(wide lens photo of my "cave" hermitage in Granada)
This website is the place where I share my ideas on Jewish contemplative prayer and on Jewish contemplative lifestyles.
If you would like to read the article which best expresses the heart of those ideas: you can find that HERE
I am an Orthodox Jew with a rather convoluted journey through the geirus process, so here's a brief biography to introduce things.
BIOGRAPHY
Despite the details of the brief biographical sketch which follows: I am a contemplative whose "spiritual journey so far" has been more direct than it might at first appear.
The route-changes and unexpected diversions, the traffic jams and collisions in one's contemplative journey often reveal their hidden purpose many years after they have happened, becoming clear to us only in our retrospective reflections.
I was born to non-religious, nominally Christian parents in England in the early 1950's. As a young man I became a Roman Catholic monk—a Discalced Carmelite— in Oxford and Durham. After only two years in that Order, I lacked the perseverance to continue and decided to leave. That was in 1976. My Novice master told me that I would one day return to what he believed was my true calling....a contemplative lifestyle.
The route-changes and unexpected diversions, the traffic jams and collisions in one's contemplative journey often reveal their hidden purpose many years after they have happened, becoming clear to us only in our retrospective reflections.
I was born to non-religious, nominally Christian parents in England in the early 1950's. As a young man I became a Roman Catholic monk—a Discalced Carmelite— in Oxford and Durham. After only two years in that Order, I lacked the perseverance to continue and decided to leave. That was in 1976. My Novice master told me that I would one day return to what he believed was my true calling....a contemplative lifestyle.
He was right. But it did not happen quite as he might have envisaged it!
In 1992-3, I converted formally to Reform Judaism under the auspices of the Beit Din of the Reform Synagogues of Great Britain—an organisation which, at that time, shared many characteristics with USA Conservative Judaism. Over the years, I became much more traditional in my religious thinking and observance--and in July 2017 I completed an Orthodox conversion "ki halachah". This is a major change when viewed from many perspectives, but I see it as an inevitable evolution.
During my non-Jewish youth, during my time as a Progressive-Jewish convert, and now as an Orthodox Jew, my relationship with G-d may have been transplanted but I am certain that The One I have been attempting to relate to in all those circumstances is one and the same. He,at least,has been consistent in maintaining an intense contemplative relationship with me, however much I may have strayed from Him.
My contemplative activities were put on a back burner for many years. I spent those busy and somewhat workaholic years (in various relationships and partnerships) as a school music teacher in UK and South East Asia. In 1999, I became partially deaf. Though I retained a sense of hearing which was,with some attendant lip reading,sufficient for most conversations--teaching music and understanding the high pitched voices of young children was suddenly no longer possible. I felt challenged in the extreme, but began to see the changing circumstances of my life as a call to return to the contemplative and monastic life of my youth.
During my non-Jewish youth, during my time as a Progressive-Jewish convert, and now as an Orthodox Jew, my relationship with G-d may have been transplanted but I am certain that The One I have been attempting to relate to in all those circumstances is one and the same. He,at least,has been consistent in maintaining an intense contemplative relationship with me, however much I may have strayed from Him.
My contemplative activities were put on a back burner for many years. I spent those busy and somewhat workaholic years (in various relationships and partnerships) as a school music teacher in UK and South East Asia. In 1999, I became partially deaf. Though I retained a sense of hearing which was,with some attendant lip reading,sufficient for most conversations--teaching music and understanding the high pitched voices of young children was suddenly no longer possible. I felt challenged in the extreme, but began to see the changing circumstances of my life as a call to return to the contemplative and monastic life of my youth.
But even as a Progressive Jew this was not a possibility...there were no Jewish monasteries for me to enter, nor accepted procedures for people who wanted to live as Jewish hermits. Faced with that situation...I decided to try “to be what I wanted to find” and to try to encourage other Jews with a similar vocation/character by my (faltering but heartfelt) example.
I have been living as a solitary “Dedicated Jewish Contemplative” since 2003. From 2003 to 2014 I lived in almost total solitude in a Spanish "cave house". From 2014 to the present day I have been combining solitary life with attendance at daily synagogue services.
