## Shemirat HaLashon, Book II

###### Shemirat HaLashon, Book II 23:1
[Shemirat HaLashon, Book II 23:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shemirat%20HaLashon/s/Book%20II/r/23:1)

**פָּרָשַׁת תָּבוֹא**

**Shmirath Halashon by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein:**
***Tavo***


###### Shemirat HaLashon, Book II 23:2
[Shemirat HaLashon, Book II 23:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shemirat%20HaLashon/s/Book%20II/r/23:2)

**וְהִנֵּה** לְבַד כָּל אֵלּוּ הַפָּרָשִׁיּוֹת שֶׁזָּכַרְנוּ לְמַעְלָה, הַמְדַבְּרוֹת בְּעִנְיַן אִסּוּר לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, בֵּרֵךְ הַקָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּרָכָה מְיֻחֶדֶת לְמִי שֶׁנִּזְהָר מֵחֵטְא זֶה, וּלְהֶפֶךְ לְבַעַל לָשׁוֹן הָרָע נֶאֱמַר עָלָיו אָרוּר, וְהוּא בְּפָרָשַׁת תָּבוֹא (דברים כ"ז י"ב): "אֵלֶּה יַעַמְדוּ לְבָרֵךְ אֶת הָעָם עַל הַר גְּרִזִּים" וְגוֹ'; שֶׁכָּל אַחַד עָשָׂר הָאֲרוּרִים פָּתְחוּ מִתְּחִלָּה בְּבָרוּךְ לְמִי שֶׁנִּזְהָר בָּזֶה, וְעַל כֵּן אָמְרוּ מִתְּחִלָּה בַּבְּרָכָה בְּקוֹל רָם (שם י"ד) "אֶל כָּל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל" לְמִי שֶׁנִּזְהָר מֵחֵטְא זֶה, וְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל עָנוּ עַל זֶה אָמֵן, וְאַחַר כָּךְ אָמְרוּ (דבדים כ"ז כ"ד): "אָרוּר מַכֶּה רֵעֵהוּ בַּסָּתֶר", שֶׁהוּא קָאֵי עַל לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, כְּמוֹ דְּאִיתָא בְּסִפְרִי, וְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל עָנוּ עַל זֶה אָמֵן. וְכַמָּה יֵשׁ לִזָּהֵר מֵחֵטְא זֶה, שֶׁהוּא מְקֻלָּל עֲבוּר זֶה מִכָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאַשְׁרֵי מִי שֶׁנִּזְהָר מֵחֵטְא זֶה, שֶׁהוּא מְבֹרָךְ מִכָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּיַחַד.

**Shmirath Halashon by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein:**
Aside from all of these *parshiyoth* mentioned above, which speak of the *issur* of *lashon hara*, the Holy One Blessed be He gave a special blessing to one who guards himself from this sin, and, conversely, about the man of *lashon hara* it is written *Arur*, ("Cursed"), viz. (Devarim 27:12): "These shall stand to bless the people on Mount Gerizim, etc." For all of the eleven *arurim* opened with *Baruch* ("Blessed") for one who guarded himself against it, and all of Israel answered "Amen." And then they [the Levites] said (*Ibid*. 24): "Cursed is he who smites his neighbor in secret," which refers to *lashon hara*, as we find in *Sifrei*; and all of Israel would answer "Amen." How much must one take care to guard himself against this sin, for which he is cursed by all of Israel. And happy is he who guards himself against this sin, for which he is blessed by all of Israel together!


###### Shemirat HaLashon, Book II 23:3
[Shemirat HaLashon, Book II 23:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shemirat%20HaLashon/s/Book%20II/r/23:3)

