Do you have Chutzpah?

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A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Rabbi Charley Baginsky Good morning! Chutzpah is one of those words that refuses to sit quietly in a neat translation. In Yiddish, it can mean arrogance and entitlement, but it can also mean boldness, courage, and the willingness to speak up when it matters. The difference is in whether it’s used for ourselves alone, or for something bigger. There’s a story in the Bible about Balaam’s donkey that captures the good kind. Balaam is travelling along a narrow road, intent on his mission, when an angel steps into the path, invisible to him, but not to the donkey. She swerves, crushes his foot against a wall, and finally sits down. Balaam lashes out in frustration. And then, the donkey speaks. She asks why, after all her years of service, he can’t imagine there might be a reason for her behaviour. It’s only then that Balaam’s eyes are opened and he sees the danger ahead. That’s chutzpah. Not arrogance, but the courage to stop when others are pushing forward. The clarity to notice what’s being missed. The nerve to speak up, even to someone more powerful, when the moment calls for it. Sometimes we need that kind of chutzpah ourselves - to question, to pause, to steer away from harm even if it makes us unpopular. And sometimes we need to hear it from others and be willing to stop, listen, and see with new eyes. May we notice what others miss. May we have the courage to pause when the path ahead isn’t safe. And may we speak up, kindly but firmly, when the moment demands it. Amen.