Bless and Curse

"I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Gen 12:3

How do we bless or curse others? Usually it's by words. "God bless you." or "A pox on your firstborn! You ugly wart on a salamander's tongue!" * Be careful with your words. Guard your tongue from evil and your lips from deceit. See Psalm 34:13. When we speak, do we use our power of speech for good or for ill?

And we also bless or curse through our actions. To do a mitzvah (a commandment, a good deed) for another, is to bless that person. What mitzvot? To visit the sick, to console the bereaved, to rejoice with bride and groom, to practice kindness, to honor our parents, to show respect for the aged, to welcome the stranger, to help another raise his animal if it's fallen under its burden-even if that person is your enemy, to return lost property, to share your bread with the hungry, to give tzedakah, to make peace when there is strife. These are all examples of being a blessing. To do the opposite would be tantamount to cursing. Some say actions speak louder than words.

Do our actions comport with our words? Do we speak kind words but treat one another with contempt? Let it not be so, for the way we treat or talk to one another is they way God will deal with us. Measure for measure... whoever blesses you will be blessed. Whoever curses you will be cursed. And we will see throughout the Bible that the manner in which people abuse one another is the same manner in which they themselves are recompensed.

God bless all of you on your journeys, whever they may lead you.

* Courtesy of Opus the penguin from "Bloom County"