Freedom of Speech

Protecting Ourselves From Speech-Related Transgressions

By Rav Moshe Shternbuch with which Hashem had re- repetition makes these aveiros fulfillment soon of that which Even though his yelling does not
layed it to Moshe Rabbeinu, almost an inseparable part of our Chazal promised, “All those help, since he feels excruciating
The following Hashem wished to convey how personalities. Only with great who mourn the destruction of pain, he screams. So too, when
was written by carefully one must deal with the effort can we dissect these words the Bais Hamikdosh will we see chillul Hashem, chas
Rabbi Daniel power of the tongue involving from our conversations. merit to experience the joy of veshalom, we, too, must scream
Yaakov Travis nedarim and all speech-related Chazal teach us that a per- its rebuilding.” and express our pain.
based on a drasha areas. Each word must be son is judged on all of his PROTEST IN When we see or hear about
given by Rav Moshe weighed prudently lest the words. Even the simple conver- YERUSHALAYIM the events that the police and au-
Shternbuch, Rosh wrong word slip out and wreck sations that he had with his In a drasha about speech, we thorities allowed to happen in
Av Beis Din of the Eidah havoc in the world. spouse will be included in his cannot ignore the chain of the holy city of Yerushalayim,
Hachareidis of Yerushalayim, leil This is why the Torah intro- final reckoning. Every word events that has taken place here we must recognize that the full
Shabbos Parshas Mattos-Masei. duces nedarim with the words, needs to be accounted for. in Yerushalayim during the past force of the churban is being
••••• “This is what Hashem said…” In the past century, technol- weeks. The authorities have felt. We must make our voices
SHORT AND acted atrociously to members of heard and show Hashem how
TO THE POINT the religious community, treat- much pain we feel. This will
Generally, the Torah intro- When the day of din comes, all of our ing them as sub-humans and arouse Divine mercy and bring
duces a statement by saying, animals. One is forbidden to re- an end to their leadership.
“And Hashem said to Moshe…” words will be played back to us. main quiet while such atrocities However, as much as we
In Parshas Mattos, we find a de- take place around us. feel pain, one thing is clear.
viation from this pattern. The Lest we ask what it will help Acting with violence is lower-
Torah writes, “And Moshe spoke Unlike other parshiyos which ogy has brought us an array of if I protest, the famed gaon, ing ourselves to their level and
to the heads of the mattos (tribes) were altered for the sake of clar- new gadgets which can transmit Rav Yitzchok Zev Soloveitchik, accomplishes nothing. We
saying...” What is the reason for ity and explanation, the Torah and record our words. The the rov of Brisk, offers the fol- must make our voices heard
this change in phrasing? used the exact wording to relay Chofetz Chaim noted that these lowing answer. We must inter- while at the same time main-
The posuk continues: “ this section. This choice of brev- inventions are meant to teach us nalize his words and recognize tain our dignity. In this way, we
…this is what you should tell ity comes to stress how careful the great surveillance that takes that they are halacha lema’aseh are standing up for the truth
the Jewish people...” In other one must be when choosing place on our speech. When the during these times. and at the same time sanctify-
sections, the Torah merely words in any setting. day of din comes, all of our The Medrash says that when ing Hashem’s name.
states the concept without this With the above explanation, words will be played back to us. Paroh decided to subjugate Klal •••••
introductory phrase of “this is we can understand why the sec- The Zohar describes just Yisroel, he spoke the issue over Rabbi Travis is a rosh kollel
what…” What justifies adding tion of nedarim had to be taught what this moment will be like. with three of his advisers. of Kollel Toras Chaim in
these words in this parsha? directly to the leaders of Klal After listening to the words that Bilam consented, Yisro fled, Yerushalayim, and is the author
Most of the Torah was taught Yisroel. Only great Torah schol- we said, we will beg, “Please and Iyov was quiet. Because of Shaylos U’Teshuvos Toras
