Life in Words

Plants live in a world of earth, water, air and sunshine. Animals live in a world of the body and its senses. Human beings live within a world of their own words.

The sages called us “the speaking being,” saying that our soul is filled with words. When our words leave us, our very being goes out within them. We conquer with them. We declare our mastery over Creation with them. Our words tell us that we exist.

For us, nothing truly exists until we find a word for it. All our thoughts of every object and every event are thoughts of words. Our world is a world not of sensations and stimuli, but of words.

That being so, the power to shape your destiny, your state of being, your entire world is in the words you think and speak.

Build your world with precious words. Fill your days with words that live and give life.

Memorize words of Torah and of the sages. Have them ready for any break in your day. Wherever you go, provide that place an atmosphere of those powerful words.

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9 Comments

Avishai Barbourville, KY May 12, 2024

“But of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat of it, for on the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely die." G-d is not a liar, but humans were convinced He is. Everyone is dead, disconnected from the time of eating, identifying with this “fruit”, and in so doing, detaching from the Divine Life. Do you want Life? All these words that make you feel important are dead if you think they are the “thing”. I say it a lot, “the word is not the thing.” If you don’t get it, you will always be stuck as a conceptual “I” (me) too. You will live your ego as a fantasy that dies with the body.

HOWEVER, all of Creation of our universe is formed by the Creator, G-d, that we know, from HIS MIND. HE is the REAL Self. Each of us sees him/her self as I am me, but that is not really true. Once we can let go of ME we automatically realize I AM instead, the Real. He will see to it.Our world will light up again. Remember, Ain Od Malvado, there is nothing but Him. Reply

Alisa Tennessee May 12, 2024

I love this. Thank you for the words! Reply

Brenda Toronto, Canada April 6, 2016

Speechless Ultimately, words, the world, matter, time, space, motion will all disappear.

Even now G_d does not hear your words, He listens to your heart, feelings. Feelings are true prayers from the heart. Words can be hollow and false.

All that finally remains will be connections of love, intentions to bestow upon others in one spiritual structure moving in sync with G_dliness. Reply

Ben Austin September 21, 2011

Life in Words Such a good thought. Thanks! Reply

Anonymous portsmouth, ohio September 21, 2011

...but learn to listen, Reply

zeynep ist September 21, 2011

'..not of sensations and stimuli, but of words'?? With all due respect, I have a serious problem with this formulation. It also seems to stand in stark contradiction to the title 'Life in Words'.

Is it not so that the words are one of several other conduits for transmitting our own sensations/stimuli and for eliciting/triggering sensations/stimuli in our fellow beings?

If we create our own reality with the power of our words, can this reality have life without senses and stimuli? Is life itself not about senses and stimuli, whether emotional, mental or spiritual in their essence?

Was the Divine act of creation a mere word or a vessel for the Divine Desire for creation? Reply

Carmen September 21, 2011

I want to pronounce five words now: Thank you for the words. Reply

kameo February 22, 2009

words sorry about your father Melissa.
yes but when one can not use words there are other senses like looking, feeling, listening, touching etc etc.

Thanks for this daily wisdom Rabbi Reply

Melissa Prager February 20, 2009

words and existence Although I deeply respect the power of words, how can we reconcile the idea that "nothing truly exists until we find a word for it" with those who are struck with aphasia, a loss of language, such as my father has been? Reply

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