"Where did you learn the art of giving talks?" I asked Rav Yaacov Galinsky, who is an extraordinary blend of the "Maggidim" of old and the Masters of Mussar. He told me that in the Novardok yeshivot, there was a daily one-hour "Exchange" during which
each student had to present his "merchandise," express his thoughts and ideas. That is how his abilities came to light, and how his sources of teaching spread.


I then asked him what the secret of a successful drasha was. "It's all written down," he answered with a smile. This is one of his principles: everything is found in the words of our Sages. He showed me the Midrash Shir HaShirim Rabbah (4:23) on the verse: "Your lips, O bride, drip sweetness (nofet) like honey. Honey and
milk are under your tongue" (Song of Songs 4:11).

"Whoever speaks words of Torah in public that are not pleasant like the semolina left in the sieve (nappah, from the same root as nofet), would have done better not to say them." Semolina is good and filling! That is the first condition of a drasha: that there be substance, that the audience leave
filled with a lesson and with guidance. Let us continue: "Whoever speaks words of Torah in public that are not pleasant like honey, would have done better not to say them." Charm. Speaking with
a smile, adding jokes and stories. Let us continue:
"Whoever speaks words of Torah in public that are not pleasant like honey and milk mixed together, would have done better not to say them." Honey,
one eats only a small spoonful, no more. Sweet milk, one drinks in large quantity, because it is sweet from beginning to end, in just the right measure. Let us continue:
"Whoever speaks words of Torah in public that are not appreciated by the listeners the way a bride is appreciated by her husband under the chuppah,
would have done better not to say them." The bride is suited to her husband: he appreciates her because she completes him. In the same way, a drasha must be suited to
the audience and offer ways to reach a greater perfection! Such is the secret of Rav Yaacov Galinsky's talks, and the secret of the success of his
"You Shall Tell" book series.