An Authentic Jewish Meditation Practice

by Mark Cohen

This is the meditation of placing oneself consciously, first on the right-hand side and then on the left-hand side and then back to the right again until a third quality eventually emerges that is called the bride or the middle line.
What do these lines consist of?
The right-hand line meditation consists of experiencing our own wholeness, and giving thanks for the fact that we are able to serve God, even in the tiniest degree. It is the practice of saying (and trying to feel) “baruch haShem,” (“thank God!") with respect to everything that happens in our lives - the good, the happy and the unhappy alike. Such a practice transforms our normal way of responding to the events around us. It allows us more space in our responses to our experiences which range from the mundane to the more fundamental. Slowly, we learn the place of the hashgachah pratit, the Divine Providence, the perception that God's goodness is available to us at all times. This is the consciousness of the right-hand line; and the meditation practice consists of placing ourselves in this state of mind, again and again, for nearly all our waking hours. This side is the side of faith. It is the side of joy.
We are also asked to make a fixed schedule for ourselves and to enter into the conscious of the left-hand side for a small period, no more than half an hour a day, or a week depending on the person, according to a schedule that we fix for ourselves. On the left side we become aware of our own incompleteness, our true distance from God and our need of healing. This is the side of truth; it is also the side of prayer. True prayer emerges when we are confronted with our lack.
We keep to this rhythm of right-hand line followed by left-hand line, forward and back, until a third—the bride—emerges.
This practice is transformative. It is a joyous practice and one that is in no way limited to formal meditation settings. It can be practiced anywhere, with others or on one's own. It is not in any way “esoteric” and has none of the dangers associated with consciously seeking altered states of consciousness. It does not need a special guide, although having a spiritual friend helps, as does participating in regular meetings with other people who are also practicing this meditation.