Musar su Salmi 12:78

There is yet another general tikkun distinctive for the trait of lashon hara, and that is Torah study, as stated in Arachin 15b: "R. Chamma b. R. Chanina said: 'What is the amendment for the speakers of lashon hara? If he is a Torah scholar, let him occupy himself with Torah, as it is written (Proverbs 15:4): 'The healer of the tongue is the tree of life,' and the tree of life is none other than Torah, as it is written (Ibid. 3:18): 'It [Torah] is a tree of life to those who hold fast to it.'" As to its being called "a tree of life" — "Death and life are in the hand of the tongue" (Ibid. 18:21). If so, one who speaks lashon hara acquires for himself eternal death, wherefore Scripture counseled one who wished to heal his tongue to eat from the tree of life, which is Torah, "and he shall eat [thereof] and live forever."

38. The true believer only condescends to flatter when he pursues wisdom.

That sinew contains five branches that have their origin in the right side of the emanations, and five branches which originate in the left side of the emanations. The combined total of ten corresponds to the ten forces of impurity which surround the מרכבה, the Divine Entourage, as is written (Psalms 12, 9) סביב רשעים יתהלכו, "The wicked walk all the way around it." The location of that sinew in the body is close to the male reproductive organ on which circumcision is performed. The forces of impurity within the body spread from that area.

And secondly, for this [too] is one who speaks evil speech considered as if he denied a fundamental principle: For he says in his heart that his lips are in his [own] control; and because they do not do an action and he is in charge of his tongue, he determined in his heart that he should not restrain the spirit of his lips from saying that which comes to his spirit; and that only all the other limbs are not in his control to sin with them - like the matter that is stated (Psalms 12:5), “They say, “with lips such as ours, who can be our master?” And they do not say, “Where is the God that made me, to whom all the movements of His creations are given - not one is lacking. They are all subjected to doing His will. Rather, it is no matter - the petitions about the lips are in our control.” The evildoers that sin with other sins are not like this. For they know that their leaving God is bad and bitter, however they were pulled after their desire and their overpowering [evil] impulse; yet they are pained by this. And our Rabbis said (Arakhin 15b), “Evil speech [...] corresponds to three transgressions [and these are them]: Idol worship, forbidden sexual relations and bloodshed. [...] With regard to idol worship, it is stated (Exodus 32:31), ‘Oh, this people have sinned a great sin.’ With regard to forbidden sexual relations, it is stated (Genesis 39:9), ‘How can I do this great wickedness.’ With regard to bloodshed it is stated (Genesis 4:13), ‘My punishment is greater than I can bear.’ [And with regard to evil speech,] it is stated (Psalms 12:4), “May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that speaks great things.”

