Lashon Hara

You probably recognize the situation, and you may have even participated in it. You see some friends, and you go to talk to them. “Did you hear what So-and-so did last night? I heard …” Gossip. Talking about someone else, or what one heard about them. It is called “Lashon Hara” or “The Evil Tongue.” Lashon Hara is speaking about someone, anyone, in a manner that is not edifying and uplifting. It is repeating something one has heard about another person, or even witnessed, and spreading it around to others, whether it was true or not. It is being critical of another, or condemning of them, often belittling them.

Many of us live in a society where it is part of the social culture to talk about others. There are even magazines, news columns, and television programs dedicated to talking about others and how they live their lives. But what few people realize is that it is wickedness to do that. When we talk about others and what they do in a negative and demeaning manner, we spread the work of the Adversary. When we wag our tongues in gossip or condemnation, we are speaking against not only the person, but against the One who created them.

Don’t get me wrong, we should always point out immoral or evil behavior, but we should never point out the person. It is not our place to do so, and when we do that, we step into the place of G-d and take His authority for ourselves. The King of the Universe, blessed is He, does not condemn us, but He condemns only our actions, and that is the example we should take for ourselves. It doesn’t matter if the person is a political or religious opponent, or a celebrity figure, or a member of our own family, we should always speak of the other person in an edifying and uplifting manner, no matter what kind of behavior that person exhibits, or what kind of belief they may hold. One can disagree with a political or religious view of another without engaging in Lashon Hara, and in essence, speaking curses over them. Even if the other person attacks us verbally or physically, we should still speak well of them, and bring glory to the Creator, who created that person in His own image. We should speak blessings over them, and in that way, we speak blessings over ourselves.

Here are a couple of scripture verses to consider regarding the matter. Yeshua’s brother Ya’akov taught, “James 3:3-11 MKJV Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so that they may obey us, and we turn about their whole body. (4) Behold also the ships being so great, and driven by fierce winds, yet they are turned about with a very small rudder, where the impulse of him steering desires. (5) Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. Behold how little a fire kindles how large a forest! (6) And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. So the tongue is set among our members, spotting all the body and inflaming the course of nature, and being inflamed by hell. (7) For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of sea-animals, is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind. (8) But no one can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. (9) By this we bless God, even the Father. And by this we curse men, who have come into being according to the image of God. (10) Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. (11) Does a fountain send forth at the same hole the sweet and the bitter?” Yeshua himself taught us, “Matthew 15:18-19 MKJV But the things which come out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile the man. (19) For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies;” and “Matthew 12:35-37 MKJV A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings out good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings out evil things. (36) But I say to you that every idle word, whatever men may speak, they shall give account of it in the day of judgment. (37) For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.”

Whatever words we speak, they should be words that honor others, not for their sake, but for the sake of G-d in Heaven. Every soul that He created, He created perfectly, and every soul that walks this Earth has at one time or another strayed away from the teachings and precepts of G-d, and as such, each and every one of us is liable to judgment, so we don’t have room to speak about others and their behavior. If we walk the path of righteousness, the path to Emunah, then the words that come from our mouth will show those around us what is in our heart, and on the day that we come to stand before our Heavenly Judge, we will not be ashamed of the things we have said. May the reader be blessed, and may the One who created us in His Divine Image be glorified and blessed through our words and deeds.