Day 32: אוֹהֵב אֶת הַמֵּישָׁרִים / Loving decency
Today we are urged to love מישרים, a word with no exact translation, but that comes from the root ישר that means 'straight' and implies that which is proper or correct.
Sources speak of seeing (with) מישרים (Psalms 17:2), speaking מישרים (Proverbs 23:16), hearing מישרים (Proverbs 8:6), and judging with מישרים (Psalms 75:2). The connotations range from equity to uprightness, smoothness to truth.
The three wise monkeys warn against improper sight, speech, and hearing, but our sources turn the pursuit into the positive. When we love that which is upright, we do not merely stumble along the path of growth or learning; instead, we march proudly towards those goals with a sense of direction and with good judgment as our compass. As our prophets profess, "The path is מישרים for the righteous one" (Isaiah 26:7).
Reflection:
How do we reconcile the notion of the straight path with the values of creativity and exploration?
Why is today framed in terms of love? Is there a difference between practicing decency and loving it?
Lived practice:
Even though uprightness is obviously metaphoric language, take today to focus on posture. This is especially important these days. Make sure your body conveys confidence and also approachability.
