Words About Words
- Leann Shamash
- 20 hours ago
- 3 min read
#parshatdevarim #seferdevarim #words #deuteronomy #usinglanguage #tishabav #mourning #nationalmourning #moses #moshe
Dear Friends,
It is the month of Av, and we have arrived at the fifth book of the Torah, Sefer Devarim, which translates as The Book of Words. How does Moshe, the man once afraid to speak, go from his hesitant beginnings to the man who narrates a massive, 955-verse speech?
Somewhere between the start of Exodus and the cusp of the Promised Land in Sefer Devarim, Moshe finds his voice. He reflects on his life, examining the successes and failures of both the Israelites and himself.
Words are of paramount importance in the Book of Devarim, but the impact of the words surrounding us daily cannot be measured. For most, words come as easily as breathing, which perhaps makes us take them for granted just as we do the physical act of breathing or seeing. Below, you will find a few random thoughts on the types of conversations that tumble forth in our seemingly endless, daily interactions.
To conclude this brief introduction, we are now in the nine days leading up to Tisha B'Av. We can use this time to examine how we use our words to do good or cause damage. We recall the story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza, where words used to wound another ultimately led to the legend of the destruction of the Second Temple.
Please do read Parshat Devarim in full.
Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom and, for next week, a meaningful fast.
Leann
A fewWords About Words
Did you ever think that
perhaps the exchange of true wisdom are the words sprinkled like fairy dust
over the clatter of MahJong tiles?
or
a first word,
uttered through spit moistened lips
as a six month old stares into the eyes of his dad.
"Dada," he says.
Dada.
Never has there been a word more beautiful.
and sometimes
there are Words which fly like veiled goblins over negotiating tables.
Masked and concealed,
one never really knows their meanings.
I'd like to think
that words exchanged with
heads on pillows at 5 AM are holy words,
meant to be locked tight in one’s heart.
and then
there are words that have wings and keys.
They help raise the souls of loved one toward the heavens above.
They fly at the speed of life
and then
they unlock doors of heaven.
Who knows what words are like in a place called heaven?
Sometimes
words speed like velvet missiles.
Someone aims them and hopes they will strike,
but they miss their mark and explode at the wrong place,
at the wrong time,
to the wrong person.
and then
there is the word sandwich.
Two slices of soft Wonder Bread words
that mask
hard words in the middle;
words we don't want to hear
"Take a bite," they say.
"It’s good for you."
but really,
there are empty words, so many of them.
They fly like soap bubbles, beautiful but empty,
carrying
shimmering nothingness.
There are so many soap bubble words.
They just fly away.
Do you ever think about
the junk drawer of forgotten words?
Words you’d swear you would always remember,
but somehow you have misplaced them?
Where did they go?
Perhaps last, but not least,
there is such a thing as a word bank.
It's savings account filled with a word supply
to be used judiciously during a lifetime.
Sparingly, because one never knows when they will run out.
So,
pick a word.
Not just any word.
Use it carefully.
Aim it intentionally.
Sometimes less is more.
An exercise: Perhaps as you take a walk this week or you are doing dishes or driving in a car, think of words that you use a lot. Maybe they are your favorite words to compliment or criticize or maybe they are the newest slang words? Perhaps they are words far outdated or perhaps you sprinkle words from different languages into your weekly conversations? This is the week to think about words and how we use (and possibly misuse?) them.
Have fun.
Other Posts in Words Have Wings for Parshat Devarim
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To Be a Teacher
To Be a Giant
For Tisha B'Av
A Playlist for Tisha B'Av
אֵ֣לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֗ים