Dear all,
As part of my sabbatical, I am taking a train across the United States. It has been a fascinating journey, meeting people from all backgrounds and seeing parts of the country often overlooked.
As our train glided along the Colorado River, our conductor pointed out a dam near the town of Gypsum. He explained that its primary purpose is irrigation.
I thought about that for the next few miles.
A dam doesn’t stop the river. It helps us channel a precious resource, releasing just enough, at just the right time, to bring life to something that might otherwise remain dry.
It made me think about a Jewish Psalm that we recite at the conclusion to our Amida prayer:
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, Adonai, my rock and my redeemer.”
We live in a world that encourages us to say whatever we are thinking, whenever we are thinking it. But perhaps we need our own emotional dams—not walls that keep everything inside, but moments of pause that help us decide what is worth letting through.
Does this need to be said?
Is this the right time?
Will these words nourish or wound?
Water is life-giving when it is channeled with intention.
And so are our words.
Perhaps the challenge is not to stop the flow, but to make sure we take a moment in time to ensure our words bring nourishment rather than hurt.
May the words of our mouths—and the meditations of our hearts—be worthy of that prayer.
With love and Shalom,
Rabbi Zachary R. Shapiro
