Bible references

Key NT Scriptures

• Ephesians 4:29
• James 4:11

Key OT Scriptures

• Deuteronomy 5:17
  Jewish Commentary
• Deuteronomy 19:19
  Jewish Commentary
• Deuteronomy 22:13-19
  Click to retrieve Deuteronomy 22:13-19
  Jewish Commentary
• Exodus 20:13
  Jewish Commentary
• Exodus 21:17
  Jewish Commentary
• Exodus 22:20
  Jewish Commentary
• Exodus 22:27
  Jewish Commentary
• Exodus 23:1
  Jewish Commentary
• Leviticus 5:21-23
  Jewish Commentary
• Leviticus 19:11-12
  Jewish Commentary
• Leviticus 19:14
  Jewish Commentary
• Leviticus 19:16-17
  Jewish Commentary
• Leviticus 19:33
  Jewish Commentary
• Leviticus 20:9
  Jewish Commentary
• Leviticus 25:17
  Jewish Commentary

Supportive NT Scriptures

• Colossians 3:5-10
  Click to retrieve Colossians 3:5-10
• Ephesians 4:25
• Ephesians 4:31
• Ephesians 5:4
• James 3:5-10
  Click to retrieve James 3:5-10
• James 5:9
• Matthew 5:22-24
• Matthew 18:15-19
• 1 Timothy 5:19
• 2 Timothy 2:16
• Titus 3:1-2

Supportive OT Scriptures

• Ecclesiastes 7:21-22
  Jewish Commentary
• Proverbs 6:16-19
  Jewish Commentary
• Proverbs 10:18
  Jewish Commentary
• Proverbs 11:9
  Jewish Commentary
• Proverbs 11:13
  Jewish Commentary
• Proverbs 12:17-19
  Jewish Commentary
• Proverbs 15:1
  Jewish Commentary
• Proverbs 16:27-28
  Jewish Commentary
• Proverbs 17:9
  Jewish Commentary
• Proverbs 18:7-8
  Jewish Commentary
• Proverbs 19:9
  Jewish Commentary
• Proverbs 20:19
  Jewish Commentary
• Proverbs 25:18
  Jewish Commentary
• Proverbs 26:20-22
  Jewish Commentary
• Proverbs 26:28
  Jewish Commentary
• Psalms 15:1-3
  Jewish Commentary
• Psalms 34:14
  Jewish Commentary
• Psalms 64:3-5
  Jewish Commentary

Bible verses copyright: PUBLIC DOMAIN except in the United Kingdom, where a Crown Copyright applies to printing the KJV. See http://www.cambridge.org/about-us/who-we-are/queens-printers-patent

Commentary

Rabbi Michael Rudolph

There is a children's rhyme: "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never harm me." It is taught to children as a lesson that they should not retaliate against name-calling, but the weight of Scripture teaches that the rhyme is not true. Indeed, without interfering with its intended lesson, the rhyme should rather state: "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can hurt me deeply." The greater lesson of the substitute rhyme and of Scripture is that we must guard our tongue to ensure its use for good and holiness, and not for harm. There is a rabbinical halachah against lashon hara , (negative speech) - literally "evil or bad tongue" - that is inspired by Leviticus 19:16 (see also, Ephesians 4:29 and James 4:11 ). The halachah prohibits speaking negatively about a person, regardless of the truth of what is said, and it also prohibits listening to or believing such negative statements. It is regrettable that a number of English translations of Leviticus 19:16 render the Hebrew noun " rachiyl " as "slander" because the English word "slander" connotes both negativity and untruthfulness. " Rachiyl ", on the other hand, connotes negativity, but not necessarily untruthfulness, so a better translation of " rachiyl " is "negative report". Speaking negatively about a person invariably harms him in some way, and bringing harm to a person (except when sanctioned legally) is always wrong. It is egregious to God, and especially so if the lashon hara is against a leader that God Himself has set in office. That which happened to Miryam when she murmured against Moses is the quintessential example of how serious a sin it is; we read about it in Numbers 12:1-2 and 6-10 : Miryam and Aharon began criticizing Moshe on account of the Ethiopian woman he had married, for he had in fact married an Ethiopian woman. They said, "Is it true that ADONAI has spoken only with Moshe? Hasn't he spoken with us too?" ADONAI heard them. He said, "Listen to what I say: when there is a prophet among you, I, ADONAI, make myself known to him in a vision, I speak with him in a dream. But it isn't that way with my servant Moshe. He is the only one who is faithful in my entire household. With him I speak face to face and clearly, not in riddles; he sees the image of ADONAI. So why weren't you afraid to criticize my servant Moshe?" The anger of ADONAI flared up against them, and he left. But when the cloud was removed from above the tent, Miryam had tzara'at, [leprosy] as white as snow. Aharon looked at Miryam, and she was as white as snow. Miryam and Aaron speaking against Moses and the grumbling referred to in James 5:9 are similar. Matthew 5 and Matthew 18 are relevant to the subject of wrongful speech because speech so often causes (or is the result of) human conflicts. Matthew 5 speaks to the offender, and Matthew 18 to the offended and, in both cases, the required initial action is to hold our tongue, not speak negatively about our brother to others, and go to the person with whom we have the conflict. It is only after there has been no success at reconciliation that others may become involved, and then, only in a controlled manner. The second and final attempts at reconciliation Matthew 18:16 & 17 are parts of an authorized judicial process that begins with mediation, and culminates in adjudication. Whatever is spoken before witnesses at these two "judicial" sessions is considered testimony, and is therefore exempt from the restrictions of lashon hara . Uttering a curse against a person or against God is speech that intends harm, is wrongful, and is prohibited.

