Tehillim 34:13,14
- "Mi ha-ish hechafetz chayim, ohev yamim lirot tov. Netzor leshonecha mera, usfatecha midaber mirmah" - (one who desires life, loves long life in order to see good—guard your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech.”
A peddler traveled through the towns surrounding Tzippori. He called out to potential customers, saying: “Who needs the elixir of life?” When people heard the peddler’s call, they gathered around him in crowds.
One day, Rabbi Yannai was sitting at home studying the simple meaning of the pesukim of the Torah. Hearing the peddler say, “Who needs the elixir of life?”—Rabbi Yannai invited him into his home and asked him to sell him the elixir. The peddler refused, explaining that neither Rabbi Yannai nor people like him had any need for his elixir.
When Rabbi Yannai finally persuaded the peddler to explain his words, the peddler showed him what is written in Tehillim 34: “Who is the person who desires life?…” It then says: “Guard your tongue from evil…” and “Turn away from evil and do good…”
Rabbi Yannai said: “All my life I studied the pasuk ‘Who is the person who desires life?…’, but it was only thanks to the peddler’s explanation that I was able to understand the meaning of these words.”
(Midrash Vayikra Rabbah, טז ב)