And this is the thing about the group of slanderers:
Our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Arakhin 15b), “Anyone who speaks evil speech is as though he denied a fundamental principle [of faith] - as it is stated (Psalms 12:5), ‘Who have said, “we will make our tongue mighty; our lips are with us; who is lord over us?”’” Therefore, they considered him as if he denied a fundamental principle. For he causes and brings about great damage and much evil to his fellows by making them foul in the eyes of people or by other ways of [causing them] loss. And it is not likely that a man would prepare a mechanism of destruction and damage that is more bitter than death without it benefitting himself monetarily, unless it is to have his [evil] impulse honor himself and remove the yoke of the Heavens from upon him - to remove ethical constraints - as it is stated in the Psalm, “when the Ziphites came and told Saul, etc., O God, arrogant men have risen against me; a band of ruthless men seek my life; they are not mindful of You.” (This is a scribal error, as there is some difference between the verse brought down by the author, may his memory be blessed, [and his source]. As [in the source], it is written, “For strangers have risen against me, etc.” And the verse that he wrote here is found in Psalms 86:14; but it needs to be corrected and replaced with the verse as it is written there in Psalms 54:5.) And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, explained (Midrash Tehillim 54) that they intended that Saul would bless them, as he said to them (I Samuel 23:21), “May you be blessed of the Lord for the compassion you have shown me!” But they did not place God in front of them - as it is written in His Torah (Deuteronomy 27:24), “Cursed be he who strikes down his neighbor in secret.” And it is written (Ecclesiastes 10:11), “no advantage is gained by the master of the tongue!” And it is stated about Doeg (Psalms 52:4-5), “Your tongue devises mischief… You prefer evil to good; the lie, to speaking truthfully. Selah.” And they explained in Midrash Tehillim 52, “What do you benefit and what do you gain when you say evil speech? Is it not that you did not need money, for you had [already] become wealthy - as it is stated about him (I Samuel 21:8), ‘Saul’s chief herdsman.’ It was only because you preferred the evil to the good, and ‘the lie, to speaking truthfully’ - as you have removed His yoke.” And it is stated (Proverbs 6:30), “A thief is not held in contempt for stealing [to fill his hunger]; and it is written after it (Proverbs 6:32), “He who commits adultery is devoid of sense, etc.” This is meaning to say that he is worse than a thief, for [the former] needs to “fill his hunger.” Our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Midrash Tehillim 120) that one involved in evil speech is worse than both of them. For he does a great sin without benefit, as it is stated (Psalms 120:3), “What can you profit, what can you gain, O deceitful tongue?”

And secondly, for this [too] is one who speaks evil speech considered as if he denied a fundamental principle: For he says in his heart that his lips are in his [own] control; and because they do not do an action and he is in charge of his tongue, he determined in his heart that he should not restrain the spirit of his lips from saying that which comes to his spirit; and that only all the other limbs are not in his control to sin with them - like the matter that is stated (Psalms 12:5), “They say, “with lips such as ours, who can be our master?” And they do not say, “Where is the God that made me, to whom all the movements of His creations are given - not one is lacking. They are all subjected to doing His will. Rather, it is no matter - the petitions about the lips are in our control.” The evildoers that sin with other sins are not like this. For they know that their leaving God is bad and bitter, however they were pulled after their desire and their overpowering [evil] impulse; yet they are pained by this. And our Rabbis said (Arakhin 15b), “Evil speech [...] corresponds to three transgressions [and these are them]: Idol worship, forbidden sexual relations and bloodshed. [...] With regard to idol worship, it is stated (Exodus 32:31), ‘Oh, this people have sinned a great sin.’ With regard to forbidden sexual relations, it is stated (Genesis 39:9), ‘How can I do this great wickedness.’ With regard to bloodshed it is stated (Genesis 4:13), ‘My punishment is greater than I can bear.’ [And with regard to evil speech,] it is stated (Psalms 12:4), “May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that speaks great things.”

How great is the power of lashon hara, which is over and against three grave transgressions, as stated in Arachin 15b. And in Midrash Shocher Tov: "The school of R. Yishmael taught: 'All who speak lashon hara mount iniquity over and against three transgressions: idolatry, illicit relations, and the spilling of blood, it being written here (Psalms 12:4): 'the tongue that speaks "great" [i.e., slanderous] things'; but, in respect to idolatry (Shemoth 32:31): 'I pray you — this people has sinned a great sin'; in respect to illicit relations (Bereshith 39:9): 'And how shall I do this great evil?'; in respect to the spilling of blood (Ibid. 4:13): 'My sin is too great to bear'" — whence [("things" - plural)] it is derived that lashon hara is severer than these three sins." Another explanation: One who kills a man kills only one soul; but one who speaks lashon hara kills three: the speaker, the accepter, and the one spoken about. Whence do you derive this? From Doeg, who spoke lashon hara about Achimelech before Saul, and the three of them were killed: Saul, who accepted it; Achimelech, who was spoken about; and Doeg, who spoke it. Saul, who accepted it, viz. (I Samuel 31:6): "And Saul died, etc."; Achimelech, who was spoken about, viz. (Ibid. 22:16): "Die, shall you die, Achimelech"; and Doeg, who spoke it, who was driven out of the world [to come], viz. (Psalms 52:7): "G-d also will destroy you forever" from life in the world [to come]. And what caused this? Lashon hara.

