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SEFER SHMIRAS HALOSHON
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Food for the Soul
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“One who guards his mouth and tongue, guards his soul from tribulations” (Mishlei?21:23).
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“Which man desires life, who loves days of seeing good? Guard your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit...” (Tehillim 34:13-14).
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Why do the above verses single out shmiras haloshon, guarding one’s tongue, as the key to a good life in both worlds?
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The human body is composed of 248 organs and 365 sinews. Corresponding to this are the 248 spiritual organs and 365 spiritual sinews of the soul. As Scripture states: “You clothe me with skin and flesh, cover me with bones and sinews” (Iyov?10:11). The various parts of the body are referred to as “clothing” and “covering” for they clothe and cover the soul within man. Each physical organ corresponds to a specific aspect of the soul.
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Hashem has given us 248 positive commandments and 365 negative commandments which relate to the particular parts of the body with which they are performed.1 By performing a given mitzvah through a given organ, a spiritual light comes to rest upon the corresponding component of the soul; it is from this light that this component draws eternal vitality.
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Thus, when a person fulfills all the Torah’s commandments, he transforms himself into an adam hashaleim, man of spiritual perfection, whose every fiber is sanctified unto Hashem.
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The converse is true as well. If a person commits a transgression and does not repent for it, then the component of the soul which corresponds to that prohibition will suffer accordingly.
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1. See opening introduction to Sefer Chareidim.
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SEFER CHOFETZ CHAIM
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Day 2 – Breach of Halachah
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It is forbidden to relate that someone has been remiss in matters of Jewish observance – be it a transgression prohibited by the Torah, a rabbinical prohibition, or even a breach of custom. Such statements are derogatory by the Torah’s standards and thus are forbidden.
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Therefore, it is forbidden to mention an incident in which one of the people involved transgressed a halachah, even in a society where that particular halachah is commonly ignored.
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SEFER SHMIRAS HALOSHON
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The Essential Quality
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It is every person’s hope and prayer that he or she be healthy, that every organ of the body function as it should. Similarly, it should be every person’s hope and yearning that his or her soul, which lives on eternally, be spiritually healthy. It is therefore imperative that one strive throughout his lifetime to faithfully observe all 613 mitzvos, which provide the components of the soul with eternal life and vitality.
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Shmiras haloshon is especially crucial to one’s spiritual wellbeing. People who habitually speak loshon hora, and accept as fact the evil talk of others, corrupt their power of speech and hearing in this world — and their souls will surely be affected in a parallel way in the next world. How great will be their shame in the next world! For it will be obvious to all that their deficiencies resulted from the sin of loshon hora and their having been the cause of strife on this world.
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The Torah states: “And Hashem (God) formed man from the dust of the ground, and He blew into his nostrils the soul of life, and man became a living being” (Bereishis 2:7). Targum Onkelos translates the verse’s last phrase as, “and man became a speaking spirit.” It is the power of speech which defines man’s essence and distinguishes him from other creatures.
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Thus does Scripture state: “One who guards his mouth and tongue, guards his soul from tribulations” (Mishlei?21:23). Shmiras haloshon is singled out because speech is man’s essential quality. Impairment of this power deprives the soul of its essential quality in the next world and is the source of its ultimate tribulation.
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David therefore declares, “Which man desires life, who loves days of seeing good? Guard your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit...”
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SEFER CHOFETZ CHAIM

Day 3 – Lack of commitment
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It is forbidden to say that an individual lacks commitment in fulfilling a particular commandment. Therefore, it is forbidden to say that a man sets aside little time for daily Torah study, or that he does not go out of his way to help others.
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This would apply even if the speaker and listener themselves study little or are not known for their benevolence, and will openly admit to this without shame. Since the Torah commands us to make Torah study and chesed performance priorities in our lives, it is forbidden to say that someone else lacks dedication in these areas.
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SEFER SHMIRAS HALOSHON
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Purpose of This Volume
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There are many factors which can cause a person to speak loshon hora. The three primary factors are:
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(1) A lack of awareness of what a Jew is and is not permitted to say. It is in response to this that we have compiled Sefer Chofetz Chaim, which is a code of laws of proper speech.
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(2) Satan’s powerful efforts in this area, as he seeks to indict us Above and to cause our prayers to be rejected (as stated in the holy Zohar, which will be cited in a forthcoming chapter).
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(3) Ignorance of the methods through which one can succeed in avoiding the urge to gossip. As Scripture states, “For with strategies shall you wage war for yourself” (Mishlei 24:6).
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It is in response to the second and third factors that we have authored this work (Sefer Shmiras Haloshon), a compilation of Aggadic teachings from the Talmud, Midrash and the holy Zohar, which speak of the great reward, in this world and the next, for guarding one’s tongue, and of the retribution that can result from the terrible sin of speaking loshon hora.
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We have also labored, with the help of Hashem, to compile from the thoughts of our Sages many methods and suggestions for how to escape the snare of the sin of loshon hora. It is our hope that this will inspire and aid the reader to overcome his inclination to speak the forbidden, so that he can develop the precious, sterling quality of shmiras haloshon.
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Because this present work contains many topics that are of vital interest, it is therefore exceedingly precious to me. Therefore, I have given it a title of its own,1 Shmiras Haloshon, based upon the verse,? “One who guards his mouth and tongue, guards his soul from tribulations” (Mishlei?21:23).
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I.e. Though this compilation of Aggadic teachings and insights is actually another section of Sefer Chofetz Chaim, the author gave it a title of its own.

