[Avodah] What is Mindfulness and does Judaism have it

[Arie Folger]

RSSimon wrote:
> I wanted to offer a few examples that come to mind when hear
> about "Mindfulness" in Judaism.
<SNIPPED example from RAMBAM>

> 2.  An extreme example of this is the spiritual reason often given
> for O"Ch 2:4 that we put our right shoe on first, to be mindful that
> the "right side", symbolizing chesed, should predominate
<SNIP>
> how is it possible for this to help develop 
> our chesed if we are not mindful of this notion when we are doing
> this halacha?

Little nitpicking: please don't confuse the Sefirah of 'Hessed with 
gemilat 'hessed. With the right over left rule, we at most cultivate 
awareness of the Sefirotic system, i.e., in the kabbalistic scheme of things, 
G"d-awareness, not interpersonal 'hessed (though that should follow from our 
G"d-awareness, too).

> 3.  Why do we cover the challah for kiddush?  So the challah doesn't
> become embarrassed?  Rather, it's (again) to inculcate us to be
> sensitive to embarrassment.

Says who? An ultrarationalist. Many would interpret this literally, lo levazot 
et hamitzvot, even if the 'hallah doesn't know the difference. This might 
belong to proper religious mannerisms.

-- 
Arie Folger
http://www.ariefolger.googlepages.com