“And Moses said to the L-rd, O my L-rd, I am not eloquent, neither yesterday nor the day before, nor since you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” (Exodus 4:10)
The holy rabbi’s respect for every individual was unparalleled, he did not discriminate between people, but honored everyone equally, regardless of a person’s background or beliefs. He was careful to never utter a disrespectful word.
One day the holy rabbi and a student were walking in the woods learning how man needs to live with nature and not exploit the creation the Holy One, blessed be He provided for all people. Along the path, a confused old man with a speech impediment approached them to ask for directions to a local specialist. The holy rabbi and the student recognized the old man as the quiet porter from the village.
Feeling uneasy about leaving the holy rabbi alone on the forest path, the student decided to direct the man to the specialist by pointing out the way. The holy rabbi stopped his student and then asked to escort the man all the way to his destination while he waited for him.
When the student returned, the holy rabbi explained that he did not want the man to have to ask someone else for directions lest he be too embarrassed to reveal his speech impediment to yet another person. “He approached us because he saw two men dressed as rabbis and felt secure that we would not mock him. I wanted to save his having to ask again and thereby spare him any unnecessary embarrassment.”
“How so?” asked the student. “Do we not learn Besides ‘humiliation is worse than physical pain.’” (Sotah 8b) and that ‘shaming another in public is like shedding blood’? (Bava Metzia 58b) answered the holy rabbi.
“when a Torah becomes unfit for use because the words are blurred or missing, we don’t discard it, or a man of learning forgets the detailed teachings we don’t laugh or ridicule him.” continued the holy rabbi.
“Instead we ‘respect an old man who has lost his learning through no fault of his own. The fragments of the Tablets broken by Moshe were kept in the Ark of the Covenant alongside the new.’” (Berachos 8b)
May the Holy One Blessed be He grant that you neither shame nor be shamed (Moed Katan 9b)
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)
