Kavanah or kavana (also pronounced /kaˈvonə/ by some Ashkenazi Jews) (כַּוָּנָה; in Biblical Hebrew kawwānā), plural kavanot or kavanos, (Intention or "direction of the heart") is the mindset often described as necessary for Jewish rituals (mitzvot).Once the subject of great debate among medieval commentators, traditional Jewish sources now accept that fulfilling mitzvot without at least minimal kavanah is insufficient.Different Jewish authorities see various levels of kavanah required for various rituals, and especially for prayer.