Now we shall explain the greatness of the merit of one who guards his mouth and his tongue from speaking forbidden things. First, he amends and sanctifies thereby the distinctive "tool" of the Jew, which is speech. So that all the words that he speaks thereafter in Torah and in prayer ascend to the source of its root on high. For not in vain did Chazal compare this [faculty] in many places to a "tool of the trade" [see Rashi, Bamidbar 31:8], to teach us that just as a tool is necessary for the making of new, beautiful vessels, [so is it with the "tool" of speech]. Even if one be the king's craftsman, the greatest of all the artists, whose intellect is extremely subtle, and who can conceive of the finest way of fashioning vessels, still, he cannot make them without tools. And, more than this, even if he has the tools, but they are defective and damaged, and he is "pressured" to make some vessels, there will be recognized through them the defect and the imperfection of the tools, inside and outside, because he will not be able to smooth them [the vessels] out correctly and they will remain like formless blocks of wood, unfit for use even by commoners; how much more so, for a king. But that craftsman whose tools are polished and shined as they should be — the vessel that he fashions with them will emerge perfect and beautiful. It is exactly the same with the faculty of speech given to the Jew for the service of the awesome King (blessed be His name) for Torah and prayer, and for blessing, glorifying, praising, and exalting Him. For it [(this faculty)] is the great tool whereby the complete man can build heaven and earth, as it is written (Isaiah 51:6): "And I have placed My words in your mouth to plant the heavens and to lay the foundations of the earth." And this is to be understood literally. For with the words of holiness that a man speaks here in this world before the blessed L-rd, there are created on high holy worlds and angels, who will afterwards be protagonists for and defenders of his soul. And the quality of the worlds and the angels created through his Torah and mitzvoth depend on several factors: 1) his mind-set at the time. That is, his having readied himself at that time with all his powers to fulfill his task according to the Torah, in all of its requisite parts and details. 2) his tools, by which his Torah is fashioned. That is, the tools of speech (and, likewise, in respect to the mitzvah, the tools required to execute it.) For if they are beautiful and elegant, being used always for the good, and the power of their sanctity being thereby strengthened, they will have the power to draw down the higher sanctity and great light on whatever he is doing. But if he renders defective and unclean, G-d forbid, his faculty of speech through lashon hara, rechiluth, levity, and falsity, and the like, and he does not repent, and then he speaks with his mouth words of Torah and prayer, what power will they have to draw down on that Torah and prayer the higher sanctity after his "tools of utterance" have been rendered defective and unclean in and of themselves?
And Chazal have said (Shabbath 119b): "The breath of the mouth that has sinned is not like the breath of the mouth that has not sinned." ["the breath of the mouth that has sinned":] That is, he who has sinned only sometimes, by chance, as we have explained in Chapter VII. How much more so if the breath of his mouth is habituated to sin every day and every hour. And all this, even if his mouth sins in other forbidden things; how much more so, in the issur of lashon hara and rechiluth by which he certainly undermines the prayer that he prays after this; and it does not ascend unless he undertakes to repent of this, as we explained above in Chapter VII in the name of the holy Zohar. And we can say that this is the intent of the verse in Koheleth 7:13: "See the act of G-d. For who can straighten out what he has made crooked?" That is, set your eyes and your heart on the G-dly things, the holy sanctuaries and the celestial lights created by you on high by your Torah and your mitzvoth — that they be created in perfection, by all the preparations needed for this and also by "clean tools," as explained above. For who can straighten out what he has made crooked? This is, if you damage them, G-d forbid, they will remain forever defective and damaged, and this will cause you eternal worry and constant grief in remembering that it was your slothfulness that caused all this. For they [(the heavenly edifices)] are not like the buildings of this world, which, if one damages them, another builder can repair them. Not so, with the desired [eternal] end. As stated by the tanna in Avoth 1:13: "If I am not for myself, who is for me?" And this is the intent of the verse "For who can straighten out what he has made crooked?"
What follows from all we have said is that by guarding his tongue according to the din, a man merits sanctifying his faculty of speech, and, thereby, his Torah and his prayer will be accepted on high.
יְבֹאַר בּוֹ גֹּדֶל מַעֲלַת שְׁמִירַת הַלָּשׁוֹן שֶׁעֵל יְדֵי זֶה מְקַדֵּשׁ אֶת כֹּחַ הַדִּבּוּר שֶׁלּוֹ.
In this chapter there will be explained the greatness of the quality of guarding one's tongue, whereby one sanctifies his faculty of speech.
