(יז) שִׁמְעוֹן בְּנוֹ אוֹמֵר, כָּל יָמַי גָּדַלְתִּי בֵין הַחֲכָמִים, וְלֹא מָצָאתִי לַגּוּף טוֹב אֶלָּא שְׁתִיקָה. וְלֹא הַמִּדְרָשׁ הוּא הָעִקָּר, אֶלָּא הַמַּעֲשֶׂה. וְכָל הַמַּרְבֶּה דְבָרִים, מֵבִיא חֵטְא:
(17) Shimon, his son, says, "All my days I grew up among the Sages, and I did not find anything better for the body except silence. And the exposition [of Torah] is not what is essential, but the action. And whoever increases words brings sin."
Shimon [ben Gamliel]. He lived in the first century C.BE., was the son of Rabban Gamliel the Elder whose teaching was given in Pirke Avot 1:16, and was the grandfather of Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel whose teaching follows in 1:18. This Shimon ben Gamliel was nasi ("head") of the Sanhedrin at the time of the first revolt against Rome. It is thought that he died before the revolt was put down in 70 C.E. The manner of his death is not clear. Some scholars maintain that he was executed by the Roman authorities; others hold that he was killed by the Zealots.
Rabbi Shlomo Ibn Gabirol:
In seeking wisdom the first step is silence, the second listening, the third remembering, the fourth practicing, and the fifth teaching others.
(יג) רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר. סְיָג לַחָכְמָה, שְׁתִיקָה:
(13) Rabbi Akiva says: A safeguarding fence around wisdom is silence.
Abravanel:
The flaws in this mishnah are obvious. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel teaches us that there is nothing better than silence. However, is it not true that in academia and in intellectual circles discussions, argumentation, rebuttals and persuasion are the essence of dialogue? Presentation and rebuttal are sine qua non for intellectual debate. Similarly, the only difference between humans and animals is the formers' ability to spea. How could Rabban Shimon even have thought that silence is a virtue? Furthermore, we find in the Torah that God said to Moshe, "Who has made man's mouth?" (Exodus 4:11). Finally, why does Rabban Shimon state that during his entire lifetime he has found no better thing for a body than silence? Would it not have been more appropriate if instead of "body" he had said "person"?
Rashbatz:
Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel in our mishnah deals with the virtue of silence. This applies even when one is provoked into anger. Although it may be difficult to do, one should keep in mind that it is yet the better part of prudence. Rashbatz augments this premise by citing an array of examples. According to several midrashic sources when the sun and the moon were created, the moon said to God, "I and the sun cannot serve on an equal basis; choose between us which will be superior to the other." Because the moon spoke boldly, its illumination was diminished and the sun dominates. So it is with the one who remains silent in times of provocation. One who is aggressive and undisciplined is the one who suffers degradation; the one who is aggrieved is the one who will emerge with greater stature.
(ב) אָמַר רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל, כָּל יָמַי גָּדַלְתִּי בֵּין הַחֲכָמִים וְלֹא מָצָאתִי לַגּוּף טוֹב אֶלָּא שְׁתִיקָה (משנה אבות א, יז). רָחֵל תָּפְשָׂה בִּשְׁתִיקָה, עָמְדָה זַרְעָהּ בִּשְׁתִיקָה, רָאֲתָה סִבְלוֹנוֹתֶיהָ בְּיַד אֲחוֹתָהּ וְשָׁתְקָה. בִּנְיָמִין בְּנָהּ, הָאֶבֶן שֶׁלּוֹ מִן הָאֵפוֹד יָשְׁפֵה, יוֹדֵעַ בִּמְכִירַת יוֹסֵף וְשׁוֹתֵק. וְזֶהוּ יָשְׁפֵה, יֶשׁ לוֹ פֶּה וְשׁוֹתֵק. שָׁאוּל בֶּן בְּנָהּ, וְאֶת דְּבַר הַמְּלוּכָה לֹא הִגִּיד לוֹ (ש״א י, טז). אֶסְתֵּר, אֵין אֶסְתֵּר מַגֶּדֶת מוֹלַדְתָּהּ (אסתר ב, כ).
(2) R. Simeon the son of Gamliel declared: I was reared among the sages, and I discovered that there was nothing more beneficial for a person than silence.7Pirkei Avot 1:17. Rachel forced herself to remain silent, and her offspring continued the tradition of silence. She saw her gifts in her sister’s hand and remained silent. Her son Benjamin, whose stone in the high priest’s breastplate was a jasper, knew of the sale of Joseph and remained silent. The word jasper (yashfeh) may be read as “he has a mouth” (yesh peh) but nevertheless remains silent. Saul was descended from her: But concerning the matter of the kingdom, he told him not (I Sam. 10:16). Regarding Esther (another descendant) it is said: Esther had not made known her people nor her kindred (Est. 2:10).
