Shemot—“People Talking without Speaking”: Are We Listening?
One of the inspirations for the 1960’s Simon & Garfunkel hit song “The Sound of Silence” was Garfunkel’s close friendship with Sandy Greenberg. When Greenberg, as a college student, was watching a baseball game, his vision descended into a blur. Initially, he was told that it was merely conjunctivitis, but when he completely lost his vision, he learned that he had glaucoma and would never see again. As a result, he became reclusive and left college in a slump of depression.
Garfunkel, however, willed his friend back to life. He walked him to classes, guided him around campus, and offered constant support. He even assumed the name “Darkness” to show empathy toward his friend. Thus, the song that deals with the problems of communication that have plagued society, of “people talking without speaking”, is a wake-up call for us to begin listening, seeing and caring about one another, especially those who have physical limitations.
In Parashat Shemot that we read this week, we encounter another example of someone with a physical limitation. God turned to Moses and asked him to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt but Moses was reluctant because he felt that he was unqualified for the job. Among the various reasons he presented for his reluctance was that he was “slow of speech and slow of tongue”, meaning either that he had a speech impediment or lacked the confidence to speak publicly. God responded by reassuring him that, despite his limitations, he was the right man for the job, and then promised that He would help him communicate the message of redemption to the people. From God’s perspective, the people will simply have to accept Moses as their leader despite his impairment, to listen to what he has to say, and follow him out of Egypt and toward the Promised Land.
Similarly, since the outbreak of the war on October 7, a great number of people without any particular oratory skills or training found themselves on the public stage, both in Israel and abroad, pushing, cajoling, appealing, and leading protests for a deal to release the hostages. We listened to them not because their speeches were particularly eloquent or polished but because they expressed their unspeakable pain and anguish and their relentless determination to bring their loved ones home. And, as of this writing, it appears that their tireless efforts have finally borne fruit.
This coming Shabbat will mark the 3rd Annual World Aphasia Shabbat. For those who don’t know, Aphasia is an impairment of language, affecting the production or comprehension of speech and the ability to read or write. Aphasia is always due to brain injury – most commonly from a stroke but may also arise from head trauma, brain tumors, infections or neurodegenerative diseases. This event, along with others, is sponsored by “Koach Eitan” which is an organization founded by our friends Eitan and Leora Ashman from Efrat, after Eitan suffered a massive stroke at the age of 42.
Until that time, Eitan, the father of four, ran a property management business, was a CrossFit instructor and volunteer MADA paramedic and driver, and taught Torah classes within the Efrat community. Miraculously, Eitan survived the stroke but his speaking ability was severely impaired, along with a great deal of his long-term memory. Furthermore, he only has the use of one hand, cannot stand for long periods of time, gets tired easily and experiences a constant numbing pain on the right side of his body. He has since been unable to work and Leora had to give up her job so that she could help with his rehabilitation.
The purpose of Koach Eitan is to raise awareness of brain injury and Aphasia, to support the families affected, and to teach others how to communicate with, and include, people facing these challenges. Thus, the organization serves as an example of how we, as a community, can become more inclusive, of how those of us with speaking impairments and disabilities can feel welcome, and of how others can learn to listen and appreciate what wonderful people, like Eitan, have to say.
To support the growing Koach Eitan community: https://causematch.com/ke-donate