The Megillah introduces Mordechai as an איש יהודי and also as an איש ימיני. The Gemara explains this to mean that from his mother’s side, Mordechai descended from the tribe of Yehudah (יהודה), and from his father’s side, he descended from the tribe of Binyamin (בנימין). And so he is called both an איש יהודי and an איש ימיני – a man from the tribe of Yehudah and also from the tribe of Binyamin.
Why is this significant? Why do we need to know that Mordechai descended from both these tribes?
One commentator answered that this is important because Mordechai had a special quality – he knew how to blend the characteristic of Yehudah and the characteristic of Binyamin.
Yehudah excelled in leadership, in communication. When he made a mistake, he spoke up and admitted he did something wrong. When the family was in crisis, Yehudah stepped up and took responsibility for his younger brother, speaking to Yosef as a strong, capable leader.
Binyamin, however, excelled in silence. The Torah does not once tell us anything that Binyamin ever said. And his mother, Rachel, kept silent when her sister was being brought in her place to marry Yaakov, in order not to embarrass her. Mordechai’s ancestor, King Shaul, also from the tribe of Binyamin, learned that he was being anointed as king, and he kept quiet about it, not saying a word.
Mordechai was an איש יהודי and an איש ימיני. He understood the importance of maintaining this balance – that sometimes we need to speak, and sometimes we need to keep silent.
When Ester was brought to the king’s palace, Mordechai gave her strict instructions, to keep silent about her background. He realized that this is what she needed to do. But when it came time for Ester to speak up, after Haman issued his edict, Mordechai urged her to speak.
This is the balance we need to maintain – knowing when to speak, and when to remain silent.
There are many reasons why this quality, of not talking too much, is so vital and so valuable.
For one thing, when we train ourselves to keep quiet, we become accustomed to thinking before speaking. The less we talk, the more we think – and the more we think, the more intelligently we speak and act.
Additionally, when we talk too much, we are bound to make fools out of ourselves. Keeping quiet significantly lowers the chances of saying something foolish and silly, and embarrassing ourselves. And, when we keep quiet, we appear more composed, more dignified, more intelligent, and more confident.
Another reason to limit our talking is that it helps us show concern and sensitivity. If we are always talking, then we are not listening. In order to show somebody that we care, we need to be able to patiently and quietly listen to what the person has to say, without jumping in to talk about ourselves.
And, when we listen instead of talk, we open our minds to new ideas and new opinions. People who talk excessively are often closedminded, uninterested in hearing other people’s viewpoints or insights. By keeping quiet, we are able to hear what people have to say, and this is how we become smarter and more intelligent.
The Purim miracle happened because a courageous, humble and wise woman had the strength to remain silent, until she needed to speak – and when she did, she was listened to, precisely because she had kept quiet. When Ester finally came before Ahashverosh and spoke, he was eager to hear what she had to say, and this ended up saving the Jews.
Let us learn from her example, and strive to maintain this delicate balance, to know when we need to speak, and when we need not to.