Mitzvah 28 and 29  

as shared by Judith.....

28. Not to wrong any one in speech (Lev. 25:17)

29. Not to carry tales (Lev. 19:16)  

Leviticus 25:17

“Do not oppress one another, but you shall fear your Elohim.  For I am YHWH your Elohim” (The Scriptures)

“Thus you are not to take advantage of each other, but you are to fear your God; for I am ADONAI your God.” (The Complete Jewish Bible)

“You shall not wrong one another; but you shall fear your God: for I am the LORD your God.” (The Hebrew Names Version)

  One of the ways that we can wrong, oppress, and take advantage of one another is in speech.  One of the ways that we can harm people is by talking to or about them in a negative manner.  YHWH is quite clear about gossip. 

  Leviticus 19:16

“Do not go slandering among your people.  Do not stand against the blood of your neighbor, I am YHWH.”  (The Scriptures)

“Do not go around spreading slander among your people, but also don't stand idly by when your neighbor's life is at stake; I am ADONAI.”  (The Complete Jewish Bible)

“You shall not go up and down as a talebearer among your people: neither shall you stand against the blood of your neighbor: I am the LORD.”  (The Hebrew Names Version)

  Exodus 23:11

“Do not bring a false report.  Do not put your hand with the wrong to be a malicious witness” (The Scriptures)

"You are not to repeat false rumors; do not join hands with the wicked by offering perjured testimony.”  (The Complete Jewish Bible)

"You shall not spread a false report. Don't join your hand with the wicked to be a malicious witness.”  (The Hebrew Names Version)

  We are commanded to watch our tongues when it comes to how we speak about one another.  The scriptures say, Psalms 34:11-22; “Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.  What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?  Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.”  In fact, this scripture promises that if a man desires life and wants a long life, he will keep his tongue from saying evil things and from talking about anyone. 

  Lashon Hara (gossip) literally means “evil tongue.”  It can be interpreted as “derogatory speech.”  There are three classifications for Lashon Hara.  Lashon Hara, where what we say is true, but it is defamatory.  The second, Motzie Shem Ra, “bringing out a bad name,” which is slandering or lying about another person.  The third, Rechilut, “tale bearing,” is telling what another person did or said about them.  It is any communication that generates animosity between people.  All of these are forbidden.  We are not allowed to speak, listen, or believe Lashon Hara.  Now there are exceptions, but we will deal with these at the end of this study. 

  Why are we commanded to not speak against or about one another?  First, we would need to look at what types of damage can be done when we speak unkindly about one another, or when we say things that are untrue.  YHWH desires that people live together in peace and in unity, and the rules for proper speech are the Torah’s way of insuring unity.  It is simple, if we remove gossip, slander, divisiveness and anger from our speech we automatically and dramatically improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  Speaking against one another causes strife, disputes, hurt feelings, and heartache.  Speaking about and against one another causes your brother or sister to sin by giving them a cause to bear a grudge. 

Lashon Hara destroys friendships, it ruins businesses, it ends marriages and it shortens lives.  Remember that Proverbs 18:21 states, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”  It is impossible to repair the damage that is done by our words. 

  A Chasidic story underscores the damage that can be caused by hurtful gossip.  A man went through the community spreading lies about the Rabbi.  One day the man felt remorse and asked the rabbi to forgive him and indicated he was willing to do anything to make amends.  The rabbi told him to take several feather pillows, cut them open and scatter the feathers to the wind.  The man did as he was asked and returned to the rabbi to let him know what he had done.  The rabbi then instructed him, “Now go and gather ALL of the feathers.”  The man protested, “But that’s impossible.”  “Of course it is,” said the rabbi.  “And although you may regret the evil you have done and truly desire to correct it, it is just as impossible to repair the damage done by your words as it is to recover every single one of the feathers.” 

  The rabbi was not overstating the damage.  To destroy another person’s name and reputation is akin to murder, you are murdering their standing in the community, their reputation, their good name.  And, just like murder, the damage is irrevocable.

  Here is an example that might help you to understand the differences in the types of Lason Hara (gossip).  If you were to say that your pastor or rabbi does not have a good voice, and that the cantor or worship leader is not a scholar, then you are engaging in Rechilut.  If you are to say that the cantor or worship leader does not have a good voice, and that the rabbi or pastor is not a scholar, you are engaging in Motzie Shem Ra, the murdering of a good name. 

As the mother of an autistic child, I am very aware of the blessings of speech.  We prayed for years for the first words that conveyed thought or feeling to come from our autisitic son.  When he began to speak, we asked each other, “Did you hear that?”  Our ability to speak is what sets us apart from the rest of YHWH’s creation.  We are able to convey ideas and feelings through words. 

The positive things we say about people and situations will cause our children to grow into positive, happy, optimistic people.  However, negative, defaming, mean-spirited speech will help us to raise children who are negative, belittling, and mean-spirited

It is easy to fall into gossiping as a recreational activity.  It is easy to find fault, and to be dissatisfied, disappointed, or displeased.  If we model this behavior, we will find that our children will grow up to be dissatisfied, disappointed and displeased.

We say that sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me, yet, anyone who has been the victim of any of the three types of Lashon Hara can tell you that this old adage is untrue.  Lashon Hara can destroy lives, even unintentionally, in one fell swoop it harms:

• the person speaking,
• the person spoken about,
• and the person spoken to.

Let's look at why.

