Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Shalom and welcome to New Jewish Dad. I'm Jacob Sager, father of five, and today we're exploring how to bring a sense of mindfulness and peace to the often chaotic experience of fatherhood. Between diaper changes, sleepless nights, and the constant demands of a little one, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Let's talk about how Jewish mindfulness practices can help us find moments of calm amidst the beautiful chaos. The concept of mindfulness, of being fully present in the moment, is deeply rooted in our Jewish tradition. The Torah instructs us, choose life so that you and your children may live.
[00:00:37] Our medieval commentator Rashi interprets this to mean that we should be engaged fully with the world, appreciating each moment as a gift.
[00:00:46] Similarly, the practice of saying blessings throughout the day, from the moment we wake up to the food we eat and the beauty of nature, is designed to cultivate a sense of gratitude and of presence. By pausing to acknowledge the holiness in everyday moments, we train ourselves to be more attuned to the wonders around us. So how can we apply this mindset to the wild world of parenting a newborn? First, try to bring your full attention to the small, everyday interactions with your baby. In some moments you'll find this overwhelmingly easy and just, true and all you can do. And at other moments, you're going to be so overwhelmed with just the level of details in, around and outside your baby that it would be a struggle but would be a truly holy practice. So when you're changing a diaper, or when you're trying to feed them the bottle, or when you're just rocking that baby, or even when you and mom are pushing the stroller and having a conversation about something you haven't talked about since before the baby was born. Those are those kind of moments. Second, use the moments of quiet, like rocking your baby, to sleep in the carrier, as opportunities for mindfulness. On a real meta level, focus on your breath. Feel the warmth of the baby against your chest. Let go of any of your mental chatter or your brain, turning the information you're experiencing into words. Just be. And third, find small ways to incorporate Jewish rituals of presence into your day. Say the Shema with your baby before bed. Take a moment to express gratitude before or after meals, or simply pause to appreciate the miracle of your child's existence.
[00:02:31] And there's just so many ways, many ways, through our traditions and the various practices, prayers, and songs available to us through them. I remember in the overwhelm of our third child, who was really a poor napper and would cry a lot and we'd be in a situation where I'm going to be putting him down to nap and it would just be very difficult for him.
[00:02:58] And his name is Zivolam, which we took from Yadid Nefesh, which actually says Ziv Haulam. But what I found was singing that song to him was a helpful lullaby. It helped me be present in the moment and kind of sync my breath and heartbeat with his, which is really what, you know, the truthfulness of what you're trying to do with a lullaby is become more present and create that calm and peaceful environment. So that was one way was to take this beautiful Jewish song from our Friday night and Saturday afternoon liturgy and sing it to my son. So remember, mindfulness isn't about achieving some blissed out state of constant calm. It's about finding pockets of peace within the inevitable chaos of parenting. It's about learning to be fully present with your child, even on hard days. And it's about recognizing the holiness and beauty in all those messy, exhausting, wonderful moments.
[00:03:56] This is Jacob Sager reminding you to breathe, be present, and find the blessings in each day of your fatherhood journey. You're crushing it. Until next time. Shalom.
