Ancient Jewish Practices for Modern Mental Health

Hello, I'm Jonathan Kaplan, a licensed professional counselor. In my 15 years as a therapist, with a degree in transpersonal and mindfulness-informed psychology, I've spent a lot of time exploring the world's spiritual traditions and the profound resources they offer for navigating life.

There's a powerful teaching from Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi that has always guided me: "Anything that we're looking for in any tradition we can find in our own."

This is so important to me because Judaism is overflowing with incredible wisdom for coping with everything life throws our way. And in a world filled with anxiety, it's more critical than ever to tap into these sources of resilience.

The Clinical Proof for Spirituality

It’s not just ancient wisdom; it’s backed by modern science. We’re seeing from clinical research and practice that mindfulness is a huge resource for mental well-being. But it goes even deeper.

In her groundbreaking books, The Spiritual Child and Awakened Mind, Dr. Lisa Miller of Columbia University analyzed vast amounts of mental health data. She discovered that a personal spirituality—which she distinguishes from rigid dogma or just going through the motions of rituals—is one of the single biggest protective factors against depression, anxiety, and trauma.

This tells us that connecting to something larger than ourselves is not just a comfort; it's a vital component of mental health. Especially now, with everything going on in the world and particularly with the challenges affecting the Jewish people, we need to be able to access the strength of our spiritual heritage.

A Morning Practice for Grounding and Gratitude

So, how can we start to tap into this? I want to share a short, simple, and profound practice from our own tradition.

Every morning, one of the first traditional prayers recited is the Modeh Ani. The prayer begins, "I give thanks before You..." and it contains a line of incredible depth:

Shehechezarta bi nishmati b’chemla, raba emunatecha.

This translates to: "...that You have restored my soul within me with compassion; great is Your faithfulness."

Now, you don't need a specific belief system to feel the power of this sentiment. Where does the soul go at night? What does it mean for it to be "restored"?

I'm reminded of a line from the musician Patrick Park: "We build our house of cards, then we wait for it to fall. We always forget how strange it is just to be alive at all."

The Modeh Ani is our morning opportunity to remember how strange and miraculous it is simply to be alive. It's a chance to wake up and, before the day’s chaos begins—before checking social media, before reading the news, before getting the kids ready for school—to simply pause and think, "Wow. Being alive is incredible. What a mystery. What a gift."

This sentiment echoes across traditions. The Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh taught a similar practice, encouraging his students to begin the day with the thought, "Today is a new day. I vow to go through it in mindfulness."

Our tradition teaches us to start the day not with dread or obligation, but with gratitude. We are here, starting another day, and we have the choice to live it mindfully and joyfully.

Your Morning Tip: The Modeh Ani

Here is the full text of the prayer. Try placing it by your bedside and making it the very first thing you read or recite upon waking.

Hebrew:

מוֹדֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶיךָ מֶלֶךְ חַי וְקַיָּם, שֶהֶחֱזַרְתָּ בִּי נִשְׁמָתִי בְּחֶמְלָה, רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶךָ.

Transliteration:

Modeh ani l'fanecha melech chai v'kayam, shehechezarta bi nishmati b’chemla, raba emunatecha.

More Traditional English Translation:

I gratefully thank You, O living and eternal King, for You have returned my soul within me with compassion—abundant is Your faithfulness!

A note on a modern understanding of this translation:

For a long time I've wrestled with the image of God as king. Reb Zalman says something lovely in his book Jewish With Feeling - That if we look at this as a metaphor to the ancient world, that there were local nation states, and then there were regional rulers, and then there were national rulers, that we talk about great kings as a way to represent or signify power as a metaphor, someone who is able to look over us, to take care of us, who has power and resources. So I hope that you don't get too caught on the living and eternal king. Because the way that I encourage a modern understanding of this is that we are turning to what we could think of as the source of life or the mystery of life. We talk a lot more about this in the membership and have opportunities for unpacking and exploring your own personal connection to spirituality and God.

If this approach to mental and spiritual wellness resonates with you, I invite you to learn more. For additional resources and information, please subscribe below. Join our courses for a chance to jump on live calls, work together, and get support with the issues you are facing.

L'Hitraot, bye for now.