• The person speaking: Although you briefly become the center of attention when you dish out a juicy piece of gossip, in the long run people start mistrusting you. "Gee, I wonder what he says about me when I'm not around." People don't trust gossips and will avoid confiding in you. In the end, you're killing your own reputation. Furthermore, because you are misusing the gift of speech that God gave you, you are also lessened in His eyes.
• The person spoken about: The person under discussion is, of course, being killed in everyone's eyes. Whether the information is true or false, it is hard to take back defamatory words already spoken and undo the character assassination already committed. That person's reputation is forever blemished.
• The person spoken to: Interestingly enough, this is the person who is the most culpable, even though s/he is seemingly the innocent one. All s/he did was listen! But the Talmud says that listening to Lashon Hara is even worse than speaking it; the person had the power to stop it and didn't. Now the transgression is complete.

There are excuses for Lashon Hara, and these excuses are used by both children and adults:

• "But it's true!" Lashon Hara specifically refers to sharing derogatory information when it is true. Spreading vicious lies is far worse!
• "If she were here I would say it to her face." Maybe you would, and maybe you wouldn't. In any case, it is still forbidden.
• "Everyone knows about it." Does this justify you adding fuel to the fire? Even if it is on the front page of the newspaper, you are still forbidden to speak about it.

There are types of speech that are forbidden:

• You are forbidden to make a derogatory comment – if the person did something wrong, has faulty character traits or lacks virtue – even if it’s true.
• Any comment, even if not derogatory, that might ultimately cause financial loss, physical pain, mental anguish or any other damage if forbidden.
• Any method of conveying or implying derogatory information about others is forbidden: writing, hand motions, facial expressions.
• One is not allowed to relate derogatory information even in jest.
• Even if the derogatory statement won’t cause damage or loss, it is forbidden.

  Rabbi Bradley Artson, in his book, “It’s a Mitzvah,” provides some suggestions for guarding our tongues.

·         Do not repeat jokes that degrade others

·         Limit negative comments about others to only one trusted person, such as a spouse

·         Remain silent when others start to gossip

·         Avoid praising someone to their enemy, because the enemy is then triggered into making a negative comment. 

·         Pray each day to avoid gossip

The only time it is acceptable to share information is when it is necessary for someone to know derogatory information for a constructive purpose, you are obligated to relate the information to them, i.e., someone is planning to cheat or harm another person. 

Let’s close in prayer:  Gracious and merciful YHWH, help us to restrain ourselves from speaking or listening to derogatory, demeaning, or hostile speech.  I will try not to engage in Lashon Hara, either about individuals or about an entire group of people.  I will strive not to say anything that contains falsehood, insincere flattery or elements of needless dispute, anger, arrogance, oppression or embarrassment to others.  Grant me the strength to say nothing unnecessary, so that all my actions and speech cultivate a love for your creatures and for You.  In the name of Yahushua the Messiah, Amen.

  More scripture relating to Lashon Hara:

“You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people” Shmot/Exodus 19:16

“You shall not utter a false report.”  Vayikra/Leviticus23:1

“Before the blind do not put a stumbling block.”  Shmot/Exodus 19:14

“You shall not hate your brother in your heart.”  Shmot/Exodus 19:12

“You shall not take vengeance nor bear nay grudge against the children of your people.”  Shmot/Exodus 19:18

“One witness shall not rise up against a man for iniquity or for any sin. “ Dvarim/Deuteronomy19:15

“You shall not follow a multitude to do evil”  Shmot/Exodus 23:2

“You shall not wrong one another”  Vayikra/Leviticus25:17

“You shall rebuke your neighbor, and you shall not bear sin because of him.”  Vayikra/Leviticus19:17

“Any widow or orphan you shall not afflict”  Shmot/Exodus 22:21

“You shall not curse the deaf.”  Vayikra/Leviticus 19:14

“Remember what the L-rd your YHWH did until Miriam by the way as you came forth out of Egypt” Dvarim/Deuteronomy24:9

“Love your neighbor as yourself”  Vayikra/Leviticus 19:18

“In righteousness shall you judge your neighbor”  Vayikra/Leviticus 19:15

“If your brother be waxen poor and his means fail him when he is with you, then you shall uphold him”  Vayikra/Leviticus25:35

“You shall rebuke your neighbor”  Vayikra/Leviticus19:17

“Before the gray-haired you shall rise up, and you shall honor the face of the old man”  Vayikra/Leviticus19:32

“You shall sanctify Him”  Vayikra/Leviticus21:8

“Honor your father and mother.”  Schmot/Exodus 20:12

“The L-rd your YHWH shall you fear”  Dvarim/Deuteronomy10:20

“You shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall talk to them by the way when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up”  Dvarim/Deuteronomy6:7

“From a false matter you shall keep yourself far”  Shmot/Exodus 23:7

“Walk in His ways”  Dvarim/Deuteronomy28:9

  Remember you do not want to go the way of Miriam, and risk shortening your life.   For those of you who do not know the story of Miriam’s Lashon Hara, Moses took a kushite woman as a wife.  Miriam was appalled, and talked badly about Moses.  YHWH heard her and called Moses, Miriam, and Aaron to the Tent of Meeting where Miriam was struck down with leprosy for speaking badly about another.  Although she was cleansed 7 days later because Moses prayed for her, and YHWH gave the example of how speaking badly about one another can shorten our lives. 

Those who speak kindly, bring peace, honor YHWH, and guard their tongues are promised a long life.  Those who feed division, hatred, strife, and talk badly about others, using their own judgment, bring about a shortened lifespan.

Guard your tongue!

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