Days of Awe (day 7)

Day 7: Silence - Sh'tikah
The book of Kohelet teaches us that there is a time to speak and a time to be silent. Silence is illusive as we are constantly followed by soundtracks to our lives and the noise of the world permeates our thinking at all moments. To seek silence opens our minds and souls to profound contemplation. Moreover, the most common way we choose to hurt another is through our words. We gossip, give backhanded compliments, share rumors, both true and untrue, that hurt ourselves, hurt the one who hears our words, and injure the reputation of another human being. Too often, we use our tongues as swords.
During this past year, about whom have you spoken poorly or insulted behind their back or to their face? How can you begin to repair the destruction caused by your words? What commitments might you make for the coming year to use words to heal? How will you seek the silence you need from our noisy world to clear your head and develop your inner thoughts?