Day 27: Making a fence around one's words

Day 27: עוֹשֶׂה סְיָג לִדְבָרָיו / Making a fence around one's words

Like all borders and boundaries, fences serve dual purposes: they keep the bad out and keep the good in. Despite the political shadow cast over this model of selective permeability, the abstract value of boundaries should not be lost on us. 

In Pirkei Avot, Rabbi Akiva suggets, "Tradition is a fence to the Torah; Tithes a fence to wealth, Vows a fence to abstinence; A fence to wisdom is silence." (Pirkei Avot 3:13). 

Rather than focus on the things he lists, let's instead understand the dynamic he describes. Each of the fences he mentions serves as a figurative gateway to the value within. It is within our power to decide on which side of the threshold we fall.

Making a fence around our own words means knowing all the good within us, and making sure it's kept from perversion. When we lose our sense of boundaries, we risk slipping into impious habits. 

Reflection:
How do we learn from mistakes and grow if we hide behind fences?

Lived practice:
Try this: Write "Are you sure?" on a post it and place it on your laptop. Does this cautionary 'fence' help you better monitor (pun intended?) your thoughts and behaviors?