Aharon was silent. (Shemos 10:3)
Aharon received reward for keeping silent. (Rashi)
There is a lot more to silence than people think. It’s not just what you don’t say. It’s not just refraining from improper speech. Keeping silent is a positive act.
We see this from a comment of the Vilna Gaon, brought in the Siddur Hagra, about saying Baruch Hu uvaruch Shemo during Chazaras Hashatz. The Vilna Gaon holds that it should not be said, and he explains why.
It is because the silence of the congregation helps to unify two Divine Names. The word Chashmal is actually two words: Chash Mal.
The word chashmal – חשמל – means electricity in modern Hebrew, but that is not what we are talking about here. This word is mentioned in Yechezkel Hanavi's vision of the Hashem’s Heavenly Throne. In Yechezkel’s vision appear various lofty heavenly beings, which we won’t go into here. All we need to know that that chashmal is mentioned in this context.
So what is the meaning of the word chashmal? Fortunately for us, Chazal tell us in the Gemara:
What is Chashmal? ...It says in a Baraisa:
“Sometimes these heavenly beings are silent (chashos) and sometimes they speak (memamelos).”
The Vilna Gaon then explains that chash corresponds to Hashem’s Name as it is pronounced, Adon-ai, and mal corresponds to His Four-Letter Name as it is written. During Chazaras Hashas, the congregation needs to remain silent, in order to fulfill chash. And the chazzan, by reciting the Tefilah, fulfills the mal. By the combination of the silence and the speech, the two Divine Names are thereby unified.
This matter belongs to the secret teachings of the Torah, but in any case, we see that keeping quiet is an act, it is doing something. Silence represents a Divine Name just as speech does.
This idea appears also in early Torah sources, which teach that there are four archetypes of positive character traits. They are humility, silence, being happy with one’s portion, and being constantly happy.
Silence is not mentioned here as keeping quiet from forbidden speech, but rather as a character trait in its own right. This is because silence is a positive act and a midah tovah all on its own.
