A Quiet Heart

See how beautifully mind and heart complement one another:

The heart is an extremist. Unbridled, it will allow a single emotion to fill its entire space. But the mind finds balance and harmony, even between opposites.

The mind is cold and aloof. To the mind, reality is but a curiosity. But the heart lives in that reality, moved by its every nuance.

The mind must fit everything in neat boxes. And so, it can never grasp truth. The heart, when still and quiet, can hear silence, know the unknowable and grasp the infinite.

When the heart listens to the vision of the mind, it too learns to carry a counterpoint of voices, even the voices of other hearts. When the mind listens to the depths of the heart, it can change the world.

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A Listening Heart

Harmony

By Tzvi Freeman

From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory; words and condensation by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman. Subscribe and get your dose daily. To order Rabbi Freeman’s latest book, Wisdom to Heal the Earth, click here.

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Brenda Toronto, Canada September 6, 2017

The Soul Of The Heart Beneath all our egoistic desires in our heart, lies a unique desire. A desire to connect to it's source. To connect to it's source it must unite with others to reform the spiritual system.

In cooperation, the mind has to change it's way of reasoning.
The mind must think out of it's selfish framework. It naturally reasons in order to satisfy itself. It must think in term of others.
In response the heart will open to allow others to become part of me.

This is what will change the world! Reply

Debra Hebb December 21, 2015

Listening Heart If the mind is cold and aloof then how it that it also considered the place of the soul? Would help me to clarify this? Thanks Reply

Anonymous September 5, 2017

in response to Debra Hebb:

Because the beginning of our relationship with G-d begins in the mind? My understanding is that the mind is the part that appreciates G-d's creations around us and then comes to the logical reasoned conclusion that humans could not create those things; a higher intelligent Creator, (G-d), did; and, that the Creator is Powerful and worthy of Awe and Love for the gifts He created..and also Fear! That reasoning takes place in the mind and then like any other emotion, (such as lust, jealously, hate), Love and Fear of G-d spread to the heart and then throughout the body in the blood. Hopefully when it reaches our extremities, we do something - like mitzvot. It is probably a chemical thing in the blood. Also, I understand that the reason the heart needs to be positioned far from mind is to have some time before the mind-generated emotions reach heart and blood. That way we have moments to check ourselves before the emotions reach the extremities for action. Reply

Tuvia Tsfat December 21, 2015

Poetry... Poetry...
G-d bless you. Reply

Orville Dirt June 26, 2011

Mind and heart? When people mention "feelings of the heart", I automatically wonder if they know that the heart is a muscle that beats and pumps blood throughout the body, but is not responsible for or stimulate any emotion.
It's all from the brain. Or do people refer to certain stimuli in the brain as the heart from past misconceptions? And/or is there something in Kaballa about this that I'm unaware of? Reply

Anonymous Forest Hills, NY/USA June 26, 2011

Mind and Heart Is my mind the part of rationale? Is my heart the part of emotion? I know those both function in me but can I trust them? It is true there are incredible achievements for mankind when people have their mind and heart together. But in an average daily living person like me who does not seek to commit any crime right now but can not see I can do any greatness today either. I do not dream but I just trust G-d of Jacob deals with my reality and he is able to keep on making me into the person he wants me to be in this life and the life to come. Reply

Lee Patrick Perth, Western Australia June 26, 2011

Heart and mind How often as a child did I hear it said, "think with your head, not with your heart".

How wrong the sayers. Thank you for this beautiful writing. It is as it says.... the heart is indeed an extremist and who can doubt it lives in the now ... in reality, or that a feeling such as love is capable of filling the 'all'. Not so the mind. Reply

Anonymous w June 26, 2011

Beautiful ! Wonderful words and thought to bring these two elements of humanity together. You have defined them and then fused them.

The usual association is mind and body, or mind, body and soul. Mind and heart synthesis forces thinking and deeds to live by Torah. It wakes you up, makes you aware. Whether it assumes body or soul or not, i like it just the way it is written.

Thank you. Reply

cecilia prague August 19, 2008

Oh, I see now. I was wondering about that just now. Thanks.
Really good one. Reply

Karin Kruger Oklahoma City, O August 13, 2008

Mind and Heart I should have read "Mind and Heart" before I responded to "A Quiet Heart."

This covers my comment. Reply

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