It is told of the sage called the
Chofetz Chaim that he once had to go to a Czarist official and plead for relief
from a particularly harsh decree against the Jewish people. Since the Chofetz
Chaim spoke no Russian and the aristocratic official spoke no Yiddish, an
interpreter stood waiting. Once permitted to speak, the Chofetz Chaim delivered
his message with all the feeling and sincerity that emanated from a heart as
pure as his. When he finished, a pregnant silence filled the room. Then the
interpreter started to speak: “Your honor, the Jew claims…” Whereupon the
Russian official raised his hand and said: “No translation will be necessary. I
understood.” As a result of this meeting, the decree was revoked. -
Rabbi Baruch Cohon
“To say the right thing at the right time, keep still most of the time.” John W. Roper Those who get in trouble most often are those cannot seem to keep still, remain silent. Life teaches many lessons. Among the best lessons of life is one my father taught me at an early age was, “If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing.” The contributions we make to life via our mouth are many and varied. Most of the time, I reckon, they are not contributions at all, but things that diminish the richness of life.
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