Adapted by Rabbi Debbie Reichmann from Chovot HaLevavot 11th C.
Wisdom is the life of the spirit,
The lamp of our human reason.
Seek no reward but wisdom itself,
Do the work for the sake of the work.
Speak the words of truth for their own sake,
Their value: clear and whole.
Three paths open before us,
The Inner Life, clearing away the obstacles.
The Teaching, guiding the journey,
And Tradition, the wisdom of the ages.
Our duties are both practical and invisible,
Actions of the outer self, intentions of the inner soul.
Bound by reason, faith, and memory,
Unbroken in every day and every moment.
Inexhaustible in mind and heart,
Anchored in true meaning.
There is no faith without knowledge,
Though the world reflects the many.
Every path leads back to the One,
We stand between the light and shadow.
Rooted in gratitude, expressed through benevolence.
