Rabbi Twerksi and the Lubavitcher Rebbe on kosher meditation

I saw Rabbi Dr. Tweski last Shabbos in Pittsburgh. I was a bit unsure about what I was about to do, but I did it anyway. I had recently read an interview with him, and he said some things that I wanted to clarify. 

He said: “He [the Rebbe] also suggested that meditation could be very therapeutic, but that we needed to develop meditation in accordance with Judaism, not based on Oriental religions. I told the Rebbe that it was early in psychiatric training, and I was not familiar with meditation but would look into it when I had the opportunity. And later I received a three-page letter from the Rebbe on meditation.”

[The Rebbe talks here on the topic of kosher meditation].

Reading this reminded me of another interview that Rabbi Twerski gave to Rabbi Chaim Dalfin printed in his book “Conversations with the Rebbe”. There (I don’t have the book on hand to quote from) Rabbi Twerski said that he didn't end up getting too involved in meditation and he even lost the letter the Rebbe sent him on the topic.

Him losing the Rebbe’s letter was on my mind when I approached him last Shabbos. I respectfully asked him if the story was true. I said is it true that you lost the letter from the Lubavitcher Rebbe on meditation! (I said Lubavitcher Rebbe because he is not a Lubavitcher.) He said to me: “The Rebbe (he didn't say Lubavitcher) didn't send me a letter on meditation, rather he had a scholarly paper from some journal, to which he added some notes”.

I then said that I have read some of his books, and my favorite are the ones with daily meditations…

There are so many different kinds of meditations. I like to keep it simple. I even stopped calling it meditation. I call it quiet time, with myself and Hashem. I try to do it every morning and night. For me it is probably the most important part of my day.

[On the topic of Twerski and the Rebbe, it’s known that the Rebbe encouraged him to move from Pittsburgh to NY to help frum Jews. He didn't want to go. He claimed he would have no time to learn Torah if he would be living in NY. In the end he moved from Pittsburgh to NY and continues to help 1000’s of yidden. And he seems to have much time to write and learn. I think he’s on his 60th book or something.]

I’ll give a shout out to Rus Devorah Wallen whom I admire very much. She is doing a lot of work with kosher meditation.  Check out her website.

See this interesting video (at 1:45)where Rabbi Twerskey brings his grandchildren to the Rebbe and the Rebbe blesses his that they wont need his services.  The Rebbe then asked him to send him his seforim.