I told you this already; make up your mind that for the next two hours whenever somebody speaks to you're going to refuse to answer you unless you count first to five. Shlomo Hamelech says that; he says you shouldn't hurry to open your mouth.
Don’t be in a hurry to open your mouth, to say what’s on your mind (Koheles 5:1).
If somebody says something to you, the first thing is don't hasten to open your mouth. And so isn’t that a good idea, to count to five? It's good you came here tonight. And so for the next two hours when somebody says something to you, count to five. Do it also tomorrow for two hours. And the day after. And after a while you'll get into the habit of thinking before you talk.
By the way, when you talk to important people, you'll notice that even gentiles, l’havdil, have learned not to shoot their mouths off. The best thing is you don’t answer at all. A lot of small things you don't have to answer at all. You don’t have to answer all the time. But if you must, then take your time before you answer. Count; one, two, three, four, five, and then you answer. That itself makes you considered a wise man to other people.
January 1984
Reprinted from a recent email of Toras Avigdor based on a Thursday night lecture delivered on January 1984.
