19 Feb Torah and 12 Step Series; The Serenity Prayer
Torah and 12 Steps
Recovery Insights Through the Perspective of Jewish Wisdom
for the Body, Mind and Soul;
The Serenity Prayer (1937.abbr)
It is the purpose of this article to look at the Serenity Prayer, a meditation said by millions of people each day around the world in various recovery fellowships from the perspective of Jewish wisdom;
God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
The Courage to change the things I can;
And the wisdom to know the difference (abbr. 1937)
Introduction:
The Serenity Prayer was written by Karl Paul Reinhold Niebuhr (June 21, 1892 – June 1, 1971), was a Christian Zionist. As such, he was sympathetic and became actively supportive to the Jewish Nation and Israel (then Palestine) prior to Israel becoming officially a Nation in 1948.
Originally, he was a Christian who was actively converting Jews to Christianity, but this changed. He eventually became a Christian Zionist leader arguing that is was inappropriate for Christians to convert Jews. Niebuhr was active in bringing attention to the Christian world of Hitler’s genocide against the Jews. He was also a strong supporter of the Jews to have a sovereign Land (Israel) with the expulsion of other nations and the Arabs. He promoted the position that Arabs in Palestine (pre 1942 Israel) should resettle back to other Arab countries .
A basic understanding of deeper Jewish thought is necessary to reveal the insights that the Serenity Prayer has to offer from a Jewish perspective;
Prayer and meditation as a tool:
A key to meditation and prayer is to become nullified of self which begins the process of becoming a good receiver of G-ds light. To do this, we must first have silence in our mind and ego, and divest ourselves of the chaos in our mind and the world around us. This process of nullification then creates a void, or vacuum, which can then be filled with G-d’s light, His Goodness.
In Judaism, meditation is not solely the practice of focusing on nothingness*, although this concept is a part of the process to divesting oneself of the chaos of this world. The idea of meditating on nothingness is a precursor to making ourselves into a vessel ready to receive. Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan defines meditation simply as ‘a focused thought’. Most everything we do may be done as a meditation to bring us closer to G-d’s.
Visualization:
A most basic and powerful tool to connect to G-d through prayer and meditation is to use our imagination; visualize that you are actually having a conversation with G-d. In order to achieve the greatest effect, one should pause in silence to concentrate (i.e. meditate) in preparation before engaging in such an intimate and powerful interaction with G-d.
An example of visualization can be found in the Torah in Parshas Devarim which we read on Shabbos Chazon, the Shabbos of Vision. Here, we are granted a vision of the 3rd Temple. It is from the vista of Mt. Hermon that we see the destination of our journey in the Exodus (out of Egypt and through the desert), to the Land of Israel. Having received the gift of this vision, we must then try to visualize the resurrection, the building of the 3rd Temple in the Land of Israel; to see it, is to be able to actualize it in reality and bring the Final Redemption and the Mashiach.
Visualization is the key to creating a new reality.
To visualize with your minds eye is integral to achieving success.
If you can see it,…you can actualize it.
Verbalization: Using our words in prayer;
Words are powerful. The power of speech is the power of creation of the universe itself. G-d created the world with speech…‘with 10 utterances’. It is with speech that we engage in creation and recreation in a similar manner to G-d creating of the universe. This relates to the concept of making ‘something from nothing’ (aka something from nothingness or ex nihilo).
Speaking to G-d:
A person must always have the proper mindset (kavanah) when connecting to G-d. The way to get G-d’s attention is with the combination of focused thought and action. One of the most effective ways we do this is with speech.
A tool we can incorporate in the power of speech and prayer is to ‘meditate’; pause before evoking G-d, His Name[s]. This will give us the necessary time to acquire an appropriate mindset and intent (kavanah) when calling out to G-d and using His name.
The summary of this meditation in prayer is simple:
- Pause first –before- saying ‘G-d’s’ name…
- Visualize; have in mind you are calling out to G-d to have a conversation
- Say G-ds name strongly, with conviction and intent, and Pause again …
- Continue to visualize you are talking to G-d with the rest of your prayer keeping a strong focus on the meaning of the words of your request /prayer.
Here’s an example of how the Serenity Prayer might be notated ;
Pause – Concentrate – Meditate – Visualize…
G-D! (Pause)//…Grant me the serenity to…etc.
It is important to also know that focus and intent must be maintained throughout -and- beyond the end of your prayer.
The same ‘meditation’ applies when saying the prefix of a Hebrew blessing;
‘Boruch-// Atah// …Ad- noy’ – – – Blessed are //You//… G-d…. When we emphasize the word Atah-You, we are to visualize that we are talking to G-d Himself.
When we speak to G-d and say His name, we must do so with the conviction and intensity that will awaken G-d to hear us.
