Monday, February 28, 2011

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: ECO-JUDAISM :DEREK ERETZ ZUTA: SLANDER: MUSSAR

 
RABBI ARTHUR  SEGAL: ECO-JUDAISM :DEREK ERETZ ZUTA: SLANDER: MUSSAR
 
 Jewish Spiritual Renewal: Derek Eretz Zuta + Rabbah:
 
Shabbat 03/05/11
 
(aka Derech Eretz )
 
The JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL class list is hosted by Shamash: The Jewish Network a service of Hebrew College/Yeshiva
 
Shalom my dear Chaverim, Talmidim, v' Rabbanim, friends, students and fellow rabbis:
 
An oneg, joy-filled, Shabbat, Sabbath, this weekend.
 
We continue with our exploration into the Talmudic Tractates of Derek Eretz Zuta and Rabbah. (aka Derech Eretz Zuta, aka Derech Eretz Rabbah. As was mentioned, zuta is Aramaic for 'small', and rabbah is 'large'). Remember that Derek Eretz is not about Jewish ritual. It is about how we are to treat one another and what traits of character, middot, we are to try to develop. The lessons are universal and ecumenical.
 
For those new to the class, Baruch ha Ba! Welcome! You can access last week's class  at 
 
From there you will find links to preceding classes in this series. 
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO SEEM TO OVERWHELMED TO READ, I MADE A SHORT VIDEO CLASS FOR YOU
 
So,  together we continue:
 
TALMUD BAVLI
 
 
TRACTATE DEREK
 
ERETZ ZUTA
 
(aka Derech Eretz)
 
CHAPTER I.
 
Talmud Bavli Tractate Derek Eretz Zuta Verse   1:6
 
OK. As I wrote in our last classes, before I show you the next verse from Talmud Bavli Tractate Derek Eretz Zuta Chapter One, which is verse 6 and the last verse of this chapter, let me advise you that it is a long one, and on first read can be a confusing one for those not intimately familiar with Jewish History, or the entire TaNaK, as well as Midrash.
 
I will guide you through it and it will open up some exciting doors for you, hopefully not an "Exit Door.''  ;-) .  As we have done in other long verses in this class, we will parse it sentence by sentence, or in some cases, by phrases or even words. This is the last verse in Chapter One.
 
''Love the Law, and respect it; love all creatures, and respect them.'' Subject your will to the will of others, as was done by Leah for Rachel and by David for Saul. But ignore your will, and even the will of others, for the will of Heaven, as we find by Jacob that he did not kiss Joseph (because he was engaged in prayer). Love doubtfulness (i.e., everything shall be doubtful to you until you convince yourself of it), and hate the expression: "And what of it?" (i.e., even of the most unimportant things you should not express yourself thus). Keep aloof from everything that may bring you to sin, and from the abominable, and from what is equal to it, that you should not be suspected by others of transgression. Do not slander your neighbor, because he who does so has no remedy. Keep aloof from grumbling, for by grumbling you may come to growl at others, and it will be added to your transgressions. With seven patriarchs covenants were made, and they are: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Pinchas, and David--Abraham [Gen. xv. 18], Isaac [ibid. xvii. 21], Jacob [Lev. xxvi. 421, Moses [Ex. xxxiv. 271, Aaron [Numb. xviii. 19], Pinchas [ibid. xxv. 12], David [Ps. lxxxix. 41. Seven patriarchs are resting in glory, and worm and maggot do not affect their earthly remains, and they are: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Amram their father, and, according to others, also David, as it is written [ibid. xvi. 9]: "Therefore is rejoiced my heart,and my spirit is glad; also my flesh shall rest in safety." Nine entered the Garden of Eden when they were still alive, and they are: Enoch (Chanoch) the son of Jared, Elijah Messiah, Eliezer the bondsman of Abraham, Hirom the king of Zor, Ebed-melech the Cushi [Jer. xxxviii. 7], and Jabetz the son of R. Jehudah the Prince, Bothiah the daughter of Pharaoh and Serech the daughter of Ascher, and, according to others, also R. Jehoshua b. Levi.''
 
Let us work only with this fifth sentence today: ''Do not slander your neighbor, because he who does so has no remedy. ''  
Aside from murder and a few other sins, gossip is one of the few where it is impossible  to make complete teshuvah, amends.
 
Judaism is intensely aware of the power of speech and of the harm that can be done through speech. The rabbis note that the universe itself was created through speech. Of the 43 sins enumerated in the Al Cheit confession recited on Yom Kippur, 11 are sins committed through speech. The Talmud tells that the tongue is an instrument so dangerous that it must be kept hidden from view, behind two protective walls (the mouth and teeth) to prevent its misuse.

The harm done by speech is even worse than the harm done by stealing or by cheating someone financially: money lost can be repaid, but the harm done by speech can never be repaired. For this reason, some sources indicate that there is no forgiveness for lashon ha-ra (disparaging speech).

