Many years ago, when I was still Assistant Rabbi, I gave a brief d'var Torah one Saturday morning. I told the story of a famous rabbi who was passing through a small town in Russia on a Friday and decided to spend Shabbat there. When the local rabbi heard of the presence of this great scholar in his midst, he visited him and requested that he give the sermon the next morning at the service.

This particular scholar was also quite humble. He expressed his appreciation for the invitation but declined, saying that he hadn't had time to prepare anything and would rather pass. The local rabbi persisted, but the scholar was unwilling to yield. He requested that he simply be allowed to spend a peaceful Shabbat and then move on.

The next morning, when it came time for the sermon, the local rabbi ascended the pulpit and announced the presence of the great scholar among them. Everyone ooohed and aaahed. Feeling he now had the upper hand, the rabbi continued by suggesting that though the scholar hadn't had time to prepare, surely there was some bit of wisdom he would share with the congregation.

Unable to decline, the scholar arose and walked to the pulpit, looked out at the congregation and said, "Dear friends, I thank your rabbi for his invitation. I am, as he suggested, unprepared to deliver a sermon, so I really have nothing important to say. So my message today is: when you have nothing important to say, the best thing to do is say nothing." And with that, the scholar returned to his seat.

I tell this story because it reminds me how often the news media ramble on about an event; they have long since exhausted the subject but then drone on to fill time. The commentators and analysts don't have anything of substance to say, but that doesn't impede the talk. Ad nauseam they go on and on, their sole purpose being to fill the void of silence. Questions that make no sense are followed by answers that make less sense. Having nothing to do with their importance, events get blown out of proportion merely by the number of words that fill the air and the amount of time devoted to them.

Who can ever forget the O.J. Simpson case as one of the worst examples of this. The death of Princess Diana was equally out of bal-
ance. And if the judge allows it, the Michael Jackson case will parallel both of them. The news media will cover it, they will dedicate hours and hours of talk and speculation about it. But none of them will have much to say that is worthwhile, much less important.
Someone ought to tell the networks about this rabbi and his lesson. Until they have something important to say, let them just cover it as news and cease the mindless, gossipy speculation that fill the airwaves with nonsense. A little humility goes a long way.