אֶת ה' הֶאֱמַרְתָּ הַיּוֹם לִהְיוֹת לְךָ לֵאלֹקִים וְלָלֶכֶת בִּדְרָכָיו וְלִשְׁמֹר חֻקָּיו וּמִצְוֹתָיו וְגוֹ' (דברים כ"ו י"ז), מִזֶּה הַפָּסוּק אָנוּ לְמֵדִין גֹּדֶל מַדְרֵגַת הַמִּתְחַזֵּק לֵילֵךְ בְּדַרְכֵי מִדּוֹתָיו שֶׁל הַקָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִהְיוֹת רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן וְכַדּוֹמֶה, שֶׁהֲרֵי מָנָה הַכָּתוּב מַעלָה זוֹ קֹדֶם שְׁמִירַת הַחֻקּים וִהַמִּצְוֹת וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים. הָא לָמַדְתָּ, שֶׁהִיא קוֹדֶמֶת בַּמַּעֲלָה. [דֻּגְמָא מַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ בִּבְרָכוֹת (דף מ"א:) עַל הַפָּסוּק, שֶׁמַּזְכִּיר בְּשִׁבְחָהּ שֶׁל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, (דְּבָרִים ח' ח') "אֶרֶץ חִטָּה וּשְׂעֹרָה" וְגוֹ' כָּל הַקּוֹדֵם, קוֹדֵם לִבְרָכָה], וּמְאֹד צָרִיךְ לְהִתְחַזֵּק בָּעִנְיָן הַזֶּה, וּמִמֵּילָא אָנוּ לְמֵדִין לְעִנְיָנֵנוּ לִהְיוֹת זְהִירִים מֵאִסּוּר לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, שֶׁגַּם זֶה מִדַּרְכֵי מִדּוֹתָיו שֶׁל הַקָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה בְּמַעֲשֵׂה דְּעָכָן (סנהדרין מ"ג:), שֶׁמָּעַל מַעַל בַּחֵרֶם, וְנָפְלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל יְדֵי זֶה בַּמִּלְחָמָה. "וַיִּפֹּל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לִפְנֵי אֲרוֹן בְּרִית ה' " וְגוֹ'; וְאָמַר לוֹ הַקָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא (יהושע ז' י'): "לָמָּה זֶה אַתָּה נֹפֵל עַל פָּנֶיךָ גוֹ', וְגַם גָּנְבוּ גַּם כִּחֲשׁוּ וְגוֹ', לֹא אוֹסִיף לִהְיוֹת עִמָּכֶם, אִם לֹא תַּשְׁמִידוּ הַחֵרֶם מִקִּרְבְּכֶם". אָמַר לוֹ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ: אֱמֹר לִי מִי מָעַל. אָמַר לוֹ: וְכִי דֵּילָטוֹר אֲנִי? לֵךְ, הַטֵּל גּוֹרָלוֹת וְיִתְוַדַּע לְךָ. וַאֲפִלּוּ בְּדָבָר שֶׁמִּצְוָה לְבָרֵר, כְּמַעֲשֵׂה דְּעָכָן, שֶׁהָיוּ מְחֻיָּבִין לְבַעֵר הַחֵרֶם, אֲפִלּוּ הָכֵי, כָּל מַה שֶּׁיָּכוֹל לְהִתְבָּרֵר מִמֵּילָא וְלֹא לוֹמַר בַּפֶּה, יֵשׁ לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן.

**Shmirath Halashon by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein:**
(Devarim 26:17): "The L-rd did you single out this day to be to you as a G-d, and to walk in His ways, and to keep His statutes, and His mitzvoth, and His judgments, and to heed His voice." From this verse we learn the greatness of strengthening oneself to walk in the ways of the traits of the Holy One Blessed be He, to be merciful, gracious, and the like. For Scripture mentioned this quality ["to walk in His ways"] before keeping the statutes, the mitzvoth, and the judgments, whereby we infer that it takes precedence to the others [(as we find in Berachoth 41b on the verse that speaks in praise of Eretz Yisrael (Devarim 8:8): "a land of wheat, barley, grapevine, etc." — "That which precedes (in the verse) precedes for the blessing."] And one must greatly strengthen oneself in this — whence we learn in our instance to guard greatly against the *issur* of *lashon hara*. For this is one of the ways of the traits of the Holy One Blessed be He, as our sages of blessed memory said (Sanhedrin 43b) concerning the deed of Achan, who violated the ban, because of which Israel was defeated in the war. (Joshua 2:6): "And he [Joshua] fell on his face to the ground before the ark of the L-rd… (10): And the L-rd said to Joshua: 'Arise, why do you fall on your face… they have also stolen; they have also denied… (12): I will not be with you if you do not destroy the *cherem* [(the forbidden property] from your midst.'" Joshua said to Him: "Who has sinned?", to which He answered: "Am I a slanderer? Go and cast lots and it will be known to you." Even for something that it was a mitzvah to clarify, such as the act of Achan, where they were obliged to destroy the *cherem*, even so, since it could come to light of itself, it should not be spoken.


