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, in truth, in all of the sins, there are some that come from lusts and some that come from desire for wealth, that gain ascendancy over him, wherefore he stumbles and transgresses — as opposed to speaking lashon hara against one's friend, where there is no pleasure, as it is written (Koheleth 10:11): "And there is no advantage to the man of the tongue." This [i.e., one's speaking lashon hara] stems only from the word of the L-rd being hefker in his eyes, and his not being solicitous of the Creator's command at all, wherefore they have considered him a denier of the Deity.
Another reason written in "the books of the fearers" [of the L-rd]: It is known that one who wishes to speak lashon hara looks around on all sides to see if anyone is looking, making it appear that the eye of Heaven does not see, G-d forbid, as Chazal say in respect to a thief, (who steals at night).
When we reflect further upon this, we find that the first lashon hara that came to the world came through the serpent, and through denial of the living G-d, the snake saying to Eve (Bereshith 3:5): "For G-d knows that on the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened" (as Rashi there interprets it in the name of the Midrash: "Every craftsman hates his competitors. He ate from this tree and created the world. You eat from it and your eyes will be opened, and you will be like gods, creators of worlds.") And this brought death to all the world, and all hate it and wish to kill it, as Scripture says (Ibid. 15): "And hatred shall I place between you and between the woman… He will crush your head, etc." [aside from its other punishments: its legs were cut off, viz. (Ibid. 19): "On your belly shall you go"; and its food is dust, viz. (Ibid.): "And dust shall you eat"; and its faculty of speech was removed.
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 12:4): '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.
And know, further, that just as the serpent was punished in its food, as it is written: "And dust shall you eat all the days of your life," so the man of lashon hara is punished with poverty, as it is written in Sefer Hakanah: "See and understand that all who utter lashon hara are punished with leprosy," and he concludes: "One who does not become a leper is punished with poverty, which is equivalent to leprosy, and he becomes a pauper, beholden to men."
And, in truth, this is a wonder in my eyes. For it is the nature of a man to seek remedies and blessings from great men for success in [earning] a livelihood. And how will all the remedies and blessings help them if, G-d forbid, they are habituated to the sin of lashon hara and rechiluth, which is subject to an explicit curse [Arur] in the Torah (Devarim 27:24): "Cursed [Arur] is he who smites his friend in secret," which, according to Rashi, refers to lashon hara. And Chazal have said (Shevuoth 36a): "'Arur' — in it lies a curse; in it lies excommunication." And this [Arur] was not uttered by one man alone, but in consensus with all of Israel, in addition to the Cohanim and the Levites, as stated in Scripture. And this one [(by speaking lashon hara)] voided his blessing!
Had they [the remedy seekers] listened to me, I would have apprised them, rather, to be especially careful in guarding themselves against this sin, and, in particular, not to actively harm their friend in the area of theft, robbery, cheating, and the like. [(For these are certainly a potent force in eroding one's possessions and causing them to go lost, as we have written in the booklet, Sefath Tamim, in the second and third chapters, adducing verses and citations from Chazal.)] For then his possessions would certainly be blessed, more than by all the "remedies." As is well known, all the arurim were preceded by blessings, e.g., "Blessed is he who does not smite his friend, etc." And all of Israel answered "Amen" to this. And this blessing will certainly be fulfilled.
