“A person doesn’t find a moment of rest,” began Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto in a recent spiritual address. “The human mind runs from place to place, from story to story, from imagination to imagination. There is no rest, no inner peace.”
Yet the path to tranquility is not a distant dream. “The moment a person begins to work on their values — that’s when true rest begins. That’s where inner peace starts,” said Rabbi Pinto.
“Working on your values,” he explained, “is not just about thinking ‘now I’m going to change’ — it’s about making a strong, deep resolution in your heart. A resolution that breaks through the boundaries of habit and nature — a commitment that truly leads to transformation. Not a momentary change, but a change for life.”
He continued: “One who sincerely works on their character feels how everything begins to shift. The heart calms, the eyes see differently, even the body begins to heal. When a person stands honestly before themselves — that’s the beginning of personal redemption.”
Later in his speech, Rabbi Pinto addressed the broader challenges facing the Jewish people today. “We are witnessing many hardships — in livelihood, in health, in national security. And we must understand: it all stems from division. It all begins with arguments between one person and another. And where do these quarrels come from? From nothing. From things with no real root.”
“Mahloket [strife] is like fire,” he said. “A person who lights a fire doesn’t know where it will spread. It might burn a forest, it might destroy an entire city. One who enters into conflict places themselves in a fire that cannot be controlled.”
“If people only knew how much they lose by hating, by speaking ill of others, by holding anger — they would run from it like fire. Holding grudges closes off blessing. Strife blocks all abundance. It burns down everything you’ve built.”
He concluded with a call to action: “In these times, we must become messengers of peace. Run from conflict, run from gossip, run from judgment — and build homes of love, of understanding, of forgiveness. That’s where the blessing is, that’s where abundance flows — and that’s where you’ll find rest.”
This article was written in cooperation with Shuva Israel