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A Psalm as Salve for the Modern World

Violent conflicts that have continued through the holiday season have left many seeking solace. Rabbi and author Harold Kushner says one source that could help people of different faiths is Psalm 23, the famous "the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want" psalm. Hear Kushner and NPR's Jacki Lyden.

Kushner has spoken the words of the twenty-third Psalm of David many times over his 40 years as a rabbi. But he was inspired to re-examine this prayer by the catastrophic events of Sept. 11, 2001. The passage is only 57 words in Hebrew, and about twice that many in English. But Kushner says he came to see the prayer as a poem in three acts.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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Jacki Lyden
Longtime listeners recognize Jacki Lyden's voice from her frequent work as a substitute host on NPR. As a journalist who has been with NPR since 1979, Lyden regards herself first and foremost as a storyteller and looks for the distinctive human voice in a huge range of national and international stories.