You shall not go around as a talebearer among your people. (Ibid. 19:16) When a person speaks good words, the speech, which is the life-force of a person and the life-force from G-d,⁵ rises up and arouses the supernal words. Then, additional life radiates upon him from Above. However, when he speaks evil words, his vitality leaves him and does not rise up. He comes close to losing his life-force altogether. This is what people say about a tale-bearer, “Er hot ois geret” – “He said it out!”⁶ Tzava’as HaRivash, p. 12b

footnotes: ⁵ On the verse: “Then the L-rd G-d formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7), the Targum Unkelos translates: “and man became a speaking spirit.” A person’s speech is an expression of the very soul that G-d breathes into one. ⁶ That is, he spoke out his very life-force.