Yod/Yud painting by Victor Brindatch
Over a decade ago I came across a quote by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel that had a great impact on me: “When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.” In early adulthood, my motive for opening my mouth was to make my opinions known, prove I was right, shut people down, and make myself look smart and clever. But all it actually accomplished was to make me look like an arrogant ass, which had the effect of damaging relationships rather than creating or healing them. The Yud represents a drop of concentrated power; it can be the seed that creates a garden or the spark that ignites a bomb. Words are just as powerful as well. Sticks and stones can break bones, but words can create lasting damage.
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