A ragged beggar was once walking along, head bowed and back bent, his entire body revealing misery and suffering. As he was trudging along heavily, he suddenly spied something shining in the sand ahead. He rushed forward and bent down to see what it was. There lay a jewel sparkling in front of him. He had never seen anything so beautiful in his life, and knew in his heart that it must be worth a great deal of money.
He put it in his pocket and went home to show it to his neighbor. The neighbor agreed that it must be very valuable, but could not tell him how much it was worth. Everyone to whom he showed it was overwhelmed by its beauty, but no one knew its true value. No jeweler was prepared it buy it either, for each one said that it was worth far more than he could pay.
The king heard about the poor man’s magnificent jewel and came all the way to his hut. Although accustomed to precious things, even he was stunned by this gem. “This stone is fit for a royal crown!” he exclaimed with wonder.
The poor man could not have imagined how this find would change his entire life. The king showered him with gifts and money and appointed him minister. Yet the poor man never did find out the exact value of his find, though he reaped much benefit from it.
The valuable stone can be compared to words for the great value of each word of young children studying Torah is priceless. Are we not taught, “For wisdom becomes known through speech, and education through the words of the tongue.” (Sirach 4:24) Although innocent children lack the deep spirituality and complex thought, we know that the world continues to exist only in their merit. They are a treasure whose value no one can rightly estimate or appreciate!
The same can be said for a pure tongue. A person who uses his gift of speech only for what it was created, and does not sully it with forbidden speech, possesses a very precious gem, whose value he cannot possibly imagine. Nor can he begin to know the great reward that awaits him for his care!
Let us see the fulfillment of the words of the prophet, “At that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him with one accord” (Zephaniah 3:9) in our lifetime.
May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)
Click here for more storytelling resources
Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)