עַתָּה נְבָאֵר אֶת עֹצֶם הַזְּכוּת, לְמִי שֶׁשּׁוֹמֵר אֶת פִּיו וּלְשׁוֹנוֹ מִלְּדַבֵּר דִּבּוּרִים אֲסוּרִים. תְּחִלַּת כָּל הַמַּעֲלוֹת, הוּא מְתַקֵן וּמְקַדֵּשׁ עַל יְדֵי זֶה אֶת כְּלִי הָאֻמָּנוּת הַמְיֻחָד לָאִישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי, שֶׁהוּא הַדִּבּוּר, וְכָל הַדִּבּוּרִים שֶׁיְּדַבֵּר אַחַר כָּךְ בַּתּוֹרָה וּבַתְּפִלָּה, יַעֲלֶה לִמְקוֹר שָׁרְשׁוֹ לְמַעְלָה. כִּי לֹא לְחִנָּם הִמְשִׁילוּהוּ חֲזַ"ל בְּכַמָּה מְקוֹמוֹת לְעִנְיַן אֻמָּנוּת (וכמו שפרש רש"י במדבר ל"א בפסוק ח'), לְהוֹרוֹת לָנוּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכְּלִי אֻמָּנוּת הוּא דָּבָר הֶכְרֵחִי לְעִנְיַן עֲשִׂיַּת כֵּלִים חֲדָשִׁים וְיָפִים, כִּי אֲפִלּוּ אִם יִהְיֶה אֻמָּן הַמֶּלֶךְ, שֶׁהוּא הַיּוֹתֵר גָּדוֹל שֶׁבְּכָל הָאֻמָּנִים, וְשִׂכְלוֹ יִהְיֶה דַּק עַד מְאֹד, וּמְצַיֵּר בְּרַעֲיוֹנָיו אֹפֶן עֲשִׂיַּת הַכֵּלִים בַּגֶּדֶר הַיּוֹתֵר נָאוֹת, אַף עַל פִּי כֵן אֵין יָכוֹל לַעֲשׂוֹת, בִּלְתִּי כְּלֵי אֻמָּנוּת. וְיוֹתֵר מִזֶּה, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ אִם יִהְיוּ לוֹ כְּלֵי אֻמָּנוּת, אַךְ שֶׁהֵם פְּגוּמִים וּמְקֻלְקָלִים, וְיַעֲשֶׂה בָּהֶן הָאֻמָּן אֵיזֶה כְּלִי עַל יְדֵי הַדְּחַק, יִהְיֶה נִכָּר בָּהֶן אַחַר כָּךְ הַפְּגָם וְהַשֶּׁבֶר שֶׁל כְּלֵי הָאֻמָּנוּת מִבִּפְנִים וּמִבַּחוּץ, כִּי לֹא יָכוֹל לְהַחֲלִיקָן כָּרָאוּי וְהֵם כְּמוֹ גּוֹלְמֵי כְּלֵי עֵץ, וְאֵין נָאֶה בָּהֶם לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ אֲפִלּוּ לְהֶדְיוֹט, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן לְהַגִּישָׁן לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ. וְהָאֻמָּן שֶׁכְּלֵי הָאֻמָּנוּת שֶׁלּוֹ שְׁלֵמִים וְטוֹבִים, מְלֻטָּשִׁים וּמְצֻחְצָחִים כָּרָאוּי, הַכְּלִי שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה בָּהֶן הָאֻמָּן הַזֶּה יֵצֵא מְתֻקָן וּמְהֻדָּר כַּהֹגֶן. כֵּן מַמָּשׁ בְּעִנְיָן זֶה הוּא כֹּחַ הַדִּבּוּר שֶׁנִּתָּן לָאִישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי לַעֲבֹד בּוֹ לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ הַנּוֹרָא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ בַּתּוֹרָה וּבַתְּפִלָּה וּלְבָרֵךְ וּלְהוֹדוֹת וּלְשַׁבֵּחַ וּלְהַלֵּל לְפָנָיו, כִּי הוּא כְּלִי הָאֻמָּנוּת הַגָּדוֹל, שֶׁיּוּכַל הָאָדָם הַשָׁלֵם לִבְנוֹת בּוֹ שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (ישעיה נ"א ט"ז): "וָאָשִׂם דְּבָרַי בְּפִיךָ וְגוֹ' לִנְטֹעַ שָׁמַיִם וְלִיסֹד אָרֶץ". וְהוּא מַמָּשׁ כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ, כִּי בְּדִבְרֵי הַקְּדֻשָׁה שֶׁהָאָדָם מְדַבֵּר פֹּה בְּזֶה הָעוֹלָם לִפְנֵי ה' יִתְבָּרַךְ, נִבְרָאִים לְמַעְלָה עוֹלָמוֹת וּמַלְאָכִים קדוֹשִׁים, וְיִהְיוּ אַחַר כָּךְ מְלִיצִים וּפְרַקלִיטִים עֲבוּר נִשְׁמָתוֹ. וּמַעֲלַת קְדֻשַׁת הָעוֹלָמוֹת וְהַמַּלְאָכִים, שֶׁנִּבְרְאוּ עַל יְדֵי הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוֹת שֶׁלּוֹ, תָּלוּי בְּכַמָּה עִנְיָנִים. א. לְפִי הַהֲכָנָה שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ בָּעֵת הַהִיא, אִם הֵכִין אֶת עַצְמוֹ בָּעֵת הַהִיא בְּכָל כֹּחוֹתָיו לְקַיֵּם כְּפִי הַתּוֹרָה בְּכָל חֲלָקָיו וּפְרָטָיו שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לָזֶה. ב. לְפִי כְּלֵי הָאֻמָּנוּת שֶׁעָשָׂה בָּהֶם הַתּוֹרָה, וְהֵם כְּלֵי הַדִּבּוּר (וּכְהַאי גַּוְנָא בַּמִּצְוָה לְעִנְיַן כְּלֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁקּיֵּם בָּהֶם הַמִּצְוָה), שֶׁאִם הֵם יָפִים וּמְהֻדָּרִים, שֶׁמִּשְׁתַּמְשִׁים בָּהֶם תָּמִיד לְטוֹב, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה נִתְחַזֵּק כֹּחַ קְדֻשָּׁתָם, יֵשׁ בָּהֶם כֹּחַ לְהַמְשִׁיךְ קְדֻשָּׁה עֶלְיוֹנָה וְאוֹר גָּדוֹל עַל הָעִנְיָן הַהוּא. אֲבָל אִם פּוֹגֵם וּמְטַמֵּא, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, אֶת כֹּחַ הַדִּבּוּר שֶׁלּוֹ, עַל יְדֵי לָשׁוֹן הָרָע וּרְכִילוּת וְלֵיצָנוּת וְשֶׁקֶר וְכַדּוֹמֶה וְלֹא יַעֲשֶׂה תְּשׁוּבָה, וְאַחַר כָּךְ יְדַבֵּר בְּפִיו דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה וּתְפִלָּה, אֵיזֶה כֹּחַ יֵשׁ בָּהֶן לְהַמְשִׁיךְ עַל הַתּוֹרָה וְהַתְּפִלָּה הַהִיא קְדֻשָּׁה עֶלְיוֹנָה, אַחֲרֵי שֶׁכְּלֵי הַמִּבְטָא שֶׁלּוֹ הֵם פְּגוּמִים וּטְמֵאִים בְּעַצְמָם מִכְּבָר?
