Eight Meditations to Elevate Your Spirit

In a world with so much noise, tumult and confusion,  how to Jewish mystics advise we free our spirit?

“Stop and think,” is the advice the first Rebbe of Chabad offers in Chapter 41 of the Tanya. Create space—every morning, before each mitzvah, and at the beginning of each hour of the day.

Here I paraphrase some of the meditations prescribed by the Alter Rebbe:

An Early Morning Meditation

The Creator gave me back my soul today.
There will be a time when my soul will return to its Source.
While I am here, I will use it for the purpose it was given—
Through my thoughts, words, and deeds—to elevate and attach the world to the Creator.

A Meditation for Every Morning

All that exists is powered by Hashem,
With His presence both permeating and transcending all.

And yet—Hashem sets everything aside and cares about me and my next action.
He empowers and entrusts me to be His agent of change in the world.

I, in turn, embrace my role as a Divine agent and commit to following through on my mission.
The transcendent Hashem stands over me, gazing intensely—
And I stand in awe before Him.

A Mitzvah Meditation

Within each mitzvah lies the energy of the Infinite One.
Through my performance, I connect the spark of infinity within me
With the Infinite Light.

A Meditation for Tefillin

By placing the tefillin on my heart and mind,
I am focusing and connecting my thoughts and feelings
To their exclusive higher-level purpose—
To reveal the purpose and meaning embedded in the world.

I am “binding” my mind and source of emotion
To their true Source and purpose.

A Meditation for Putting on a Tallit

As I wrap my tallit around me,
I feel enwrapped in the presence of Hashem
And allow myself to be awestruck by that reality.

A Meditation for Love

My deepest desire is to fulfill my mission—
To connect with my Source
And bring out the deepest potential in the universe.

I am grateful for the opportunity to do so.

A Meditation of Inclusion

I am not a silo, nor am I independent within creation.

When I connect with Hashem, I connect the soul of our people as a whole—
And all of creation—with its Source.

My goal is not simply to find personal meaning,
But to fulfill the Divine will
And connect all matter with its divine Source.

A Meditation for Every Hour

This is a new hour, with a new and unique energy.
I will use it for its raison d’être,
And reveal within it the reason why it is here.

Life is so empowered when we stop, think, contemplate and allow ourselves to take in its true meaning.

I am grateful for the gift of the Tanya, its meditations and the study schedule that synchronizes with our calendar.

My colleague Rabbi Dovid Vigler has a terrific YouTube class on this section of the Tanya:
Tanya: Chapter 41a – Meditations for Higher Consciousness