In Judaism it is not expected that someone would live a life of Prayer and Torah study in contemplative solitude indefinitely. Solitary contemplative retreats tend to be transitional, temporary practices in our tradition (though there are those whose retreats have gone on for many years)- but many are unaware that there are precedents for living this kind of lifestyle (even on on a long-term basis) within halakhic Judaism --
In Judaism it is not expected that someone would live a life of Prayer and Torah study in contemplative solitude indefinitely. Solitary contemplative retreats tend to be transitional, temporary practices in our tradition (though there are those whose retreats have gone on for many years)- but many are unaware that there are precedents for living this kind of lifestyle (even on on a long-term basis) within halakhic Judaism --
Many Jews see the words “solitary” or “contemplative” or “monastic” and the blinds come down with a crash or a thud. Sometimes that is because they refuse to regard those who are occupied "full-time" in lives of prayer and study (eg: in Kolel or Yeshivah) as being as deeply engaged in community action as they truly are. Sometimes it is simply because they were not aware that there is actually an eremitic tradition (and to some extent even a monastic one) in Classical Judaism if one chooses to look.
I did choose to look...... and I discovered potentially inspirational models for such a way of life in the Nazirite and Levitical traditions of the Torah, in the retreat practices of the prophets in the Writings, and in the descriptions of the Jewish monastic communities of the "Therapeutae" (a contemplative branch of the Essenes) in antiquity.
Then I discovered the writings of the Jewish Sufi Pietists (Avraham and Obadiah ben Maimon and Bahya ibn Pekuda) and the example of mystics like Yitzchak Luria, the Baal Shem Tov, Menachem Mendel of Kotsk, and Joseph Horwitz who all lived in silent contemplative solitude for many years at a time- some of them existing in total solitude during the weekdays only to re-join their families and community on Shabbos.
(Those who have been taught that Judaism has no place for solitary contemplative lifestyles might, understandably, find that hard to believe...clicking on the hyperlinked names in the previous paragraph will take you to sources that should confirm my statements about these Jewish Mystics). )
Then I discovered the writings of the Jewish Sufi Pietists (Avraham and Obadiah ben Maimon and Bahya ibn Pekuda) and the example of mystics like Yitzchak Luria, the Baal Shem Tov, Menachem Mendel of Kotsk, and Joseph Horwitz who all lived in silent contemplative solitude for many years at a time- some of them existing in total solitude during the weekdays only to re-join their families and community on Shabbos.
(Those who have been taught that Judaism has no place for solitary contemplative lifestyles might, understandably, find that hard to believe...clicking on the hyperlinked names in the previous paragraph will take you to sources that should confirm my statements about these Jewish Mystics). )
At that point, and encouraged by the clear example of these giants of the Jewish Mystical tradition, and hoping that I might connect with other Jews who felt themselves part of the same "minority" impulse...... I started this blog to encourage others like me to come out of the contemplative closet.
After a silence of three years, I re-openied the blog in December 2016 with the intention of editing and re-publishing some of the more significant posts on the website, and to post new materials.
After a silence of three years, I re-openied the blog in December 2016 with the intention of editing and re-publishing some of the more significant posts on the website, and to post new materials.
THIS WEBSITE
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The "Cave of the Heart" (in Hebrew: M'arat ha-Lev) is a short pamphlet (kuntres) which I wrote in 2005 (while still aligned with Progressive Judaism). It made a call for increased internet use as a form of Jewish and contemplative outreach. That section of the work is now obsolete as this is now a common part of Jewish practice,but the second half of the document is still (I hope) very relevant:
It proposes that the act of "attentive listening in receptive contemplative prayer" is a valuable part of Jewish spiritual practice, and one which may even be a practical way to "hasten the return" of prophecy to Israel. This part of the work contains a simple method of receptive prayer and some reflections on Jewish contemplative practice generally. You can find the text of this kuntres on the sidebar in installments, under the header "The Cave of The Heart"- or you can view the entire booklet HERE.
Two short published articles then followed:
The first: Dedicated Jewish Contemplatives-2007
was in the journal "European Judaism" ....extracts HERE,
and the second: Dedicated Jewish Contemplatives: A Jewish Monastic Option?-2010
was for the online magazine "Zeek" ....found HERE.
However my most recent article on the subject (and one which best reflects an Orthodox Jewish perspective) is the one I suggest you read now if you are a new visitor to this website. You can find it HERE.
All the other subsequent articles on this website are accessed by the INDEX on the sidebar.They are mostly informal works of commentary on scripture or on aspects of contemplative or liturgical prayer.
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"Jewish Contemplatives” also has a supporters Page on Facebook which allows members of “all religions and none” (including Jews of course!) to endorse dedicated contemplative living and to join in the prayer intentions posted there. You can find it HERE.
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There are no comments enabled on this blog but you can reach me via the email contact address on my profile if you wish to share responses to what you have found here.
I hope you enjoy your visits to this website.
Nachman Davies
Granada
Spain
September 26 2010
(updated December 2016)
(updated December 2016)