עְנְינֵי שְמִירַת הַלָּשוֹן לְפִי סֵדֵר פָּרָשִיּוֹת הַתּוֹרָה
Guarding one's tongue, in order of the sections of the Torah
פָּרָשַׁת בְּרֵאשִׁית
Bereshith
גָּרְסִינַן בַּעֲרָכִין (דף ט"ו:): אָמַר ר' יוֹחָנָן מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי יוֹסִי בֶּן זִמְרָא: כָּל הַמְסַפֵּר לָשׁוֹן הָרָע כְּאִלּוּ כָּפַר בָּעִקָּר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהילים י"ב ה'): "אֲשֶׁר אָמְרוּ לִלְשֹׁנֵנוּ נַגְבִּיר שְׂפָתֵינוּ אִתָּנוּ, מִי אָדוֹן לָנוּ". וְהַכַּוָּנָה, דְּדֶרֶךְ מִי שֶׁהוּא חֵץ שָׁחוּט לְשׁוֹנוֹ, לְהִשְׁתַּבֵּחַ לִפְנֵי אֲנָשִׁים תָּמִיד וְלוֹמַר: כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲנִי אֶפְתַּח רַק אֶת שְׂפָתַי עָלָיו, אֲכַלֶּנּוּ בִּלְשׁוֹנִי, וְיִהְיֶה לְמִרְמָס לִפְנֵי הַכֹּל, וּמִי יוּכַל לְהִתְגַבֵּר נֶגֶד לְשׁוֹנִי, וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם בַּפַּעַם הַזּוֹ לֹא אֲכַלֶּנּוּ בְּשְׁלֵמוּת, הֲלֹא שְׂפָתֵינוּ אִתָּנוּ, וְאוּכַל לְהַבְאִישׁ אֶת רֵיחוֹ בְּעֵינֵי הַבְּרִיוֹת, עַד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לְבוּז בְּעֵינֵי הַכֹּל, וְאֵינוֹ חוֹשֵׁב כְּלָל שֶׁיֵּשׁ עֶלְיוֹן עַל כֹּל, שֶׁעֵינָיו מְשׁוֹטְטוֹת בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ.
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.
וּבֶאֱמֶת בְּכָל הָעֲבֵרוֹת יֵשׁ שֶׁבָּאוֹת מֵחֲמַת תַּאֲווֹת, וְיֵשׁ שֶׁבָּאוֹת מֵחֲמַת חֶמְדַּת הַמָּמוֹן, שֶׁהֵן הִתְגַּבְּרוּ עָלָיו, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה נִכְשַׁל וְעָבַר, מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בְּסִפּוּר לָשׁוֹן הָרָע עַל חֲבֵרוֹ, שֶׁאֵין לוֹ שׁוּם הֲנָאָה מִזֶּה, כְּמוֹ דִּכְתִיב (קהלת י' י"א): "וְאֵין יִתְרוֹן לְבַעַל הַלָּשׁוֹן". אֵין זֶה, כִּי אִם שֶׁדְבַר ה' בְּעֵינָיו כְּהֶפְקַר, וְאֵינוֹ חוֹשֵׁשׁ לַצִּוּוּי שֶׁל יוֹצֵר הַכֹּל, וְעַל כֵּן חֲשָׁבוּהוּ כְּאִלּוּ כּוֹפֵר בָּעִקָּר.
And, in truth, in all of the sins, there are some that come from lusts and some that come from desire for wealth, that gain ascendancy over him, wherefore he stumbles and transgresses — as opposed to speaking lashon hara against one's friend, where there is no pleasure, as it is written (Koheleth 10:11): "And there is no advantage to the man of the tongue." This [i.e., one's speaking lashon hara] stems only from the word of the L-rd being hefker in his eyes, and his not being solicitous of the Creator's command at all, wherefore they have considered him a denier of the Deity.
וְעוֹד טַעַם כָּתְבוּ בְּסִפְרֵי יְרֵאִים, כִּי יָדוּעַ הוּא, שֶׁמִּי שֶׁהוּא רוֹצֶה לְדַבֵּר לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, הוּא מִסְתַּכֵּל בְּכָל צְדָדָיו אוּלַי עוֹמֵד שָׁם הָאִישׁ הַהוּא וְעוֹשֶׂה עַיִן שֶׁל מַעְלָה, כְּאִלּוּ אֵינָהּ רוֹאָה, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲזַ"ל בְּגַנָּב.
Another reason written in "the books of the fearers" [of the L-rd]: It is known that one who wishes to speak lashon hara looks around on all sides to see if anyone is looking, making it appear that the eye of Heaven does not see, G-d forbid, as Chazal say in respect to a thief, (who steals at night).
