Torah for Christians: The Power of Speech

TORAH FOR CHRISTIANS

 SEASON FOUR   EPISODE SIX

 THE POWER OF SPEECH

Originally published on July 21, 2022

“But Moses said to YHVH, “Please, O Lord, I have never been a man of words, either in times past or now that You have spoken to Your servant; I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”                                       

Exodus 4.10

 Which would you rather do: eat a raw piece of chicken or speak in public? Most people will choose the chicken. But why? Let’s us chickens talk about it.

          I’m Rabbi Jordan Parr and this is Torah for Christians.

MUSIC

          A major thread in the Bible is that our heroes were imperfect human beings.  King Saul was mentally ill, Isaac went blind, Jacob walked with a limp – and Moses stuttered.  Far from disqualifying them as leaders, their disabilities humanized our Biblical heroes. We see ourselves in them.

          Being an effective speaker is one of the most essential qualities of a good leader.  A good orator can inspire millions to share his or her vision.  A good interpersonal communicator can inspire even one person – and make his or her vision a reality.  The converse is also true: a poor speaker motivates nobody, no matter how noble the idea.  A poor communicator becomes a follower, not a leader. And Moses feared that he was a poor speaker and therefore would be a poor leader. Moses’ stutter was a problem, to be sure.

          Several years ago, I bought a video compilation of the greatest American speeches of the 20th Century.  Included in this collection were speeches by Presidents Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan, as well as Gov. Mario Cuomo, Rev. Jesse Jackson and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Whether you like what they stood for or not, many of their words still resonate with us today.  

          Where would we be without:

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

“Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

“I have a dream.” Or even: “Keep hope alive!”

          Decades later, these quotes still inspire us.

          Speech is a powerful tool.  Initially, Moses did not think that he possessed this skill.  As a stutterer, he was afraid to speak.  Moses used his disability as a crutch; he tried to try to back out of his mission due to his disability. But God did not let him quit; God was confident that Moses could overcome his fear of speaking and complete the task to which he was assigned. God sent his brother Aaron to be his spokesperson until Moses could speak with confidence.

          For somebody who was slow of tongue, Moses sure learned quickly how to talk!  Not only did he overcome his disability, but he recognized – and then utilized – his newfound power of speech.

Remember what Moses said?  These phrases come to mind: 

“Let my people go!”

“I am YHVH, your God.”

The entire Book of Deuteronomy – a series of farewell speeches that spanned over 30 chapters. For a man who could not talk, he sure talked a lot.

          Often though, even those who are terrified of public speaking can quite comfortable with private speaking.  They may find it easy to talk on the telephone, to friends in a restaurant, or to a spouse, child, or parent. But in front of an unfamiliar group of people, they are mute. They need a few pointers to overcome this fear. And here are two:

          1) have a compelling message and 2) speak from the heart.  

          The compelling message is critical.  I love speaking in public about the Bible, about leadership, and about Judaism in general.  I speak comfortably about these topics because this is my area of expertise. I speak from the heart. It’s what I know best, and I love to share my knowledge with the world.

          But I would be a lousy public speaker if I had to speak about, say, earth science.  With due apologies to geologists and climbing enthusiasts everywhere, rocks just don’t interest me.  I could never make earth science interesting.  I could do some research and do something fun with 1st Graders – but I lack the passion to pursue the topic in depth.  I do not want to speak about a subject where I lack the necessary expertise.

         All of us are in this situation.  There are many areas where we dare not tread.  I don’t like to talk about rocks; I do, however, have a congregant who is a geologist.  He loves rocks and can engage people for hours.  The same can be said for sports, religion, science, or history; somebody we know is both knowledgeable and passionate about a topic and so the rest of us listen happily.  But when the conversation comes around to our areas of expertise, then we are compelled to speak – both publicly and privately. 

Knowledge that is not shared is just wasted learning. Would you want to see a doctor who says that there is something wrong with you but won’t share her diagnosis? Would you agree to surgery if he said, “Just trust me.?” Of course not. 

          Think about three topics about which you would never speak in public.  Then, take another moment and think of three topics about which you are an expert and might be willing to give a public talk.  Let me give you nine examples to get you started:

NASCAR

Knitting

Sailboat repair

Speaking Vietnamese

Indian cooking

Canadian history

Egyptian hieroglyphics

Juvenile Diabetes

Stamp Collecting

           I would not speak about any of these subjects.  I don’t know enough about these topics. But I do know nine people who are experts and would drop everything to talk about their passion.  Each is only a phone call or text away.

          The challenge is to develop our area of expertise and then comfortably speak about it.  By doing so, we will become leaders.  

          The people from whom we learn are leaders in their fields.  It does not matter if these people are construction workers, rabbis, or a teenage tech geeks: if that person is knowledgeable, that person is your mentor and leader.

          Moses became a leader because he became expert in God-talk.  Moses learned what God wanted and conveyed God’s Word to Pharaoh and to the Israelites.  His powerful speech changed the world.

          How does the Power of Speech affect our goals today? If our goal is to be able to give a presentation at work about a new product we have developed, we must know every detail of that product before we develop an interesting and informative presentation. Knowledge enhances the power of our speech.  

Effective communication is also essential in family life (how do I speak to my spouse, child, sibling, or parent?).  It is important in matters of health (how do I talk with my doctor? How do I talk to my children about my illness?).  Effective communication is important in wealth creation, especially when making a pitch to a potential investor or to a customer who just walked into your store.  It is important to communicate clearly when we travel, especially considering cultural differences, not to mention language differences. And in matters of the spirit, communication is vital because ultimately, we are talking to God, both when we pray and through our daily works. 

          Finally, think of public speaking as a joy, not as a punishment from Hell.  When I was only 23 years old, I spoke to 1,700 people at a worship service.  I embraced the challenge and struck gold with my comments.  It was a heady experience.  I have never looked back; public speaking has been a major part of my life ever since.  Perhaps more than anything else, speaking in public is a matter of attitude.  We can learn specific skills necessary for speaking – pace, intonation, eye contact, etc. – but if we do not embrace the art of public speaking itself, no training will help.

          Moses learned to embrace public speaking.  When he did, he became a leader.  If we want to be leaders in our chosen fields, whether it be rocks or rock and roll, then we must be like Moses and embrace that which initially terrified us. We start small and simple; then we can test our growing skills on loving family, co-workers, and trusted friends.  As we gain confidence, we will be able to make giant leaps in record time.  When we become effective communicators, those whom we lead will welcome us – and invite us to lead them to the Promised Land.

          That is my dream.  That is what happened to Moses.

          Today’s Moses principles are the following:

·       Leaders are effective communicators.

• Public speaking is an art and can be learned.
• We can overcome our fear of public speaking if we practice, practice, practice.

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