Beware Empty Words

Hashem told Moshe to tell the Jews “Indeed, As you have spoken, will it be done to you; you will die here in this desert!”

When did they request that??

Rashi comments that earlier they had said “If only we would die here in this desert and not be killed by the giants, with our wives and children being taken as captives!”

So they did say the words, although they certainly did not wish them to be fulfilled. So why are these words being thrown back to them?

The theme is that our words carry meaning and consequences – often unintended and unwished for. The gemarah tells how Pinchas, brother of the sage Shmuel, was sitting shivah for his son. When Shmuel came to comfort him he noticed how long his fingernails were and asked him why wasn’t he cutting them. In reply Pinchas answered “Were your son were to die, would you be quick to cut your nails?!” Next week Shmuel’s son died. When Pinchas came to comfort Shmuel, he bitterly threw his fingernails at him and said “Don’t you know that the lips have the power over life and death? You have killed my son!!”

The gemarrah brings a (rather strange!) source for it; Hashem told Avraham to sacrifice his son on the Mizbeach. Yet Yitzchak lived, and we are his children. Why indeed did Yitzchok survive? Because Avraham said to his servants “wait here and we will return to you” That slip of the tongue – that “we” – caused Yitzchak to return safe and sound.

So both for the good as well as for the bad; the tongue reigns supreme. We ought to be aware of this in our daily lives and not say things like “I’m never going to get out of this mess!” “You will always fail at this!” because the saying so may cause it to be. Beware the power of the tongue!