Dear Friends,
Humans have always lived on the edge, keen to test themselves against the greatest of challenges. Some swim with the sharks, literally. Others prefer tightrope walking over Niagara Falls. Some skydive out of an airplane. Others will run marathons.
Then there are mountain climbers. They don’t get more demanding and gruelling than Mount Everest.
Climbers do not go up alone. They employ the services of a local Sherpa who is familiar with the terrain and the weather. One whose guidance is the difference between life, and the ending of it. The most famous climber, the first one to conquer Everest and scale its peak, was Sir Edmund Hilary. His Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, became a celebrity in his own right.
The Sherpa’s son recently shared something quite astounding. He claimed that, astonishingly, Sir Edmund and the Sherpa could not actually understand each other, as each didn’t speak the language of the other - and there was no interpreter. They were in partnership for an epic expedition, yet no words were shared. The language they spoke was that of a love for climbing, as well as that of a pioneering spirit. That bond got them through it.
In an era when so much strife and discord dominates our lives - much of it due to miscommunication - what can we learn from these two ‘silent’ climbers?
One of the key underlying themes in the Exodus narrative (being read this week) is the power of speech. Moshe, the “man of no words” [Exodus. 4:10] is specifically chosen by G-d to be His communicator to Pharaoh, and then later to be the conveyor of the Divine Torah to the Jewish people.
Pharaoh, on the other hand, is the “man of many words”. When he spoke, it became law. The ultimate dictator, it was he who ordered, directed and implemented the persecution and slavery of the Israelites. It was Pharaoh who challenged the Jewish midwifes to commit infanticide. It was Pharaoh who made promises, which he promptly broke. No surprise that the Rabbis noticed how the four Hebrew letters in Pharaoh’s name, when rearranged, consists of two words “Peh Rah” - evil mouth.
Ironically, of the two individuals, it is Moses - the man of no words - who is eternally admired. Pharaoh - the man of many words - is eternally reviled. Because it’s not the ability, or inability, to speak which sets you apart. It is the words you use, how you use them, when you use them, and the tone being utilised.
Words can act as bridges, connecting different people when used wisely. Words can also be forces that divide us. Use the wrong word and you can close down the person you are attempting to open up. Certain words may seem innocuous enough to us. But those same words can cause another great hurt and pain.
Humans are blessed with intelligence, and the ability to speak clear words. In choosing to emulate Moses and utilise our gift of speech wisely we, like him, can also achieve eternity (Thank you to Rabbi Lew of London for sharing these thoughts with me).
Have a great Shabbat!
Climbers do not go up alone. They employ the services of a local Sherpa who is familiar with the terrain and the weather. One whose guidance is the difference between life, and the ending of it. The most famous climber, the first one to conquer Everest and scale its peak, was Sir Edmund Hilary. His Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, became a celebrity in his own right.
The Sherpa’s son recently shared something quite astounding. He claimed that, astonishingly, Sir Edmund and the Sherpa could not actually understand each other, as each didn’t speak the language of the other - and there was no interpreter. They were in partnership for an epic expedition, yet no words were shared. The language they spoke was that of a love for climbing, as well as that of a pioneering spirit. That bond got them through it.
In an era when so much strife and discord dominates our lives - much of it due to miscommunication - what can we learn from these two ‘silent’ climbers?
One of the key underlying themes in the Exodus narrative (being read this week) is the power of speech. Moshe, the “man of no words” [Exodus. 4:10] is specifically chosen by G-d to be His communicator to Pharaoh, and then later to be the conveyor of the Divine Torah to the Jewish people.
Pharaoh, on the other hand, is the “man of many words”. When he spoke, it became law. The ultimate dictator, it was he who ordered, directed and implemented the persecution and slavery of the Israelites. It was Pharaoh who challenged the Jewish midwifes to commit infanticide. It was Pharaoh who made promises, which he promptly broke. No surprise that the Rabbis noticed how the four Hebrew letters in Pharaoh’s name, when rearranged, consists of two words “Peh Rah” - evil mouth.
Ironically, of the two individuals, it is Moses - the man of no words - who is eternally admired. Pharaoh - the man of many words - is eternally reviled. Because it’s not the ability, or inability, to speak which sets you apart. It is the words you use, how you use them, when you use them, and the tone being utilised.
Words can act as bridges, connecting different people when used wisely. Words can also be forces that divide us. Use the wrong word and you can close down the person you are attempting to open up. Certain words may seem innocuous enough to us. But those same words can cause another great hurt and pain.
Humans are blessed with intelligence, and the ability to speak clear words. In choosing to emulate Moses and utilise our gift of speech wisely we, like him, can also achieve eternity (Thank you to Rabbi Lew of London for sharing these thoughts with me).
Have a great Shabbat!
Rabbi Yitzi Hein