Bless you...

Disclaimer: I am neither a Hebrew scholar nor a Jew. The following is respectfully offered by one who is merely an amateur (in the original sense of "one who loves") of words and languages.

The Hebrew word barukh is fascinating. As the first word of the classic phrase that begins many blessings, Barukh Attah, Adonai Eloneinu, Melekh ha-olam... it appears customary to translate it as "blessed". What a curious thought to Western minds, that one would presume to bless Adonai !

Like a peaceful tropical bay, the mystery becomes both clearer and deeper when considering the many ways in which the above phrase continues. Not only is the word sometimes translated "praised", but an entire berekhah may be thought of as an extended (and humble) wording of the simple exclamation, "Thank you!" In American (especially Southern American) English, the phrases, "Bless you!", "Bless this food...", "Blessed is the man...", "blessings and cursings", etc. bring to mind the Latin(-based) beatus (and "beatitude"). As this community of words and associations grows, the center seems to include the notion of speaking well of (or to) someone. (I might invite a non-Southern American phrase "may her/his memory be for a blessing" to join this gathering.)

I do not mean speaking well in the pollyanna, "and now, a person who needs no introduction", self-serving sorts of empty flattery; rather I mean speaking of that which is inherently good/praiseworthy in someone or speaking for that which is in someone's best interests (including - pardon the cliche - "tough love"). If you speak to me of a mistake or fault or oversight of mine, with the goal of helping me to remedy it, you are speaking for my best interests, even if I find the conversation uncomfortable.

Of course, as a lover of poetry, I can't avoid the notion that speaking well also involves the quality of my speech as a thing in itself: choosing the right words, images, phrases, metaphors... and avoiding trite-isms and parrot-speak.

So here's a question: if I commit to speaking well (in every possible sense) in everything I say today, is it possible that my speech will be a blessing (again, in every possible sense!) for everyone to whom I speak?