And Chazal have said in Arachin 15b: "R. Yochanan said in the name of R. Yossi b. Zimra: If one speaks lashon hara, it is as if he would deny the Deity, as it is written (Psalms 12:5): 'Who have said: "With our tongue will we be mighty, our lips are with us. Who is L-rd over us?'" The reason is as they have written in the books of Yereim: It is known that one who wants to speak lashon hara looks all around to make sure that the one he wants to talk about is not there, as if the Eye above did not see, G-d forbid, as Chazal have said about a thief [(who steals at night)]. And in Midrash Tanchuma, Metzora 2: "[The sin of] lashon hara is grave; for one does not utter it until he denies the Deity."

And we learn in Devarim Rabbah: "R. Chaggai said: Plague-spots come only for lashon hara. The Rabbis said: Know this to be true, for Miriam the tzaddeketh, because she spoke lashon hara against Moses her brother, plague-spots came upon her, as it is written (Devarim 24:9): 'Remember what the L-rd your G-d did to Miriam on the way when you went out of Egypt.' And this is the intent of the verse (Psalms 50:20): 'You sit and speak against your brother; against your mother's son you utter slander.' R. Yehoshua b. Levi explained: "If you have taught your tongue to speak against your brother from your father, but not from your mother, in the end, "against [even] your mother's son you will utter slander." For whoever presumes to speak [slander] against him who is greater than he, causes evil to himself, plague-spots drawing near to him. And if you do not believe this, Miriam the tzaddeketh is the paradigm for all the speakers of lashon hara — 'Remember what the L-rd your G-d did to Miriam, etc.' R. Shimon said: Now if with Miriam the tzaddeketh, who did not intend to speak lashon hara, but who spoke for the good of her brother, this [was the result], then those evildoers, whose intent it is to speak lashon hara against their neighbors to cut off their lives, how much more so will the Holy One Blessed be He cut off their tongues, as it is written (Psalms 12:4): 'The L-rd will cut off all the slippery [i.e., slanderous]lips.'"

And it is known that if one is addicted to this sin [of lashon hara, G-d forbid, it is very difficult to find any cure for him, as Chazal have said, that in the next world all are healed, except "a man of lashon hara." If so, his soul will suffer great shame eternally thereby [see the ed of Chapter V, on Miriam.]

We learned (Arachin 15b): "R. Yochanan said in the name of R. Yossi b. Zimra: 'If one speaks lashon hara, it is as if he would deny the Deity, viz. (Psalms 12:5): "who have said: 'with our tongue will we be mighty; our lips are with us. Who is lord over us?'"'" The intent is: One whose tongue is like "a drawn-forth arrow" to praise himself before people always and to say: "When I just open my lips against him, I shall finish him with my tongue, and he will be trodden down before all. Who can overcome my tongue? And even if this time I don't finish him off, are not our lips with us, and I can defame him before men and he will be despised by all." And he does not reflect at all that there is One above all, whose eyes range over all the earth.

And so, with the man of lashon hara. When his evil nature is revealed, all hate him, and guard themselves from him, lest he make them objects of shame and humiliation. And even if he merits rising for the resurrection, he will be like an absolute mute. As Chazal have said (Devarim Rabbah 6): "The Holy One Blessed be He is destined to cut off the tongues of the men of lashon hara, as it is written (Psalms 13:4): 'The L-rd will cut off all "smooth" lips, the tongue that speaks boastful things.'" The reference is to the time of the resurrection. Who can fathom the greatness of the suffering of that man and his eternal shame! For then all will know the nature of that man, that he was an evildoer, who, with his smooth lips stirred up hatred between man and his friend, as Scripture states (Koheleth 12:13): "The end of the thing, all is heard," which Onkelos translates: "All the deeds of men are destined to be revealed, etc." For this reason [i.e., that he was a man of lashon hara] this punishment came upon him, that all men rose living and with their speech intact as of yore, and this man, as an absolute mute. From this a man can reflect upon the gravity of the sin, which reaches to his very soul in this world and the next.

