Two Stages of Meditation

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בִּגְדֵי־קֹ֣דֶשׁ הֵ֔ם וְרָחַ֥ץ בַּמַּ֛יִם אֶת־בְּשָׂר֖וֹ וּלְבֵשָֽׁם׃
They are sacred vestments; he shall wash his body in water and then don them. 
- Leviticus (Vayikra) 16:4

Rabbi Yosef Yitzhak gives us a profound and practical teaching on this verse, from the collection of teachings known as HaYom Yom:

From a siha of my father (Rabbi Shalom Dov Ber Shneerson): Hasidut demands that one “...wash their flesh (et b’saro) with water, and clothe oneself in them (the priestly robes).” The power of the mind is the element of Hasidut that “washes” the body and rinses away the impulses coming from the body. These impulses are alluded to by the word et in the quoted verse, signifying that which is comes from the body, meaning: the impulses that emanate from the body. Only then can one “clothe” oneself in the “sacred garments.” Contemplating Hasidut, discussing Hasidut, and the practice of hasidim to meditate (hitbonenut) before davening – these are the “sacred garments,” that are given to us from the heights of holiness. 

But it is we who must “wash their flesh with water...” Meaning: the “garments of the soul” are given to us from Above. But “washing away” distracting and destructive impulses and making the body itself holy – this is achieved by one’s own efforts. This is what Hasidut demands; it is for this ideal that our great teacher (the Alter Rebbe) devoted himself totally and selflessly. He opened the channel of total devotion, sacrifice, for serving Hashem through prayer, to be bound up with the Essence of the Ayn Sof, the Infinite Divine. Hasidut places a hasid face to face with the Essence of the Ayn Sof.

On the surface, the above quoted verse is merely a description of how a kohen (priest) must prepare for service in the Mishkan (Tabernacle), or later, the Beit Hamikdash (Temple): before putting on the sacred garments, he must first wash himself in water. But on a deeper level, both “washing” and “donning sacred garments” are metaphors for particular practices, which we might call the two stages of meditation.  

וּלְבֵשָֽׁם – …and don the sacred garments. The “garments” consist of hitbonenut – the contemplative practice of bringing into awareness that there is only Hashem, and that everything is part of the Divine. This is the recognition we must cultivate before “entering the temple” – that is, engaging in prayer. But there is a problem – this level of consciousness is easily blocked by the ordinary concerns, stresses, and pains of life. That’s why we first need to “wash with water.” 

וְרָחַ֥ץ בַּמַּ֛יִם אֶת־בְּשָׂר֖וֹ – v’rahatz bamayim et b’saro – he shall wash his body in water…  To “wash the body” means not the physical body, but the inner world of impulses, thoughts, and emotions that arise from it. Here Rabbi Yosef Yitzhak does an interpretive play on אֶת et. The word אֶת et doesn’t translate into English; it simply indicates the direct object of the sentence. But the two letters alef and tav are the first and last letters of the alphabet, representing the whole world. And so “washing et the body” means cleaning out our inner world. But how do we do that? On this the text is silent.  

However, the simplest way to approach this is through the breath. When you bring your attention to the sensation of breathing—just noticing it, not trying to change it—something begins to shift. All the mental noise, the emotional turbulence, the background tension—it begins to clear. It’s like when the air is full of dust or smog, and then it rains. The rain pulls out all the impurities, and the air becomes fresh, clean and cool; awareness of breathing can function in the same way. In the morning, before doing anything, notice what’s going on in your mind; notice what you’re feeling. Then, bring your attention to the sensation of breathing; this is the first stage of meditation: “washing.”  

From here, see how your consciousness shifts, how a deeper contemplation of the Reality becomes possible. “What is this Reality I am now meeting? What is this Reality that I Am? Is it not the One Reality present in all things?” This deeper contemplation of the Divine Oneness is the second stage, hitbonenut: “Donning the Sacred Garments.”  

From here, we are ready to “enter the temple” – prayer becomes authentic, real, and transformative – not mere words and ritual obligations: Modeh/Modah Ani Lefanekha – I give thanks before You for returning my soul…

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