh and does wonders."

An observant Jew is supposed to recite this blessing in Hebrew after each visit to the bathroom. We young yeshiva students were reminded of our obligation to recite this prayer by the signs that contained its text that were posted just outside the restroom doors.

It is one thing, however, to post these signs and it is quite another to realistically expect preadolescents to have the maturity to realize the wisdom of and need for reciting a 1600-year-old blessing related to bodily functions.

It was not until my second year of medical school that I first began to understand the appropriateness of this short prayer. Pathophysiology brought home to me the terrible consequences of even minor aberrations in the structure and function of the human body, At the very least, I began to no longer take for granted the normalcy of my trips to the bathroom. Instead, I started to realize how many things had to operate just right for these minor interruptions of my daily routine to run smoothly.

I thought of Abayei and his blessing. I recalled my days at yeshiva and remembered how silly that sign outside the bathroom had seemed. But after seeing patients whose lives revolved around their dialysis machines, and others with colostomies and urinary catheters, I realized how wise the rabbi had been.

And then it happened: I began to recite Abayei's bracha. At first I had to go back to my siddur, the Jewish prayer book, to get the text right. With repetition - and there were many opportunities for a novice to get to know this blessing well - I could recite it fluently and with sincerity and understanding.

Over the years, reciting the asher yatzar has become for me and opportunity to offer thanks not just for the proper functioning of my excretory organs, but for my overall good health. The text, after all, refers to catastrophic consequences of the rupture or obstruction of any bodily structure, not only those of the urinary or gastrointestinal tract. Could Abayei, for example, have foreseen that "blockage" of the "cavity," or lumen, of the coronary artery would lead to the commonest cause of death in industrialized countries some 16 centuries later?

I have often wondered if other people also yearn for some way to express gratitude for their good health. Physicians especially, who are exposed daily to the ravages that illness can wreak, must sometimes feel the need to express thanks for being well and thus well-being. Perhaps a generic, nondenominational asher yatzar could be composed for those who want to verbalize their gratitude for being blessed with good health.

There was one unforgettable patient whose story reinforced the truth and beauty of the asher yatzar for me forever. Josh was a 20-year-old student who sustained an unstable fracture of his third and fourth cervical vertebrae in a motor vehicle crash. He nearly died from his injury and required emergency intubation and ventilatory support. He was initially totally quadriplegic but for weak flexion of his right biceps.

A long and difficult period of stabilization and rehabilitation followed. There were promising signs of neurological recovery over the first few months that came suddenly and unexpectedly: movement of a finger here, flexion of a toe there, return of sensation here, adduction of a muscle group there. With incredible courage, hard work, and an excellent physical therapist, Josh improved day by day. In time, and after what seemed like a miracle, he was able to walk slowly with a leg brace and a cane.

But Josh continued to require intermittent catheterization. I know only too well the problems and perils this young man would face for the rest of his life because of a neurogenic bladder. The urologists were very pessimistic about his chances for not requiring catheterization. They had not seen this occur after a spinal cord injury of this severity.

Then the impossible happened. I was there the day Josh no longer required a urinary catheter. I thought of Abayei's asher yatzar prayer. Pointing out that I could not imagine a more meaningful scenario for its recitation, I suggested to Josh, who was also a yeshiva graduate, that he say the prayer. He agreed. As he recited the ancient bracha, tears welled in my eyes.

Josh is my son.

JAMA–JournalofAmericanMedicalAssociation 44. JAMA Dr. Kenneth Prager


Page#32

45. Mishna Berura

46. Berachos 60b


Page#33

DINING & WINE

Mindful Eating as Food for ThoughtBy JEFF GORDINIER FEB. 7, 2012

TRY this: place a forkful of food in your mouth. It doesn’t matter what the food is,but make it something you love — let’s say it’s that first nibble from three hot,fragrant, perfectly cooked ravioli.

Now comes the hard part. Put the fork down. This could be a lot morechallenging than you imagine, because that first bite was very good and anotherimmediately beckons. You’re hungry.

Today’s experiment in eating, however, involves becoming aware of thatreflexive urge to plow through your meal like Cookie Monster on a shortbreadbender. Resist it. Leave the fork on the table. Chew slowly. Stop talking. Tune in tothe texture of the pasta, the flavor of the cheese, the bright color of the sauce in thebowl, the aroma of the rising steam.

Continue this way throughout the course of a meal, and you’ll experience thethird-eye-opening pleasures and frustrations of a practice known as mindful eating.