(Ibid. 45): "And [the hair of] his lips shall he cover": Because he certainly said in the beginning (Psalms 12:5): "Our tongues shall we strengthen. Our lips are with us. Who is master over us?", the L-rd commanded that now he be covered over his lips.

This is what king David, peace be unto him, said: "Whom have I in Heaven [but you]? And having You I desire none on earth" (Tehilim 73:25), and likewise "your Word is very pure; therefore your servant loves it" (Tehilim 119:140). For in truth, the true divine service must be purified far more than gold and silver. This is what was said regarding the Torah: "the Words of G-d are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the earth, purified seven times" (Tehilim 12:7).

Then let him contemplate what he is going to do and before Whom he is going to do it. For when he enters in this contemplation, it will be easy for him to cast away external motives, and to implant in his heart the true and desirable motive.

But as for the righteous man, if a man praises him, he will not be proud of this, because our Sages said, "Even if all the world says, concerning you, that you are righteous, be in your own eyes like a wicked man" (Niddah 30b). And they said, "If you have friends, some of whom praise you, and some of whom correct and rebuke you, love the ones that rebuke you, and hate the ones that praise you, for the ones that rebuke you are conducting you to life eternal, and those who praise you will rejoice in your misfortune even though they praise you" (Abot de R. Nathan, 29). And it is said, "And a flattering (smooth) mouth worketh ruin" (Prov. 26:28). Scripture has likened a smooth mouth to a smooth (slippery) path, for just as a man will fall and be thrust down if he walks upon a slippery path — as it is said, "The angel of the Lord thrusting them, let their way be dark and slippery" (Ps. 35:5-6) — so will a man be thrust down and fall by a smooth mouth, which is a flattering mouth filled with sin. And concerning this it is said, "May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that speaketh proud things" (Ps. 12:4). He has cursed the smooth mouth, for with it a man destroys his friends, and he has also cursed the hard tongue that carries gossip which is the opposite of the smooth tongue.

The term "gossip" applies to anyone who tells anything that defames his companion, even though he speaks the truth, while one who speaks falsehood is called "one who brings forth an evil repute." A gossip who sits and says, "Thus and thus did so and so do? and thus and thus were his ancestors, and thus and thus did I hear concerning him," and he says shameful things — of him the Scriptures say, "May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that speaketh proud things" (Ps. 12:4).

Our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said, "If one speaks gossip, it is as though he denied God" (Arakin 15b, and see T.P. Peah, 1:1). As it is said (Ps. 12:15), "Who have said : 'Our tongue will we make mighty : our lips are with us : who is lord over us?' " (Arakin 16b, and see T.P. Peah, 1:1). And therefore our Sages considered him as though he denied God, for he does a great evil to his companion, by making him odious in the eyes of the people and causing him other losses, though he himself derives no profit out of this. There is no doubt that one who makes a habit of speaking gossip has thrown off the yoke of Heaven from upon him, for he sins without any benefit to himself, and he is worse than a thief or an adulterer, for they pursue after their pleasure (Shohar Tov, 120:3). And there is no throwing off the yoke of Heaven as bad as when one deals in gossip. Our Sages further said, "The sin of gossip is weighed equally with the sin of idolatry and sexual immorality and bloodshed" (Arakin 15b). Now it is very astonishing that gossip should be equated with these sins, which are those to avoid which a man must rather let himself be killed than transgress (Sanh. 74a). And they said, "The sin of idolatry is so great that anyone who confesses to it, it is as though he denied the whole Torah" (Hullin 5a). And they said, "One who lusts after any form of idolatry, is a rebel against the whole Torah" (Hullin 4b).

