Hi,
Hope you’re having a great day.
I wanted to share something from last week’s Lunch, Learn & Mitzva.
We spoke about gossip and how bad Jewish tradition considers it.
And we spoke about tools to help us improve.
One tool I mentioned?
Going out of our way to use our words for good things.
To say things that raise people up. That can make their day.
And can even change their life.
… I told the story of a Rabbi speaking at a convention.
He started off with something light.
“Before I begin?
Please take down my mother’s phone number.
And do a very big Mitzva.
Give her a call, tell her that you heard me speak and were very impressed.”
… And the next day?
His mother got one phone call.
“Hello. This is Abraham Pam.
I had the pleasure of hearing your son speak last night …”
Who was Abraham Pam?
One of the greatest Rabbis of the generation.
And had to be one of the busiest people on earth!
His entire day was spent teaching Torah or helping people in need of his guidance.
People from all over the world would call him with questions of Jewish law.
Virtually every Jewish organization consulted him.
And any Jew could just knock on his door and bare their heart.
He would listen as if he had all the time in the world.
Which he did not.
(If this was the Torah ‘Hour’, I could tell you much more!)
But while other people may have thought that the speaker was cute?
Rabbi Pam took down the number.
And had the time to call a Jewish mother.
The time to make her day! To lift her spirits.
… It is no coincidence that no one ever heard Rabbi Pam speak lashon harah, gossip.
Because if we look for opportunities to lift people up with our words?
We will see the power that a good word has.
And will be much less likely to abuse the gift of speech by bringing someone down!
All the best,
Rabbi Moshe Katz
Director
ChicagoTorah Network
2832W. Touhy Avenue
Chicago,IL60645
P 773. 761. 0400 ext. 201
F 773. 761. 9262