Talk is Expensive, not Cheap

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We will pay for every word we speak.

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Examples:

Idle words

Thoughtless words

Gossip

Slander

Intentional lies

Criticism

Verbal abuse

Name calling

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3 people are injured by evil speech

1.. the speaker

2.. the one listening

3.. the one spoken about

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THE SIN OF LANGUAGE

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. Matt 12:36

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James 3

5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.

6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind,

8 but no human being can tame the tongue.

It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

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Thoughts from Istruzione Cattolica

Did you ever think when – out of laziness, vanity or other – you speak ill of a person, for whatever reason, you are cursing that person?

To curse is to say bad things, and this is a SERIOUS sin! "

This type of language kills more than the “sword," and "Live by the sword, die by the sword." T

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The more someone curses, the more death he creates.

Know that God teaches that a sin against charity (as the curse, perfect example) is serious in God’s eyes, as much as the sin of sodomy (homosexual) which is a shame

This act cries for vengeance before God; it even attracts punishment from heaven even in this life, so it is serious.

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Touching charity (love), you touch the apple of God’s eye.

What’s more sensitive of the pupil?

Very few people realize the damage caused by the negative words.

It is NOT an exaggeration to say that your words harm people.

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The Lord himself has said: "Of every useless word you will have to give account on the day of judgment."

The words themselves are malignant.

Again: "The mouth speaks of the abundance of the heart" so if you are full of malice, bad talk will issue out of your mouth.

Malice always brings with it sin, if acted upon.

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St. James says that he who controls the language is perfect, and he who does not control his tongue, is vain.

This means everything he does, every prayer, every work, every act done to give worship to God is vain, and wasted.

The sin of language is so devastating that, once committed, it needs to be repaired right away!

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If you have said something wrong, then you have to speak well of the same person to make amends.

Otherwise, you cannot go to heaven, if you do not have at least this intention and show sincere repentance.

There is no excuse!

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Because of the wickedness of the evil language, thousands of families and religious communities have been destroyed.

St. John Bosco made a very simple observation: "If you cannot speak well of someone, shut up!"

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Cause of leprosy = gossip, according to Jewish tradition.

http://unitedwithisrael.org/living-torah-leprosy-in-the-bible/

Leprosy in the bible, which is discussed specifically in the Torah portion, Metzora, should not be confused with medical leprosy.

The leprosy in the bible was a spiritual disease that caused white blemishes to appear on the skin of the afflicted.

It was not permanent, and certainly not deadly.

The Talmud teaches that tzaraat (the white blemishes on the skin of the metzora) was a punishment for evil speech, such as slander or gossip – a severe prohibition known in Hebrew as lashon hara. In fact, the word metzora can be read as motzi ra – “one who emits evil [through evil speech].”

Indeed, we need not go to the Talmud to learn this; it can be seen in the Torah itself. Moses’ sister Miriam was stricken with tzaraat after speaking negatively about Moses.

What is the manner of repentance for speaking lashon hara?

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Leprosy in the bible came from gossip and slander. (Photo: makedentleadership.com)

To use our mouth and speech for good things, of course!

Speak about the good in others and about positive things that you see others doing.

Our sages teach that the power of intelligent speech was granted only to people.

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This is the foremost attribute that distinguishes humans from animals.

Speech is a way to communicate our thoughts and convey our intelligence.

We must realize that this is a Godly gift, and we must use it properly.

We should be utterly embarrassed to even think that we can use this gift to speak ill of others.

This is the message of the tale of leprosy in the bible: Lashon hara is evil! Use your mouth for good things only!

Otherwise, even an animal is holier than you!

Author: Rabbi Ari Enkin, Rabbinic Advisor, United with Israel
Date: Apr. 3, 2014

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Not to gossip about others–Leviticus 19:16

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Words Matter

January 10, 2011

The Hebrew word davar means both “word” and “thing.” 

This is one of the first vocabulary words I teach my beginning Hebrew students.

They are often surprised that this single Hebrew word carries both meanings.

In the Jewish view, the words we speak are not just hot air. 

They are actual things that we create.  Once we speak them, they go out into the world and we have no control over what happens with them next. 

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A traditional metaphor about lashon ha-ra’: Think of emptying all the feathers out of a pillow into the wind; there’s no way to take them all back.

In Jewish practice we learn that every word we speak matters.

Words can help and heal, words can hurt.

Words can even kill.

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The rabbis taught extensively about the sin of lashon ha-Ra’, which can be translated literally as “the language of evil” or “the tongue of badness.” 

Many call it “The Evil Tongue.” 

Or simply “Gossip.”

Lashon ha-ra’ is generally defined as speaking badly about another person.  

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Three people get hurt: the person speaking, the person listening, and the person being spoken about. 

Taking it further, the famous Chofetz Chaim taught that the best way to avoid lashon ha-ra’ is to avoid speaking about another person at all, even with good intentions. 

You never know how your words might be interpreted by others.

And yet the temptation to speak and listen to lashon ha-ra’ is huge. 

Often we do it by such habit that we don’t even notice. 

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Miryana, my friend, said this true thought:

One saint said that too many words, talking, is never without a sin, in there…

Or any single word where there is no compassion, mercy, love, understanding for the people who did something wrong to us or to others,

that is, judging or accusing even a guilty people, if that is not our job to do that, like the judges, policemen, teachers and such,

if one does that without real compassion and understanding, mercy and love for at least their souls that belong to Jesus, the Savior, that is also a sin against the Love,

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And if one does so, Jesus said to one saint,

that this person who does this, criticizing, accusing, attacking, judging, everything that is not love that we as Jesus followers should have,

that those who do that and if they don’t repent and do some reparation job, like speaking good and not bad anymore and such, than this persons will be judged by Jesus

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Also for the sins of the people that they judged and accused without mercy and compassion.

It is as if they themselves committed these mistakes ,and bad things and such.

Jesus wants that we would be like Him, that our hearts works, feels, as His heart does…

***NOTE

I agree with Miryana

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Conclusion

We must not be evil or harsh in our speech.

We cannot speak evil of others, and expect to go to heaven.

For those who rebel, and HARM others with their TALK, there is a large PRICE to pay.

It is called hell.

All speech must reflect the Love and compassion of God.

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