Until now we have spoken about the beginning of the verse (Psalms 34:13-15): "Who is the man who wants life, etc., Guard your tongue from evil, etc." And now, with the help of the L-rd, we shall explain the end of the verse: "Depart from evil and do good," as it applies to the beginning of the verse. It is well known what our sages of blessed memory have said about this, viz.: "Who is the man who wants life" — in the world to come, "who loves days to see good" — in this world. "Guard your tongue, etc. Depart from evil and do good." We shall precede [the explanation of this verse] with what is said in the name of the GRA on the verse (Isaiah 3:10-11): "Say of the tzaddik that [he is] good, for the fruits of their deeds shall they eat. Woe to the rasha [the wicked one], for he is evil. For the recompense of his hands shall be rendered him," viz.: If one fulfills the mitzvoth between a man and his Maker, the essence of his reward is in the world to come; and so, his punishment, when he transgresses them. And for the mitzvoth between a man and his neighbor, where he benefits his fellow men, he receives his reward in this world, too. Similarly, if he transgresses them, aside from the punishment awaiting him in the world to come, he is punished in this world too, for by his acts he also causes suffering to men. The terms "tzaddik" and rasha" apply to the relationship between a man and his Maker, and the terms "good" and "evil," to that between a man and his neighbor. And the verse is now resolved, viz.: "Say of the tzaddik that [he is] good," i.e., that by his acts he benefits also his fellow men — "for the fruits of their deeds [(those of the tzaddikim)] shall they [(their fellow men)] eat." "Woe to the rasha, for he is evil," i.e., even in the area of "between man and his neighbor" — "for the recompense of his [the rasha's] hands shall be rendered him [his fellow man]." And now, the aforementioned verse is also resolved, viz.: "Who is the man who wants life" — in the world to come; "who loves days to see good" — even in this world. "Depart from [doing] evil and do good," i.e., also the mitzvoth between a man and his neighbor, to do good to his fellow man, and through this to see good, even in this world. Now, "Depart from evil" includes all aspects of evil: theft, violence, wronging, interest, cheating, "whitening" one's face, and the like. And "do good," includes all aspects of good: charity, lovingkindness, supporting the indigent, burial of the dead, visiting the sick, welcoming guests, returning lost objects, returning a pledge, paying a hired worker on time, and many other such mitzvoth between a man and his neighbor. A man must set his heart on all of them and spur himself to fulfill them. As we have seen with the mitzvah of shofar, that all run to fulfill it, so should it be with all mitzvoth, to pursue them and to rejoice in their fulfillment. As we say every day: "Therefore, O L-rd our G-d, in our lying down and in our rising, let us speak in Your statutes and rejoice in the words of Your Torah and in Your mitzvoth forever." [And, in our many sins, we say to the Holy One Blessed be He that we shall do this, but we transgress it. And in us there is fulfilled what our sags of blessed memory have said (Berachoth 6b) on the verse (Psalms 12:9): "…when the vile are exalted over the sons of men" — "these [i.e., mitzvoth] are the things that stand at the height of the world, and the sons of men cheapen them."]

And, worst of all, if one habituates his mouth always to speak forbidden things, in time to come the faculty of speech is taken from his soul. And, in truth, how is he better than a beast in having been given the faculty of speech if with it he angers the Holy One Blessed be He? All of this is intimated in the words of our sages of blessed memory, viz.: "The Holy One Blessed be He is destined to cut out the tongue of the speakers of lashon hara, as it is written (Psalms 12:4): 'The L-rd will cut out all smooth lips, the tongue that speaks great things.'" That is, there will be taken from his tongue its faculty of speech. And how much shame and mortification will he suffer in Gan Eden, even if he merits a portion there through his mitzvoth — still, he will be reckoned a mute there, without the faculty of speech.