The following story is in honor of the upcoming Maccabeats concert that Hillel is bringing to UAlbany and in preparations for the great many words in the High Holiday prayerbook, as we approach Rosh Hashanah. The Maccbeats are an acapella group which generates all their music by their mouths without musical instruments. Similarly much of the High Holiday experience is created within our mouths (and hearts) as we say the words, articulate and express ourselves, sing the songs and communicate with G-d in prayer. And then there’s all the holiday eating.. but that’s a different story.
I first read and enjoyed this story in the “Mendy and the Golem” comic series that appeared in the 1980’s (my son Moshe savors his collection) but later found out that it comes from a Midrash:
A king was deathly ill and his doctors said that the milk of a lioness would save him. But who would dare milk a lioness? A brave and adventurous soul volunteered for the task. He took ten goats and each day fed one to the lioness from a distance, getting a bit closer each time. Finally, she trusted him enough to allow him to milk her. He then took the precious bottle of lioness milk back toward the capital city. On the way his limbs were arguing, which of them was the one who really pulled it off.
Legs: If not for us, you would never have gotten out there!
Eyes: OK, legs get us there, but without eyes, you could not see anything!
Hands: Both of you were helpful with the act, but I actually did it, I milked the lioness!
but then the Tongue said: I am the most powerful of all, you may have done this or that, but none of you pulled it off but me!
All the organs turned to the tongue: “You did nothing! There was no one to talk to out here…”
All the tongue said was, “You will see.”
Shortly after they arrived at the palace. The man was ushered quickly into the ailing king’s presence were he presented the king with the precious bottle which he obtained at the risk to his life. He said, “Your majesty, here is the milk of a kitty-cat.”
“Kitty-cat!!??” shouted the king, enraged. “Guards, throw him to the lions!”
All the organs quickly acknowleged the power of the tongue. Words can change everything. They pleaded with the tongue to save them. The man then told the guards, “Please bring me back to the king, I need to explain.”
When the man returned, he told the king, “I apologize your majesty. It was indeed the milk of a lioness that I procured for you at great risk. I only said ‘kitty-cat’ because that’s how docile and easy she had become.”
The king pardoned the man, then rewarded him. And our sages in the Midrash use this story to illustrate the power of the tongue, and how careful we ought to be with our words. It can also be a lesson on how much words can accomplish and how so much depends on what we communicate and how we say it.