Akeidat Yitzchak 62:1:6
(6) From the above it is dear that when man abuses this power of speech, he denies his superiority over the beasts and calls into question the value of his whole existence. It is like a king who presented his servant with a fancy garment, only to have the servant drape it over his donkey. The sages of Israel are complimented when the Talmud Sukkah 28, states that they never indulged in idle talk. Maimonides divides speech into five categories. 1) Obligatory speech, i.e. teaching Torah. 2) Speech which must be avoided; false testimony, slander etc. 3) Disgraceful speech; i.e. what we call idle talk. 4) Desirable speech, i.e. words of mussar, moral instruction, sermons etc. 5) Permissible speech, i.e. speech needed in the pursuit of earning one's livelihood. In view of the above, we can understand Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel who said that he found silence to be the essence of all wisdom, the best remedy for maintaining one's body's good health. (Avot 1,17) By moving in the company of sages, he learned that more even than the words of wisdom he learned, he learned to appreciate the importance of minimising talk. Silence is the seyag, the protective fence built around wisdom. It ensures that the latter remains untainted. Even a fool may be considered wise, as long as he keeps his mouth shut. We are taught in Pessachim 3, that one should employ few words when teaching one's students. The Mishnah in Avot tells us that "not the exposition is of crucial importance, but the execution, the deed." An alternate meaning of Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel's statement might be this: "I have not found that sitting silently, without asking for clarification, contributes to the essence, namely the learning process. However, excessive talk is harmful."
(ב) השתיקה והדברים. אמר רבן שמעון בן גמליאל (אבות א יז): כל ימי גדלתי בין החכמים, ולא מצאתי לגוף טוב אלא שתיקה. וכן אמר שלמה המלך עליו השלום (משלי יז כח): "גם אויל מחריש – חכם יחשב". ואמר החכם: כשאני מדבר – הוא מושל בי, כי אם אני מדבר אל האדם דבר שאינו הגון – אותו הדבור מושל בי, ומצריכני להיכנע לפניו ולבקש ממנו מחילה. וכשאיני מדבר – אני מושל מלאומרו ומלהסתירו. אמרו רבותינו זכרונם לברכה: שני דיקולוגין [סניגורים] היו עומדים לפני אנדרינוס, והיה אחד מלמד על הדיבור שהוא יפה, ואחד מלמד על השתיקה שהיא יפה. אמר המלך לאותו שהיה מלמד על הדיבור שהוא יפה: איך אתה אומר? אמר לו: מרי! אלמלא הדיבור איך המלכים מתמלכים בעולם, ואיך ספינות פורשות לים, איך המתים נגמלים חסד, איך הכלות משתבחות, איך משא ומתן בעולם? מיד אמר לו המלך אנדרינוס: יפה דברת! אמר לו למלמד על השתיקה שהיא יפה: איך שיבחת את השתיקה? מיד בא לדבר. בא אותו שהוא מלמד על הדיבור שהוא יפה וסטרו. אמר לו המלך: למה סטרת אותו? אמר לו: מורי! אני לימדתי משלי על שלי, כי לימדתי מן הדבור על הדבור. וזה בא ללמד משלי על שלו! לכן סטרתי אותו. אמר לו: לא כך אמר שלמה! לא אמר שתהיה יושב ושותק כחרש, אלא אמר (משלי י יט): "ברוב דברים לא יחדל פשע, וחושך שפתיו משכיל". פירוש: החושך ומונע מלדבר בחברו. אין לך גדול מאהרן ומרים, שהבאר עולה ומשקה בזכות מרים עליה השלום, וענני כבוד מקיפים לישראל בזכות אהרן; וכיון שנתנו רשות לפיהם ודברו במשה – מיד נפרעו (במדבר יב).
