Mindfulness is a skill taught in varying ways in many different kinds of therapy. Learning to connect with the present moment requires overcoming our mind’s natural habits of doing, judging and fear based biases, however when we do focus on the moment we can begin to feel more whole and calm.
When we do a mitzvah we bring G-dliness into this world, but when we do that mitzvah with a focus on the what and why, rather than by rote, we reveal that G-dliness and make it felt in the world. Otherwise known as Mindful Mitzvahs.
One mitzvah that is particularly important to do mindfully is Mitzvah Matzah, which if you say enough times quickly becomes a fun tongue twister.
Not only does our eating matzah at the seder need to be given thought, but the matzah also needs to have been made with the intention that it was baked specifically for a mitzvah. Anything created for a mitvah needs to be done intentionally, which is why eating handmade matzahs at the seder is ideal.
When we take the time to focus on the mitzvahs that we are doing, our impact is far greater and our intention takes our mitzvah to a higher level of connectedness with G-d.
When we think for a moment about the mitzvahs we do, not only are our actions psychologically more whole, but also spiritually more whole and fusing all dimensions of our being, physical, psychological and spiritual, can only bring a calm and serenity to us.
As always, we will be distributing handmade shmura matzahs on campus, in the dorms or available for pickup at the Chabad House.
Make sure to grace your seder table with the Bentley of matzahs.
See you soon,
~Nechama~
Picture of the week:
Road trip fun!