Psalm 95
Sing and awake.
Sing the never-before sung,
sing a new song
to God,
from God,
as God.
I still my mind
and calm my heart.
I soften my breath
and fill my belly with air.
I hold that fullness in tension
to be released only when the spirit moves.
My breath is transformed
from silence to sound,
from mystery to music
and back to mystery again.
For breath is the conduit to God,
and song the sound of breath in love.
— Minyan: Ten Principles For Living a Life of Integrity
Easy Acts of Kindness
"Not all acts of kindness, of course, require such great effort and dedication. When you go to the bank, for example, speak pleasantly to the bank teller; when you purchase something from a store, talk kindly with the person behind the cash register. These people provide you with a service. They make your life a little easier. You owe them something in return. Kindness is the primary currency needed for this type of exchange.
"A friend of mine makes it a habit to drop a quarter in a parking meter that has expired to save the car's owner a ticket. Every once in a while the car's owner sees him do it. 'The look of shock at this simple act of kindness both saddens me and makes me glad. I'm glad I could help, but I am sad that such acts are so rare.'
"Pick a person close to you and do something special for that person. Give a single parent the night off by offering to take care of the children for an evening. Hold doors open for people; offer to help people who look lost; say 'please' and 'thank you'; smile at people — these can go a long way to making everyone's day a little nicer."
— Minyan: Ten Principles For Living a Life of Integrity
One Who Rejoices at Another's Hurt is the Enemy of All
"Samuel the Younger said:
When your enemy falls,
do not rejoice.
When your enemy stumbles,
do not be glad.
Your glee will corrupt you,
your ego will trick you into thinking
that you are different from him.
You will excuse your evil,
and your fate will be as hers.
One who rejoices at another's hurt
is an enemy of all."
— Wisdom of the Jewish Sages: A Modern Reading of Pirke Avot
Quality of Speech Reflects Quality of Soul
"You are what you say. The quality of your speech reflects the quality of your soul. Idle speech is thoughtless chatter, suggesting a scattered mind. If you wish to improve the later, improve the former. But this effort must include all the words you use. Whether written, signed, spoken, or sung, a word has the power to heal or to harm. . . .
"The Baal Shem Tov taught that a person is born with a fixed number of words to speak; when they are spoken, the person dies. Imagine that this is true for you. Every word that you speak brings you closer to death. The next time you are about to utter a word, ask yourself whether this word is worth dying for."
— Hasidic Tales: Annotated and Explained
