The Rav Who Stopped Gossip With One Question

Long ago, an old rav had to travel for 3 days by horse and wagon. His fellow passengers, horse traders, loud ones, and their talk kept sliding into gossip about other people. The rav shared a Torah thought. They nodded politely, then went right back to gossip. So he leaned in and asked, "Tell me, how do you know a good horse?" The wagon came alive. Look at the teeth. No, the hooves, the hind legs. The next day, a new question. Is this one a riding horse or a wagon horse? The third day, warm water or cold? How do you keep a horse healthy? 3 days, not one more word of gossip, and the Rav learned the whole horse trade. People love to talk about their own work. Want to change the conversation? Ask a good question.