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SEFER CHOFETZ CHAIM

Day 4 – Relative Statements
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Certain statements are loshon hora when said regarding one person, yet are perfectly acceptable when said regarding someone else.? For example, to say that a businessman studies Torah five hours a day is obviously not derogatory.? However, to say this of a kollel member who is assumed to be spending his entire day engrossed in Torah study would be derogatory.? Similarly, it would be forbidden to relate the amount of tzedakah given by an individual, if that amount is considered respectable only for a man of lesser means.
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[There may be factors which would prohibit relating such information even when it is clearly complimentary.? For example, people who give charity generously often do not want that fact to become public knowledge.]
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SEFER SHMIRAS HALOSHON
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The Imperative of Halachic Study
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Knowledge of the Aggadic teachings regarding loshon hora must be complemented by study of the laws of proper speech. In the words of Midrash Mishlei (1:2): “‘To know wisdom and mussar [inspirational,
ethical instruction]’ (Mishlei 1:2) — If one has wisdom [i.e. knowledge of halachah] then he can study mussar, but if he lacks wisdom, then he cannot study mussar.” The Midrash’s intent is clear: If a person is not knowledgeable in the laws of a given topic, then no amount of mussar will help him.
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For example: If a businessman thinks that a given practice is not robbery, [when, in fact, it is] then what good will it do to inform him of the severity of the sin of robbery? The same applies to all other negative commandments. Therefore, one must study the Torah’s laws to know what is permitted and what is forbidden, and he must also learn the mussar teachings which inspire a person to fear Hashem. Through study of such teachings, one arouses his soul toward observance of Torah, aside from fulfilling the positive commandment, “Fear HASHEM, your God” (Devarim?10:20).
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And so it is with regard to shmiras haloshon. Of what benefit will all the mussar in the world be, if one convinces himself that a given forbidden statement is not in the category of loshon hora?! Or, if he tells himself that the laws of loshon hora do not apply when speaking of a certain individual [when, in fact, they do]?!
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Therefore, it is imperative that one know what is and what is not in the category of loshon hora according to halachah. This study should be complemented by inspirational study of the relevant Aggadic teachings.

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SEFER CHOFETZ CHAIM?

Day 5 – Character
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It is forbidden to say that someone possesses a negative character trait.? For example, it is forbidden to say that an individual is quick-tempered, argumentative, stingy, arrogant, etc.
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To say that someone is of bad character is forbidden as it is a derogatory statement.? However, to indicate that someone is of average character (for example, that he does not overlook the wrong done to him) – while not complimentary – is also not derogatory and may be permissible.? In common situations where the term “average” has negative connotations; such a statement would also constitute loshon hora.
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On the basis of the principle of relative statements discussed previously (Day 4), the claim that a person known for his piety is, in actuality, no better than average, is certainly loshon hora.
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SEFER SHMIRAS HALOSHON
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Claims and Counter-Claims
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R’ Yochanan ben Dehavai said: Do not distance yourself from a quality that is without limit and from a labor that is without end.
To what can this be compared? To someone who took water from the ocean and cast it onto dry land. The ocean did not appear any less full and the land did not become filled [with water]. The man grew frustrated. His employer said: “Foolish one! Why are you upset? Each day you will receive a gold coin for your work.”
(Avos D’R’ Nosson 27:3).
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The “quality” to which the sage refers is shmiras haloshon. The evil inclination seeks to discourage us from striving to develop this quality, by way of the following argument: “What benefit will you have from studying the laws and concepts of proper speech? Are you really capable of guarding your tongue all your life? Try to avoid speaking loshon hora for even a day or two! And do you really think that you can avoid everything that one is forbidden to speak? Why, you are a man of the world, you have dealings with scores of people!
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“Don’t even attempt to acquire this quality — it simply cannot be done. Guarding one’s tongue requires constant vigilance. It is relevant countless times a day, every day of a person’s life, and it applies to virtually every situation that can occur between man and his fellow.”
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R’ Yochanan ben Dehavai teaches us that this is simply not true. One should not distance himself from this quality which, indeed, is “without limit,”1 as we shall explain.

???? “A labor without end” of which the passage speaks is that of Torah study.

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