blogs/rabbi-huberman

There is a word which continues to grow in scope and meaning within Judaism. That word is "mindful."

What does it mean?

In a nutshell, "mindful" refers to religious services that don't rely on fixed prayers recited from a book.

"Mindful" services are meditative, often held in parks, beaches, backyards, livings rooms, or walking trails.

One website defines mindfulness as "the practice of paying attention - to thoughts, physical sensations, and the environment."

Within Judaism it can mean that, rather than reaching outward towards a transcendent God, we pursue harmony with the divine through mysticism, meditation, and spirituality.

You may be thinking, "Where do I sign up?" You wouldn't be alone.

We are finding in our own congregation, among many, that "mindful" services, often held at the same time as traditional services, are attracting as many participants as those who attend pew services.

So why is it that so many Jews, who are not always moved by our storied prayers, traditions, melodies and rites, are coming out on the Sabbath, or during mid-week, to embrace spirituality on a beach or park?

And the answer is, perhaps, that, similar to any aspects of modern society, to quote the popular car insurance ad, we as a society "want more." It follows that many are asking more from religion as well.

I was raised within a traditional home, where Jewish prayers and traditional melodies are embedded in my DNA, as they are for so many.

But not necessarily so for a younger generation, which demands more, and is determined to hold older generations to account. Many are demanding that words and prayers not be recited by rote -- but rather through mindfulness.

Words from our leaders such as "our thoughts and prayers are with you" are often held in contempt by a younger generation, intent on exposing hypocrisy and staleness within many tired institutions.

On Twitter, Maya Rupert commented, "Thoughts and prayers are what you send when there is literally nothing you can do. When there is, in fact, everything you can do. Sending thoughts and prayers is an act of cruelty."

And older generation bemoans young people not attending religious services at the same frequency as they, their parents and grandparents. But that does not mean that a younger generation is not "mindful" of a higher power. The opposite may be true.

In this week's Torah portion, God instructs the nation's priests, the Kohanim, the elite of the high Tribe of Levi, to bless the Children of Israel with these words:

"May God bless you and protect you. May God deal kindly and graciously with you. May God bestow favor upon you and grant you peace." (Numbers 6:24-26)

Imagine if we said those words "mindfully" to each other every day. In the words of the legendary songwriter Sam Cooke, "what a wonderful world it would be."

About twenty years ago, I was in Ottawa, Canadawith my teenaged daughter, and I suggested that we visit an exhibit which had just opened at one of the national museums.

"A museum? Really?" asked Jessica. Eventually, she agreed to go.

The exhibit highlighted the Dead Sea Scrolls, a series of Biblical writings and fragments dating back more than two thousand years.

As we patiently moved from artifact to artifact, I heard a call from my daughter as she hovered over a tiny encased Hebrew fragment.

"Dad," asked Jessica, "what does this say?" As I adjusted my eyes to the faded fragment, I began to translate.

"May God bless you and protect you. May God deal kindly and graciously with you. May God bestow favor upon you and grant you peace."

Jessica tilted her head, looked at me and said, "Isn't that the blessing you give us every Friday night when you put your hands on our heads?"

It was.

And in that moment, through misty eyes, my daughter hugged me tightly.

Indeed, in spite of current social trends which often focuses on the individual, we as human beings not only live in the moment, but also belong to a culture of love, blessing, mutual concern, and, yes, "thoughts and prayers."

Judaism possesses a rich mystical, spiritual and meditative tradition. Classic religion has often buried that influence. Let us therefore include that mindful tradition in our worship and study options.

It seems that not a day goes by where I am not asked by a parent or grandparents, why their children or grandchildren are not attending synagogue.

But I am not perplexed, because perhaps, in this modern world where every fixed institution is being challenged, we need to demand more from religion.

The demand in many congregations for mindful and meditative services, often running parallel to traditional services, speaks for itself.

This movement needs to be embraced, as Judaism-along with so many communal institutions --understands that a newer generation is not so much rejecting religion, but asking for more from it. So many define themselves as "spiritual, but not religious."

And many are understanding that when we utter a prayer, the essence of that prayer possesses the transcendental power to change the world.

Do we, as our tradition teaches, turn to our children every day, and particularly on Shabbat and say, "I love you so much. You are so important to me. I want you to be happy."

That is what prayer and blessing are supposed to be.

"May God bless you and protect you. May God deal kindly and graciously with you. May God bestow favor upon you and grant you peace."

We don't say it often enough. And when we do, we're not always mindful.

How powerful it would be right now, if we turned to the loved one next to us, and said, "I love you. How happy I am to have you in my life." Whether you use the word God or not, the power of the blessing remains.

It's a matter of being mindful.

For if Judaism is going to survive, it must open its doors and windows to more than its valuable tradition of rites and rituals.

At the root of all religions, there exists a desire to come closer to God -- and we must open our hearts to the many, many ways there are to achieve this.

May God bless you and your family on this, the Shabbat where we recite Judaism's most holy blessing.

As we complete one week, and step into the next, let us bless each other with love, light, and hope.

And let us be mindful. God is with us. If we would only invest a little love and blessing in each other -- what a wonderful world this would be.

Shabbat Shalom v'kol tuv.

Rabbi Irwin Huberman