to Moshe Rabbeinu in a brief ars are capable of fathoming the give me another opportunity!” Iyov was silent, he was tortured Chaim and “Praying With Joy -
form and then taught to the rest terse version and then accu- The Heavenly Assembly will with great affliction. A Daily Tefilla Companion,” a
of Klal Yisroel in a more elabo- rately communicating it to the reply, “Whoever made the effort The Brisker Rov asks, why practical daily guide to improv-
rated version. Parshas Nedarim rest of the Jewish people. After in their lifetime will reap the re- are yissurim considered an ap- ing one’s prayers, available from
differs from the rest of the To- they had sufficiently absorbed ward in the World to Come.” propriate punishment for si- Feldheim Publishers. For more
rah in two ways. Moshe this section, they could teach it How can we guard our lence? When a person feels he information about his work, con-
Rabbeinu told it directly to the to the rest of the Jewish people tongues successfully? Learning is being tortured, he screams. tact dytravis@actcom.com.
leaders of Klal Yisroel and re- in their own words. the halachos of lashon hara
layed the parsha in the con- We should learn from the terse from the sefer Chofetz Chaim
densed form that he had heard it nature of the parsha of nedarim certainly has a major impact on
directly from Hashem. and apply it to our everyday the way one speaks. The previ-
The parsha of Nedarim speech. Great precaution must be ous Gerrer Rebbe, Rav Avrohom
comes to teach us the great exercised when selecting each Mordechai, testified on himself
power of speech that we have word that leaves our mouths. that he could feel the effects of
been endowed with. A simple Guarding our tongues in this one day that he did not learn the
object can be sanctified with manner will help us to avoid the halachos of lashon hara.
kedushah merely by uttering a many speech-related transgres- THE NINE DAYS
few words. By saying “This is sions that can easily creep their During the Nine Days, when
like a korban,” we can even give way into our conversations. we make an effort to mourn the
an object the status of hekdesh. THE FINAL ACCOUNTING Bais Hamikdosh, we must be es-
Similarly, Jewish mouths On one hand, the parsha of pecially careful to guard our
should be sanctified with words nedarim was written succinctly tongues. Senseless hatred which
of Torah and tefillah. Someone to teach us how much we have expressed itself as lashon hara
who pollutes his speech with to weigh every word. However, was one of the main causes of
lashon hara and other verbal at the same time, the Torah the destruction of the Bais
transgressions is destroying this elaborates on these halachos to Hamikdosh. Every generation in
holy gift. His Torah will not af- teach us how stringent they are. which the Bais Hamikdosh is not
fect him and his tefillos will not The final judgment on one’s rebuilt is held accountable as if
be accepted by Hashem. speech is from the most arduous they had propagated its ruin.
“Life and death are regu- aspects of our final din. I remember as a bochur in ye-
lated by the tongue.” Chazal re- Rav Yitzchok Blazer tran- shiva what the Nine Days
vealed to us that eternal life in scribed the works of his rebbi, looked like. Talmidim would fall
the Next World or, conversely, Rav Yisroel Salanter, and was onto the floor crying over the
spending the rest of eternity in one of Rav Yisroel’s most fa- great loss they felt that the Bais
oblivion depends on how one mous students. After Rav Hamikdosh has not been rebuilt.
uses his faculties of speech. Yitzchok Blazer’s death, he came What a moving sight it was to
Shlomo Hamelech drove this to his colleague, Rav Chaim Ber- see such a heartfelt expression
lesson home when he said, lin, in a dream. Rav Yitzchok re- of mourning!
“Whoever guards his mouth vealed to him that while all of the Churban haMikdosh means
and tongue spares himself from judgments in the Next World are that the Shechinah has left us.
devastating punishment.” difficult, that of speech-related Our mourning during these
For this reason, Parshas sins is amongst the hardest. times brings the Shechinah
Nedarim is written differently Doing teshuvah on these back and will eventually lead
than the rest of the Torah. By us- transgressions during one’s life- to the rebuilding of the Bais
ing the exact concise wording time is no easy task. Constant Hamikdosh. May we see the

3 Av 5769 • July 24 2009 YATED NE’EMAN Page 55