###### Shemirat HaLashon, Book II 23:4
[Shemirat HaLashon, Book II 23:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shemirat%20HaLashon/s/Book%20II/r/23:4)

**וּבֶאֱמֶת**, כֵּיוָן שֶׁבְּרָאוֹ הַקָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּצַלְמוֹ, כַּכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה, יֵשׁ לְהִתְדַּמּוֹת לְהַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּכָל מַה שֶּׁיּוּכַל. וְהִנֵּה בַּעֲבוּר גְּדֻלַּת הַמִּדָּה הַזֹּאת, שֶׁהוּא הָעִקָּר הַגָּדוֹל בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה' יִתְבָּרַךְ, פֵּרֵט לָנוּ הַכָּתוּב בְּפֵרוּשׁ (דברים י"ט, ט'): "וְלָלֶכֶת בִּדְרָכָיו כָּל הַיָּמִים". וְהַיְנוּ, שֶׁלֹּא דַּי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הָאָדָם בְּמִקְרֶה אִישׁ טוֹב, רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן וְרַב חֶסֶד וְכַדּוֹמֶה, כִּי אִם כָּל הַיָּמִים יִהְיֶה זָהִיר בַּמִּדָּה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה הַזּוֹ לָלֶכֶת בִּדְרָכָיו. וּשְׁאָר כָּל הַמִּצְוֹת, אַף שֶׁגַּם אוֹתָן צָרִיךְ לִשְׁמֹר כָּל הַיָּמִים, לֹא פֵּרֵט לָנוּ הַכָּתוּב עַל כָּל מִצְוָה בִּפְרָט, כִּי אִם בְּדֶרֶךְ כְּלָל. (דברים כ"ט כ"ח) "הַנִּסְתָּרֹת לַה' אֱלֹקַינוּ, וְהַנִּגְלֹת לָנוּ וּלְבָנֵינוּ עַד עוֹלָם לַעֲשׂות אֶת כָּל דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת". וְהַטַּעַם כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ.

**Shmirath Halashon by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein:**
And, in truth, since the Holy One Blessed be He created a man in His image, as written in the Torah, he must liken himself to the Blessed Creator in every way that he can. And it is because of the greatness of this trait ["to walk in His ways"], which is the fundamental principle in the service of the Blessed L-rd, that Scripture singled it out (in Devarim 19:9) — "and to walk in His ways all of the days." That is, it is not sufficient that one be adventitiously a good man, merciful, gracious, abundant in lovingkindness and the like, but "all of the days" he must take care to cultivate this holy trait of walking in His ways. And as to the rest of the mitzvoth, even though he must keep them, too, all of the days, Scripture did not single out each mitzvah by itself [(for "all of the days")], but spoke of them only collectively, in (Devarim 29:28): "The hidden things are for the L-rd our G-d, but the revealed ones are for us and our children forever, to do according to all the words of this Torah." The reason is as we have written.


###### Shemirat HaLashon, Book II 23:5
[Shemirat HaLashon, Book II 23:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shemirat%20HaLashon/s/Book%20II/r/23:5)

**הִנֵּה** הֶרְאֵיתִי לְעֵינֵי הַכֹּל רִבּוּי הַפָּרָשִׁיּוֹת בַּתּוֹרָה, הַמְסַפְּרִים וּמַזְהִירִים מִדִּבּוּרִים אֲסוּרִים. וְכֵן יֵשׁ כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה עַשְׂרוֹת פְּסוּקַים בִּנְבִיאִים וּכְתוּבִים, הַמְתַעֲבִים אֶת הָאִישׁ הַמַּפְקיר פִּיו לְכָל אֲשֶׁר יַחְפֹּץ יִצְרוֹ. אַשְׁרֵי אֱנוֹשׁ, הֶחָס עַל כְּבוֹד תּוֹרַת ה' וְזָהִיר שֶׁלֹּא לַעֲבֹר עָלֶיהָ. מֵחֶלְקוֹ יִהְיֶה חֶלְקַנוּ, וּמִגּוֹרָלוֹ יִהְיֶה גּוֹרָלֵנוּ.

**Shmirath Halashon by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein:**
I have shown, before the eyes of all, the abundance of *parshiyoth* in the Torah which speak of and exhort against forbidden speech. And there are many tens of verses in *Prophets* and *Writings*, which abominate the man who abandons his mouth to everything that his *yetzer* desires. Happy is the man who is solicitous of the honor of the Torah of the L-rd and takes care not to transgress it. Of his portion may our portion be, and of his lot, our lot!