Photo Credit: Jewish Press

In last week’s article, we were discussing the proper use of our ears. One of the wonderful things we can do with our ears is to allow a troubled person to unburden himself or herself. The Gemara recommends, “One who has worry in their heart should talk it over with another.” As the saying goes, “A trouble shared is halved.” A listening ear can also alleviate the pain of loneliness. Bending one’s ear in friendship can be a lifesaving task of kindness, for the Gemara teaches us, “O! chavrusa, O! misusa – Either companionship or death!” Such is the agony of acute loneliness. With the plethora of older singles, divorcees, widows and widowers, there is much one can accomplish by just being a good friend and having a patient ear.

Also, with Covid-19 still keeping many people sheltered, there are many opportunities to excel at the gift of listening. Of course, charity starts at home, and one’s first responsibility is to listen carefully and with profound empathy to the needs, worries, hopes and dreams of one’s spouse. We should also find time to listen to our parents, children and grandchildren. The time spent with our parents is a sure assurance for longevity, as the Torah promises, “In order that you should have a length of days.” And so, too, when we invest in our descendants, the verse states, “– and Hashem will give you extra because of the fruit of your belly.”

Advertisement




The Chasam Sofer, zt”l, interprets this to mean that if we spend time with our grandchildren, then Hashem will give us extra life so that we can be around longer for them.

It goes without saying that we shouldn’t listen to other people’s secrets, nor should we pollute our ears with vulgar speech, and we shouldn’t allow gentile ballads to defile our souls. Of course, the greatest excellence of the ears is when we use them to learn Torah. As the chassidim say, “When we daven we talk to Hashem, while when we learn, Hashem is talking to us! It is the fulfillment of the directive Shema Yisroel, Listen Yisroel, and it is what we promised at Har Sinai, “Na’ase v’nishma – We will do and we will listen.”

As we coronate Hashem as our King this Rosh Hashanah, let’s make a renewed commitment to find more time to listen to Him with learning more of His Torah, finding time to learn more halacha to know what to do, and to learn more mussar so that we have the smarts to know how to be truly G-d-fearing and in that merit may Hashem bless us with long life, good health and everything wonderful.

(To be continued)


Share this article on WhatsApp:
Advertisement

SHARE
Previous articlee-Edition: September 3, 2021
Next articleBirthright to Resume Trips, No Quarantine in Israel for Those Fully Vaccinated
Rabbi Moshe Meir Weiss is now stepping-up his speaking engagement and scholar-in-residence weekends. To book him for a speaking circuit or evening in your community, please call Rabbi Daniel Green at 908.783.7321. To receive a weekly cassette tape or CD directly from Rabbi Weiss, please write to Rabbi Moshe Meir Weiss, P.O. Box 658 Lakewood, New Jersey 08701 or contact him at [email protected]. Attend Rabbi Weiss’s weekly shiur at Rabbi Rotberg’s Shul in Toms River, Wednesday nights at 9:15 or join via zoom by going to zoom.com and entering meeting code 7189163100, or more simply by going to ZoomDaf.com. Rabbi Weiss’s Daf Yomi shiurim can be heard LIVE at 2 Valley Stream, Lakewood, New Jersey Sunday thru Thursday at 8 pm and motzoi Shabbos at 9:15 pm, or by joining on the zoom using the same method as the Chumash shiur. It is also accessible on Kol Haloshon at (718) 906-6400, and on Torahanytime.com. To Sponsor a Shiur, contact Rav Weiss by texting or calling 718.916.3100 or by email [email protected]. Shelley Zeitlin takes dictation of, and edits, Rabbi Weiss’s articles.