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When Silence Is The Most Powerful Form Of Expression

“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass - grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls.”


Speech is holy.

Hashem created man by BREATHING into him. We use this breath to speak and this speech is a continuation of Hashem's power of speech, as we say in our davening "udvarai asher samti bifeecha" - the words I put into your mouth. [Rav Moshe Shapiro Shlita]

With Hashem's words he created the world and our speech too has the power of creation. We can create good with the right words [torah, tefilla, chesed etc.] and we destroy with the wrong words.

Speech is a potent tool. Just like we don't use a sefer torah to hold a door open, we also shouldn't use our speech for mundane matters. OF COURSE we are not allowed to speak lashon hara or nivul peh but I am talking about a higher level - only speaking when necessary [see Chullin 99a and Tzidkas Hatzaddik 89].

In our generation there is SO MUCH excessive verbiage! People talk and talk and talk and talk.

And then talk some more.

I sit on the bus and can't enjoy a moment of silence [in memory of John F. Kennedy?]. I am compelled to listen to five people sitting around me. She is talking about her latest relationship, he is talking about where he ate dinner last night, she is talking about what the weather might be tomorrow and how her plans to go on a trip will be affected.

Talk shows - talking for the sake of talking. Using and abusing such a special gift.

But silence! Ahhhh silence. When one is silent he can hear the call of Hashem, he can hear the needs of his neshama. He can introspect. THINK! In this world so many people can't think - they are much too busy talking!!

Sweetest friends, let us begin to look more inward - and that is facilitated by silence.

Love and blessings!!

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About me

  • I'm Rabbi Ally Ehrman
  • From Old City Jerusalem, Israel
  • I am a Rebbe in Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh.
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