Grant me the serenity…..
When we ask G-d to ‘grant’ us something, we are simply asking G-d for a gift. G-d loves us and wants us to succeed. His ‘providence’, or how He operates in the world, can never be predicted. We should look at the good as a gift, and the seemingly not-so –good as a gift in potential. G-d gives us what we need, not necessarily what we want, but the ultimate plan G-d has is for us to succeed.
This gift (grant) comes from the emanation of chesed; G-d’s loving kindness, or more specifically His compassion (rachmunis). We are given this gift (grant) as G-d wants us to succeed.
We arouse awareness within ourselves and G-d by asking G-d to give us ‘this’ gift; ‘God, grant me…’.
All of Creation is G-d’s gift to us. It is our awareness of those gifts and what we do with them that brings us closer or further from the Truth of our authentic self, G-d and reality.
..the Serenity –
We ask G-d to grant us the gift of serenity. Serenity is a state of quite and peace, balance and harmony. A state that is absent of chaos; anger, jealousy and negative desires…a place from which we can most clearly perceive reality and make good objective decisions. Serenity is something one may ‘receive’, by being ‘bitul’, self nullified, a quality of the character trait of humility.
As one is asking to be ‘granted’(gifted) the experience of serenity, a person should have a conscious awareness of what the power serenity holds; the gift of being able to see his or her life from this privileged perspective in order make better life choices.
Gifts that are granted by G-d, as is all of G-d’s creation should be used wisely.
..to accept the things I cannot change-
The act of acceptance requires one to have an amount of the trait of Humility (previously mentioned). When we accept ‘the things we cannot change’, we are in effect subjugating our will to a power greater than ourselves.
When a person accepts G-d’s will as his own will, a person will experience Truth, Harmony, and the experience of ones authentic self.
The greater ones connection is to truth and clarity, the greater our understanding of the things we can potentially change. (This is discussed further below in ‘the wisdom to know the difference’).
The courage to change the things I can…
We ask G-d to ‘grant us courage’. Courage is a survival mechanism that helps us overcome obstacles that we would otherwise shy away from. We may recall the phrase ‘fight or flight’. Courage helps us to rise up and make change.
Courage can help lead us to actions that to help us rectify ourselves and the world, but it can also be detrimental when used solely for purposes of enhancing ones-self for ego related issues.
…and the Wisdom to Know the difference
This can be broken down into 3 categories:
1. Wisdom – chochma: Wisdom of Intelligence (wisdom of the mind)
2. Understanding – binah: Emotional Intelligence( wisdom of the heart)
3. Knowledge- daat: the combination – interinclusion of wisdom and understanding. Knowledge is unity, an intimate experience with G-d.
Therefore, to ‘know the difference’ is to be able to identify the wisdom of the mind and the understanding emotive experience of the heart. The result of the two as an ‘interinclusion’ is Clarity and Truth. To know the ‘difference’ is to be able to know each of wisdom and understanding and elevate and interinclude (bring together) these both and oneself to a state of knowledge (daat).
Summary:
We ask G-d for the gift of serenity, a place of calm and objectivity to allow us an opportunity to make a good – righteous choice so we can make positive change in our lives. We ask for courage in order to overcome the obstacle of fear that stands in our way of our relationship with ourselves, G-d and the world.
With a growing connection to G-d, we increase our clarity and ability to make change in ourselves and the world…anything is possible.
Seeing is believing …
Believe in G-d to make him real; clear the mind to allow the heart to flow.
Leib Getzel (Lawrence) Lax
Addictions and Counseling (Honours)
http://lawrencelax.com
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(intermediate)
*Deeper Jewish Thoughts :
Nothingness
The ultimate sense of pleasure and serenity inherent within the Divine soul of Israel is its sense of true “nothingness.” Whereas the mundane or animal soul of man experiences pleasure as “something-ness,” the Divine soul experiences pleasure as “nothingness.” In simple words: “the less I am, the less space I occupy as an independent being, the better I feel.” The pleasure of experiencing the Divine source of all reality, the Divine “nothing” from which all “something” was created, causes one to “reduce” in his own sense of self to “nothing.”
Of this level it is said: “Wisdom is found from nothing.” A new flash of insight captures in itself a point of the experience of the super-conscious state of “nothingness.” – HaRav Yitzchak Ginsburgh
It is a powerful paradox to engage in visualizing that which has no form and attempting to give it some rational form (in our minds eye) in this the pluralistic world of the physical and spiritual. The process of accomplishing this is the nullification of self, the creating of a space-… a void or a vacuum in oneself that can be filled with a positive spiritual connection, and thus an amount of infinity may be integrated into ones being.
Leib Getzel (Lawrence) Lax
Addictions and Counseling (Honours)
http://lawrencelax.com