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On Thursday I received a call from Ilan. I hadn’t heard from him all week. That is not unusual – when he is in training he often doesn’t call until Thursday or Friday.  His voice was strong, sure and yet I could tell that he was trying to be measured in his speech. Adrenaline was making his breath shallow.

“Hi Mom.”

“Hey Ilan how are you?”

“I’m fine. Can you call me back on this phone?”

“Where is your phone?”

“I left it on the base.”

“Oh. Where are you?”

“A kibbutz.”

“Awesome. Are you out for the weekend? “

Last week, along with millions around the world, Ezra and I watched the Oscars. I admit, I like watching the pretty people, but mostly I was on my computer checking email and Facebook, while glancing at this fascinating pageantry of pop culture. I was proud, as a Jew and as a Zionist, that a short documentary about Israel won an Oscar, and when Natalie Portman won for Best Actress, Ezra and I commented once again on her Jewish and Israeli heritage.

There are eight ways to practice the attribute of humility and each corresponds to a place on the body. (Moshe Cordovoro, Tamar Devorah)

The eighth practice is with one’s mouth, as Cordovoro writes:

“Express good words of Torah. Do not speak ugliness, curses, anger, or frivolous talk. Speak well, expressing benevolence and blessing.”

And so we approach the New Year. Hours from now, the sun will set, and we will stand remembering the miracle and wonder of creation. The eighth practice of humility is with our mouth. God created the world with a word – Let there be light. God gave us the Ten Commandments with ten utterances. What we say creates worlds. What we say can also destroy. We all know that child who is now an adult and grew up with criticism, constant utterances that diminished the light of who he was and still is. And then there is the person who grew up with words of wild unfettered praise—what a gloriously positive and joyful person she is.

There are eight ways to practice the attribute of humility and each corresponds to a place on the body. (Moshe Cordovoro, Tamar Devorah)

The seventh practice is with one’s Face, as Cordovoro writes:

“A person’s face should shine and he should receive all people with a cheerful countenance. All who look at such a face will find joy.”

“I can see it in your face,” she said as she looked with concern at her young daughter. This could be the beginning of a short story, or these words may trigger a childhood memory, or it may be something that you heard just the other day. Our face tells tales of trouble, of sadness, of fear, of joy, of love, of gladness. Our face reflects our spiritual statement, our mental attitude, our physical well being. We say so much even without uttering a word.

In one of our most precious blessings known as the priestly benediction, we say three short lines. These lines are said when we hold the baby in our arms to give him a name during the naming ceremony, we say this blessing at the B’nai Mitzvah ceremony and at a wedding ceremony and many times in between.

There are eight ways to practice the attribute of humility and each corresponds to a place on the body. (Moshe Cordovoro, Tamar Devorah)

The sixth practice is with one’s nose, as Cordovoro writes:

“Nary a breath of anger should ever be found in it. Rather it should contain the breath of life and good will and patience, even to those who are unworthy. Exhale forgiveness and pardon.”

In the Bible sometimes the wrath of God is described as fiery breath through the nose, like a dragon. People breathe this way too. I’ve see the breath of a dragon as a man yells sharply at his wife and I saw the breath of a dragon when a mother looked angrily into the eyes of her small child. The child felt the heat, I know.

Then once, I watched my granddaughter sleep when she was days old. Her breaths were soft, deep little puffs of spirit like an angel.

In Hebrew, the word for breath, n’shima, corresponds to the word for spirit, n’shama. In English too. When we breathe our last breath we expire. When we live, we have the potential to take in the spirit of the universe with each breath, we inspire. When we yearn for something greater, we aspire.