(2) Silence is one of the virtues mentioned in Ethics of the Fathers. Rabbi Simon, the son of Gamliel, said, "All my days I grew up among the Sages, and I have found nothing better for a person than silence" (Aboth 1:17). And thus said king Solomon, "Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise" (Prov. 17:28). And the wise man said, "When I speak, my speech rules over me, for when I utter something that is not worthy, that utterance rules over me and forces me at times to beg the pardon of whoever has heard me, but when I do not speak I rule over whether I want to give expression to a thought or whether I want to conceal it." Our Sages said (Yalkut Shimoni, Beha'alotkha) : Two advocates stood before Hadrian; one taught that speech was best and one taught that silence was best. The king said to the one who taught that speech is best, "Why do you say this?" And he said to him, "My Lord, if it were, not for speech how would kings be proclaimed? How would ships sail to the sea? How would kindness be done to the dead by way of eulogy? How would brides be praised? How would business be carried on in the world?" At once, King Hadrian said to him, "Well have you spoken!" Then he said to the one that taught that silence is best, "Why have you have praised silence?" Just as the man was about to answer the first advocate interrupted him. The king said to him, "Why did you interrupt him?" said he, "My Lord, I taught from what is mine concerning what is mine, for I taught by speech the value of speech, but he comes to teach by my means, speech, concerning that which he believes in, silence. Therefore I interrupted him." Said the other advocate to him, "Solomon did not say that God would have you sit as silent as a deaf mute. But he said, 'In the multitude of words there wanteth not transgression; but he that refraineth his lips is wise" (Prov. 10:19). This means that one ought to restrain himself from speaking against his fellow man. There is no one greater than Aaron or Miriam — through Miriam's merit a well sprang up and gave drink, and clouds of glory would surround Israel through the merit of Aaron. But inasmuch as they gave permission to their mouths and they spoke against Moses, they were at once punished (Num. 12).
אֱלהַי נְצר לְשׁונִי מֵרָע וּשפָתַי מִדַּבֵּר מִרְמָה. וְלִמְקַלְלַי נַפְשִׁי תִדּם. וְנַפְשִׁי כֶּעָפָר לַכּל תִּהְיֶה. פְּתַח לִבִּי בְּתורָתֶךָ. וּבְמִצְותֶיךָ תִּרְדּף נַפְשִׁי. וְכָל הַחושְׁבִים עָלַי רָעָה. מְהֵרָה הָפֵר עֲצָתָם וְקַלְקֵל מַחֲשַׁבְתָּם: עֲשה לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ. עֲשה לְמַעַן יְמִינֶךָ. עֲשה לְמַעַן קְדֻשָּׁתֶךָ. עֲשה לְמַעַן תּורָתֶךָ. לְמַעַן יֵחָלְצוּן יְדִידֶיךָ הושִׁיעָה יְמִינְךָ וַעֲנֵנִי:
My God, guard my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking deceit. To those who curse me, let my life remain silent and my life be like dust to all, open my heart to Your Torah, then I will pursue Your commandments. As for those who design evil against me, quickly nullify their counsel and disrupt their design. Act for Your Name's sake; act for Your right hand's sake; act for Your sanctity's sake; act for Your Torah's sake. Then Your beloved ones may be given rest; may Your right hand save and respond to me. May the words of my mouth and the musings of my heart be acceptable before You, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. He Who makes peace in His heights, may he make peace upon us and to all Israel. And we say Amen.
(11) “Come out,” He called, “and stand on the mountain before YHVH.” And YHWH passed by. There was a great and mighty wind, splitting mountains and shattering rocks by the power of YHWH; but YHWH was not in the wind. After the wind—an earthquake; but YHWH was not in the earthquake. (12) After the earthquake—fire; but YHWH was not in the fire. And after the fire—there was a still small voice.
Numbers 12:1 Now Miryam spoke, and Aharon, against Moshe on account of the Cushite wife that he had
taken-in-marriage, for a Cushite wife had he taken.
Numbers 12:2 They said: Is it only, solely through Moshe that YHVH speaks? Is it not also through us that he speaks? And YHVH heard.
Numbers 12:3 Now the man Moshe is exceedingly humble, more than any (other) human who is on the face of the earth.
While extroverts tend to attain leadership in public domains, introverts tend to attain leadership in theoretical and aesthetic fields. Outstanding introverted leaders, such as Charles Darwin, Marie Curie, Patrick White and Arthur Boyd, who have created either new fields of thought or rearranged existing knowledge, have spent long periods of their lives in solitude. Hence leadership does not only apply in social situations, but also occurs in more solitary situations such as developing new techniques in the arts, creating new philosophies, writing profound books and making scientific breakthroughs.
Cain, Susan. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking (p. 78). Crown/Archetype. Kindle Edition.
Franz Kafka to his Wife
You once said that you would like to sit beside me while I write. Listen, in that case I could not write at all. For writing means revealing oneself to excess; that utmost of self-revelation and surrender, in which a human being, when involved with others, would feel he was losing himself, and from which, therefore, he will always shrink as long as he is in his right mind.… That is why one can never be alone enough when one writes, why there can never be enough silence around one when one writes, why even night is not night enough.