Friday, May 1, 2020
Personal Space
These days, the authorities recommend that everyone remain at a distance of six feet away from each other. For Torah purposes, six feet is the minimum measure for four cubits. Four surrounding cubits is how the Torah defines one's personal space for various purposes.
For example, with the Amidah prayer, ideally one is supposed to be at least four cubits away from his/her fellow congregants. In his book, "Jewish Meditation - a practical guide" Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan o.b.m. explains that the reason is because one's spiritual field extends four cubits all around. Thus, in heightened states of consciousness, like during deep prayer, one's concentration can be disturbed if his/her spiritual field is entered into by another.
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Comment from the FaceBook version of the post:
ReplyDeleteShasha F. : Fascinating!
More from the FaceBook Version of the post:
ReplyDeleteChoni: If anyone is looking for where Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan shares the idea of four cubits being the size of one's surrounding spiritual field, it's in his book "Jewish Meditation - a practical guide".
Nava: Beautiful devri Torah...
Choni: ... thank you for your appreciation.
Stacey: I’m still of the thought that “social distancing,” isn’t really what’s preventing the spread of CV-19....A droplet can carry for 30 ft in the wind, or in an enclosed environment such as Trader Joe’s...to think staying 6’ away from anyone is actually helping is a joke! (My humble opinion)...so for those out there who either,”veer away,” “cross the street,” “yell at you behind the Plexiglass shield,” in TJ’s, to stay behind the tape, ... The CDC told us this bc they really didn’t have a handle on this beast, yes, staying @ home, not using public transportation, wearing a mask, washing hands, but to think everyone’s cleaning their shopping bags or food containers?? Get real, that’s not how it’s spreading! We see by now, it’s mainly health care workers whom are spreading it...my point may not be about the “spiritual cubit space,” but that’s very interesting!!! That’s in keeping with others not invading our “personal space/aura,” I think men should go back to davening, wear masks, stay healthy & trust that Hashem protects him by being a righteous human being!! Amen🌈👍🏻👍🏻
Choni: Stacey, I have no idea whether or not six feet away is the "magic number" which prevents the spread. I do not know enough to comment on your assertions. Maybe you are right?
My post was not at all addressing the medical efficacy of the recommendation for people to keep at a distance of at least six feet. My post is more about what might be the psycho-spiritual impulse society is responding to with measure. It seems to me that perhaps, many of us simply need to heal from an overload of incursions into our personal space. We need to reclaim our deeper, more inner, levels of privacy which are spiritually affected by close contact.
Stacey: I completely agree, that’s why I feel being a “righteous person/man,” leading by example, teaching our kids to be more aware, more compassionate, to take care of the earth, be more self sufficient , altruistic, is what Hashem really wants from mankind...