Shemirat HaLashon שמירת הלשון

There is yet another general tikkun distinctive for the trait of lashon hara, and that is Torah study, as stated in Arachin 15b: "R. Chamma b. R. Chanina said: 'What is the amendment for the speakers of lashon hara? If he is a Torah scholar, let him occupy himself with Torah, as it is written (Proverbs 15:4): 'The healer of the tongue is the tree of life,' and the tree of life is none other than Torah, as it is written (Ibid. 3:18): 'It [Torah] is a tree of life to those who hold fast to it.'" As to its being called "a tree of life" — "Death and life are in the hand of the tongue" (Ibid. 18:21). If so, one who speaks lashon hara acquires for himself eternal death, wherefore Scripture counseled one who wished to heal his tongue to eat from the tree of life, which is Torah, "and he shall eat [thereof] and live forever."

But he must spur his soul in any event thenceforward to guard himself against this sin, like the man who, by mistake, put poison into his mouth and took antidotes for it. It is only if he does not ingest this poison anymore that the antidote will avail him for the past.

Torah study is also a preventative against one's coming to (speak) lashon hara, as they said there (Arachin 15b): "What is the preventative against lashon hara? If he is a Torah scholar, let him occupy himself with Torah." The reason is obvious, as we find in Sanhedrin 99b: "All men are created for toil, viz. (Iyyov 5:7): 'For man is born for toil.' I would not know whether for toil of the lips or toil of labor — if it were not written: (Mishlei 16:26): 'For he saddles his mouth with it,' which indicates that he was born for toil of the lips. And I still would not know whether for the [lip] toil of Torah or the toil of converse — if it were not written (Joshua 1:8): 'Let the book of this Torah not depart from your mouth,' which indicates that he was created for the toil of Torah." The idea is that the nature was given man, when speech was given to him, that the tools of speech do what is theirs without becoming fatigued, unlike the other organs, which man must spur himself to put into operation. Not so, the faculty of speech. And this is the intent of "the toil of the lips." But a man must reflect that this power was given him only to merit Torah. Therefore, it is stated that the preventative of speaking lashon hara is only occupying oneself with Torah, for lacking this, he will certainly stumble into forbidden speech. For it is man's nature that his tools of speech not be inoperative (unless he is able to overcome his yetzer and make himself "mute," as they say in Chullin 89a).

We can understand, according to this, how much we must strengthen ourselves in Torah study, both because of the obligation in itself, as we shall explain below, please G-d, and both because we are rescued thereby from all of the aspects of forbidden speech. How much more so in our time, when the pillar of Torah has fallen — how much more so must one strengthen himself in this, as we find in Yerushalmi (Perek Haroeh): "R. Shimon ben Yochai says: 'If you see a generation who have become weakened in Torah, arise and strengthen it, and you will receive the reward of all, etc.'" We shall explain a little of the greatness of a man's obligation in Torah and the greatness of his reward in this world and the next.

It is known that Torah study in itself (aside from learning leading to doing) is a positive commandment of the Torah, as it is written (Devarim 5:1): "And you shall study them (the mitzvoth) and you shall take care to do them."

And Chazal have said (Peah 1:1): "These are the things that a person eats… and Torah study over and against all." And we find in Yerushalmi (Peah, Chapter 1) that all of the mitzvoth are not comparable to one word of Torah.

And it is written (Mishlei 4:2): "For a good taking have I given you; My Torah shall you not forsake." The intent of "good," "My Torah," is as follows: It is known that something that is so significant to a poor man that he calls it "good" may not be significant to one who is not poor; and that something which is significant to him may not be significant to one who is very wealthy; and that something which is significant to him, may not be significant to a king; and that something which is significant to him, (like the conquering of a country) may not be significant to an angel [(It is known that the size of some angels is several thousand parasangs, as stated in Chullin 91b)]. Therefore, the verse comes to say: "For a good taking, etc." That is, see and reflect upon the greatness of its [Torah's] good, to the point that it is called "good" by Me, who have created all of the worlds, all of which are insignificant to Me — notwithstanding which I have called Torah "good." And it is the secreted treasure with which the Holy One Blessed be He disports Himself at all times, as it is written (Mishlei 8:30): "and I [Torah] was His plaything every day." And it is "My Torah." Therefore, "do not forsake it."

For, in truth, there is no end to the holiness of the Torah. As Chazal have said, there are six hundred thousand interpretations of every verse of Torah. And in Midrash Othioth d'R. Akiva we find that the light of the holy names of the Holy One Blessed be He on high illumines twenty-one thousand ten thousands of parasangs, according to the Name "E-he-yeh" [twenty-one in gematria (numerical equivalent)]. And Chazal have said in Yalkut Tehillim: "R. Elazar said: 'The sections of the Torah were not stated in sequence. For if they were, anyone who read it could resurrect the dead and perform wonders. Therefore, the sequence of the verses remained hidden from them; but it is manifest to the Holy One Blessed be He, as it is written (Isaiah 44:7): "'And who, as I, shall read, etc.?'"