Now we shall explain the greatness of the merit of one who guards his mouth and his tongue from speaking forbidden things. First, he amends and sanctifies thereby the distinctive "tool" of the Jew, which is speech. So that all the words that he speaks thereafter in Torah and in prayer ascend to the source of its root on high. For not in vain did Chazal compare this [faculty] in many places to a "tool of the trade" [see Rashi, Bamidbar 31:8], to teach us that just as a tool is necessary for the making of new, beautiful vessels, [so is it with the "tool" of speech]. Even if one be the king's craftsman, the greatest of all the artists, whose intellect is extremely subtle, and who can conceive of the finest way of fashioning vessels, still, he cannot make them without tools. And, more than this, even if he has the tools, but they are defective and damaged, and he is "pressured" to make some vessels, there will be recognized through them the defect and the imperfection of the tools, inside and outside, because he will not be able to smooth them [the vessels] out correctly and they will remain like formless blocks of wood, unfit for use even by commoners; how much more so, for a king. But that craftsman whose tools are polished and shined as they should be — the vessel that he fashions with them will emerge perfect and beautiful. It is exactly the same with the faculty of speech given to the Jew for the service of the awesome King (blessed be His name) for Torah and prayer, and for blessing, glorifying, praising, and exalting Him. For it [(this faculty)] is the great tool whereby the complete man can build heaven and earth, as it is written (Isaiah 51:6): "And I have placed My words in your mouth to plant the heavens and to lay the foundations of the earth." And this is to be understood literally. For with the words of holiness that a man speaks here in this world before the blessed L-rd, there are created on high holy worlds and angels, who will afterwards be protagonists for and defenders of his soul. And the quality of the worlds and the angels created through his Torah and mitzvoth depend on several factors: 1) his mind-set at the time. That is, his having readied himself at that time with all his powers to fulfill his task according to the Torah, in all of its requisite parts and details. 2) his tools, by which his Torah is fashioned. That is, the tools of speech (and, likewise, in respect to the mitzvah, the tools required to execute it.) For if they are beautiful and elegant, being used always for the good, and the power of their sanctity being thereby strengthened, they will have the power to draw down the higher sanctity and great light on whatever he is doing. But if he renders defective and unclean, G-d forbid, his faculty of speech through lashon hara, rechiluth, levity, and falsity, and the like, and he does not repent, and then he speaks with his mouth words of Torah and prayer, what power will they have to draw down on that Torah and prayer the higher sanctity after his "tools of utterance" have been rendered defective and unclean in and of themselves?
