Freedom of Speech
Protecting Ourselves From Speech-Related Transgressions
By Rav Moshe Shternbuch
The following
was written by
Rabbi Daniel
Yaakov Travis
based on a drasha
given by Rav Moshe
Shternbuch, Rosh
Av Beis Din of the Eidah
Hachareidis of Yerushalayim, leil
Shabbos Parshas Mattos-Masei.
•••••
SHORT AND
TO THE POINT
Generally, the Torah intro-
duces a statement by saying,
“And Hashem said to Moshe…”
In Parshas Mattos, we find a de-
viation from this pattern. The
Torah writes, “And Moshe spoke
to the heads of the mattos (tribes)
saying...” What is the reason for
this change in phrasing?
The posuk continues: “
…this is what you should tell
the Jewish people...” In other
sections, the Torah merely
states the concept without this
introductory phrase of “this is
what…” What justifies adding
these words in this parsha?
Most of the Torah was taught
to Moshe Rabbeinu in a brief
form and then taught to the rest
of Klal Yisroel in a more elabo-
rated version. Parshas Nedarim
differs from the rest of the To-
rah in two ways. Moshe
Rabbeinu told it directly to the
leaders of Klal Yisroel and re-
layed the parsha in the con-
densed form that he had heard it
directly from Hashem.
The parsha of Nedarim
comes to teach us the great
power of speech that we have
been endowed with. A simple
object can be sanctified with
kedushah merely by uttering a
few words. By saying “This is
like a korban,” we can even give
an object the status of hekdesh.
Similarly, Jewish mouths
should be sanctified with words
of Torah and tefillah. Someone
who pollutes his speech with
lashon hara and other verbal
transgressions is destroying this
holy gift. His Torah will not af-
fect him and his tefillos will not
be accepted by Hashem.
“Life and death are regu-
lated by the tongue.” Chazal re-
vealed to us that eternal life in
the Next World or, conversely,
spending the rest of eternity in
oblivion depends on how one
uses his faculties of speech.
Shlomo Hamelech drove this
lesson home when he said,
“Whoever guards his mouth
and tongue spares himself from
devastating punishment.”
For this reason, Parshas
Nedarim is written differently
than the rest of the Torah. By us-
ing the exact concise wording
3 Av 5769 • July 24 2009
with which Hashem had re-
layed it to Moshe Rabbeinu,
Hashem wished to convey how
carefully one must deal with the
power of the tongue involving
nedarim and all speech-related
areas. Each word must be
weighed prudently lest the
wrong word slip out and wreck
havoc in the world.
This is why the Torah intro-
duces nedarim with the words,
“This is what Hashem said…”
When the day of din comes, all of our
words will be played back to us.
Unlike other parshiyos which
were altered for the sake of clar-
ity and explanation, the Torah
used the exact wording to relay
this section. This choice of brev-
ity comes to stress how careful
one must be when choosing
words in any setting.
With the above explanation,
we can understand why the sec-
tion of nedarim had to be taught
directly to the leaders of Klal
Yisroel. Only great Torah schol-
ars are capable of fathoming the
terse version and then accu-
rately communicating it to the
rest of the Jewish people. After
they had sufficiently absorbed
this section, they could teach it
to the rest of the Jewish people
in their own words.
We should learn from the terse
nature of the parsha of nedarim
and apply it to our everyday
speech. Great precaution must be
exercised when selecting each
word that leaves our mouths.
Guarding our tongues in this
manner will help us to avoid the
many speech-related transgres-
sions that can easily creep their
way into our conversations.
THE FINAL ACCOUNTING
On one hand, the parsha of
nedarim was written succinctly
to teach us how much we have
to weigh every word. However,
at the same time, the Torah
elaborates on these halachos to
teach us how stringent they are.
The final judgment on one’s
speech is from the most arduous
aspects of our final din.
Rav Yitzchok Blazer tran-
scribed the works of his rebbi,
Rav Yisroel Salanter, and was
one of Rav Yisroel’s most fa-
mous students. After Rav
Yitzchok Blazer’s death, he came
to his colleague, Rav Chaim Ber-
lin, in a dream. Rav Yitzchok re-
vealed to him that while all of the
judgments in the Next World are
difficult, that of speech-related
sins is amongst the hardest.
