Two friends run into each other and are quickly catching up about their summer. One says to the other, “I went to a meditation retreat this summer and it was amazing – you really have to try it!” The other answers, “I don’t think it would be for me, I can’t sit still for very long let alone on the floor with my legs crossed, my back would cry out in agony!”
The other replies “It’s not like that – you can sit in a chair, the point isn’t how or where you sit, the point is to feel totally present and in the moment. It makes my mind sharp and clear. You will love it!”
The response: “Do Jews really meditate? All that silence – it isn’t natural. I can’t imagine doing it.”
In a last attempt the friend says, “You really should at least try it. It helps me a great deal.”
The conversation ends with a yelled reply, “Enough, would you stop already – I don’t have time be here now.”
Be Here Now – It’s not a New Age phenomenon. It’s not only an Eastern thought practice. In fact, being here now, being awake and present in this ever-changing reality is a deeply Jewish imperative and practice. The Torah’s word for this state of being is Hineini – meaning, “I am here” and “here I am.” Abraham spoke it. Joseph called it out. Moses uttered it.
Hineini is a response to being called, ready for whatever is about to unfold.
Hineini is one of the most powerful words in the entire Torah. Hineini is not an ordinary “I am here.” For that, in Hebrew one would say, “Ani Po.” Hineini conveys a more profound meaning than simply being physically present. Hineini is living Jewish values in the way we are present for ourselves and others in our lives.
In a portion of the Torah we read on the approaching High Holy Days, The Binding of Isaac, we find Abraham responding “Hineini” three times, showing us three different ways we can strive to be in the present for ourselves and each other.
The story of The Binding of Isaac is a difficult one. Yet, if we put the subject matter aside for the moment and focus on how and when Abraham responds with Hineini, there is a lot to learn.
The first time Abraham says “Hineini” is in responding to God’s call. With this simple reply, Abraham says: I am fully present. I am in a personal relationship with You and honored to respond to You with an open heart. Hineini. Rabbinic commentators emphasize Abraham’s eagerness to do the work himself for he arises early and saddles his own donkey. He does not procrastinate and is eager to continue the work that is required in being truly present.
Today, when we respond Hineini to ourselves or others, we have the ability to bring compassion, which God has endowed in each of us. When we say Hineini, we mean that we are emotionally and spiritually available; we are present. We are accessible in a nonjudgmental, fully open and intentional manner. Our hearts are open and there are no pre-conditions. It is not easy.
How will we respond to God’s call this year? Will we, like Abraham, perform the task ourselves? When are we willing to respond to a call for help? For ourselves, friends, families, and strangers whose stories touch our hearts, we can make a real difference by committing to be all in.
The second time Abraham responds Hineini in the text he is speaking to his son, Isaac. Isaac calls out to his father and Abraham responds, “Hineini, my son” and the two of them walk together.
What does it mean to walk with someone when we fear where we are going? We accompany our loved ones on paths unknown. Our being there, our presence, provides support. We respond Hineini out of love standing in support of a family member or friend. We are present even when we don’t have an answer. We walk with someone through the trial, through the scary time. When we love someone, we want them to be content, safe, and loved. However, we cannot tell them what will be ---we are not omniscient-we cannot fix everything-but we can be present. We will walk with our loved ones through these dark days, praying for light to emerge. How can we be more present for our loved ones this year?
The third time Abraham responds Hineini, an angel of God called to him from heaven: “Abraham, Abraham,” and he responded, “Hineini.” And in that moment, he stops everything that he is doing, everything that he had been working on for a few days. Abraham allowed himself to be interrupted – to stop the momentum. What does it mean to respond to a call from God or an individual, when we need to abandon an action we are about to complete? Answering the call that interrupts another action requires the ability to listen. And in listening, to heed the call. The true test of Abraham was on his ability to listen and be present.
What calls will interrupt us? How will we be redirected on life’s path? Hineini. Being present is not only for challenging times. It is for life’s happy occasions and even everyday events. A lost tooth. A conversation with a child who is suddenly very communicative, far past bedtime. Attending an event where a friend is honored. When we make the decision to show up for a simcha or attend a service or class at the temple it is even more special and engaging when we are there in body and spirit. What can and should we leave at home or at the door when we engage with others, engage with the community, or even engage with ourselves for a particular purpose? Our lives are full and calendars often overscheduled. Multitasking makes us feel more productive. How often are we simultaneously watching TV, checking our computers, using a phone and playing Candy Crush or the like?
Rabbi Rebecca Dubowe, is the first deaf rabbi ordained by HUC-JIR. She teaches everyone the sign language for Sh’ma. While some place a hand over an ear to show the word “hear,” Rebecca teaches that she prefers to translate Sh’ma as “pay attention” with hands placed on one’s face next to the eyes. How true it is that to be present for someone, we need to pay attention.
When we greet one another “How are you?” Can we really pay attention? Can we be present and avaible to hear a real answer? The same greeting in Hebrew, “Mah shlomcha or mah shlomech” calls us to be more attentive – more Hineini when getting a response – for the question literally means: “How is your well-being?” — “How is your Shalom?” — “How is the state of your peace?” — “How is your wholeness?” or my favorite: “Are you whole?”
Abraham received three calls: His first response, “Hineini” teaches us to respond immediately and take action. We do not wait for the right timing to engage with the needs in front of us. The second Hineini, when Abraham responds to his son, Isaac, shows we can respond when we don’t know what we can possibly do to provide help or solve the problem. We recognize that our presence is enough. The third Hineini, when Abraham listens to God’s call and does not complete his awful mission, teaches us to accept that sometimes the interruption is more important than the original task. We allow ourselves to change course.
We actually don’t have time NOT to Be Here Now. Showing up for the hardest stuff we will have to face in this life takes practice every day, and it is a sacred practice every day. The shofar that we blow daily during this month of Elul leading up to Rosh Hashanah is reminding us to pay attention to ourselves, to others, and the world. The shofar calls daily, to which we only have to respond, “Hineini.”
Shanah Tovah!
Rabbi Scott Nagel
