There was once a prominent rabbi in American Jewry who had a private audience with the Rebbe. During the meeting, the Rebbe asked him to express his Torah opinion regarding an important matter that was being discussed at the time. The rabbi, who preferred not to voice his opinion, tried to avoid answering by quoting the Talmudic saying from Tractate Megillah: “Amri b’Ma’arava: Milah b’sela, mishtuka b’trei” — “In the West (i.e., in the Land of Israel) they used to say: If a spoken word is worth a coin of one sela, then silence is worth two coins.”
The Rebbe, however, was not prepared to let the matter go and immediately replied with a sharp insight: True, silence earns you two coins — but that means even if you remain silent for a whole hour, you will receive only two coins. Speech, on the other hand, earns you one coin per word — so if you speak many words, you will earn many coins. After an hour of speaking, your purse will be far heavier.
On the Shabbat of Parshat Pinchas, we read the first haftarah of the “Three Weeks,” and this week’s haftarah comes from the Book of Jeremiah. It recounts the story of Jeremiah the Prophet, the prophet of destruction, who was sent to warn the Jewish people and urge them to mend their ways.
With the sincerity and the rich, poetic language characteristic of Biblical narrative, Jeremiah describes how God appointed him as a prophet: “The word of the Lord came to me, saying: Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you came forth from the womb, I sanctified you; I appointed you a prophet unto the nations.” In simple terms: I know you from before you were born; already then I knew and determined that you would be a prophet to the nations.
But Jeremiah, like Moses before him, tried to refuse, claiming: “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am but a youth.” And God answered him — as Jeremiah continues in verse 8 — “Do not fear… for I am with you.”
From that moment on, the mission of Jeremiah the Prophet began — forty-one years before the destruction.
This beautiful and moving story of Jeremiah the Prophet is not just a fascinating piece of history. The Rebbe taught us that everything must have contemporary relevance. He took these verses and applied them to each and every one of us.
God is, in essence, declaring to every individual: You have a mission to fulfill. Use the talents and strengths I have given you and make the world around you a better place. And if you say, “Me? Who am I?!” your Creator will answer: “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you came forth from the womb, I sanctified you.” I know who you are! I knew you even before you were born! You can do it.
And if you try to refuse and say: “But I am just a youth; how can I possibly deal with the world around me?” your Father in Heaven will say to you: “Do not fear… for I am with you.”
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Zalman Wishedski