SHMIRAT HALOSHON

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SEFER SHMIRAS HALOSHON
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Sin Breeds Sin
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As mentioned above, the way to rid oneself of negativity is to ponder its ill effects:
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Such an attitude makes it impossible to fulfill the commandment “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Vayikra?19:18). Usually this trait leads to sinas chinam, baseless hatred, which is a transgression of the commandment “You shall not hate your brother in your heart” (ibid. v. 17). Baseless hatred was the sin which brought about the destruction of the Second Temple (Yoma 32b). Moreover, the Talmud states that because of baseless hatred, strife abounds in one’s home and tragedies may befall him (Shabbos 32b).
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This trait also leads to transgression of “With righteousness you shall judge your fellow” (Vayikra?19:15), which our Sages understand as a requirement to grant one’s fellow the benefit of the doubt (Sanhedrin 34b). Sefer Chareidim (66:39) writes that one who judges his fellow critically becomes attached to one of the spiritual forces of impurity.
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Judging others hypercritically causes one to suspect the innocent of wrongdoing. Our Sages teach: “One who suspects the innocent is afflicted physically” (Shabbos 97a). Inevitably, he will also transgress the sins of causing hurt through words, embarrassing one’s fellow, and causing strife — whose punishment is particularly severe.
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Thus, one who seeks a life that is good, both in this world and the next, should distance himself from this terrible trait.

Continue reading Day 143, the lesson for Shabbos

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SEFER SHMIRAS HALOSHON
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The Primary Deterrent
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Among the root causes of speaking loshon hora is one says it is permissible, meaning that one convinces himself that a given statement is not loshon hora when in fact it is. Or he assures himself that it is permissible to disparage a certain individual — and that it may even be a mitzvah to do so! — when in fact such is not the case.
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Most people who speak or listen to loshon hora do so out of ignorance of the relevant laws. Thus there is no alternative to studying these laws, as put forth in Sefer Chofetz Chaim. Every Jew must be fluent in the fine details of the laws of proper speech, in order to know exactly what may or may not be spoken, and so that one can perceive the far-reaching effects of negative speech.
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Serious study of the relevant laws is the primary means for avoiding the sin of loshon hora. In fact, any time a person feels dominated by his evil inclination with regard to a specific sin, his best hope for improvement is through study of the laws of that particular commandment. He should study the relevant laws in great depth, in all their fine details, and ponder them many times. In this way, the laws will become embedded in his mind, and the strength of his evil inclination will dissipate. As the Midrash states (Bamidbar Rabbah 14:4): “If you toil exceedingly in their [the commandments’] words, then the Holy One, Blessed is He, will remove the evil inclination from you.’’
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The above is alluded to in the verse, “... that you may see it [the tzitzis] and remember all the commandments of Hashem and perform them” (Bamidbar?15:39). As Rashi comments, remembrance of the commandments leads to their performance.

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