הג"ה. [וְזֶה לְשׁוֹן הָאַלְשִׁיךְ הַקָּדוֹשׁ עַל הַפָּסוּק (שמות כ"ח ל"ה): "וְהָיָה עַל אַהֲרֹן לְשָׁרֵת וְנִשְׁמַע קוֹלוֹ בְּבוֹאוֹ אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ", וְהוּא כִּי הַמְנַבֵּל פִּיו בְּחֶלְאַת טֻמְאַת נִבְלַת פֶּה, שַׁקִּץ יְשַׁקִּץ פִּיו וּלְשׁוֹנוֹ וְתַעֵב יְתַעֲבֵם, כִּי עָשָׂאָם בָּסִיס לְדָבָר הָאָסוּר. וְאֵיכָכָה יוּכַל לַעֲמֹד לִפְנֵי מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים בְּפֶה דּוֹבֵר נְבָלָה וְלֹא יִקְצֹף עַל קוֹלוֹ לֵאמֹר: מִי זֶה נִבְזֶה עָרֵב עַל לִבּוֹ לַעֲמֹד לְפָנָיו לְבַקִּשׁ רָצוֹן עַל עֲוֹנוֹתָיו בְּנִיבוֹ נִבְזֶה בִּכְלִי מְכֹעָר מֻקְצֶה מֵחֲמַת מֵאוּס? וְהֵן לוּ הָיִיתָ עֶבֶד מֶלֶךְ הָאָרֶץ, הַאִם הָיִיתָ עוֹמֵד לְפָנָיו לְשָׁרְתוֹ עַל שֻׁלְחָנוֹ בְּכֵלִים מִכֵּלִים צוֹאִים? הֲלֹא תִּכָּלֵם? וְגַם הוּא בְּרַעַשׁ גָּדוֹל מַלְאָךְ רָשָׁע יְצַוֶּה לְךָ לַהֲמִיתְךָ בֶּחָרֶב. וְעַתָּה שָׂא נָא קַל וָחֹמֶר, וּמָה אִם מֶלֶךְ הַכּוּשִׁי, חָרַשׁ אֶת חָרְשֵׁי אֲדָמָה לַהֶבֶל דָּמָה, תְּחַיֵּב אֶת רֹאשְׁךָ בְּשָׁרֵת אוֹתוֹ בִּכְלִי בִּלְתִּי טָהוֹר, וּמַה גַּם עַתָּה יַתּוּשׁ נָטוּשׁ, כִּי תֶּעֱרַב אֶת לִבְּךָ לְהִתְהַדֵּר לִפְנֵי מִי שֶׁאָמַר וְהָיָה הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר לִגְדֻלָּתוֹ מִי מֵהַקְּדוֹשִׁים עֶלְיוֹנִים וְתַחְתּוֹנִים, בְּשָׂפָה בְּרוּרָה וּבִנְעִימָה קְדוֹשָׁה יִהְיֶה כְּדַאי לַעֲמֹד לְפָנָיו וּלְדַבֵּר אֵלָיו? קַל וָחֹמֶר בֶּן בְּנוֹ שֶׁל קַל וָחֹמֶר, כִּי יַקְרִיב אִישׁ וְהוּא בֶּן בְּלִיַּעַל, מְדַבֵּר אֵלָיו בְּטֻמְאַת שְׂפָתַיִם, כִּי פִּיךָ שָׁלַחְתָּ בְּרָעַת נִבְלַת הַפֶּה וַתִּמָּאֵס, וּמֵאַיִן וּלְאֵיךְ שַׂמְתָּ לִבְּךָ לְדַבֵּר אֵלָיו וְלוֹמַר לְפָנָיו הַלְּלוּיָה בְּפֶה דוֹבֵר נְבָלָה? וְאוֹי לָּהּ לְאוֹתָהּ בּוּשָׁה, כִּי תָּבוֹא בֵּית ה', וְלֹא נִמְנַעְתָּ מִלְּהָבִיא עֲבִיט מֵי רַגְלַיִם בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ מִפְּנֵי הַכָּבוֹד הַשּׁוֹכֵן שָׁם, וְאָנָּה תּוֹלִיךְ אֶת חֶרְפָּתְךָ, כִּי תַּהֲפֹךְ כְּלִי שָׁרֵת, הָעוֹמֵד לְשָׁרֵת בּוֹ אֶת קוֹנְךָ לְאֶחָד מִן הַבִּיבִין, וַהֲלֹא עַל הַפֶּה שֶׁאָדָם שָׂח בּוֹ שִׂיחַת חֻלִּין בֹּשְנוּ מְאֹד לְהַלֵּל בּוֹ אֶת ה' כְּמַאֲמַר הָאוֹמֵר (בירושלמי דברכות פרק א' הלכה ב') מִי יִתֵּן וְהָיָה לִי ב' פִּיּוֹת, א' לְדַבֵּר בּוֹ צָרְכֵי בֵּיתִי וְא' לְדַבֵּר בּוֹ עִם קוֹנִי, וּמַה גַּם עַתָּה, אֲשֶׁר בְּפֶה טָמֵא יַעֲרֹךְ לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ לְבַקֵּשׁ רָצוֹן, כִּי אֵיךְ יִהְיֶה לְרָצוֹן אֲמָרָיו, אִם הַסַּנֵּגוֹר הוּא הַקַּטֵּגוֹר, וּבְדַבֶּרְךָ בּוֹ יִהְיֶה לְךָ לְמַזְכִּיר עָוֹן? וְעַיֵּן שָׁם שֶׁהֵבִיא מַאֲמַר חֲזַ"ל עַל זֶה. וְסִיֵּם עַל זֶה, וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנוֹ: וְהֵן זֹאת תִּרְמֹז תּוֹרָתֵנוּ בֶּאֱמֹר: "וְהָיָה עַל אַהֲרֹן" וְכוּ' לוֹמַר כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר הַדִּבּוּר, שֶׁהוּא נִמְשָׁל אֶל הַמְּעִיל, שֶׁדִבַּרְנוּ בּוֹ לְמַעְלָה, יִהְיֶה עַל אַהֲרֹן לְשָׁרֵת בּוֹ, אֶת ה' וְלֹא לְמַה שֶׁהוּא הֶפְכּוֹ, אָז: "וְנִשְׁמַע קוֹלוֹ" בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ "בְּבֹאוֹ אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ" לְדַבֵּר אִתּוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן אִם יִתְהַפֵּךְ חָלִילָה].
וְאָמְרוּ חֲזַ"ל (שבת קי"ט:): אֵינוֹ דּוֹמֶה הֶבֶל פִּיו, שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ חֵטְא, לְהֶבֶל פִּיו, שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ חֵטְא, פֵּרוּשׁ: אֲפִלּוּ מִי שֶׁקִּלְקֵל רַק לִפְעָמִים דֶּרֶךְ מִקְרֶה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ בְּפֶרֶק ז', וְעַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה אִם הֶבֶל פִּיו מֻרְגָּל בְּחֵטְא בְּכָל יוֹם וּבְכָל שָׁעָה. וְכָל זֶה אֲפִלּוּ אִם מְקַלְקֵל פִּיו בִּשְׁאָר דִּבּוּרִים אֲסוּרִים, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן בְּאִסּוּר לָשׁוֹן הָרָע וּרְכִילוּת, בְּוַדַּאי מְגָרֵעַ בָּזֶה בְּיוֹתֵר אֶת הַתְּפִלָּה, שֶׁמִּתְפַּלֵּל אַחַר כָּךְ, וְלֹא תַּעֲלֶה לְמַעְלָה כָּל זְמַן שֶׁלֹּא יְקַּבֵּל תְּשׁוּבָה עַל זֶה כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ לְמַעְלָה בְּפֶרֶק ז' בְּשֵׁם הַזֹּהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ. וְנוּכַל לוֹמַר דְּזֶהוּ כַּוָּנַת הַכָּתוּב בְּקֹהֶלֶת (ז' י"ג): "רְאֵה אֶת מַעֲשֵׂה הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי מִי יוּכַל לְתַקִּן אֲשֶׁר עִוְּתוֹ", פֵּרוּשׁ: תֵּן עֵינֶיךָ וְלִבְּךָ עַל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֱלֹהִיִּים, וְהֵם הַהֵיכָלוֹת הַקְּדוֹשׁוֹת וְאוֹרוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים, שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ עַל יָדְךָ לְמַעְלָה, דְּהַיְנוּ עַל יְדֵי הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוֹת שֶׁלְּךָ, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ נַעֲשִׂים בְּגֶדֶר הַשְּׁלֵמוּת בְּכָל הַהֲכָנוֹת הַנִּצְרָכוֹת לָזֶה, וְגַם בִּכְלֵי אֻמָּנוּת נְקִיִּים וְכַנַּ"ל, כִּי מִי יוּכַל לְתַקֵּן אֶת אֲשֶׁר עִוְּתוֹ? פֵּרוּשׁ: אִם תְּקַלְקְלֵם, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, יִשָּׁאֲרוּ לְעוֹלָם פְּגוּמִים וּמְקֻלְקָלִים, וְיִהְיֶה לְךָ מִזֶּה דְּאָגָה עוֹלָמִית וְצַעַר תְּמִידִי, בְּזָכְרוֹ שֶׁעַצְלוּתוֹ גָּרַם כָּל זֶה, כִּי אֵינָם כְּמוֹ בִּנְיְנֵי עוֹלָם הַזֶּה, אֲשֶׁר אִם יְקַלְקֵל אֶחָד יוּכַל הָאֻמָּן הַשֵּׁנִי לְתַקְּנָם, לֹא כֵן בְּעִנְיְנֵי הַתַּכְלִית הַנִּרְצָה, כְּמַאֲמַר הַתַּנָּא בְּאָבוֹת (א' י"ג) אִם אֵין אֲנִי לִי מִי לִי, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁכָּתוּב: "כִּי מִי יוּכַל" וְגוֹ'.