וְכַאֲשֶׁר נִתְבּוֹנֵן עוֹד נִמְצָא, שֶׁהַלָּשׁוֹן הָרָע הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁבָּא לָעוֹלָם הָיָה עַל יְדֵי הַנָּחָשׁ וְעַל יְדֵי כְּפִירָה בֵּאלֹקִים חַיִּים, שֶׁאָמַר לְחַוָּה (בראשית ג' ה'): "כִּי יֹדֵעַ אֱלֹקִים כִּי בְּיוֹם אֲכָלְכֶם מִמֶּנּוּ, וְנִפְקְחוּ עֵינֵיכֶם", וּכְפֵרוּשׁ רַשִּׁ"י בְּשֵׁם הַמִּדְרָשׁ שֶׁאָמַר: כָּל אֻמָּן שׂוֹנֵא אֶת בְּנֵי אֻמָּנוּתוֹ, מִן הָאִילָן הַזֶּה אָכַל וּבָרָא אֶת הָעוֹלָם, אִכְלוּ אַתֶּם, וְנִפְקְחוּ עֵינֵיכֶם, וִהְיִיתֶם כֵּאלֹקִים יוֹצְרֵי עוֹלָמוֹת. וְזֶה גָּרַם מִיתָה לְכָל בָּאֵי עוֹלָם. וְעָנְשׁוֹ הָיָה מִדָּה בְּמִדָה, שֶׁכָּל הַבְּרִיוֹת שׂוֹנְאִים אוֹתוֹ וְרוֹצִים לְהָרְגוֹ, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (שם ט"ו): "וְאֵיבָה אָשִׁית וְגוֹ', הוּא יְשׁוּפְךָ רֹאשׁ". [מִלְּבַד שְׁאָר הָעֳנָשִׁים שֶׁהֻטְּלוּ עָלָיו, נִקְצְצוּ רַגְלָיו, כְּמוֹ דִּכְתִיב (שם י"ד): "עַל גְּחֹנְךָ תֵּלֵךְ", וּמַאֲכָלוֹ עָפָר, כְּדִכְתִיב (שם י"ד): "וְעָפָר תֹּאכַל" וְגוֹ'], וְנִטַּל מִמֶּנּוּ כֹּחַ הַדִּבּוּר.
When we reflect further upon this, we find that the first lashon hara that came to the world came through the serpent, and through denial of the living G-d, the snake saying to Eve (Bereshith 3:5): "For G-d knows that on the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened" (as Rashi there interprets it in the name of the Midrash: "Every craftsman hates his competitors. He ate from this tree and created the world. You eat from it and your eyes will be opened, and you will be like gods, creators of worlds.") And this brought death to all the world, and all hate it and wish to kill it, as Scripture says (Ibid. 15): "And hatred shall I place between you and between the woman… He will crush your head, etc." [aside from its other punishments: its legs were cut off, viz. (Ibid. 19): "On your belly shall you go"; and its food is dust, viz. (Ibid.): "And dust shall you eat"; and its faculty of speech was removed.
