Lashon Harah Rabeinu Bachye Shemos 18 1

Rabbeinu Bachye1(Shemos 18:1): Mishlei (15:4), 4. A wholesome tongue is a tree of life; but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. Shlomo informs us in this verse of the great benefit that is found in the tongue because the tongue has the power to cure those with sick souls and in fact its power to heal is greater than all other cures. That is because the other cures utilize drugs or foods or herbs – all of which are uncertain cures. And even if they do cure all they do is remove the symptoms of the sickness but they don’t have the ability to add life. However the cure of the tongue is not an uncertain cure but one that is definite. It also has the ability to add life to the person and thus it is the tree of life and life is bound up with it. “But perverseness in it breaks the spirit” Just as the cure of the tongue is superior to all other cures so is the sickness which is caused by the improper use of the tongue e.g., to degrade, ridicule and speak sarcastically about another human being and thus causes degradation and embarrassment. Our Sages (Bava Metzia 59a) state that one who severely embarrasses another in public has no portion in the World to Come. The sickness which is a result of the destructive use of the tongue is much more harmful than physical sicknesses. Destruction of a person’s spirit is much worse than all the physical ailments… The spirit referred to in the verse is the soul. It is able to withstand physical ailments because we see that a person can handle physical ailments for days without food or drink. However when the soul is sick it can not. This verse comes to teach us that the sickness of the soul which is the breaking of the spirit is much more harmful than all physical ailments. Furthermore it comes to tell us that just like there are physical ailments of the body there are also ailments of the soul. Those who have sickness of the soul are the sinners or the one who has bad faith. Bad faith is likened to an alien woman who eventually will destroy him… With the use of language - which was given to man and which gives him a significant advantage over other creatures - it is possible for him to cure someone whose soul is sick and to bring him close to G-d to guide him to the true eternal life…

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