Mah Tovu and Inner Peace... It is remarkable that the traditional morning blessing recited at synagogues around the world begins with words attributed to Balaam, the enigmatic and self-styled prophet: Mah Tovu: How lovely are your tents, O Jacob; your dwelling places, O Israel! (Num. 24:5). The sages say that the word tent (אהֶל) refers to the inner life – how we really feel inside – whereas the word dwelling (מִשְׁכָּן) refers to the outer life - our place or circumstances. Together, the inner and the outer mark the quality of our lives, but the inner is the starting point, since we must first learn to live in peace with ourselves. This is vital: we must first tolerate our shortcomings and practice compassion toward our frail humanity... This is sometimes called shalom babayit, peace in the home (of the self). Such inner peace is the greatest of blessings, since without it we will cling to pain, fear, and anger, thereby making us unable to find our place at the table in Gods kingdom of love.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 01:42:42 +0000
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