A Prayer for Loving Speech
I remember learning a prayer written by Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan (1838-1933), who was also called the Chofetz Chaim (which means Seeker of Life), because of his first book by that title, which became very popular. The book focused on helping individuals learn proper speech according to Jewish law. Here is an English translation of the Prayer for Proper Speech:
Master of the World, may it be Your will, compassionate and gracious God, that You grant me the merit today and every day to guard my mouth and tongue from speaking wrong speech and gossip... May I be zealous not to speak words of falsehood, flattery, strife, anger, arrogance, hurt, embarrassment, mockery, and all other forbidden forms of speech. Grant me the merit to speak only that which is necessary for my physical and spiritual well-being, and may all my deeds and words be for the sake of Heaven.
There were two things about this prayer that have long made me uncomfortable: the first is the reference to a God who seems to be known as a master, having a will, being compassionate and granting merit; the second was that the prayer focused on words that should not be said (words of gossip, flattery, anger, mockery...), rather what words that should be said (words of kindness, encouragement, patience...).
Years after learning this Prayer for Proper Speech, I learned about a community in Israel that practices in the Plum Village tradition of Vietnamese teacher Thich Nhat Hanh - this community also uses a text that encourages proper speech, though the focus is on speaking kindly rather than not speaking harshly. Here it is in Hebrew and English translations:
I have combined some of the traditional text of the Chofetz Chaim with the non-theistic and more positive aspiration of the Plum Village tradition. Here is my combined-and-revised prayer:
