It is written in our Scriptures: “Above all else guard your heart, for from it flow the springs of life” (Prov. 4:23). The Hebrew text for this verse is emphatic. We are to guard our hearts vigilantly, just as a prison guard or warden might keep watch over a prisoner. The phrase translated “above all else” (mikkol mishmar), literally means “more than anything that might be guarded” a construction used to intensify the command to exercise vigilance. Plainly put, this verse commands us to watch over our heart more than anything else.
In this daily d’var broadcast, I discuss the importance of guarding our hearts in light of the call to do teshuvah during the Forty Days leading up to Yom Kippur. I hope you find it helpful.
For more information see the Hebrew for Christians web site. Shalom.