(P)shhhh

If we believe in ourselves more, we would not need to hurt those around us.

I am writing this post on Tisha B’Av afternoon, deeply disturbed by an incident that happened this past Shabbos afternoon. 

It took me back to a time, many years ago, when I was the guy who was always shushing those talking in Shul. I thought it was my God-given duty to encourage those talking, to be quiet, and let myself and others concentrate on davening. One Shabbos morning, after I shushed a friend of mine, he came over to me to tell me how deeply hurt and embarrassed he was by the shush. This brought me to the realization of how rude it is to quiet others and I resolved not to shush again. 

As the years went by, I have come to appreciate Shul as a place to see your friends and even schmooze a bit here and there. More than that, for many, coming to Shul, may be their only dose of spirituality for the week and if they are talking, it is OK and even a value that they are connecting with fellow Shul-goers. These past few years, I have come to realize that people are people, we all have…