Kavod: Honor, Dignity, Respect

Exploring the mussar soul trait of kavod | honor, dignity, respect

Photo by Simon Schmitt on Unsplash

What is Mussar?

Kavod (כבוד) Honor

The mussar soul trait that corresponds with the Jewish month of Cheshvan.

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In the world of Mussar, kavod is translated as honor, respect, or dignity.  I think Edith Brotman phrases it beautifully in her book Mussar Yoga:

Honor means to recognize the Divine presence in another, to see the intrinsic value and worth of another being.

Kavod is about having fundamental respect for the existence of a being — simply because that being exists.  This not only refers to other beings, but also to ourselves. Tied up with Kavod are the ideas/soul-traits of “judging others favorably” (dan l’kaf zechut), humility (anavah), and love (ahavah).  Like all soul-traits too much or too little is not ideal. Healthy kavod means that you are not always asking “what about me” or “why not me” or judging your follower count against someone else’s or truly coveting some award or external recognition.  Healthy kavod also means that you respect yourself and set clear boundaries and practice self-compassion, self-love, and self-care.