Shemirat HaLashon שמירת הלשון

Until now we have spoken about the beginning of the verse (Psalms 34:13-15): "Who is the man who wants life, etc., Guard your tongue from evil, etc." And now, with the help of the L-rd, we shall explain the end of the verse: "Depart from evil and do good," as it applies to the beginning of the verse. It is well known what our sages of blessed memory have said about this, viz.: "Who is the man who wants life" — in the world to come, "who loves days to see good" — in this world. "Guard your tongue, etc. Depart from evil and do good." We shall precede [the explanation of this verse] with what is said in the name of the GRA on the verse (Isaiah 3:10-11): "Say of the tzaddik that [he is] good, for the fruits of their deeds shall they eat. Woe to the rasha [the wicked one], for he is evil. For the recompense of his hands shall be rendered him," viz.: If one fulfills the mitzvoth between a man and his Maker, the essence of his reward is in the world to come; and so, his punishment, when he transgresses them. And for the mitzvoth between a man and his neighbor, where he benefits his fellow men, he receives his reward in this world, too. Similarly, if he transgresses them, aside from the punishment awaiting him in the world to come, he is punished in this world too, for by his acts he also causes suffering to men. The terms "tzaddik" and rasha" apply to the relationship between a man and his Maker, and the terms "good" and "evil," to that between a man and his neighbor. And the verse is now resolved, viz.: "Say of the tzaddik that [he is] good," i.e., that by his acts he benefits also his fellow men — "for the fruits of their deeds [(those of the tzaddikim)] shall they [(their fellow men)] eat." "Woe to the rasha, for he is evil," i.e., even in the area of "between man and his neighbor" — "for the recompense of his [the rasha's] hands shall be rendered him [his fellow man]." And now, the aforementioned verse is also resolved, viz.: "Who is the man who wants life" — in the world to come; "who loves days to see good" — even in this world. "Depart from [doing] evil and do good," i.e., also the mitzvoth between a man and his neighbor, to do good to his fellow man, and through this to see good, even in this world.

Now, "Depart from evil" includes all aspects of evil: theft, violence, wronging, interest, cheating, "whitening" one's face, and the like. And "do good," includes all aspects of good: charity, lovingkindness, supporting the indigent, burial of the dead, visiting the sick, welcoming guests, returning lost objects, returning a pledge, paying a hired worker on time, and many other such mitzvoth between a man and his neighbor. A man must set his heart on all of them and spur himself to fulfill them. As we have seen with the mitzvah of shofar, that all run to fulfill it, so should it be with all mitzvoth, to pursue them and to rejoice in their fulfillment. As we say every day: "Therefore, O L-rd our G-d, in our lying down and in our rising, let us speak in Your statutes and rejoice in the words of Your Torah and in Your mitzvoth forever." [And, in our many sins, we say to the Holy One Blessed be He that we shall do this, but we transgress it. And in us there is fulfilled what our sags of blessed memory have said (Berachoth 6b) on the verse (Psalms 12:9): "…when the vile are exalted over the sons of men" — "these [i.e., mitzvoth] are the things that stand at the height of the world, and the sons of men cheapen them."]

In sum: One must take care to fulfill the words of the Torah, both those things between man and his Maker and those things between man and his neighbor. For they are all the word of the L-rd, as it is written (Devarim 32:46-47): "…which you are to command your children to keep and to do — all the words of this Torah. For it is not an empty thing for you. For it is your life." For just as with the body there is life in every limb, and all [of the limbs] are required by it, so, in every mitzvah there is life for a man's soul and all [the mitzvoth] are required by it. This is the intent of Koheleth 12:13: "The end of the matter — all has been heard. Fear G-d and keep His mitzvoth. For this is the whole man." That is, through the fear of G-d, not to transgress any negative commandment and to fulfill all of His positive commandments — this is the whole man. That is, then the man is called "complete," which is not so if some mitzvah is minor in his eyes, G-d forbid, in which instance he is lacking in his soul.

And how fitting is the homily of our sages of blessed memory on the verse (Shemoth 32:16): "And the tablets [luchoth] are the work of G-d.": "'Luchoth' is written [without the vav] to show that they [the tablets] were both the same; that is, they looked like one tablet. For it is known that on one tablet, on the right, there were written those things between man and his Maker, and on the second tablet, that begins (Ibid. 20:13): "You shall not kill," "You shall not commit adultery," until the end of that tablet, there were written those things between man and his neighbor. That is, one should not think about any one of them that it is only superficial, to "beautify" a man. For this reason they are written in great proximity, to show that one is not superior to the other. And they also looked like one tablet, to intimate that just as one is considered a "man among men" only when he is whole in his limbs; but if he is missing any part of his body, he is lowered in the eyes of men and also in his own eyes, so is it with the soul. When is he the "complete man"? When all the words of the L-rd are beloved of him, which is not the case, G-d forbid, if he belittles any of the words of the L-rd, whether in the area of man and his Maker or in that of man and his neighbor. Then he is not a "man."

It is public knowledge to all of Israel, both young and old alike, that the Torah is read, with the sanctity of a sefer Torah, only when it is entirely written without even one letter missing. Only then is it called (Psalms 19:8): "The Torah of the L-rd is complete." But if a letter is lacking, it does not possess the sanctity of a sefer Torah, but only the sanctity of parshiyoth. So is it with the Jew. When is he included in the congregation of Israel, having a share in the world to come? Only when he believes that the entire Torah was given by the L-rd from heaven. But one who denies it — even one letter of it — is not in the congregation of Israel (see Sanhedrin 99a; Rambam, Hilchoth Teshuvah 3:5; Yoreh Deah 158).

Now, in truth, all of Israel are believers, children of believers, that all of the Torah was given from heaven by the word of the L-rd to Moses, His servant. If so, if one believes that every mitzvah was given by the Blessed Creator, how can he allow himself to treat lightly anything in the Torah? In truth, this does not arise, G-d forbid, from heresy, but from his having transgressed it several times and in his having come to feel it as permitted. As our sages of blessed memory have said; "Once a person commits a transgression and repeats it, it feels permitted to him." But this itself is an egregious sin, allowing oneself to transgress anything of the words of the L-rd (as expanded upon by Rabbeinu Yonah in Sha’arei Teshuvah). Therefore, one must be extremely heedful in this and it will be good for him.