עֵת לִקְרוֹעַ, בִּשְׁעַת מִלְחָמָה. וְעֵת לִתְפּוֹר, בִּשְׁעַת שָׁלוֹם. עֵת לַחֲשׁוֹת וְעֵת לְדַבֵּר, אִינְתְּתֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי מָנָא דְּמָכַת בְּצִפּוֹרִין, סְלֵיק רַבִּי אָבוּן לְגַבֵּיהּ לְמֶיחֱמֵיהּ לֵיהּ אַפִּין, אֲמַר לֵיהּ לֵית מָארֵי מַשְׁגַח אֲמַר לָן הֲדָא מִילָּה דְּאוֹרָיְתָא, אֲמַר לֵיהּ הָא מָטָה עֹנָתָה דְּאוֹרַיְתָא דְּמַחֲשֵׁי מִתְעַלְיָיה לְמִשְׁתְּקָה.
“A time to rend and a time to sew; a time to be silent and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:7). “A time to rend,” in wartime, “and a time to sew,” in peacetime; “a time to be silent and a time to speak.” Rabbi Mana’s wife died in Tzippori. Rabbi Avun went up to him to appear before him. [Rabbi Avun] said to him: ‘Does my master not pay attention to us to say some words of Torah?’ [Rabbi Mana] said to him: ‘The time has arrived for silence from Torah, when it is honored by silence [more so than by speech].’