Another term which the Bible uses for a type of meditation is also not immediately apparent. This is the word Shasha (
). There would be no hint at all that this refers to meditation were it not for the fact that it is often found in proximity to other words denoting meditation, particularly Siyach. Usually translated as “delight” or “play,” Shasha can be identified as a form of meditation both on contextual and etymological grounds.
According to most authorities, the word Shasha, an unusual four-letter root, is actually derived from the root Sha'a (
) or Shua (
), meaning “to be blind.” 57 This root is found in such verses as, “Make their ears heavy and blind (sha'a) their eyes” (Isaiah 6:10). One connotation of the word Shasha is to be blind and oblivious to all outer concerns, as in the verse, “Trouble and anguish have found me, but Your commandments are my rapture (shasha)” (Psalms 119:143).
Another word to which this is very closely related, however, is Sha'ah (
), meaning “to pay attention,” or “to direct the attention,” as in the verse, “To Cain and his offering [God] did not pay attention (sha'ah)” (Genesis 4:5). Closely related to this is also the root Yesha (
), meaning “to seek help,” since the person in trouble directs all of his attention toward his would-be rescuer. It is from this latter root that the word Yeshua (
), “salvation,” is derived. It is significant to note that both words occur in a single verse, “I long for Your salvation (yeshua), O God, Your Torah is my rapture (shasha)” (Psalms 119:174).
The word Shasha therefore denotes rapt attention, where one is oblivious to all outside influence. The one verse that leads many commentators to translate Shasha to mean “play” or “delight” is, “A child shall play (shasha) by a cobra's den” (Isaiah 11:8). The actual meaning of this verse, however, is “ child shall be enraptured by a cobra's den.” This means that the child will sit there in rapt attention, oblivious to all danger, and he still will not be harmed in any way. It is used here in a borrowed sense, taken from its original meditative context.
Another root to which this is very closely related is Shua (
), meaning “smooth.” As discussed by Rabbi David Kimchi, the word Sha'ava (
) for wax is derived from this root.58 This word is also related to Shaveh (
), meaning “smooth” and “even.” As discussed earlier in relation to Suach (
), this term, when used to describe a mental state, describes a very high degree of serenity and calmness. Hirsch also says this in his commentary on the verse, “When my thoughts were at war within me, Your comforts soothed (shasha) my soul” (Psalms 94:19).
One of the goals of Shasha-meditation is to attain a sense of tranquility, oblivious to all outside influences. As such, it is the exact opposite of Ranan-meditation, where one brings all of his emotions into battle. Shasha-meditation, on the other hand, is used to utterly divorce oneself from outside troubles, setting up a barrier of spiritual protection. This is obvious from a number of previously quoted verses, as well as from “If not that Your Torah was my rapture (shasha), I would have perished in my affliction” (Psalms 119:92).
One thing that we immediately see is that the object of Shasha-meditation is almost always expressed in terms of God's Torah or commandments. While other types of meditation can also focus on other concepts, Shasha consistently relates to God's revealed word. This can be readily understood in terms of the doctrine, widely expressed in Kabbalah sources, that the Torah and its commandments involve the highest of all mysteries, emanating from the very Will and Wisdom of God.59 The term Shasha then denotes serene enraptured meditation on these most lofty concepts.
Another thing that we find is that Shasha is closely associated with the love of God. The clearest expression of this is the verse, “Your love shall come to me and I will be vitalized, for Your Torah is my rapture (shasha)” (Psalms 119:77). Another example is, “I enrapture myself (shasha) in Your commandments, which I love” (Psalms 119:47). The term Shasha is therefore closely related to the absolute love of God and His teachings, and it is seen as a product of this intense passion.
The simple form of this word, Shah (
), is often used with respect to a vision of God. In a negative sense, we find this in the verse, “They do not turn (shah) to the Holy One of Israel, they do not seek God” (Isaiah 31:1). From this it immediately appears that the word Shah involves a type of mystical seeking of God. This is further evidenced from the verse, “On that day, a man shall turn (shah) to his Maker, his eyes shall see the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 17:7). From verses such as these, it is evident that Shah, and its derivative Shasha involve a direct vision of the Divine.
There are two places where we find Shasha and Siyach in conjunction. The first is, “In Your mysteries (pekudim) I meditate (siyach), and I will gaze at Your paths. In Your decrees I enrapture myself (shasha), I will not forget Your word. … Uncover my eyes that I may behold the wonders of Your Torah” (Psalms 119:15–18). In this verse we also clearly see that the object of Shasha-meditation is to bring one to gaze into the mysteries implied by the Torah and its commandments.
The second parallel is the verse, “Your servant meditates (siyach) on Your decrees; also Your testimonies are my rapture (shasha), the men of my counsel” (Psalms 119:23, 24). Here again we see the two words in conjunction, and again, Siyach precedes Shasha. We also note that in Shasha-meditation, the “testimonies,” which refer to commandments with a special lesson, become personified and become “the men of my counsel.” When an individual is on this level, he does not see the commandments as abstract laws, but as personal forces, which can teach and counsel.
An important thing that we see in both of these passages is that Shasha-meditation follows Siyach, and it therefore very likely involves a more advanced state, leading to higher levels. When one is on the level of Siyach, he is floating and ascending. The level of Shasha, on the hand, relates to having attained the goal, and being utterly enraptured by it. It is the utter serenity that one experiences when he reaches the highest spiritual levels and is able to meditate on the level itself.
In a number of places the grammarians point out that the doubled form, of which Shasha (
) is an example, indicates the idea of something that is rapidly repeated. Other example are Tzaftzef (
), “to chirp,” Tzaltzel (
), “to tinkle,” and Afef (
), “to flutter,” the last word coming from the root Auf (
), meaning “to fly.” 60
The word Shasha would then denote a constant oscillation of concentration, a continuous turning on and off of one's attention.
Shasha represents the highest levels of meditation, and it is significant to note that the Kabbalists speak of a similar concept on the highest levels of meditation. In his vision, Ezekiel says, “The Chayot ran and returned, like a vision of a lightning flash” (Ezekiel 1:14). The Kabbalists point out that this does not refer to the Chayot themselves, but to Ezekiel's vision. He was on such a high level that he could not sit with a constant gaze. He had to “run and return.” He would gaze at the Chayot, seeing them like a “lightning flash,” and then he would immediately return, lest he become swallowed up in his vision.
This is best expressed in the Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Creation), one of the most ancient and mysterious Kabbalah texts. It states:61
Ten Sefirot of Nothingness,
Their gazing is like “a vision of a lightning flash,”
Their end has no limit,
And they speak of them “running and returning.”
The commentaries explain that when one gazes at the Sefirot, he can only do so for an instant, seeing them like a “lightning flash.” One who reaches this level may not remain there for more than an instant. He must run forward and immediately return, casting the barest glimpse at the highest infinite levels. A later mystic, the Hasidic master, Rabbi Nachman of Breslov (1772–1810), speaks of this with regard to the Infinite Being (Ain Sof). He says that this is a Light that is so high that one can only reach it by “touching and not touching,” fluttering back and forth, so as not to perish within it.62
This also appears to be the meaning of Shasha. It is a rapt attention, where one is oblivious to all outside influences, gazing at the highest spiritual levels. But it also involves a concept of “running and returning,” gazing and then averting the gaze, for a mortal human being cannot constantly keep his concentration on these levels without perishing.