A child was once careless with the words she spoke and the promises
she made. She drove away all of her
friends until, bereft and lonely, she visited her Rabbi to ask why they had
abandoned her. “They have left you,” the
Rabbi said, “because the words you speak are hurtful and cause pain. Change your language and attitude and you
will find companionship.”
As the girl turned to leave, the Rabbi said to her: “There
is something else I want you to do. Take
the pillow on which you sleep, bring it to the place where your friends gather,
tear the pillow case open, and let the wind pick up and scatter the feathers
across the sky.”
The girl did as she was asked and returned to the Rabbi and
told him what she had accomplished. “Now,”
said the Rabbi to the child, “Go and gather up all the feathers and put them
back into the pillow case.” The girl
explained that the task was impossible.
The Rabbi responded: “You are right.
Once we speak, our words go their way and they cannot be recalled. That is why we have to watch them carefully.”
Comments