Mantras for silence
- Nothing is better than silence (GM)
- In abundance of words, offence will not be lacking, but one who restrains his lips is wise (Proverbs, 10:19)
- Awkward silence is better than hurtful speech (la)
7 thoughts on “Chevruta discussions – Silence”
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Kudos to R’Moshe on his ‘Readings’ page for Silence. It provides many useful insights as well as additional reading material.
I found “silence” in the Torah Commentary book. It’s on the parsha Sh’Mini, Leviticus 9:1-11:47, and written by Rabbi Jonathan Kraus
A discussion on silence brings its own paradox. Can one learn from another’s silence, say, by example? Can one learn about silence from another’s instruction?
• For example, instruction on breath control: by being deliberately silent, this opens up the space to concentrate on one’s breath, to become aware of own’s breath. Pragmatically, such skills also help with singing and public speaking.
• For example, instruction on mindfulness, empathy, or deep listening?
Regarding the hermit, the Alter of Novarodok, today I am reminded of this Chinese proverb, as told by YiYun Li, as reported by Alexandra Kleeman: “The lower hermit, the little one, hides from people in the fields, in the countryside,” she began. “The better hermits, they hide in the marketplace.” We laughed, and she turned to face me with a mischievous look on her face. “I am the hermit that hides in the marketplace.”
Today’s video of Kathryn Grody (actress and Mandy Patinkin’s wife) talking about the big quiet. Short and a totally different angle:link here.
And interesting consequence of silence—an enhanced receptivity to the world: YiYun Li’s profile in the NY Times Magazine article by Alexandra Kleeman.
This 23-minute Arthur C Brooks podcast:
https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/archive/2022/10/howto-mindfulness-less-subtract-happiness-2022/671935/
considers *subtraction* as an approach to mindful, more creative living. Some examples: (1) the hollowed out cinder block is only about a century old, better with less material. (2)The rule of 1/4, doing about a quarter of the old schedule, now retired. (3)The rule of halves, by which meetings are checkpoints at the halfway point, considered for early closure. (4)The negative bucket list, with less anxiety of achieving the items. Other points: demonstration of competence is evolutionarily wired, but implies being over busy.