Dear all,
There’s a teaching from the book of Leviticus that has resonated in the past few days here in Los Angeles: “Do not insult the deaf nor put a stumbling block before the blind.” (Lev. 19:14). While at first, it often seems that both parts of this text offer the same instruction, the two are distinct.
If you put a stumbling block before the blind, they will trip.
If you insult the deaf, they may or may not find out.
In other words, regardless of whether they hear you or not, you don’t say something insulting about another.
Yes, this is true for our leadership. But it’s true of each of us as well.
Do not insult others. Period.
We own our words and our language. So we take a moment in time before giving those words away. That moment can make the difference between being a source of darkness – or being a source of light. It’s our choice!
With love and Shalom,
Rabbi Zach Shapiro
