Try multitasking less TB Brachot 11

Today I studied TB Berachot 11 and came across a very familiar halachic ruling while studying the exact meaning of the words “בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶֽךָ, וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּֽרֶךְ when you sit your home and when you walk on the way” found in the first paragraph of the Shema. “Beit Shammai need this verse in order to derive other halakhot, as it was taught in a baraita which interpreted this verse that the obligation to recite Shema applies when you sit in your home, to the exclusion of one who is engaged in performance of a mitzva, who is exempt from the recitation of Shema; and when you walk along the way, to the exclusion of a groom, who is also exempt from the recitation of Shema.” (Sefaria.com translation)

The halachic principle is “one who is engaged in the observing a mitzvah is free from the obligation of observing a competing mitzvah.” The classic example I always give concerns mourners who haven’t buried their deceased. Back when these rules were formulated, there were no Jewish funeral homes. The mourners themselves had to prepare the deceased for burial, sew the shrouds, and dig the grave. Since they were involved in those mitzvot, the rabbis exempted them from all positive time bound commandments. In other words our sages did not believe in multitasking.

I’ve learned through my readings from the ToDo Institute that multitasking isn’t as wonderful as people think it is. Gregg Krech, the foremost American authority of Japanese psychology and purposeful living, writes:

 “David Meyer and his colleagues at the University of Michigan set out to measure the effects of multitasking and found that switching from one task to another actually makes you less efficient, not more efficient. In related research, Professor Marcel Just of Carnegie Mellon University used a brain-imaging machine to evaluate the effects of multitasking. He found that when two different parts of the brain are working on two different tasks, the brain works less efficiently, meaning that less brain power in total was directed at both tasks than would have been used if only one task was done at a time.


“Then there are the conclusions of Dr. Larry Rosen and Dr. Michelle Weil of Byte Back Technology Consultation Services. Claiming to have studied 25,000 people worldwide, they stated:



"Multitasking increases stress, diminishes perceived control, and may cause physical discomfort such as stomach aches or headaches. Our own research shows that Multitasking Madness makes it harder to concentrate for extended periods. You might notice that as you are working on one ask, thoughts about another creep into your consciousness . . . Another sign of Multitasking Madness is the feeling that your memory is not quite as good as it used to be. You start working on something and then find yourself not being able to remember what you wanted to do or say. Still another symptom is an inability to sustain a peaceful night's sleep or to enjoy what used to be calming, recreational times. Too many thoughts are buzzing in your head.


“So if you're good at multitasking, try working on your likely weakness -- one pointed concentration. One pointed concentration involves putting all of your attention on one object and continually bringing it back to that object.


“Retraining your mind may not be easy. But you may find that there are benefits at the spiritual and psychological level. Computers may be capable of multitasking 24 hours per day. But the human soul may need to do things differently.


"In the kitchen, when you are cutting vegetables, cut vegetables. Don't talk, and don't look here and there. If somebody tries to get your attention, stop cutting and give her your full attention or ask her politely to let you finish first. You can avoid many kitchen accidents by this simple practice, but more than that, you are teaching your mind to make one-pointed attention a habit in everything you do."
-- Eknath Easwaran, Meditation Teacher” (https://www.todoinstitute.org/library/working_with_your_attention/multitasking_madness.php#more)

Once again our sages were ahead of the curve and still have much to teach us how to live our modern lives.