Mindfulness
Thoughts on Parashat Ekev 2020
It is told that on one Friday night, the Hafess
Hayim (R. Yisrael Meir Kagan) reflected upon a well-known midrash
regarding the taste of the man which fell in the desert. The Rabbis
taught that the taste of the man was dependent upon each person’s
individual thoughts or wishes.[1]
“What would happen if you weren’t thinking anything?” the rabbi wondered aloud.
After a few minutes of silence, he answered the question himself: “If
you don’t think, there is no taste.”[2]
An important pasuk
at the beginning of Parashat Ekev teaches that mindfulness was in
fact the essential purpose of the man:
And
He afflicted you and made you hunger and fed you the man…in order to make you
know that not on bread alone does the human live, but on every utterance of
God’s mouth does the human live. (Devarim 8:3)
Moshe explained
that the man was more than just a source of nourishment. By setting the
people of Am Yisrael in a context of hunger and discomfort, God
forced them to recognize Him as the true source of their life. They were
compelled to think about the appearance of each next meal. And the heavenly
descent of the man made them mindful of its divine origin.
For the past
several months I’ve commiserated with family and friends about the many
annoyances of coronavirus. We’ve all complained about how the changes to social
life, dining venues and travel habits have caused major distractions to our
lives. Consider for a minute, though, that we’ve had it wrong all along. Maybe
it was actually the life we knew before this pandemic which was more
distracting! Think about it. Isn’t the current pace of our slowed-down days
more conducive to focus than those of the past? And where better to notice what
truly matters than in the natural confines of our homes, together with family?
Shifting our
perspective, then, let’s appreciate this difficult time as a rare challenge of
mindful “affliction.” It’s our modern-day reality of man.
Many of the
superficialities which once dominated life are absent for the foreseeable
future. The distractions which filled our hours and days have all but
disappeared. So, seize this opportunity to become mindful. Use the time to
focus on matters of essence. Clear your spiritual lenses to think deeply about
yourself. Consider your connection to God. Reevaluate your values and reassess
your mission in life.
Remembering that “If you don’t think, there is no taste,” commit yourself to discovering the true flavors of life.