Soul Trait Studio: Av 5785
Practice guide for the Soul Trait Studio mussar practice for Av 5785 (07/27/2025) focusing on the soul trait of ometz lev | courage.
Each month I host an open session called Soul Trait Studio, a mussar practice session focused on the soul trait of the month.
All registrants for the month will receive the video the following day. The Soul Trait Studio for Av 5785 is July 27, 2025 from 3-4:30pm ET on Zoom, registration required - no charge but your time.
I consider your time to be the exchange for this offering, which is why I don’t charge money to register. While it is always an option to attend on your own time, via the recording I send out the next day, these sessions remain free of monetary charge because of those who do commit to attending in real time. But you can support this work by becoming a paying subscriber of the Devotaj Sacred Arts Substack.
Learn More
Devotaj Sacred Arts: Mussar Practice eBook with guides to each soul trait of the year
Register for this and upcoming sessions: devotaj.com/soultraitstudio
Monthly Practice
Note: we rarely get through all of this during the 90 minute session, so consider the entirety of it to be an invitation for your personal practice this month. This guide will remain available to all until the end of the month. Previous monthly guides are available to subscribers at the monthly, yearly, or beloved levels.
Opening
We shall be known by the company we keep by the ones who circle round to tend these fires We shall be known by the ones who sow and reap the seeds of change alive from deep within the earth It is time now It is time now that we thrive It is time we lead ourselves into the well It is time now, and what a time to be alive In this great turning we shall learn to lead in love In this great turning we shall learn to lead in love
Soul Trait of the Month
The Journey:
Last month: Tamuz | Moon of Fullness | B’lev Shalem (בלב שלם) Wholehearted | Immah (אמא) Mother
Now: Av | Moon of Endings & Beginnings | Ometz Lev (אמץ לב) Courage | Chachamah (חכמה) Wise Woman
Next Month: Elul | Moon of Making Space | Hineni (הנני) Presence | Tzovah (צבאה) Shrinekeeper
Ometz Lev Resources:
Below are some recommended additional resources for exploring the soul trait of ometz lev, courage.
Ometz Lev (Devotaj Sacred Arts)
Courage / Strong Heart (Devotaj Sacred Arts)
Mussar Practice eBook with guides to each soul trait of the year (Devotaj.com)
Mussar Yoga by Edith Brotman (Chapter 2)
Every Day, Holy Day by Alan Morinis (Chapters 21 & 47)
Mussar Torah Commentary (Sh’mot, begins on page 82)
Making Mensches (JewishCamp.org)
Maya Angelou on Courage (Oprah interview)
Cheshbon HaNefesh:
What does ometz lev (אמץ לב) courage mean to you right now.
What does it mean to act with ometz lev she’be tiferet?
What does it meant to behave with tiferet she’be ometz lev?
Text Study
Partnered text study. One per breakout room.
Explore what the text teaches you about ometz lev. What is true courage? What does it require of us?
Text 1:
יוֹסֵי בֶן יוֹעֶזֶר אִישׁ צְרֵדָה אוֹמֵר, יְהִי בֵיתְךָ בֵית וַעַד לַחֲכָמִים, וֶהֱוֵי מִתְאַבֵּק בַּעֲפַר רַגְלֵיהֶם, וֶהֱוֵי שׁוֹתֶה בְצָמָא אֶת דִּבְרֵיהֶם
Yose ben Yoezer used to say: let thy house be a house of meeting for the Sages and sit in the very dust of their feet, and drink in their words with thirst.
Bringing the wise into your home takes courage, for they will challenge all you hold dear.
Rami Shapiro commentary on Pirkei Avot 1:4
Text 2
Reconsideration is hard; it takes courage. We have to deny ourselves the comfort of always being the same person, one who arrived at an answer some time ago and has never had any reason to doubt it.
George Saunders, writing about Chekov via The Marginalian
Text 3:
We need courage to face tough facts, to confront our fears, tell our truths, and step up to defend our democracy and support those who need us most. As a community, we will gather strength and courage from one another and from the ancestral wisdom that has been carefully taught, generation to generation. We do not walk alone.
