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SEFER CHOFETZ CHAIM
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Day 26 – About Children
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It is forbidden to speak loshon hora about children.? While most people understand that “kids are kids” and the Torah does not hold children responsible for their actions, if one speaks about a child in a manner that either the speaker or listener sees as derogatory, then the laws of shmiras haloshon have been violated.
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It is also forbidden to say or write something about a child that potentially could prove harmful to him.
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A teacher who is prepared to enter a negative comment on a student’s record should pause to contemplate the effect that entry might have on the student’s future educational and employment opportunities.
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Likewise, teachers should exercise caution and fairness when conveying their feelings concerning a student to his teacher for the coming year.
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SEFER SHMIRAS HALOSHON
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Pure and Untainted
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The Talmud states:
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Reish Lakish said in the name of R’ Yehudah Nesiah: “The world is sustained only in the merit of the breath [of? Torah study] of school children.”
Said R’ Pappa to Abaye: “And what is with yours and mine [i.e. our Torah study]?”
Abaye replied: “There is no comparison between breath that is tainted by sin and breath that is free of sin” (Shabbos 119b).
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If the Sages were, to their minds, guilty of forbidden speech, it could only have been an inadvertent and rare occurrence. Yet they declared their words of Divine service to be tainted because of this. How much more so is this true of one who habitually speaks the forbidden — especially loshon hora, which causes ill will and strife among Jews.

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Day 27 – Repentance
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If one has uttered a potentially harmful statement about someone, he has committed a sin that is both bein adam la’Makom, between man and Hashem, and bein adam la’chaveiro, between man and his fellow.? Confession, regret and resolution for the future can only serve as teshuvah (repentance) for one’s sins before Hashem.? For sins against man, one must approach the person and beg forgiveness.
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This only applies to a situation where one’s speech has already caused damage. If a potentially damaging statement was made but no actual harm has resulted as of yet, it is the speaker’s responsibility to do his best to prevent this from happening.
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A practical way of accomplishing this would be to approach anyone who has heard the harmful information, and explain that it was inaccurate.
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SEFER SHMIRAS HALOSHON
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The Poor Man’s Treasure
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A very noteworthy concept can be derived from the Talmud’s teaching that the world exists in the merit of the Torah study of children, and that their study is superior to that of the generation’s leading sages. This concept can be better understood with a parable:
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A poor man found a very rare, precious gem, which was commonly found only in the crowns of kings. This was a gem which could be used for a variety of very important purposes, a fact of which the poor man had no notion. The king of that country asked the poor man to give him the gem, and in return, rewarded him with great wealth and a position of prominence. Thus, the poor man received great reward not for what he knew, but for what he possessed.
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Torah study is the rare, precious gem and the young children, who are unaware of the Torah’s awesome sanctity and the depth of its wisdom, are like the poor man who does not perceive the gem’s true worth. Though they lack this understanding, nevertheless, they are personally sanctified and sustain the world through their study. This is because the awesome sanctity of Torah is an unchanging fact and is not dependent on any mental or other preparation on the part of the student. Whenever anyone studies Torah, he is naturally bound up with its sanctity. Thus does the prophet allude to the study of Torah when he says, “... whenever I speak of him I remember him more and more. Therefore, My inner self yearns for him...” (Yirmiyahu 31:19).
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However, when a person defiles his power of speech by speaking that which is forbidden, then the degree of spiritual light which he draws from the study of Torah is diminished.
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We can now better understand the Sages’ discussion cited above. R’ Pappa asked Abaye, “What of our Torah study? Do not the sacred thoughts which are so essential to our study make it superior to that of young children?” Abaye responded, “There is no comparison between breath that is tainted by sin and breath that is free of sin,” meaning that the purity of the children’s study outweighs whatever it lacks.

Keep reading Day 28, the lesson for Shabbos

SEFER CHOFETZ CHAIM
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Day 28 – Unknowing Victim
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A person who has caused harm to his fellow must ask forgiveness even if the victim is unaware that he has been harmed.
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A case in point is where an employee was being considered for promotion but was never informed of this possibility.? If someone violated the laws of loshon hora and made a statement to the employer which resulted in the promotion not being granted, he must approach the victim, explain what has happened, and beg forgiveness.
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However, Rabbi Yisrael Salanter is reported to have held that if relating the incident to the victim would cause him anguish, one would have to forego that aspect of the Tshuva process.
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SEFER SHMIRAS HALOSHON
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Comparisons
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Let us consider the above: The Sages of the Talmud were mighty cedars, whose thoughts were constantly bound up with Hashem. They were forever contemplating His greatness and His commandments, and their speech was exceedingly sacred and pure. If, in the course of speaking, it happened by chance that an improper word escaped their lips, surely they immediately engaged in an appropriate form of repentance. Nevertheless, even this rare improper utterance did damage to the sanctity of their power of speech, so that it was diminished from its previous level.
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What of ourselves, then, whose level of study in no way compares to that of the Sages of the Talmud? If we will defile our mouths with words of loshon hora, mockery, strife and the like — what sort of sanctity will be manifest through our Torah study?
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Let us compare our approaches to spiritual and material pursuits. When, for example, business matters are concerned, one does not cease from pondering ways by which to improve his enterprises and increase his profits. He is careful to remove any possible impediment to success. And no person of sound mind would intentionally do anything that could harm his very source of livelihood.
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Yet with spiritual pursuits the opposite is often the case. We ourselves bring about the ruination of the remnant that still remains with us — the bit of Torah study and prayer that we have. How? Through forbidden speech.

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SEFER CHOFETZ CHAIM
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Day 29 – Other Means of Communication
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Having concluded our discussion of the two basic categories of loshon hora (derogatory or harmful information), it is important to note several rules that apply equally to both:
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Loshon hora is not limited to speech.? Included in this prohibition is communication of derogatory or harmful information through any means.? Therefore, writing loshon hora, or using code, sign or body language (e.g. a cynical smile or rolling one’s eyes upward in exasperation) that communicates something negative or harmful is forbidden.
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To show others a letter or article that would reflect badly on its author is forbidden, as is revealing the identity of the author of a work that is known to be of poor quality.
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It is also forbidden to show photographs of people which they would find embarrassing.
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SEFER SHMIRAS HALOSHON
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Forfeiting the Greatest of Treasures
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Speaking loshon hora can cause the inestimable merit of one’s Torah study to be forfeited. In the words of Midrash Shochar Tov (Tehillim ch. 52):
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Let not your mouth bring guilt on your flesh, and do not tell the emissary that it was an error. Why should God be angered by your speech and destroy the work of your hands? (Koheles 5:5).
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?Let not your mouth bring guilt on your flesh —by speaking loshon hora.
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Why should God be angered by your speech and destroy the work of your hands? — for you will lose the little Torah which you have to your credit.
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The intent of this Midrash is that, as already discussed,1 speaking loshon hora causes the speaker’s merits to be transferred to the Heavenly account of the person against whom he spoke.
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When a Jew studies Torah, he perfects his entire being, for he draws upon himself a spirit of sanctity, which gives vitality to his body in this world and to his soul in the next world. Thus do the Sages teach (Eruvin 54a): “One who feels pain in his head should study Torah... One who feels pain in his throat should study Torah... One who feels pain in his entire body should study Torah, as it is written (Mishlei?4:22), ‘And a cure for his entire flesh.’ ”
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And all this can be lost through speaking loshon hora.
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See Day 17.

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