Quote of the Month

A large part of our people, almost everyone of them, would not partake of food without washing their hands, God forbid, even though the delay by this (rite) increased their hunger and discomfort. However, slander, a much graver offence, they will very easily commit, even without great passion for it. Now, then, we see that the main point in guarding ourselves from committing a sin is to make it habitual and natural not to commit it. For, if man should try hard to walk in the paths of musar, exerting himself to guard [against] slandering, with all his energy and mind yet, as long as his habits and nature remain unchanged, so as not to have a natural propensity to speak slanderously, it would still be easier to commit the sin of speaking slander than to eat, God forbid, without washing the hands.

(Israel Salanter, Iggeret ha-Musar)