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SEFER CHOFETZ CHAIM
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Day 159 – The Prohibition
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As in the case of loshon hora, one must do his best to ignore someone who is about to begin or has already begun to speak rechilus.? If someone begins talking of how one person has wronged another, to willfully listen as he continues
to speak is, according the the Chofetz Chaim, in violation of “Do not accept a false report” (Shemos 23:1).? Just as it is lowly to speak gossip, so too it is not befitting a respectable human being to listen to gossip.
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SEFER SHMIRAS HALOSHON
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The Whole of Man
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In summation: One must strive to fulfill each and every mitzvah, be it between man and God or between man and his fellow, for each is an expression of Hashem’s will. Thus does the Torah state: “Apply your hearts to all the words... with which you are to instruct
your children, to be careful to perform all the words of this Torah. For it is not an empty thing for you, for it is your life...’’ (Devarim 32:46-47). Let no one think that even a single mitzvah is extraneous, a matter left to those who seek exceptional refinement
of character or spiritual attainment. For it is your life. No part of the human body is extraneous; each serves an important function without which the body would be unsound. Similarly, each mitzvah provides its own unique spirituality and is vital to the
soul’s well-being.
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Thus do we conclude the reading of the Book of Koheles: “The sum of the matter when all is considered: Fear God and keep His commandments, for that is the whole of man” (Koheles 12:13). To be the adam hashaleim, man of spiritual perfection, one must fear God
so that he will refrain from doing that which the Torah prohibits, and he must keep His commandments, that is, all positive commandments. That is the whole of man.
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SEFER CHOFETZ CHAIM
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Day 160 – The Subject
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It is forbidden to listen to gossip when it involves others, and even more so when it involves how others dislike the listener himself. (When there is a constructive purpose in the listener knowing such information, listening may
be permissible. This will be discussed later.) It is forbidden to listen to accounts of how others have spoken negatively about one’s family members or friends. Such listening usually serves no constructive purpose and causes the listener to dislike the person
mentioned.
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SEFER SHMIRAS HALOSHON
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Two Tablets
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For a Torah scroll to be kosher and endowed with proper sanctity, it cannot be missing a single letter. Even an imperfection in one letter can render a scroll invalid. In a similar vein, a Jew is considered a believer and is worthy of a portion in the World
to Come only if he believes that every letter contained in the Torah is God given. If, Heaven forfend, one denies the authenticity of even a single letter in the Torah, it is as if he has denied the authenticity of the entire Torah.
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We are all ma’aminim b’nei ma’aminim, believers, sons of believers. All of us believe that every letter of the Torah was received by Moshe from Hashem. How then is it possible for a person to approach even a single mitzvah without proper reverence? This is
not an indication of faulty belief; rather, it points to habitual transgression of a commandment which results in one viewing the forbidden as something permissible: “Once a man has been guilty of transgression and repeats it, it becomes to him like something
permissible” (Kiddushin 40b).
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The Torah states: “He [Hashem] gave Moshe the two Tablets of Testimony” (Shemos 31:18). The Torah omits the vav from the word Tablets, so that the word can be read as if it is the singular Tablet. Rashi (citing Tanchuma) writes that this teaches that the Tablets
were identical in dimension with supernatural precision so that they appeared as if they were one.
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The commandments inscribed upon the first Tablet concern man’s relationship with God, while those on the second concern man’s relationship with his fellow. The Tablets were made identical to teach that all mitzvos are vital and it is the totality of their spiritual
light within a single individual that produces the man of spiritual perfection.
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SEFER CHOFETZ CHAIM
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Day 161– Ignore and Rebuke
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As in the case of loshon hora, it is forbidden to listen to rechilus spoken by one’s parents, siblings or spouse. Familial closeness is not a reason to share information that promotes strife and ill will among Jews.
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When subjected to gossip, one is required not only to distance himself from the conversation, but must also reprove the speaker for violating a Torah commandment. Only when rebuke will cause the gossiper to speak with greater malice should one not offer rebuke.
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If one’s employer or colleagues are prone to gossip, one must ignore their conversations. (One is not required to offer reproof if this might cause him to lose his job. Fulfillment of a positive commandment [such as the mitzvah to offer reproof] does not require
a monetary risk of such magnitude. However, one should attempt to voice disapproval at some point so as not to be guilty of chanufah (false flattery.)
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In all situations, the listener must do his best to stop the gossip – perhaps by tactfully changing the subject.
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SEFER SHMIRAS HALOSHON
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Daily Pursuit
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?It is imperative that one uproot a complacent attitude toward certain mitzvos. Doing so is crucial if one is to fulfill his obligations toward his Creator and toward his fellow man.
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“Hillel used to say: If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And if I am for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?’’ (Avos 1:14). If Hillel was wont to repeat this maxim, surely it must contain teachings which are fundamental to one’s Divine service
and purpose in life. In fact, Hillel is awakening us to approach Torah and mitzvos with alacrity and zeal, each and every day.
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When a man is seen refraining from day-to-day involvement with earning a livelihood, the logical question is: How does he support his family? A variety of possibilities exists:
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1) He may own a factory which is staffed by dependable workers, so that periodic involvement on his part is sufficient.
2) He may be a highly skilled professional who earns enough in a few hours of work to provide his family with their weekly needs.
3) He may be a merchant who does business only at the regional market, which is open for a few weeks at a time at regular intervals during the year.
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In the above-cited Mishnah, Hillel teaches that with regard to Divine service none of the above-mentioned possibilities exists. Nothing less than daily pursuit of spiritual accomplishment will suffice.
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SEFER CHOFETZ CHAIM
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Day 162 – In a Group Setting
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From the wording of the verse which requires a Jew to reprove his fellow when he sins (Vayikra 19:17), the Sages derive that one must do so without embarrassing the sinner. Thus, when a person is relating gossip in the company of
others, it is preferable that a listener change the subject and later rebuke the speaker privately. One may openly protest gossipmongering in a way that causes the speaker discomfort only if there is no other way to bring his monologue to an end.
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SEFER SHMIRAS HALOSHON
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Light and Contentment
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“Hillel used to say: If I am not for myself, who will be for me?’’The spiritual world is not like the world of business where one can rely on trusted workers to do his work for him. The term myself refers to one’s soul, which is nourished only through one’s
own efforts in the sphere of Torah and mitzvos. Hillel is saying: “If I will not expend effort for my soul’s sake, then who will nourish it with light and contentment?’’ These are not things that can be purchased; they can be attained only through one’s own
toil and striving.
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And, Hillel continues, the spiritual realm is unlike the physical one where a highly skilled craftsman can earn a livelihood working but a few hours a day. As the Mishnah says elsewhere, “The day is short and the task is abundant” (Avos 2:20). Thus does Hillel
say: “And if I am for myself, what am I?’’ If I were to dedicate my every moment to myself, that is, for my soul’s benefit, could I claim with certainty that I have done enough to earn eternal life in the World to Come?
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The Talmud relates that when the sage Mar Ukva examined his impressive charity records before his death, he reflected, “The way is long, but the provisions are small” (Kesubos 67b).
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Thus, a man of wisdom will dedicate every available moment toward the service of his Creator.
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SEFER CHOFETZ CHAIM
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Day 163 – When the Speaker Cannot be Stopped
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When one finds himself in the company of someone speaking rechilus and finds it difficult to interrupt the speaker, he must leave. If one cannot bring himself to actually walk away, he must, at the very least, not pay attention
to what is being said and must make it clear through facial expression that he disapproves of the discussion.
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SEFER SHMIRAS HALOSHON
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No Time To Spare
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The message of Hillel’s question And if I am for myself, what am I? goes further. If the average person were to make an accounting of how his regular day is spent, he would see that only a small part of his time is free for spiritual pursuits. How then can
he allow these precious moments to slip by without using them to acquire for himself Torah and mitzvos, an eternal acquisition?
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When a person works to provide his wife and children with their needs and pay for his children’s Torah education, his efforts bear great fruit. He will receive reward not only for his hours of Torah study, but for his efforts at earning a livelihood as well,
for all his strivings were directed toward one essential purpose — fulfilling Hashem’s will.
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Such is not the case, however, when one strives for a lifestyle of luxury, to live in an expensive home with lavish decor, and to dress his family in rich taste. In truth, such a person is not really toiling for himself, that is, for his soul’s benefit — for
whose will is he seeking to fulfill, if not his evil inclination? What good will such striving accomplish for his soul? The same can be said of those who labor until their old age so that they can leave a generous inheritance behind for their loved ones. Such
effort does not benefit the soul.
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Hillel exhorts us to use our precious time on this world wisely, and not to let the hours slip by without accomplishment. Let no one delude himself with the notion that a bit of Torah study, and a mitzvah here and there, is sufficient.
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