Feathers+in+the+Wind

Once there was an old peddler in Russia named Pinchas. Every time he came into a town to peddle his wares he would also peddle …gossip! He would hear a bit of news from one person and promise not to tell. Immediately he would say to another, “Have you heard? Have you heard about…”And then he would proceed to tell the news, always adding his own twist. “Don’t tell anyone,” he would add. But of course the gossip spread like wildfire. Soon no one in the town wanted to come near him. After all, if he talked about someone else, he could talk about YOU. He couldn’t sell anything. He went to see his cousin Hannah. “Hannale, please you must help me. No one wants to buy from my cart anymore. They don’t seem to want to be near me.” Hannah knew why and begged, “Pinchas, please, go to your cart and bring back a feather pillow and a knife.” Pinchas knew her to be a wise woman and he did as she asked. “Now, Pinchas, cut open the pillow!” Pinchas lifted the knife and slashed the pillow and soon there was a blizzard of feathers! “Catch those feathers!” Hannah cried. Pinchas tried. He reached and stretched and leapt like a dancer but they all (sound) blew out the window, even the one on the cat’s tail. Only one little goose feather was left and it was attached to his mustache. Pinchas gingerly lifted it up between his fingers and peered at it closely. “Pinchas,” Hannah told him, “your words are like feathers in the wind. Once they’re gone you can’t get them back and you don’t know where they’ve gone to. Go home. Do good.” Pinchas put the feather in his pocket, thanked his dear cousin, and left. After that, whenever he was tempted to talk about someone else, or even to say a mean word, he would stick his hand in his pocket, feel that feather, and remember that his words were like feathers in the wind. (singing nigun) Nowadays, whenever I feel a nasty word come to my lips, or even the temptation to talk about others, all I have to do is reach my hand in my pocket and remember that my words are…well, you know. Hey…I’m so glad I could share my stories with you. I could feel you listening. “Zei Gezundt”. Go in good health.