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Category: Walking Torah

The Tasteless Trap

"The one who desires life, to love and see good days, must keep his tongue from evil."1

One day, as an esteemed rabbi instructed his class on preserving individual honor and the evils of lashon harah, he encountered the acrid scent of garlic. Despite the distraction he continued walking to and fro as he taught, but time and again as he encountered the malodorous stench it caused him to catch his breath and wrinkle his nose. Finally he stopped, turned to face his students, peered over his spectacles and said politely, "Will the gentleman who ate too much garlic at lunch please leave the room? The pungent smell is too much for me."

A breathless hush filled the room. No one dared move. One student had eaten too much garlic at lunch, and everyone knew who it was. His being summarily dismissed from the class, however, would be a tremendous embarrassment to his personal honor—the very subject they were studying with this teacher. The rabbi asked again, a little more sternly, "Will the gentleman who ate garlic please leave the room?"

Suddenly, as if rehearsed and on cue, not one but ten students rose and left the room en masse. The rabbi smiled broadly, realizing to his delight that his students had actually been paying attention to their lessons. Leaving as a group, the rabbi could not know which pupil had the offensive breath, and the community’s actions maintained the disciple’s honor and dignity. The rabbi could think no less of him because his peers had worked as a team to spare him even the smallest measure of disgrace.

Perhaps you can think back to a moment in your own life when it would have been meaningful to have the community standing alongside you, protecting your reputation and extending you the benefit of the doubt until all the circumstances could be examined. Unfortunately, it is more common to find yourself alone with "friend...

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© 2009 First Fruits of Zion. All rights reserved. We encourage you to share this material with your friends for further personal study. However, This material may not be republished, in print, electronically, or any other form without our prior permission. Adapted from Bikurei Tziyon #62 .

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