Mindfulness: Shim’u shamoah

Shim’u shamoah aylai, v’ichlu-tov

If you really listen to Me, then you will eat what is good.
(And your souls will delight in richness.) (Isaiah 55:2)

In the language of Judaism, listening to God, (really listening!) means letting go of distraction, quieting your inner tumult, tuning in to the “still, small voice,” opening to the Divine Presence in this very moment. In the language of Buddhism this is called “mindfulness.”

So many of us experience anxiety around food. If it’s plentiful and good, “Will I eat too much?” If it’s scarce, “Will there be enough?” If it’s not what we prefer, “Will I be nourished and satisfied?” To bring a calm clarity in regards to what we eat, but also what we consume in general (What we buy and how we use our precious resources) is at the heart of a holy life.

Isaiah reminds us to listen, to really pay attention, to come into a state of expansive, receptive calm. Only then will we consume in just the right measure and be delighted in the richness of our lives.

To hear the chant, use the audio player. To download the chant, right-click the note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

Mindfulness

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Mindfulness PDF. For the musical notation, see The Magic of Hebrew Chant, page 314.