This is probably hyperbole, but it illustrates the seriousness of improper speech. A Chasidic tale vividly illustrates the danger of improper speech: A man went about the community telling malicious lies about the rabbi. Later, he realized the wrong he had done, and began to feel remorse. He went to the rabbi and begged his forgiveness, saying he would do anything he could to make amends. The rabbi told the man, "Take a feather pillow, cut it open, and scatter the feathers to the winds." The man thought this was a strange request, but it was a simple enough task, and he did it gladly. When he returned to tell the rabbi that he had done it, the rabbi said, "Now, go and gather the feathers. Because you can no more make amends for the damage your words have done than you can recollect the feathers."

The person who listens to gossip is even worse than the person who tells it, because no harm could be done by gossip if no one listened to it. It has been said that lashon ha-ra (disparaging speech) kills three: the person who speaks it, the person who hears it, and the person about whom it is told. (Talmud Bavli Tractate Arachin 15b).

Many books have been written about the defect of character of gossip. My favorite is Sefer Chofetz Chaim--Guarding One's Tongue-- by Rabbi Israel Kagan (d. 1933).

In fact an entire parasha of Torah is about Gossiping, lashon ha ra. It is Parasha Tazria: Leviticus 12:01-13:59.

"Who is the person who Desires Life (Chofetz Chaim)? He who guards his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit." (Psalm 34).

In this parasha we read of various dermatological conditions that were called tsaraat in Hebrew. This word was mistranslated into Greek and eventually into our English vernacular as leprosy. The chapters not only deal with skin eruptions but of discolorations that appeared on clothing and the walls of homes. These scaly lesions rendered one impure. Only our priests were able to diagnose and treat the maladies. A person afflicted with tsaraat was called a metzora.

Any dermatologist today who has read this portion can tell you that the conditions described were not what we know as leprosy (Hansen's disease). Certainly, skin conditions do not spread to our clothes and the walls of our homes to discolor them.

To make sense out of this parasha, the Talmud and the Midrash state that something else is going on here. Whether we wish to believe, as our ancient sages supposedly did, that they had the answer to this puzzle, or whether we just wish to learn some good life lessons from their explanation, the traditional teachings deserve a retelling. The lessons from them are as fresh today as when they were written.

The Midrash (Vayikra Rabba 16:02) states that the word metzora comes from "motzi shem ra" (making a bad name), that is, a slanderer. One who speaks "lashon ha ra," evil talk, will be afflicted with tsaraat. Judaism teaches that gossip is not a victimless crime. It blemishes the person speaking and the one spoken about. It also harms the listener! We define gossips as relating bad things about another even if it is true. Not only are we commanded not to do it; we are commanded to not listen. The Midrash teaches that God gave us ear lobes to fold over our ears when someone speaks lashon ha ra.

Lashon ha ra literally means an evil tongue. It is defamatory but true speech about someone. Motzi shem ra is defaming through lying. Rechilus, which is tale bearing, is the third level. It is from the word regal (foot) as one who does this is like a peddler of gossip. We cannot say to person A, that person B said something bad about them.

Bad speech destroys marriages, friendships, businesses, congregations, and even lives. The Talmud says our Second Temple was destroyed and we are in exile because of it (Talmud Bavli Tractates Yoma 9B and Gitin 57B). There are fourteen positive mitzvoth and seventeen negative mitzvoth that one violates when speaking or listening to gossip.

For example, do not be a talebearer (Lev. 19:16), do not give a false report (Ex. 23:01), judge your fellow with righteousness (Lev. 19:15), and so forth. We also wandered in the desert for forty extra years because we believed the false reports of the spies, who spoke lashon ha ra against the land of Israel!

Rabbi Israel Kagan wrote a wonderful text on Shmirat Ha Lashon called Guarding the Tongue. His rules on lashon ha ra, in which he begins with the quote from King David's Psalm 34 at the top of this page, earned Rabbi Kagan the name, Chofetz Chaim. The foundation named in his honor helps promote proper speech and love among people. Their web site can be accessed at www.chofetzchaim.com . They will send you a free e-newsletter with daily lessons. Within one year, you could learn how to eliminate this destructive habit.

There are six basic rules on how to guard your tongue. Rabbi Z. Pliskin's text called Guard Your Tongue is excellent for an overview of this topic, as is Rabbi Telushkin's Words that Hurt, Words that Heal.

1.     We cannot say bad things about someone even if it is true and even if the news is in the media.

2.     We cannot make any comment that can cause someone anguish, pain, financial loss, etc., even if it is not derogatory.

3.     Any method we use to do 1 and 2 above, other than with our tongues, is forbidden, such as writing, e-mailing, hand gestures, facial gestures, etc.

