“Rebbe,” the young rabbi answered, “you always told us to preach to the Jewish people, to show them the beauty of Torah and mitzvos and bring them to teshuva. So I told them everything, every wonderful take on teshuva and Torah that I could remember. I spoke for over two hours, telling of our great lesson with all the skill and oratory at my command.”
“What was their reaction?” the Chofetz Chaim asked.
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing! It was terrible. For two hours the congregation sat there not moving an eyelash, not uttering a whisper, and then, when I finished, there was no reaction at all. No one came over to give me a ‘yasher koach,’ shake my hand or even ask me a single question. What a disaster! I’m so embarrassed, I could never return there again.”
The great sage turned to him and asked, “You mean that for two hours a shul full of Jews sat completely quiet listening to words of Torah? No one turned to his neighbor to exchange idle gossip, tell an embarrassing tale, or pass a disparaging remark?
“Don’t you realize that the Vilna Gaon quotes a midrash saying that for every instant that a person holds his silence he will receive the highest rewards? Just think of the reward that you have brought them for two whole hours of silence, during which they were also performing the great mitzva of Talmud Torah by listening to your sermon. The silence was a signal of your victory, not defeat, for they left the synagogue with your words still on their minds. What greater success could you want?”