וְאַף בַּעַל לָשׁוֹן הָרָע הוּא כֵּן. כְּשֶׁיִּתְפַּרְסֵם לַאֲנָשִׁים טִבְעוֹ הָרָע, הַכֹּל יִשְׂנְאוּהוּ וְיִשְׁמְרוּ עַצְמָם מִמֶּנּוּ, פֶּן יַעֲשֵׂם לְבוּז וּלְחֶרְפָּה, וְגַם לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא, אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁיִּזְכֶּה לָקּוּם בִּתְחִיָּה, יִהְיֶה כְּאִלֵּם מַמָּשׁ, לֹא יִפְתַּח פִּיו, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲזַ"ל (דברים רבה ו'), שֶׁעָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לַחְתֹּךְ לְשׁוֹנָם שֶׁל בַּעֲלֵי לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהילים י"ב ד'): "יַכְרֵת ה' כָּל שִׂפְתֵי חֲלָקוֹת, לָשׁוֹן מְדַבֶּרֵת גְּדֹלוֹת", וִכַוָּנָתָם הִיא לְעֵת הַתְּחִיָּה. וּמִי יוּכַל לְשַׁעֵר גֹּדֶל צַעֲרוֹ שֶל הָאִישׁ הַהוּא וּבִזְיוֹנוֹ לָנֶצַח, שֶׁאָז יֵדְעוּ הַכֹּל טִבְעוֹ שֶׁל הָאִישׁ הַהוּא, שֶׁהָיָה אִישׁ רַע מַעֲלָלִים, וּבִשְׂפָתָיו הַחֲלַקְלַקּוֹת הָיָה מַטִּיל שִׂנְאָה בֵּין אִישׁ לְרֵעֵהוּ, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (קהלת י"ב י"ג): "סוֹף דָּבָר הַכֹּל נִשְׁמָע", וְתִרְגֵּם בַּתַּרְגּוּם: כָּל עוֹבְדֵי בְּנֵי עָלְמָא עֲתִידִין דְּיִתְפַּרְסְמוּן וְכוּ' (כל מעשי בני אדם עתידין שיתפרסמו וכו'). עַיֵּן שָׁם. וְעַל כֵּן בָּא עָלָיו הָעֹנֶשׁ הַזֶּה, שֶׁכָּל אֲנָשִׁים קָמוּ בְּחַיּוּתָן וּבְדִבּוּרָם בִּשְׁלֵמוּת כְּמֵאָז, וְזֶה הָאִישׁ כְּאִלֵּם מַמָּשׁ. מִכָּל זֶה יוּכַל הָאָדָם לְהִתְבּוֹנֵן חֹמֶר הֶעָוֹן, שֶׁהוּא נוֹגֵעַ לְנַפְשׁוֹ בָּזֶה וּבַבָּא.
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 12:4): '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.
וְדַע עוֹד, דִּכְשֵׁם שֶׁהַנָּחָשׁ נֶעֱנַשׁ בְּעִנְיַן מְזוֹנוֹ, כְּדִכְתִיב: "וְעָפָר תֹּאכַל כָּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ", כֵּן הוּא מִי שֶׁהוּא בַּעַל לָשׁוֹן הָרָע נֶעֱנַשׁ בַּעֲוֹנוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב בְּ"סֵפֶר הַקָּנֶה", וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנוֹ: רְאֵה וְהָבֵן, שֶׁכָּל הַמּוֹצִיא לָשׁוֹן הָרָע מִפִּיו, נִדּוֹן בְּצָרַעַת. וּמְסַיֵּם שָׁם בְּסוֹף דְּבָרָיו, שֶׁמִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ נַעֲשֶׂה מְצֹרָע, נִדּוֹן בַּעֲנִיּוּת, וּשְׁקוּלָה הָעֲנִיּוּת כְּצָרַעַת, וַהֲרֵי הוּא עָנִי הַנִּמְסָר בִּידֵי אָדָם. עַיֵּן שָׁם.
And know, further, that just as the serpent was punished in its food, as it is written: "And dust shall you eat all the days of your life," so the man of lashon hara is punished with poverty, as it is written in Sefer Hakanah: "See and understand that all who utter lashon hara are punished with leprosy," and he concludes: "One who does not become a leper is punished with poverty, which is equivalent to leprosy, and he becomes a pauper, beholden to men."
