LAST MOSKOWITZ EVER

Define meditation

Intentional inward focus of attention for a significant amount of time

Define jewish meditation

Same thing but with hashem, torah, israel

meditation and contemplation in hebrew

Hispdoudet, hitbonenut

How do meditation and contemplation differ

Meditation is inward, contemplation outward

Hashkata does what

Quiet mind, relaxation 

2 essential parts hashkata

Pay attention, lose focus immediately pay attention again

4 step form of hashkata

Count each inward and outward breathe, then just exhale, then just pay attnetion to breathe, then just pay attention

Why do we use breathe as focus for hashkata

Related to gods creation of man

is hashkata jewish

no it is just quieting of the mind

In hebrew name parts of soul bottom to top

Nefesh, rouch, neshama, chaya

what is unique to human soul compared to others

Exists in all worlds simultaneously

3 ways person can cause an effect in creation

action speech thought

explain shiviti

Each letter of gods name 1 by one in minds eye then move it over, then put full name above, continuously be aware of gods presence

What mediation technique used for 2 way connection with god and hows it work

devekut, Put yourself in a place most aware of gods presence, remember a pasuk you chose and emotion you want to express, say it with your mouth, be aware god heard you, come back quiet and do it again

Who initiates relationship between u and god

we do, you actaully go and talk with god

Why use biblical verse in devekut?

The author of the pasuks soul comes to join you

what emotion aim for in devekut

love and aw

name accessible worlds

Assyiah, yeztirah, briya, aztilut

how many total worlds are there

nearly infinite

highest of all the worlds

olam hatorah

Whats point of kedusha

creates potential for gods presence to manifest in the world

how to become holy/ how to we know

mitzvot, torah, tefilah / says so in 3rd paragraph of shemah

How does structure of morning tefilah connect to parts of soul

1. Birkat - nefesh asiyah

2. Psukeut - Rouch yeztrah

3. Shema - briyah neshama 

4. Amidah - aztilut and chaya

what is ‘the light’ / what does it do

ohr ein sof / maintains the world

what is tzelem

like god in some ways

whats elokim

master of all powers

hows man strengthen or wekaen elokim

mitzvos or averos

3 perspectives of god

ein sof, mitzdo, mitzidenu

Explain first verse of the shema in 3 prospective

1. Shema israel - listen up israel

2. YKVK - mitzdo

3. Eloknu - our prospective mitzdenu

4. Ykvk - miztdo

5. Echad - ein sof 

What meditation technique connects parts of our soul / describe it

Hitkashurt halomot / Elevator technique, clear elevator, look out see ‘hay’, go up next letter etc, see yud on top with light coming down, and when u go down vise versa

what is point of tefilah

connects world and brings down the light

how should u say words of amidah

form, say, visualize, intend

if you Take 5-7 seconds per word how long does it take to recite first bracha

5-7 minutes

How to recognize gods response to our starting of a relationship with Him

Low probability things happening over and over again

how to establish new habit

Start small, connect to something you do, reward yourself

What is a letter permutation

Change position of the letters (abc abc acb bac)

According to nefesh hacchaim whats teshuva do

Connects the parts of nefesh that have been cut off

2 main objectives of jewish meditation

Amplify effects of miztovat, open doorway of nevuah

Describe mediation technique to prepare for tefilah

Hashkata, shiviti, devekut, hitkashurat haolamt

Sefirot top to bottom

1. Keter

2. Chochma

3. Bina

4. Chesed

5. Gevurah

6. Teferet

7. Netzach

8. Hod

9. Yissod

10. Malchut

Acc to rav chaim vital who supposed to learn kabalah

Everyone if you are capable

In the context of mediation what counts as a thought

Anything that can distract you

Where should we visualize ourselves for tefilah

mishkan

Name 3 mother letters

Alev, mem, shin

What crucial emotion factors required to be a profit

great desire

what is hewing and egraving

When you visualize a letter free of its background / letters egraved into the surface