Heart and Mind

We take pride in our rationality, marveling at the intricate workings of our brains as they commandeer our daily actions. With an unprecedented amount of research uncovering the mysteries of the brain, we are continually developing new tools to harness its immense power. Yet, deep down, we sense there’s something beyond the neural pathways and electrical impulses that define us. We feel a connection to something greater, something transcendent that invites us to explore the depths of our existence. We sense that we are part of a more expansive entity.

This week’s parsha, Ki Tavo, resonates with this experience, and has a message embedded in it that beckons us to pay attention. In Devarim / Deuteronomy 29:3, we encounter a phrase that appears only once in the Torah: lev la’da’at (לֵב֙ לָדַ֔עַת), translated as “a mind to know.” The verses recount the awe-inspiring wonders and signs witnessed by the Jewish people in Egypt—miracles beyond imagination—yet Moses declares, “Hashem has not given you a mind to know, or eyes to see, or ears to hear, until this day.”

In biblical Hebrew, a distinct word  for “mind” is absent; instead, the word lev, or heart, captures an inner reality. Da’at, on the other hand, signifies an intimate knowing—one that often speaks to a deep union of two beings melding into one.

This passage invites us to reflect on a spiritual teaching about the journey of life, emphasizing that true understanding often comes with time and experience. We gain insight from looking back, a vantage point gained from a summative look at our challenges and successes.

What spiritual insights can we draw from the union of these two words, lev and da’at? Why do they appear together, and what does that reveal about our spiritual path?

We often compartmentalize our hearts and minds, believing our rational thoughts spring from our brains while our emotions emanate from our hearts. We perceive the world in binary terms: black or white, good or bad, true or false. In this state, our rational minds don’t solely dictate our spiritual knowledge. What if we release this pressure to validate our feelings through scientific proof, recognizing that our hearts crave a wisdom of Oneness in the universe. 

In the realm of the spiritual, there is only One source—our Creator, the One who embodies Goodness, Loving Kindness, and Compassion (chen, v’chesed, v’rachamim). Every day, we witness the miraculous intertwined with the mundane.

Our mission is to reflect this unity, allowing our hearts and minds to operate as a harmonious whole.

This is the da’at we seek and strive for: a seamless integration of heart and mind. That is the message the Torah gives us, for every single day to work on realizing that state of purity and Oneness. It is our hope to be able to fulfill the command of the Torah to be kadosh, holy.