[Avodah] What is Mindfulness and does Judaism have it

[Sholom Simon]

> >Less central in mussar discussions, but considered a primary middah by
> >RSWolbe is hislamdus -- the ability to learn from watching the moment
> >and how one responds to it. That is very similar to mindfulness, but
> >still, a very different thing.Hislamdus requires one not only be in
> >the moment, but also be able to use it toward the next moment.
>
>   The fact that Rav Wolbe zt"l (who was widely read and highly 
> educated in the Torah Im Derech Eretz Tradition) had to create a 
> new term, hislamdus, further strengthens my point that Mindfulness 
> is not indigenous to Judaism and to classic Jewish spiritual paths.

While I'm sure I don't fully appreciate the deepness of thought 
above, I wanted to offer a few examples that come to mind when hear 
about "Mindfulness" in Judaism.

1.  Ramban constantly talks about how doing mitzvos cultivates within 
us proper middos.  (E.g., his perush on shiluach ha'ken -- it's not 
about compassion for the bird, it's to inculcate within us a sense of 
compassion).  How it is possible for _any_ mitzvah to effect our 
middos unless we are mindful of the mizvah?

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 (and, for 
that matter, chassidim wear various articles of clothing for which 
the right buttons over the left (contrary to "regular" men's 
clothes)).  Same comment: 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?  Or, to be redundant: it is impossible for this to 
develop our chesed if we do it by rote.  Doesn't this imply some 
mindfulness is needed?

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.  And, again: how could it possibly 
accomplish that if we're not mindful of it.

4.  Why do we say a birchas nehenin?  We're not thanking HaShem for 
HaShem's sake -- but for us to inculcate a sense of 
gratitude.  Further, we have to be "present enough in the moment" to 
at least think about where that food came from in order to say the 
correct brocho.  (Of course, when we do it by rote, we lose that).

Now, it may be that this kind of Mindfulness is different than the 
Eastern religion Mindfulness.  Perhaps, rather than being fully 
"present in the moment" (as Eastern religions might posit), for us it 
is more along the lines of connecting to, or aligning ourselves 
along, HaShem's will.  But, we're connecting to His will not just by 
"doing", but by "contemplating" _as_ we're doing.  For us, being 
"present in the moment" is grasping a bit of what we are doing, why 
we are doing, and how it connects to a greater purpose -- as opposed 
to just being present in the moment for the sake of being present in 
the moment.

I often think of the following analogy to the aphorism of "stopping 
to smell the roses":  Judaism has all the tools to make you at least 
stop at the roses (thinking about which shoe to put on, which brocho 
to make, etc.), our challenge is, once we've stopped, to not do it by 
rote, and to actually smell that rose.  (not on shabbos <g>).

Does this make any sense?  Is it correct at all?  And, if yes and yes 
-- is this in the realm of the Mindfulness of which you speak?

-- Sholom

(PS: regarding that so-called kabbalistic reasoning for putting on 
the right shoe first -- which is something I've both heard and read 
all over the net -- anyone have a source for this?  I was told it was 
Mogen Avroham, but I didn't see it at O"C 2:4 (but I'm not a good 
reader, I might have missed it).  I didn't see it in the M"B ot S"A 
HaRav, either.  Anyone have a source?)