A whisper is as good as a shout – Pinchas
The haftarah is the source of the phrase, “a still small voice”.
The Hebrew is kol d’mamah dakkah. It does not mean a voice that is still small and will grow louder but one which is quiet and thin.
When God speaks it is not necessarily at top volume. A whisper is as good as a shout or even better.
A lesson for life: no-one needs to outshout the other person. High volume may simply produce sound without substance.
I remember a rabbinical conference when one rabbi said to another, “Rabbi X, don’t shout so much! You’re giving us all a headache!”
I also remember an executive meeting of a certain organisation at which a range of opinions was put forward rather loudly and then the chairman said, “Let’s ask Mr Y what he thinks!”
Mr Y did not have a loud voice but very calmly and quietly summed up the situation and suggested a solution that was just right.
It was fortunate that the chairman thought of calling upon him because otherwise the meeting might have produced a policy that would have been disastrous.
