Musar su Salmi 19:15

It is a tremendous matter that before standing in prayer one recites the meditation: Leshem yichud Kudsha brich hu uShechintei — “Let this serve to unite the Holy One Blessed is He and His Shechinah.” For the heart corresponds to Hashem’s four-letter name (represented in this meditation by the designation “the Holy One Blessed is He"), while the mouth corresponds to the name Hashem (“Lord”; represented here by the term Shechinah). The Zohar (1:169a) explains that this is what King David had in mind when he wrote, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to You, Hashem, my Rock and my Redeemer,” that is, the awesome unification of mouth and heart.

This is why Rabbi Akiva was so reluctant issue rebuke to the multitude — he was afraid of shaming them in public, for he knew that whoever shames his fellow in public loses his portion in the World to Come (Bava Metzia 59a). Therefore he declared, “I would be surprised if there is anyone in this generation who knows how to issue rebuke.” In recent years, by contrast, I have seen a new brand of admonishers who stand up in public and deliver orations, shaming the community as well as individuals, apparently oblivious to the magnitude of their guilt. Hashem has granted me the gift of language with which to compose this book so that people will read it, and I have no desire to shame them in public. For every individual knows the sorrow of his own soul for what he has corrupted. Therefore let him rebuke himself and amend his transgressions and sins. Let people not say, “The scholars do not know of our deeds nor are they concerned to watch over us.” For you must know that in every community there are those who are aware of the flaws of their contemporaries, but because the traits of flattery has become so predominant they say, “Woe to us if we say anything and woe to us if we do not say anything!” For this reason I have acted as my heart has instructed me and transcribed here a few words in the form of stories and parables that draw on people’s hearts. I place my hope in God that through this work I will indeed bring benefit to the public and receive credit for causing them merit. It is my request that everyone who knows how to read this book will place my words as a seal upon his heart and limbs. And, “may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable before You, Hashem, my rock and my redeemer” (Tehillim 19:15).