The concept has roots in Buddhist teachings. Just as there are forms of meditationthat involve sitting, breathing, standing and walking, many Buddhist teachersencourage their students to meditate with food, expanding consciousness by payingclose attention to the sensation and purpose of each morsel. In one commonexercise, a student is given three raisins, or a tangerine, to spend 10 or 20 minutesgazing at, musing on, holding and patiently masticating.

Lately, though, such experiments of the mouth and mind have begun to seep

Mindful Eating as Way to Fight Bingeing - The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/dining/mindful-eating-as-foo...

1 of 6 10/5/16, 9:03 PM

47. Shulchan Aruch

48. Mindful Eating


Page#34

into

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mai

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ore

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and

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we’

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ssoc

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?

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Cheu

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con

vinc

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at it

can

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t wee

k, sh

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am m

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Min

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ay to

Fig

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inge

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- The

New

Yor

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http

://w

ww.

nytim

es.c

om/2

012/

02/0

8/di

ning

/min

dful

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as-f

oo...

2 of

610

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6, 9

:03

PM

Har

vard

Pilg

rim

Hea

lth C

are

and

aske

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spen

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ality

tim

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cho

cola

te-

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rhyt

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is b

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fast

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nd fa

ster

, so

we

real

ly d

on’t

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sam

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aren

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me

abili

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che

ck in

to o

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lves

,” sa

id D

r. Ch

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, who

,w

ith th

e Vi

etna

mes

e Bu

ddhi

st m

onk

Thic

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anh,

co-

wro

te “S

avor

: Min

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Eatin

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indf

ul L

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Doe

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this

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it ju

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und

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ay in

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ulin

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end

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abel

aisi

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stra

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In J

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.Y.,

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smor

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frie

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ames

Bea

rd F

ound

atio

n in

New

Yor

k Ci

ty.

“The

que

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re th

e fo

ods t

o ea

t, in

my

min

d,” h

e sa

id in

an

inte

rvie

w. “

Mos

t peo

ple

have

a g

ener

al se

nse

of w

hat t

he h

ealth

y fo

ods a

re, b

utth

ey’re

not

eat

ing

them

. Wha

t’s o

n yo

ur m

ind

whe

n yo

u’re

eat

ing:

that

’s m

indf

ulea

ting

to m

e.”

A go

od p

lace

to tr

y it

is th

e Bl

ue C

liff M

onas

tery

, in

Pine

Bus

h, N

.Y.,

a H

udso

nVa

lley

ham

let.

At th

e se

rene

refu

ge a

bout

75

mile

s nor

thw

est o

f Man

hatt

an, c

urio

usla

y pe

ople

can

join

Bud

dhis

t bro

ther

s and

sist

ers f

or a

free

“day

of m

indf

ulne

ss”

twic

e a

wee

k.

At a

gat

heri

ng in

Jan

uary

, vis

itors

wat

ched

a v

ideo

tape

d le

ctur

e by

Thi

ch N

hat

Han

h (p

rono

unce

d tik

-nyo

t-H

AHN

), w

ho fo

unde

d th

is a

nd o

ther

mon

aste

ries

arou

nd th

e w

orld

; the

y st

rolle

d m

etho

dica

lly a

roun

d th

e gr

ound

s as p

art o

f a w

alki

ngm

edita

tion,

then

file

d in

to a

din

ing

room

for l

unch

.

No

one

spok

e, in

kee

ping

with

a k

ey p

rinc

iple

of m

indf

ul e

atin

g. T

he p

oint

issi

mpl

y to

eat

, as o

ppos

ed to

eat

ing

and

talk

ing,

eat

ing

and

wat

chin

g TV

, or e

atin

gan

d w

atch

ing

TV a

nd g

ossi

ping

on

the

phon

e w

hile

Tw

eetin

g an

d up

datin

g on

e’s

Face

book

stat

us.

Min

dful

Eat

ing

as W

ay to

Fig

ht B

inge

ing

- The

New

Yor

k Ti

mes

http

://w

ww.

nytim

es.c

om/2

012/

02/0

8/di

ning

/min

dful

-eat

ing-

as-f

oo...

3 of

610

/5/1

6, 9

:03

PM


Page#35

It’s

this

byp

rodu

ct o

f min

dful

eat

ing

— it

s pot

entia

l as a

psy

chol

ogic

al b

arri

er to

over

eatin

g —

that

has

gen

erat

ed e

xcite

men

t am

ong

nutr

ition

ists

like

Dr.

Cheu

ng.