4.     We cannot say mean things, even in kidding.

5.     We cannot even badmouth ourselves.

6.     We have an exception. We are obligated to warn a potential bride or groom, or someone going into a business deal, if we know information firsthand that will save them from harm or cheating.

The Rabbis took lashon ha ra very seriously. The Midrash (Devarim Rabbah 5:10) says, "Whoever speaks lashon ha ra causes the Shechinah (God's presence) to depart from this world." In Talmud Arachin 15b, it is written that God says that He and the gossiper cannot dwell together in the same world.

 King Solomon said, "Six things are hated by God and the seventh is despised by Him: haughty eyes, a tongue of falsehood, hands which shed innocent bloods...and one who incites quarrels among brothers." (Prov. 6:16-19). King Solomon also wrote in the same book (Prov. 21:23), "One who guards his mouth and tongue, guards his soul from tribulations."

In Chofetz Chaim's second lesson he writes that it is forbidden to relate that someone has been remiss in matters of Jewish observance, even if it is a rabbinic law, a Torah command, or just custom.

 It is forbidden to mention an incident in which a law was broken, even in a society where that halakah (Jewish law) is ignored commonly. It is lashon ha ra for us to say Mr. Cohen eats pork or Mrs. Levine spent money on Shabbat. It is also lashon ha ra for one to bad mouth an entire community, such as saying that members of Congregation B'nai Korach are not real Jews because they are Reform.

The next time you see someone engage in gossip, watch as they look around to make sure that no one is looking at them. They are very concerned that the subject of their defamation cannot hear them. In Talmud Arachin 15b, Rabbi Yochanan said that whoever speaks lashon ha ra is as though he has denied the existence of God! He quotes Psalm 12:05: "With our tongues we shall prevail, our lips are with us, who is master over us?" A metzora has no concern that God is watching him.

The power we wield when we speak is far beyond what we can perceive. We think we are only exchanging words when in fact we can move worlds. Lashon ha ra is so powerfully poisonous that it is taught that God takes the good deeds accumulated by the gossiper and gives them to the subject of the gossip, as well as taking the sins of the subject and giving them to the gossiper. The Talmud teaches that Lashon ha ra is like a triple murder, with the gossiper, the listener, and the subject as the victims. Ben Sira wrote in the Apocrypha Ecclesiasticus 19:10: "Have you heard something? Let it die with you. Be strong. It will not burst you!"

Just as the negative consequences of speech can be so enormous, the positive effects of good speech are even more vast. The Vilna Gaon say that proper speech is the single largest factor in determining one's share in Olam Ha Ba (the world to come). Whether you believe in an eternal afterlife or not, or even in our Creator, remember that few folks who gossip about person A when he is not present, will not hesitate to gossip about you when you are not present.

 

 Few folks who pick on someone or arbitrarily dislike someone will remain loyal to you. These people are enemy centered. They are not happy unless they are fighting with or in some way opposing someone. The metzora (our modern bad mouther) had to warn others that he was "unclean," and had to live outside of the community (Lev. 13: 45-46). These folks can poison our congregations, sisterhoods, and men's clubs, and can keep civil, decent people, who do not wish to keep their ear lobes pulled up, from participation in these groups. If we wish our congregations to pursue life (chofetz chaim), to grow and be strong, we need to teach these  self-made metzorim just how much damage they are doing.

 

Choose your companions wisely so that you can pursue life, chofetz chaim, and not diminish your spirit. Let us do the best we all can to shmirat ha lashon, to guard our mouths and think kinder thoughts about each other. We are all God's children and therefore all brothers and sisters on His earth.

Next week, Baruch ha Shem, we will continue with more of verse 6:1 of Derek Eretz Zuta.

We discuss the aspects of this verse of Derek Eretz Zuta , gossiping,   throughout the majority of chapters in  The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew  as well as in most chapters of A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud  .

What are your ideas about leading a life when you do not gossip?  How has learning to live a spiritual life helped you with understanding why people gossip and why you do not need to gossip? How has understanding the spiritual and ethical teachings of Judaism helped you live a happier life?

Next class, Baruch ha Shem, we will continue with Derek Eretz Zuta,  continuing  with more of the 6th verse of Chapter One. Thank you for joining me.  

For those who want a d'var Torah on Parasha Pekudei from A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud  or http://www.jewishspiritualrenewal.net/index.html#Compendium2  please click on:   Rabbi Arthur Segal: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:CHUMASH CANDESCENCE: PARASHA PEKUDEI: EXODUS 38:21 TO 40:38  or  http://rabbiarthursegal.blogspot.com/2008/02/rabbi-arthur-segalchumash-candescense.html

 
Shalom:
 
Rabbi Arthur Segal  www.jewishspiritualrenewal.org     
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Posted by Rabbi Arthur Segal at 10:36 AM