When the world feels noisy, divided, and unstable;
when we experience too many reminders of how fragile peace is and how loud the voices of anger and violence can be;
it’s easy to feel distraught and it’s natural to wonder: what can really make a difference?
When Aharon the High Priest experienced the sudden, tragic loss of his two sons, the verse records his reaction - just two Hebrew words: “Vayidom Aharon” - “And Aharon was silent.”
But his silence was not the silence of despair. It was the silence of strength, of inner faith, of connecting to something higher than words could ever reach.
After the Supreme Court ruled against prayer in public schools and following the attempted assasination of President Ronald Reagan, The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, the most influential Jewish leader of the 20th century, encouraged silence as an antidote.
More specifically, he urged America to adopt a moment of silence in schools: a daily pause for children to reflect quietly, guided by their parents, on life’s deeper purpose.
Unlike spoken prayer, which can spark debate, a silent pause belongs to each student.
No teacher can impose beliefs, no peer can intrude.
Every child is free to connect in their own way - to values, to meaning, to G-d.
The Rebbe pressed for it to be universally adopted because giving children a habit of silence, reflection, and higher purpose is one of the strongest safeguards for a brighter, safer future.
And this practice is not only for children. In Elul - the month of reflection before Rosh Hashanah - it's particularly appropriate to find our own “moment of silence”:
To pause, to step away from the world’s noise, and to ask ourselves, "What am I living for? How can I bring more light into the world today?”
And you can make a difference for others too. In addition to taking on your own daily moment of silence as spiritual preparation for the new year -
Encourage your child’s school, local leaders, or representatives to implement and encourage this policy. Even one voice can make a difference.
Whether in schools or in our daily lives, when the world seems to be unraveling, there is something we can do.
It is deceptively simple, but extremely powerful: Carve out silence, and fill it with purpose.
As we approach the New Year, let us take moments of silence - not filled with emptiness, but with meaning, strength, and hope.
And may they open the way to a year of peace, safety, and revealed blessings.