Classical commentators

A number of the classical mitzvot aspire to control how we speak so as not to harm others, but the one closest to this Mitzvah is Maimonides' negative mitzvah RN301 (corresponding to MN77 and C236), that is based on Leviticus 19:16 , and which forbids us from bearing tales among our people. Maimonides' mitzvah RN301 also prohibits "defaming", which some rabbis and commentators believe means defaming the reputation of a bride (see RP219). Meir and HaChinuch have much more than Maimonides to say about Leviticus 19:16 and its relationship to lashon hara . First of all, they interpret the Scripture narrowly as meaning that a person must not tell another person that a third person has spoken negatively about him. Meir adds that gossiping with evil intent is criminally worse than merely tale-bearing, and that it has the effect of killing three people - the gossiper, the person who receives the gossip, and the person who is gossiped about. Neither Meir nor HaChinuch make mention of defaming a bride. Meir speaks of punishment for violating Leviticus 19:16 that will come from HaShem , but HaChinuch is more temporally severe, and speaks of it being our religious duty to end the life of person who threatens to inform on another, and under certain other circumstances as well. If such executions were ever authorized under the Mosaic Law, they were most certainly part of the Sinai Covenant's judicial processes. Under no circumstances are they authorized in the New Covenant under which we live today. One may wonder why this Mitzvah lists Leviticus 19:17 , a Scripture that speaks of rebuking our neighbor, but that does mention anyone being wronged or harmed. It is because Maimonides, Meir, and HaChinuch interpret and quote that Scripture as the basis for their respective mitzvot RN303, MN77 and C240, which admonish us to not shame our neighbor by rebuking him in public. Another wrongful use of speech, recognized by the commentators, is cursing. Maimonides, Meir, and HaChinuch constructed mitzvot that prohibit the cursing of parents, judges, and Israelites, and Maimonides and HaChinuch each wrote a mitzvah that prohibits the cursing of a ruler. Strangely, none of them mention cursing God, that is specifically prohibited by Exodus 22:27(28) , which all three quote to support their mitzvot . Leviticus 19:33 is listed because it is referenced by Maimonides and HaChinuch in their RN252 and C63 (respectively), both of which assume that the wrong alluded to in the Scripture is wrongful speech.

Copyright © Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster, The Law of Messiah, Torah from a New Covenant Perspective, Volume 1 & 2

Source and License

Based on The Law of Messiah - Torah from a New Covenant Perspective by Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster.

Volume 1 & 2 | Volume 3

License: CC BY-ND 4.0 (Attribution required, NoDerivatives). CC BY-ND 4.0

Disclaimer: the original content is authored by Rabbi Michael Rudolph and Rabbi Daniel Juster; additional notes or implementation details on this website are not part of their original work and do not represent their views.

Record source: The Law of Messiah - Torah from a New Covenant Perspective - Volume 1 & 2

Copyright note: Copyright © Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster, The Law of Messiah, Torah from a New Covenant Perspective, Volume 1 & 2