“Who left the garden gate open?” shouted the villager as he entered his cottage, “Those blasted goats have been at the vegetables again. It’s had enough that they jump over the wall every once in a while and do their damage. How many times do I have to warn you to keep the gate closed or we won’t have any garden left.”

His frightened family promised to follow this rule in the future and for a few days everything went well. But one day one of the children, in a hurry to join his friends, forgot to shut the gate. Some neighborhood hogs entered the garden and pulled out all the vegetables with their roots. When the villager returned home and saw what had happened he became furious. “That’s the last straw. We need vegetables from our garden in order to have enough food to eat, I see that I can’t rely on my family to keep the garden gate shut so I am going to wall up the gate opening so that those hogs will never get in again to destroy my garden.” “But Father,” asked one of his children, “how will we get in and out of the house if there is no gate?” “I am sorry,” was the reply, “but we still just have to climb over the wall each time.”

“But won’t it look ridiculous climbing over a wall every time you enter or leave home?” “It’s better to look e little ridiculous,” replied the father, “than to go hungry.”

A person’s lips are the gate for his tongue, whenever there is a temptation to speak evil gossip or make fun of somebody the gate must be closed so that the hogs don’t enter.” But if a person sees that he surrenders to the temptation of misusing his power of speech then he must sometimes wall up the gate by periodical exercises in silence. He may seem ridiculous to others as he tries in get along without speaking but if this is the only way to save himself from the terrible sins of a careless tongue then it is better to look silly in this world than to be ashamed in the World to Come. (Who Wants Life) (think before speaking)

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)

Rachmiel Tobesman is a motivational speaker and Maggid (spiritual Storyteller). He is available for speaking engagements or storytelling, Click here to contact us

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