Nisan-Perfecting Our Speech I-Ohr HaMeir

“Who is the man who desires life and loves days that he may see the good therein (Psalms 34:13).” The intent of this verse is to refute our many fellow Jews whose sole goal in their quest for length of days and years is to fill their houses with gold and silver, and to deny themselves no pleasure.

In truth, their days are brief, not lengthy. Of what use is such a life to them? Did God go to all the trouble of creating man and breathing “the breath of life (Genesis 2:7) to see,” into him in order to bestow vain affluence upon him? It were better that they be as the stillborn, buried in the earth, and never having gazed upon the sun (Psalms 58:9, 16:3).

Such is the case with one who has been touched by the fear of God, whose entire purpose and desire in asking for length of days and years is in order to be privileged thereby to perceive and be sensible of the light of His goodness, which is progressively revealed every day, disclosing each day the spiritual uniqueness specific to it.

It is to this which King David alluded, “Who is the,” God fearing, “man who desires life,” and for whom it is truly fitting that he desire life? He who “loves days that he may see goodness therein,” one who does not desire length of days in themselves, for material pleasure and gratification, but seeks by means of longevity to perceive the hidden goodness, as discussed above. This excludes those who walk in darkness, devoid of light; such people do not really desire spiritual life at all. (Ohr HaMeir, Pesach)

The Sefer Yetzirah explains that the Hebrew month of Nisan was created through the letter, H. the ruling attribute of this month is the power of speech: Pesach also means Peh Sach, a mouth that converses. The Talmud teaches that the letter H most essentially characterizes the divine act of the creation of the world (Menachot 29b).

I chose the selection from the Ohr HaMeir above to introduce a special series for the month of Nisan, focusing on perfecting our speech.