“Thi

ch N

hat H

anh

ofte

n ta

lks a

bout

our

cra

ving

bei

ng li

ke a

cry

ing

baby

who

istr

ying

to d

raw

our

att

entio

n,” s

he sa

id. “

Whe

n th

e ba

by c

ries

, the

mot

her c

radl

es th

eba

by to

try

to c

alm

the

baby

righ

t aw

ay. B

y ac

know

ledg

ing

and

embr

acin

g ou

rcr

avin

gs th

roug

h a

few

bre

aths

, we

can

stop

our

aut

opilo

t of r

each

ing

out t

o th

e pi

ntof

ice

crea

m o

r the

bag

of c

hips

.”

The

aver

age

Amer

ican

doe

sn’t

have

the

luxu

ry o

f rum

inat

ing

on th

e in

tens

e ta

ngof

srir

acha

sauc

e at

a m

onas

tery

. “M

ost o

f us a

re n

ot g

oing

to b

e Bu

ddhi

st m

onks

,”sa

id D

r. Fi

nkel

stei

n, th

e ho

listic

phy

sici

an. “

Wha

t I’v

e le

arne

d is

that

it h

as to

wor

kat

hom

e.”

To th

at e

nd, h

e an

d ot

hers

sugg

est t

hat p

eopl

e st

art w

ith a

few

bab

y st

eps.

“Don

’t be

too

hard

on

your

self,

” Dr.

Cheu

ng sa

id. “

You’

re n

ot su

ppos

ed to

be

able

tosw

itch

on y

our m

indf

ulne

ss b

utto

n an

d be

abl

e to

do

it 10

0 pe

rcen

t. It

’s a

prac

tice

you

keep

wor

king

tow

ard.

”

Dr.

Bays

, the

ped

iatr

icia

n, h

as re

com

men

datio

ns th

at c

an so

und

like

a re

turn

toth

e si

mpl

e rh

ythm

s of M

aybe

rry,

if n

ot “L

ittle

Hou

se o

n th

e Pr

airi

e.” I

f it’s

impo

ssib

le to

eat

min

dful

ly e

very

day

, con

side

r pla

nnin

g on

e sp

ecia

l rep

ast a

wee

k.Cl

ick

off t

he T

V. S

it at

the

tabl

e w

ith lo

ved

ones

.

“How

abo

ut th

e fir

st fi

ve m

inut

es w

e ea

t, w

e ju

st e

at in

sile

nce

and

real

ly e

njoy

our f

ood?

” she

said

. “It

hap

pens

step

by

step

.”

Som

etim

es, e

ven

she

is to

o bu

sy to

con

tem

plat

e a

chic

kpea

. So

ther

e ar

e da

ysw

hen

Dr.

Bays

will

take

thre

e m

indf

ul si

ps o

f tea

, “an

d th

en, O

.K.,

I’ve

got t

o go

do

my

wor

k,” s

he sa

id. “

Anyb

ody

can

do th

at. A

nyw

here

.”

Even

scar

fing

dow

n a

burr

ito in

the

car o

ffers

an

oppo

rtun

ity fo

r ins

ight

.“M

indf

ul e

atin

g in

clud

es m

indl

ess e

atin

g,” s

he sa

id. “

‘I a

m a

war

e th

at I

am e

atin

gan

d dr

ivin

g.’ ”

Few

pla

ces i

n Am

eric

a ar

e as

fran

tical

ly a

buzz

with

act

ivity

as t

he G

oogl

ehe

adqu

arte

rs in

Mou

ntai

n Vi

ew, C

alif.

, but

whe

n Th

ich

Nha

t Han

h dr

oppe

d by

for a

Min

dful

Eat

ing

as W

ay to

Fig

ht B

inge

ing

- The

New

Yor

k Ti

mes

http

://w

ww.

nytim

es.c

om/2

012/

02/0

8/di

ning

/min

dful

-eat

ing-

as-f

oo...

5 of

610

/5/1

6, 9

:03

PM

day

of m

indf

ulne

ss in

Sep

tem

ber,

hund

reds

of e

mpl

oyee

s sho

wed

up.

Part

of t

he e

vent

was

dev

oted

to e

atin

g th

ough

tfully

in si

lenc

e, a

nd th

e pr

actic

ew

as so

wel

l rec

eive

d th

at a

n ho

urlo

ng w

ordl

ess v

egan

lunc

h is

now

a m

onth

lyob

serv

ance

on

the

Goo

gle

cam

pus.

“Int

eres

tingl

y en

ough

, a lo

t of t

he p

artic

ipan

ts a

re th

e en

gine

ers,

whi

ch p

leas

esus

ver

y m

uch,

” sai

d O

livia

Wu,

an

exec

utiv

e ch

ef a

t the

com

pany

. “I t

hink

it q

uiet

sth

e m

ind.

I th

ink

ther

e is

a re

al se

nse

of fe

elin

g re

stor

ed so

that

they

can

go

back

toth

e cr

azy

pace

that

they

cam

e fr

om.”

