Yesterday was the Yahrzeit of the Manchester Rosh HaYeshiva, HaRav Yehuda Zev B’R Moshe Yitzchak HaLevi Segal, Z’tl. HaRav Segal put the Koach HaPeh (power of speech) at the forefront of his Avodas Hashem (divine service) and assured others that they would experience personal Yeshuos (redemptions) through the proper study and application of Shemiras Halashon (careful speech). The concept of Yoseir MiMah She’Hayisi (more than I was previously) can especially be used with the words one allows himself to speak, for one can continuously edify and refine his speech and his manner of speech. ’I am going to cheat on my diet with this piece of cake.’; ’Can I steal a moment of your time?’; ‘What a disgusting bug!’; ‘That food is nasty’; ‘I have no patience for this!’; ’I can’t talk to you bye [click]’–are all examples of short statements which ultimately impact a person’s mindset and overall personality.
Replacing the snaps, remarks and quips, and the gruff, negative and unseemly words with wise words of compliment, praise, optimism and encouragement may appear to have a limited effect upon a small part of the overall day–but actually will impact surely and steadily on a large part of one’s personality. The time to begin to improve with better, more chosen words is not tomorrow or next week–if for no other reason than there is simply more to accomplish tomorrow and more to grow in the next week. May our election to become Yoseir MiMah She’Hayisi with our Koach HaDibbur today, on the Manchester Rosh HaYeshiva’s Yahrzeit, bring us the individual Yeshuos that the Manchester Rosh HaYeshiva so seriously attributed to a worthy Ruach Memalela–the expression of our spirit from within–as expressed to the outside world by our power of speech. Perhaps each and every one of us can begin his noble trek, by recording in writing in a personal, actual, short daily Refrain from Inappropriate Word Note–or perhaps better yet–a daily Meaningful Compliment Note. Life–your life–is too precious to let the days go by–without each day being a little bit …Yoseir MiMah She’Hayisi!
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