Doing teshuvah on these
transgressions during one’s life-
time is no easy task. Constant
repetition makes these aveiros fulfillment soon of that which Even though his yelling does not
almost an inseparable part of our Chazal promised, “All those help, since he feels excruciating
personalities. Only with great who mourn the destruction of pain, he screams. So too, when
effort can we dissect these words the Bais Hamikdosh will we see chillul Hashem, chas
from our conversations. merit to experience the joy of veshalom, we, too, must scream
Chazal teach us that a per- its rebuilding.” and express our pain.
son is judged on all of his PROTEST IN When we see or hear about
words. Even the simple conver- YERUSHALAYIM the events that the police and au-
sations that he had with his In a drasha about speech, we thorities allowed to happen in
spouse will be included in his cannot ignore the chain of the holy city of Yerushalayim,
final reckoning. Every word events that has taken place here we must recognize that the full
needs to be accounted for. in Yerushalayim during the past force of the churban is being
In the past century, technol- weeks. The authorities have felt. We must make our voices
acted atrociously to members of heard and show Hashem how
the religious community, treat- much pain we feel. This will
ing them as sub-humans and arouse Divine mercy and bring
animals. One is forbidden to re- an end to their leadership.
main quiet while such atrocities However, as much as we
take place around us. feel pain, one thing is clear.
Lest we ask what it will help Acting with violence is lower-
ogy has brought us an array of if I protest, the famed gaon, ing ourselves to their level and
new gadgets which can transmit Rav Yitzchok Zev Soloveitchik, accomplishes nothing. We
and record our words. The the rov of Brisk, offers the fol- must make our voices heard
Chofetz Chaim noted that these lowing answer. We must inter- while at the same time main-
inventions are meant to teach us nalize his words and recognize tain our dignity. In this way, we
the great surveillance that takes that they are halacha lema’aseh are standing up for the truth
place on our speech. When the during these times. and at the same time sanctify-
day of din comes, all of our The Medrash says that when ing Hashem’s name.
words will be played back to us. Paroh decided to subjugate Klal •••••
The Zohar describes just Yisroel, he spoke the issue over Rabbi Travis is a rosh kollel
what this moment will be like. with three of his advisers. of Kollel Toras Chaim in
After listening to the words that Bilam consented, Yisro fled, Yerushalayim, and is the author
we said, we will beg, “Please and Iyov was quiet. Because of Shaylos U’Teshuvos Toras
give me another opportunity!” Iyov was silent, he was tortured Chaim and “Praying With Joy -
The Heavenly Assembly will with great affliction. A Daily Tefilla Companion,” a
reply, “Whoever made the effort The Brisker Rov asks, why practical daily guide to improv-
in their lifetime will reap the re- are yissurim considered an ap- ing one’s prayers, available from
ward in the World to Come.” propriate punishment for si- Feldheim Publishers. For more
How can we guard our lence? When a person feels he information about his work, con-
tongues successfully? Learning is being tortured, he screams. tact dytravis@actcom.com.
the halachos of lashon hara
from the sefer Chofetz Chaim
certainly has a major impact on
the way one speaks. The previ-
ous Gerrer Rebbe, Rav Avrohom
Mordechai, testified on himself
that he could feel the effects of
one day that he did not learn the
halachos of lashon hara.
THE NINE DAYS
During the Nine Days, when
we make an effort to mourn the
Bais Hamikdosh, we must be es-
pecially careful to guard our
tongues. Senseless hatred which
expressed itself as lashon hara
was one of the main causes of
the destruction of the Bais
Hamikdosh. Every generation in
which the Bais Hamikdosh is not
rebuilt is held accountable as if
they had propagated its ruin.
I remember as a bochur in ye-
shiva what the Nine Days
looked like. Talmidim would fall
onto the floor crying over the
great loss they felt that the Bais
Hamikdosh has not been rebuilt.
What a moving sight it was to
see such a heartfelt expression
of mourning!
Churban haMikdosh means
that the Shechinah has left us.
Our mourning during these
times brings the Shechinah
back and will eventually lead
to the rebuilding of the Bais
Hamikdosh. May we see the
YATED NE’EMAN Page 55