And Chazal have said (Shabbath 119b): "The breath of the mouth that has sinned is not like the breath of the mouth that has not sinned." ["the breath of the mouth that has sinned":] That is, he who has sinned only sometimes, by chance, as we have explained in Chapter VII. How much more so if the breath of his mouth is habituated to sin every day and every hour. And all this, even if his mouth sins in other forbidden things; how much more so, in the issur of lashon hara and rechiluth by which he certainly undermines the prayer that he prays after this; and it does not ascend unless he undertakes to repent of this, as we explained above in Chapter VII in the name of the holy Zohar. And we can say that this is the intent of the verse in Koheleth 7:13: "See the act of G-d. For who can straighten out what he has made crooked?" That is, set your eyes and your heart on the G-dly things, the holy sanctuaries and the celestial lights created by you on high by your Torah and your mitzvoth — that they be created in perfection, by all the preparations needed for this and also by "clean tools," as explained above. For who can straighten out what he has made crooked? This is, if you damage them, G-d forbid, they will remain forever defective and damaged, and this will cause you eternal worry and constant grief in remembering that it was your slothfulness that caused all this. For they [(the heavenly edifices)] are not like the buildings of this world, which, if one damages them, another builder can repair them. Not so, with the desired [eternal] end. As stated by the tanna in Avoth 1:13: "If I am not for myself, who is for me?" And this is the intent of the verse "For who can straighten out what he has made crooked?"
הג"ה. [אִי נַמֵּי מַעֲשֵׂה הָאֱלֹהִים כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ, עֲשִׂיַּת הֵיכָלוֹת הַקְּדֻשָּׁה וְהַמַּלְאָכִים, שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עוֹשֶׂה מֵחֲמַת הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוֹת, שֶׁמְּקַיְּמִין יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּזֶה הָעוֹלָם].
הַיּוֹצֵא מִכָּל דְּבָרֵינוּ, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי שְׁמִירַת הַלָּשׁוֹן כַּדִּין, זוֹכֶה הָאָדָם לְקַדֵּשׁ אֶת כֹּחַ הַדִּבּוּר שֶׁלּוֹ, וְאָז תּוֹרָתוֹ וּתְפִלָּתוֹ יִתְקַבְּלוּ לְמַעְלָה.
What follows from all we have said is that by guarding his tongue according to the din, a man merits sanctifying his faculty of speech, and, thereby, his Torah and his prayer will be accepted on high.