Jewish tradition says it does. Absolutely. God sees it all, and nothing goes unrewarded. Not even a respectable word.

Think about Lot's daughters. A pretty uncomfortable story, right? After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the sisters, fearing they were the last women on Earth, took matters into their own hands. (Genesis 19:30-38). It's a tale ripe with complexity, shame, and desperation.

Now, both daughters conceived sons with their father. The older one named her son Moab, which, roughly translated, means "from the father." Not exactly subtle, is it? But the younger sister, she chose a different path. She called her son Ammon, meaning "son of my people."

A small difference, you might think. Just a name.

But according to the lore, this seemingly minor act of decency, this little spark of propriety in a dark situation, held immense significance. As the passage from Legends of the Jews (Ginzberg) tells us, she was rewarded for it.

How? Well, when Moses later wanted to wage war against the descendants of Lot – that is, the Moabites and Ammonites – God intervened. "My plans differ from thine," God said, according to the legend. "Two doves shall spring from this nation, the Moabite Ruth and the Ammonite Naomi, and for this reason must these two nations be spared."

Pause for a moment and consider the weight of that. Two nations spared, all because of a single, carefully chosen name. Two nations spared because, as Ginzberg tells us, God rewards even the smallest act of decency.

Ruth, the Moabite, became the great-grandmother of King David, the ancestor of the Messiah! And Naomi, though technically Ammonite according to this tradition, is revered as a symbol of loyalty and devotion. (Ruth 1:16).

It’s a powerful reminder that even in the midst of difficult circumstances, even when we feel like our actions are insignificant, our choices matter. Our words matter. Even a "respectable word," as the legend puts it, can have ripple effects far beyond what we can imagine. It speaks to the profound interconnectedness of all things, and the enduring power of even the smallest act of goodness.

So, what “respectable word” will you choose today? What small act of decency will you offer the world? Because who knows? It might just change everything.