It’s

not o

ften,

afte

r all,

that

thos

e w

orkh

orse

tech

nici

ans g

et to

stop

and

smel

lth

e pe

sto.

“Som

ebod

y w

ill sa

y, ‘I

ate

so m

uch

less

,’ ” M

s. W

u sa

id. “

And

som

eone

els

ew

ill sa

y, ‘Y

ou k

now

, I n

ever

not

iced

how

spic

y ar

ugul

a ta

stes

.’ ”

And

that

cou

ld b

e th

e in

gred

ient

that

hel

ps m

indf

ul e

atin

g ga

in tr

actio

n in

mai

nstr

eam

Am

eric

an c

ultu

re: f

lavo

r.

“So

man

y pe

ople

now

hav

e fo

und

them

selv

es in

an

adve

rsar

ial r

elat

ions

hip

with

food

, whi

ch is

ver

y tr

agic

,” D

r. Ba

ys sa

id. “

Eatin

g sh

ould

be

a pl

easu

rabl

e ac

tivity

.”

A v

ersi

on o

f thi

s ar

ticle

app

ears

in p

rint o

n Fe

brua

ry 8

, 201

2, o

n pa

ge D

1 of

the

New

Yor

k ed

ition

with

the

head

line:

Foo

d Fo

r Tho

ught

.

© 2

016

The

New

Yor

k Ti

mes

Com

pany

Min

dful

Eat

ing

as W

ay to

Fig

ht B

inge

ing

- The

New

Yor

k Ti

mes

http

://w

ww.

nytim

es.c

om/2

012/

02/0

8/di

ning

/min

dful

-eat

ing-

as-f

oo...

6 of

610

/5/1

6, 9

:03

PM


Page#36

49. Ohr Ha’Chaim Bereishis 3:17

50. Likutei Moharan R’ Nachman of Breslov

(1772-1810)

51. Rabbeinu Bachya Vayikra 11:43


Page#37

52. Kuntrus Eis Ha’Ocheil

R’ Tzadok Ha’Kohen of Lublin (1823-1900)


Page#38

Since maintaining a healthy and sound body is among the ways of God - for one cannot understand or have any knowledge of the Creator, if he is ill - therefore, he must avoid that which harms the body and accustom himself to that which is healthful and helps the body become stronger.

They are as follows: a person should never eat unless he is hungry, nor drink unless thirsty. He should never put off relieving himself, even for an instant. Rather, whenever he [feels the] need to urinate or move his bowels, he should do so immediately.

53. Kitzur Shulchan Aruch R’ Shlomo Gantzfried

54. Rambam Hilchos Dei’os 4:1

55. Berachos 35a


Page#39

56. Ben Ish Chai R’ Yosef Chaim of Baghdad

(1832-1909)


Page#40

57. Ki Savo

58. R’ Avraham Ibn Ezra (1089-1167)

59. Targum Yerushalmi

60. Tzetel Kattan R’ Elimelech of Lizhensk

(1717-1786)


Page#41

"ConcerningtheformulaL’SHEIMYICHUDthathasrecentlyspreadandhasbeenprintedintheSiddurim...inmyviewthisisasoreevilinourgeneration.GenerationspriortoourtimeknewNOTHINGofthisformula,anddidNOTsayit.TheytoiledalltheirdaysinTorahandMitzvos,anddideverythingaccordingtotheTorahandaccordingtothePoskimwhosewordsstemfromthesourceoflivingwaters,theseaoftheTalmud.Ofthemitissaid;"Theintegrityoftheuprightshallguidethem"(Proverbs11:3).Itistheywhoproducedfruitabove;theirpietyisgreatabovetheheavens!Butinthisgenerationofours...eachonesays:"Iamtheseer!Thegatesofheavenhavebeenopenedtome!Theworldexistsbecauseofme"!...Ihavemuchtosayaboutthis,butjustasitisamitzvahtosaywhatwillbeaccepted,sotooisitamitzvahtorefrainfromsayingwhatwillnotbeaccepted.MayHashemhavemercyuponus."

61. Nodah B’Yehuda R’ Yechezkel Landau

(1713-1793)


Page#42

62. Shabbos 156b

63. Minhag Yisroel Torah

64. Berachos 32b


Page#43

65. Yerushalmi Berachos 2:4

66. Rabbeinu Yonah (Berachos)

67. Berachos 30b

68. Rambam Hilchos Tefilla 4:15

69. Shulchan Aruch


Page#44

Hahn Judaic Campus

page #1 - amazon s3...kavana means kivum, sharp and pointed i. shemen ha’tov – teshuva for doing...

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