Feature Stories
Volumne 18 Number 3
January/February 2002
LASHON HARA:
What Is It And Why Should You Care?
By Michael Hyman
On the 11th of Shevat, 5599 (1839 CE), Rabbi Israel Meir Kaplan was born. Better known as the Chafetz Chayim (after the name of the famous book he penned, One Who Desires Life), Rabbi Kaplan codified every occurrence in Torah concerning the way which we may speak about our fellow human beings and more so the way that we should not. Divided into two sections, Lashon Hara (Evil Speech) and Rechilut (Gossip), the book became an immediate classic amongst observant Jews.
Now, one may ask, why would this be on interest to the believer in Yeshua? Isn’t this moving towards legalism? Doesn’t HaShem say in Yermiyahu/Jeremiah that "…I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts…" (31:33)? Yes, ideally, believers who allow the Spirit of HaShem to direct them in all their ways would not need a book such as this. However, none of us can honestly say that our speech or our lack of it (silence in certain cases can be also considered Lashon Hara) is all that HaShem wants it to be; and though we are forgiven for our sins, our behavior is often far from perfect. Isn’t that why many of us came to Messiah in the first place? He has taken our sins upon himself. Yet, we are still exhorted to let G-d change our lives in very practical ways. After reading in Matityahu/Matthew, "Be ye, therefore, perfect even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect" (5:48), one certainly needs to stop using the old excuse that "he’s not done with me yet." Rather, active steps must be taken towards curbing the tongue—and Chafetz Chayim has some practical ways of facilitating this goal.
Chafetz Chayim is presently available only in Hebrew. Nevertheless, there are numerous English language books in the current literature which are closely based on it. One of the more popular titles (and available at most Jewish bookstores) is Guard Your Tongue, by Rabbi Zelig Plisken (New Yourk: Bnei Yaakov Publications, 1975. Plisken prefaces his book with the following Talmudic quotation: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Mishlei/Proverbs 18:21). A person’s tongue is more powerful than his sword. A sword can only kill someone who is nearby; a tongue can cause the death of someone who is far away (Erchin 15b)".
An interesting detail to remember is that the Talmud states that 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva perished in a plague which started on Pesach and ended on Shavuot (remembered by the observance of Lag b’Omer). Why did this tragedy occur? The answer can be reduced to one reason, "Because of their Lashon Hara towards one another" (Yevamot 62b). Clearly, this is an issue which none of us can ignore. As the psalmist asks: "Which of you is the one who desires life (chafetz chayim) and loves days that he may see the good? Guard your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit" (Tehillim/Psalm 34:12-13). For those of us who have received new life in Messiah, we would even hope that our speech would not only refrain from destructive words but actually spread positive blessing wherever we find ourselves. What we reap in our lives is usually closely associated to what we have sown around us. The important question for us all is what kind of seed are we planting with our words?
©2002 Kehilat Ariel Messianic Synagogue. All rights reserved.