And in Sifrei, Parshath Ekev we find (Mishlei 5:16): "'Then your springs [of Torah] will spread outwards': Words of Torah are compared to water. Just as water lives forever, so, words of Torah live forever, as it is written (Ibid. 4:2): 'For they are life to him who finds them, and to all of his flesh, healing.' And just as water raises the unclean one from his uncleanliness, so, words of Torah raise one from uncleanliness to purity, as it is written (Psalms 19:10): 'The fear of the L-rd is pure.' [And, just as water purifies a man, though the uncleanliness has spread through all of his limbs, so, Torah purifies a man from the uncleanliness of his sins, even if it has spread throughout him, from the soul of his foot until his head. And just as a man is not purified until the water rises over all of his limbs, and there be nothing intervening between his limbs and the water, so, he must subject all of his body and his limbs, in truth, to Torah, with nothing intervening, as it is written (Devarim 6:6): 'And these words shall be … upon your heart']. And just as water restores a man's soul, so do words of Torah restore a man's soul from the way of evil to the way of good, as it is written (Psalms 19:8): 'The Torah of the L-rd is complete, restoring the soul,.' And just as water is free for the world, so is Torah free for the world, as it is written (Isaiah 55:1): "Ho! all who are thirsty, go to the water [of Torah]." Lest you say: 'Just as water has no valuation, so, Torah has no valuation; it is, therefore, written [to negate this] (Mishlei 3:15): 'It is more precious than pearls and all of your desires cannot be compared to it.'"

And man was created only for Torah. For thus have Chazal expounded (Sanhedrin 99b): "All men were created for toil, viz. (Iyyov 5;7): 'For man is born for toil.' I would not know whether for toil of the lips or toil of labor — if it were not written (Mishlei 16:26): 'For he saddles his mouth with it,' which indicates that he was born for toil of the lips. And I still would not know whether for the [lip] toil of Torah or the toil of converse — if it were not written (Joshua 1:8): 'Let the book of this Torah not depart from your mouth,' which indicates that he was created for the toil of Torah."

And it [Torah] is the mainstay of the life of the soul, as we find in Sifrei, Parshath Ekev." R. Shimon says (Devarim 4:9): 'Only take heed to yourself and heed your soul exceedingly.' This may be compared to [the instance of] a king who captures a bird and hands it to his servant, saying to him: 'Take care of this bird for my son. If you lose it, do not think that you have lost a one-issar (a small-coin) bird, but that you have lost your soul.' And thus is it written (Devarim 32:47): 'For it [Torah] is not an empty thing for you [Not in vain do you toil in it; great reward inheres in it]; for it is your life.'"

And the world endures only through Torah, as it is written (Jeremiah 33:25): "If not for My covenant, day and night, the statutes of heaven and earth I would not have ordained." And this is the language of the holy Zohar, Parshath Bereshith 47a: "Everyone who occupies himself with Torah every day will merit having a share in the world to come, and it will be accounted to him as if he had built worlds. For it was through Torah that the world was built and fashioned, as it is written (Mishlei 3:19): 'The L-rd, through wisdom [Torah] founded the earth, etc.' And everyone who occupies himself with it shapes the worlds and sustains them. And come and see: It was with a spirit that the Holy One Blessed be He made the world, and it is with a spirit that it endures, the spirit of those who toil in Torah." And this is the language of Parshath Tzav: " R. Elazar opened and said: (Isaiah 51:16): 'And I have placed My words in your mouth, and with the shadow of My hand have I covered you, etc.' From here we learn that if a man occupies himself with words of Torah and his lips murmur Torah, the Holy One Blessed be He hovers over him and the Shechinah spreads its wings over him. What is more, he causes the world to endure and the Holy One Blessed be He rejoices with him as if the heavens and the earth were planted on that day."

And it is written in Chovath Halevavoth that it befits a man to reflect that if a book reached him [written by] a king of flesh and blood and he was in doubt as to its meaning because of the nature of the writing or its subtlety, or the profundity of the language, he would grieve greatly until he could understand it and he would set all of his heart and mind upon his understanding it. And if this is the case with a book of flesh and blood, who today is here and tomorrow in the grave, how much more so with the King of kings, the Holy One Blessed be He, who is his life and his salvation, as it is written (Devorim 30:20): "For He is your life and the length of your days."

And many men stumble in this sin, expending all of their energy to understand the statutes of a king of flesh and blood, and neglecting to understand the statute of the King of kings, the Holy One Blessed be He. This is similar to what is written (Daniel 5:23): "And the gods of silver, and gold, of copper, iron, wood, and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor know, you have praised; but the G-d in whose hand your soul is and who His are all your ways, you have not glorified."

And Chazal have said (Eicha Rabbah, Pethichta): "The Holy One Blessed be He 'overlooked' the sin of idolatry, illicit relations, and blood-spilling, but He did not overlook the sin of bitul Torah [neglect of Torah study], as it is written (Jeremiah 9:11-12): 'Why was the land destroyed?' And the L-rd said: 'Because they forsook My Torah which I set before them.'" And because there are some people who have become indifferent to the sin of bitul Torah and who spend all their time on vanity, and who do not consider this a sin at all, and, "transgression leading to transgression," do not support their sons in Torah study, and through this the "eternal mountains" have fallen, I have thought fit to adduce some of the apothegms of Chazal dealing with the greatness of the reward for Torah study both in this world and the next, and, conversely, the greatness of the punishment [for bitul Torah], G-d forbid, in the hope that through this they will awaken somewhat to hold onto the Torah of the L-rd.