A popular saying chides, “The right thing in the wrong time is the wrong thing.”
Eating your vegetables might be great. But not on Yom Kippur.
Volunteering at the hospital is commendable. But not during your daughter’s graduation.
In a world of contrasts we often get lost with considering what is considered correct or incorrect without concern for context.
The greatest of men taught us a great lesson when he prayed. When Moshe prayed for his sister Miriam to be healed, he uttered but five Hebrew words, translated as, “I beseech You, O G-d, heal her now.” Not exactly the most elaborate prayer.
And it’s not because he was short on prayers. Nor was he one to dismiss lengthy prayer. In fact, when asking G-d to forgive the Jewish people he prayed for forty days and nights!
Why the sudden brevity?
Our Sages teach that Moshe knew that the entire Jewish nation was waiting for Miriam’s recovery in order to continue their travels. If he would expound in prayer, he would be holding up several million people.
There is a time and place for everything. But the right thing in the wrong time or place, ultimately is the wrong thing.