I heard a story not long ago about a woman who could not find a shidduch (a match). Let’s call her Dalia. She was in the dating process, but she just couldn’t seem to find someone a good match. It had been a year or so, and it didn’t seem to be getting better.
On Yom Kippur, Dalia went to synagogue. And every year, on Yom Kippur, an irreligious woman would come to say Yizkor. She would be dressed inappropriately, speak during services, and leave promptly after the prayer was over. Usually, Dalia’s friend would help this woman find Yizkor in the Siddur. This year, however, Dalia’s friend was out of town for the holiday. Naturally, she hoped the woman wouldn’t come, because who could take care of her?
As if on cue, during the Yom Kippur service, the same woman came-- with her same non-synagogue attire and speech. To have her be a distraction during the service would be unacceptable, so Dalia filled her friend’s shoes and helped her find Yizkor and the Siddur, and explained to her patiently what she needed to do. In short, she did a mitzvah.
And strangely enough, later that month, she met the man who later become her husband after months upon months of unsuccessful dating.
Coincidence? Perhaps. But I don’t think so. Every time you do a mitzvah, something good will come of it.
I need desperately for a specific “something good” to come. I recently was interviewed for an amazing Jewish summer program. It is my dream to be accepted, and I am now waiting (not so) patiently to hear the results. After my interview was over, I realized that there was not much I could do besides wait.
Except then I realize that I could do mitzvos.
Something I struggle with is lashon hara (gossip). As a teenage girl, this is something that I feel myself dropping into all the time. Someone asked someone else out, so-and-so kissed so-and-so, she doesn’t like him. It is so easy to fall into that “trap.”
So for thirty days I am not going to speak lashon hara. This is what I’m going to call the “no gossip/no lashon hara challenge.” (Or it you like it better this way, call it the “rak lashon hatov” challenge, if you’d prefer it in Hebrew.)
I’m inviting all of you to do the same. Think of something that is not going so right in your life-- something that you really want, maybe, or something positive you’d like to accomplish-- and work on a mitzvah for thirty days. Watch how things start working in your favor once you stop speaking lashon hara.
Also-- remember that this is not about perfection. If you catch yourself slipping, that is okay. Just don’t do it next time. Every step counts.
Maybe you will meet your future husband like Dalia, or maybe you’ll be accepted to the Jewish summer program of your choice. Forgoing lashon hara for thirty days will let God know to get things going your way!
Feel free post your goals below, and please keep me updated as to your goals with this challenge. Please share this with as many people as you can, so that they too can do more mitzvos and see more good come into their lives!
Tag this on Twitter as the #nogossipchallenge #nolashonharachallenge or #raklashontov.Let me know how it goes for you!