Kavanah

Kavanah, kavvanah, or kavana (Biblical Hebrew: כַּוָּנָה, romanized: kawwānā, plural kawwānot) means "intention" or "sincere feeling, direction of the heart". It is a theological concept in Rabbinic Judaism about a worshiper's state of mind, heart, sincerity, devotion, and emotional absorption during prayers. It is the mindset often described as necessary for rituals and prayers. '

In Hasidic Judaism, a tradition emphasizing piety, kavana is the emotional devotion and self-effacing absorption during prayers rather than a liturgical, recitation-driven religiosity. In Kabbalah, esoteric Jewish mysticism, kavana refers to the practice where the devotee concentrates on the secret meanings of prayer letters and words, sometimes referring to the permutations of the Tetragrammaton. Some kavanot are particular to the tradition of Kabbalah during meditation.

Kavana is a much-debated subject among scholars, with traditional sources accepting that ritual without at least minimal kavana is insufficient. Different Jewish authorities see various levels of kavana required for various rituals, and especially for prayer. Some siddurim (prayerbooks) list the kavanot for particular prayers. Some kavanot are associated with specific Jewish holidays such as the Three Pilgrimage Festivals of Sukkot, Pesach, and Shavuot, and others.