Where Does Wisdom Reside? In the Heart or the Mind?

For too long, we've silenced emotions in favor of logic. Perhaps it's time to rethink where wisdom truly resides.

From the moment we are old enough to understand, we are taught to use our heads, our minds, to think twice, to be reasonable, and, God forbid, to be impulsive. We've all heard it before: "Why aren't you thinking logically?" "Don't react emotionally." "Count to ten." "Don't make a drama."

We are so often warned not to listen to our emotions because emotions can deceive us, blind us, distort reality, and, God forbid, make us act soft and uncontrolled.

We are taught to delegitimize our "distorted" emotions and to think and act logically.

We are taught that if you want to succeed, you must ignore emotions and listen to the voice of reason—to think with the mind. You probably know that gesture with the index finger pointing at the head. Think, think, think...

Then we read Parashat Terumah, and I think—or feel—that maybe we’ve been looking at wisdom all wrong.

The Wise Heart: A Torah Perspective

This week’s Torah portion, Parashat Terumah, introduces a fascinating concept. Moshe gathers the people and asks them to give generously to build the Mishkan. If you will, Moshe embarks on the first crowdfunding campaign in history, saying:

"And every wise-hearted person among you shall come and make all that the Lord has commanded." (Exodus 35:10) וְכָל־חֲכַם־לֵ֖ב בָּכֶ֑ם יָבֹ֣אוּ וְיַעֲשׂ֔וּ אֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוָּ֖ה יְהוָֽה׃

Wait—"wise-hearted"? חֲכַם־לֵ֖ב? Where did that come from? According to everything we were taught, wisdom belongs in the mind, while the heart is impulsive, unreliable, and emotional. I researched a little, and I discovered—much to my surprise—that everywhere wisdom is mentioned in the Bible, it is located in the heart. There is no mention of wisdom residing in the head or the mind.

So what is this chachmat lev—wisdom of the heart?

The Netziv of Volozhin addresses this very question: "Isn’t intellect located in the mind?" He explains that chachmat lev is intuition—the ability of the heart to sense and know the right path before the mind fully processes it.

Even King Solomon, renowned for his wisdom, could have asked God for anything—wealth, power, long life, a house in the Hamptons, or cryptocurrency. But what did he request?

"A listening heart… a wise and understanding heart." (1 Kings 3:9)

A wisdom that does not come from cold logic alone, but from compassion, intuition, and moral clarity.

A World That Needs More Heart

Today, the world desperately needs chachmat lev—wisdom of the heart.

In politics, leadership, law, and public policy. We see it in this time of war, when decision-making is driven solely by strategy and military calculations rather than by the wisdom to seek paths toward peace. We often see a battles of strength, resilience, and determination—but where are the voices that prioritize healing over retaliation, dignity over humiliation, and reconciliation over endless cycles of violence? When did empathy become a weakness in leadership?

In an age where wars continue to rage, where divisions seem to grow wider, where the strong often overpower the vulnerable, we must ask ourselves: Have we placed too much trust in the mind and not enough in the heart?

For Too Long, We Have Silenced the Wisdom of the Heart

For too long, we have dismissed the voices of compassion and emotional sensitivity as weakness. For too long, we have been taught that emotions make us vulnerable and that logic must overpower intuition.

But look where that has led us:

• A world where leaders refuse to admit mistakes because their egos are stronger than their consciences.

• A political system where compassion is seen as weakness instead of moral clarity.

• A culture that values cleverness over kindness, strategy over integrity, and toughness over gentleness.

And here is the truth:

• The world does not suffer from an excess of emotion—it suffers from a lack of it.

• The world does not suffer from too many "emotional" women in leadership—it suffers from too few. There’s a joke that if women were leaders of countries, there would be no wars, they would just frown at each other and unfollow each other on social media. To me, that doesn't sound so bad… something to pray for.

• The world does not suffer from too much compassion—it suffers from a profound absence of it.

From War to Healing: The Need for Heart-Centered Leadership

There is a reason the Torah repeatedly emphasizes chachmat lev when describing those who built the Mishkan. The sanctuary—the dwelling place of the Divine—was not built solely by the skilled, but by those who led with both their hands and their hearts.

Today, we need that same kind of leadership. Not leadership that relies solely on calculations, but leadership that listens. Leaders who know that true strength is not about ignoring emotions but about channeling them into moral action.

And this does not apply only to political or military leadership. Each of us is called to cultivate chachmat lev—whether in our families, our communities, or our workplaces. It means trusting our instincts when we see injustice. It means choosing compassion even when anger feels easier. It means knowing that wisdom is not just what we think—it’s also what we feel.

A Call to Action: Reclaiming the Wisdom of the Heart

For thousands of years, history has been dominated by a wisdom of power and logic. Perhaps it is time to try something new.

As we read Parashat Terumah this week, let us not just remember the offerings brought to build a physical sanctuary. Let us build a different kind of sanctuary—a society that values intuition, that sees compassion as strength, that elevates chachmat lev above cold calculation.

Here, in the monastery of Beit Jamal, a place of prayer, learning, and interfaith dialogue, we are reminded of the need for wisdom that bridges differences, for hearts that listen beyond words, and for the courage to act with love. May this sacred space inspire us to embrace chachmat lev—wisdom of the heart—and bring its light into our world.

Because wisdom does not always sit in the mind. Sometimes, the greatest truth is the one that we feel. And sometimes, the greatest courage is not in shutting off emotion—but in daring to feel, even in the darkest times.

Shabbat Shalom.