Posted on 08/02/24
Thomas Edison. Who has not heard of this man? He was arguably one of the most brilliant and innovative thinkers in American history! Edison was born on February 11, 1847 in Milan, Ohio, and already at the age of 16, he created his first successful invention, the automatic repeater, which was a device that could send telegraphs to a station and save them until someone could come in and read it. A few years later, he invented a device that would automatically count votes for local elections, as well a ticker machine for the stock markets.
His rise to fame, though, came in the late 1870s, when he invented the phonograph, the first machine in the world that could record and replay sound. In 1880, he invented another world-famous device: the long-lasting light bulb, which could burn for more than 1,200 hours!
We heard about Thomas Edison. We know about his incredible inventions. We learned about his innovation and sheer brilliance. But what is not as well-known is the following story about Thomas Edison:
One day, he came home from school and gave a paper to his mother, “Mom, my teacher gave this paper to me and told me only you are to read it. What does it say?” Her eyes welled with tears as she read the letter to her little boy, “Your son is a genius. This school is too small for him and doesn’t have good enough teachers to train him. Please teach him yourself.”
Many years later, after his mother died, Edison was going through some papers and found the letter that his teacher wrote many years prior. He delicately picked it up, and read it: “Your son is mentally deficient. We cannot let him attend our school anymore. He is expelled.”
In his diary, Edison wrote: “Thomas A. Edison was a mentally deficient child whose mother turned him into the genius of the century.”
My friends, words are extremely powerful. Words have the capacity to destroy and kill, or create and build. So much of what we are capable of achieving in life depends on the narrative we say to ourselves.
Parshas Matos/Masei begins with the discussion of vows and oaths, and the Torah teaches us לא יחל דברו, one should not allow his words to become profane. Rashi says the word יחל is from the word חולין. Words are intended to be holy; to build, give life, and imbue strength. Words are not meant to be mundane, and taken lightly. Here is a challenge, if you would like to join me, as yourself:
The next time I open my mouth, let me think for an extra long second, is what I am about to say positive or negative? Is what I am about to say going to lift this person up or hurt them?
The answer to this question can literally be life-altering!
Have a holy Shabbos!