וּבֶאֱמֶת לְפֶלֶא הוּא בְּעֵינַי, שֶׁטֶּבַע בְּנֵי הָאָדָם לְחַפֵּשׂ סְגֻלּוֹת וּבְרָכוֹת מֵאֲנָשִׁים גְּדוֹלִים לְהַצְלָחָה עַל פַּרְנָסָה, וּמַה יּוֹעִילוּ לָהֶם כָּל הַסְּגֻלּוֹת וְהַבְּרָכוֹת, אִם, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, הוּא מֻרְגָּל בְּזֶה הַחֵטְא שֶׁל לָשׁוֹן הָרָע וּרְכִילוּת, הֲרֵי יֵשׁ עַל זֶה אָרוּר מְפֹרָשׁ בַּתּוֹרָה (דברים כ"ז כ"ד): "אָרוּר מַכֶּה רֵעֵהוּ בַּסָּתֶר", שֶׁהוּא קָאֵי עַל לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרֵשׁ רַשִּׁ"י. וְאָמְרוּ חֲזַ"ל (שבועות ל"ו.): אָרוּר, בּוֹ קְלָלָה, בּוֹ נִדּוּי. וְזֶה לֹא יָצָא מִפִּי אִישׁ אֶחָד, כִּי אִם בְּהֶסְכֵּם כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּצֵרוּף הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם, כְּדִכְתִיב בַּקְּרָא, וַהֲרֵי הוּא מְכַלֶּה הַשְׁפָּעָתוֹ.
And, in truth, this is a wonder in my eyes. For it is the nature of a man to seek remedies and blessings from great men for success in [earning] a livelihood. And how will all the remedies and blessings help them if, G-d forbid, they are habituated to the sin of lashon hara and rechiluth, which is subject to an explicit curse [Arur] in the Torah (Devarim 27:24): "Cursed [Arur] is he who smites his friend in secret," which, according to Rashi, refers to lashon hara. And Chazal have said (Shevuoth 36a): "'Arur' — in it lies a curse; in it lies excommunication." And this [Arur] was not uttered by one man alone, but in consensus with all of Israel, in addition to the Cohanim and the Levites, as stated in Scripture. And this one [(by speaking lashon hara)] voided his blessing!
וְאִם הָיוּ שׁוֹמְעִים לִדְבָרַי, הָיִיתִי מְיַעֵץ לָהֶם יוֹתֵר, שֶׁיִּשְׁמְרוּ עַצְמָם בִּזְהִירוּת יְתֵרָה מִזֶּה הַחֵטְא, וּבִפְרָט מִלַּעֲשׂוֹת בְּפֹעַל מַמָּשׁ רַע לַחֲבֵרוֹ מֵעִנְיַן גֶּזֶל וְחָמָס וְאוֹנָאָה וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה, [שֶׁזֶּה בְּוַדַּאי גּוֹרֵם גָּדוֹל שֶׁיְּבֻזְבְּזוּ נְכָסָיו עַל יְדֵי זֶה וְיֵרְדוּ לְטִמְיוֹן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ בְּקוֹנְטְרֵס "שְׂפַת תָּמִים" בְּפֶרֶק שֵׁנִי וּשְׁלִישִׁי מִכַּמָּה פְּסוּקים וּמַאַמְרֵי חֲזַ"ל, עַיֵּן שָׁם], שֶׁאָז בְּוַדַּאי יִתְבָּרְכוּ נִכְסֵיהֶם יוֹתֵר מִכָּל הַסְּגֻלּוֹת, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁיָּדוּעַ, שֶׁכָּל הָאֲרוּרִים פָּתְחוּ מִתְּחִלָּה בִּבְרָכָה וְאָמְרוּ: "בָּרוּךְ אֲשֶׁר לֹא יַכֶּה אֶת רֵעֵהוּ", וְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל עָנוּ עַל זֶה אָמֵן, וּבְוַדַּאי תִּתְקַיֵּם הַבְּרָכָה הַזּוֹ.
Had they [the remedy seekers] listened to me, I would have apprised them, rather, to be especially careful in guarding themselves against this sin, and, in particular, not to actively harm their friend in the area of theft, robbery, cheating, and the like. [(For these are certainly a potent force in eroding one's possessions and causing them to go lost, as we have written in the booklet, Sefath Tamim, in the second and third chapters, adducing verses and citations from Chazal.)] For then his possessions would certainly be blessed, more than by all the "remedies." As is well known, all the arurim were preceded by blessings, e.g., "Blessed is he who does not smite his friend, etc." And all of Israel answered "Amen" to this. And this blessing will certainly be fulfilled.