From Me to We

Yael Eckstein  |  October 30, 2026

Every Friday, we turn to the Book of Proverbs for timeless wisdom to guide our lives and strengthen our faith. One of the 11 books of the Ketuvim—“Writings” in Hebrew—Proverbs belongs to the Bible’s wisdom tradition, offering practical and godly guidance for living with faith, integrity, and understanding.

Proverbs 3:3 NASB

Do not let kindness and truth leave you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.

A man once wrote a letter to his rabbi asking for help getting his life on track. The letter read, “I need your help. I wake up every day sad and anxious. I have difficulty concentrating. I find it hard to pray. I feel that life has lost its joy and meaning. I need help.”

The rabbi delivered his reply without writing a single word. Instead, he took a red pen and circled the first word of every sentence—the word “I.”

The rabbi’s message was that the man’s problems stemmed from his focus on himself and his own problems. But to live happy and fulfilling lives, we need to care for others. The happiest people in the world are the ones who make other people happy.

In Proverbs we read, “Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart.” King Solomon recognized the importance of kindness, too. By telling us to bind it to our necks and write kindness on our hearts, he was teaching us that kindness must be a major part of who we are, both inside and out.

Most people go through life asking themselves, “What’s in it for me?” But this only leads to a shallow existence and a feeling of emptiness. A life lived for “me” is a very lonely experience. 

Instead of asking “What about me?” we need to start asking “What about we?” What can I do to help others? How can I show someone else kindness? How can I brighten someone’s day? How can I make the world better for all of us?

One More Moment

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