Text 4
הֲלֹֽא־חָכְמָ֥ה תִקְרָ֑א וּ֝תְבוּנָ֗ה תִּתֵּ֥ן קוֹלָֽהּ׃בְּרֹאשׁ־מְרוֹמִ֥ים עֲלֵי־דָ֑רֶךְ בֵּ֖ית נְתִיב֣וֹת נִצָּֽבָה׃לְיַד־שְׁעָרִ֥ים לְפִי־קָ֑רֶת מְב֖וֹא פְתָחִ֣ים תָּרֹֽנָּהאֲלֵיכֶ֣ם אִישִׁ֣ים אֶקְרָ֑א וְ֝קוֹלִ֗י אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃לִֽי־עֵ֭צָה וְתוּשִׁיָּ֑ה אֲנִ֥י בִ֝ינָ֗ה לִ֣י גְבוּרָֽה׃
It is Wisdom calling, Understanding raising her voice. She takes her stand at the topmost heights, By the wayside, at the crossroads, near the gates at the city entrance; At the entryways, she shouts, O men, I call to you; My cry is to all humanity…Mine are counsel and resourcefulness; I am understanding; courage is mine.
Source: Proverbs 8:1-4 & 14
Text 5:
You can be kind and true and fair and generous and just, and even merciful, occasionally. But to be that thing time after time, you have to really have courage.
Maya Angelou, from commencement speech given at Cornell University 2008
Incantations*:
As I exhale, fear is released. As I breathe in, I expand and possibilities are increased.
With each decision, I pause to reflect. I call on Wisdom to know whether to turn right or to the left.
Forward, backwards, left or right, may my actions be based not on fear — but on what is right.
*The term from inherited forms of mussar is “affirmations”. Feel free to think of them this way, if it’s more aligned and/or nourishing for you.
Embodied Practice
According to Rav Ye’ilah’s (Rabbi Jill Hammer) translation/interpretation of the ancient mystical text called Sefer Yetzirah, the “foundation” or essence of Av is taste.
Imagine a blend of herbs and spices that you could use for tea or in a recipe that helps you build courage when you need it — or if you prefer to think about scent (associated with month of Nisan) maybe it’s a blend for havdalah or as incense or scattered offering. Imagine the taste of each component — what does it bring flavor wise and spiritually? What correspondences do you associate with it? Or do you just choose viscerally?
Here is framework that occurred to me - but use any that you like:
Foundation: what flavor helps you stay grounded?
Challenge: what flavor challenges you and help you continue to grow and learn?
Strength: what flavor helps revive you and make you feel strong?
Sweetness: what flavor softens your heart so you do not act out of fear?
Breath: what flavor helps you remember to breathe and release so you can move forward?
What is the experience when they all come together? How does it strengthen your heart? Do you need multiple blends depending on the challenge?
If you are thinking of a tea blend — maybe you use a structure like this:
Flowering notes. The basic blend includes flowery notes of some sort.
Placeholder flavor. After adding the flowers (fresh or dried), add a place-holding flavor. This will be the flavor that ties everything together.
Fruity component. Next, a fruity or naturally sweet component is nice.
Cooling or warming herb. Especially for summer iced tea, a cooling herb is an ideal final ingredient. In cold months, find one that brings the warmth.
Via The Spruce
Mitzvah
I translate mitzvah as “sacred connective action.” In other forms of mussar this part of the practice is often called kabbalot, committed practices to help you take the practice in the world around you.
When challenged by something that scares you, do a careful evaluation of the actual risks and rewards as well as the course of action you choose to take. If you think you should speak up and don’t — why not? If you wish you could act, but didn’t — why?
Keep track of this over the month, and see if you can continue to create more expansive possibilities.
Journaling Prompts:
What does ometz lev (אמץ לב) mean to you?
What does it mean to act with ometz lev she’be gevurah?
What does it meant to behave with gevurah she’be ometz lev?
What parts of you feel weak and/or vulnerable? (Mental, physical, financial, etc)
What are you truly afraid of? (Seriously, go for it - what scares you)
When have you taken a risk and it worked out? When have you not taken the risk? What happened?
Who/what helps you feel and behave with ometz lev? Who/what triggers you to feel and behave without ometz lev?
Closing Chant
Courage (courage) my friend (my friend), You do not walk alone. We will (we will) walk with you (walk with you), And sing your spirit home