The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long. (Psalm 23)

Some call this the Age of Anxiety. We do, indeed, face frightening challenges: yesterday a massive earthquake across South Asia, today a possible terrorist attack in New York, over the horizon a killer pandemic. In each of our lives there are more personal threats - real or perceived - that can seem to overwhelm us.

Maimonides, a 12th Century Jewish scholar, expelled from Spain and suffering many pains and persecutions before flourishing in Egypt, offered this prescription for our times, "Take some essence of praise and awareness, and some essence of joy and confidence. Remove the pits of anguish and anxiety. Take the flower from the pomegranates of knowledge and insight, and add roots of patience and acceptance. Grind everything in a mill of self-effacement, and cook in a pot of humility. Knead with sweetened words and emulsify in a solution of grace and loving kindness. Feed the patient who is suffering from despair..."

Learn more about Moses Maimonides at the Jewish Virtual Library.