Introduction - Lashon is the Hebrew word for "tongue." Ra is the Hebrew word for evil. Lashon haRa is saying things that are "wrong to say" because they are hurtful to others.
It was the turn of the 11th century (1000 c.e.) and Spain was ruled by the Moslems. There lived in the city of Cordova lived a great scholar by the name of Rabbi Shmuel HaNagid. Rabbi Shmuel was an advisor to the king, who honored him greatly. There were many among the nobles who were very jealous that the king appointed a Jewish shopkeeper to such a high post as an advisor and kept trying to remove him from the king's favor. Many unkind and false things were said about Rabbi Shmuel, but the king paid no attention to the angry nobles. Rabbi Shmuel gained even more respect and honor from the king by using wisdom and kindness to everyone, even those who did not like him.
There was one merchant who hated Rabbi Shmuel very much. He owned a shop near the palace, and whenever Rabbi Shmuel passed by, he would run out and hurl a stream of abuse at him. Rabbi Shmuel would pay no attention and continue calmly on his way.
Near the palace a citizen owned a store. He hated Rabbi Shmuel with a consuming passion. Whenever he saw Rabbi Shmuel passing the store on his way to the palace, he insulted the rabbi, who always ignored him. Rabbi Shmuel had enough power to have this rude storekeeper punished, but he also realized that other Jewish people might suffer as a result of this action.
When the storeowner saw Rabbi Shmuel do nothing to punish him, his insults grew worse. One day the king went with his respected advisor on a tour of the city. As they were walking along, the shopkeeper stormed out and let forth with a series of curses at Rabbi Shmuel. Rabbi Shmuel paid no attention to the nasty language and continued talking with the king. The king, on the other hand, was furious at the extremely bad manners of this man. He ordered Rabbi Shmuel to have the palace guards cut out the man's tongue.
R' Shmuel heard the king's orders and knew at once what to do. He asked many people and other merchants about the man, for he wished to know why he was so abusive and angry. Rabbi Shmuel learned that the merchant was very poor. He showered the merchant with many gifts and treated him and his family with the greatest courtesy and kindness.
Remarkably, this kindness finally succeeded. The hostility soon turned to love for Rabbi Shmuel.
Not long afterwards, the king and Rabbi Shmuel were walking together along the shopkeeper's street. A most unusual thing happened right before the king's eyes. The shopkeeper rushed out of the doorway of his shop and began shouting at the Jewish advisor to the king. Instead of cursing R' Shmuel, he praised him and asked the blessing of his G-d upon him. The merchant ran up to Rabbi Shmuel fell to his knees and said: "To my master and lord, my support and comfort, may G-d prolong your life and make permanent your high rank and lofty position. May He crush those who envy you and not withhold from you success. May He let you succeed in obeying Him and obtaining His favor. May He unite us in happiness and relieve my grief through your presence."
The king could hardly believe his ears. He turned in astonishment to Rabbi Shmuel and asked: "Is this the same man who insulted you the last time we passed by here? Didn't I order you to have his tongue cut out?"
Rabbi Shmuel answered: "This is the same man, your Majesty, and your order has been carried out to the letter. His wicked tongue, which was once full of curses, oaths, insults and hatred, I have cut out. In its place I have made possible another tongue which utters blessings and good wishes."
The religious duty of not speaking Lashon haRa comes from Leviticus 19.16, "You shall not go up and down as a talebearer among your people; neither shall you stand idly by the blood of your neighbour."
Why does the Torah prohibit Lashon haRa (tale bearing) and standing "idly by the blood of your neighbor" in the same verse?
Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men...for they are flatterer and speakers of evil, and every mouth speaks shamelessness. (Isaiah 9:16)
What did the prophet Isaiah try to instruct the people against in this verse?
Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel said to his slave Tabi, "Go to the market and buy me good piece of meat." So Tabi went out and bought him a tongue. Later, R. Simeon said to Tabi, "Go out and buy me a bad piece of meat at the market." Tabi went out and again bought him a tongue. R. Simeon ben Gamaliel asked him, "Why, when I asked you to buy me a good piece of meat, did you buy a tongue, and when I asked you t buy a bad piece of meat, did you again buy me a tongue?" Tabi replied, "Because from the tongue comes good, and from it comes also evil. When it is good, nothing is better than it; and when it is bad, nothing is more evil than it." For are we not taught the "death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Prov. 18:21).
Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel made a feast for his students and placed before them tender tongues and hard tongues. They began selecting the tender ones, leaving the hard ones alone. Said he to them: Note what you are doing! As you select the tender and leave the hard, so let your tongues be tender to one another"
(Leviticus Rabbah 33:1).
What makes something "good speech?"
What makes it "bad speech?"
List three ways words can hurt. List three ways words can heal.
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Rabbi Akiva taught: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Leviticus, 19:18) This is the most important rule in the Scriptures."
Ben Azzai says: "This is the book of generations... Man was created in the image of G-d.' (Genesis, 1:27) That is an even greater principle so that one should not say 'Because I have been humiliated, let my friend be cursed with me'.
J. Nedarim 30b
What do you think the rabbis were saying?
How is this related in the story about Rabbi Shmuel haNaggid?
Goal: Students can answer questions about the "moral of the story."
Method:
The teacher can ask these questions to the class and ask for answers, or the teacher can have students work with each other in small groups and share their answers with the whole class. Some good answers to expect:
Goal: Students will successfully interpret and answer questions from Jewish texts relating to speech and lashon hara.
Method:
This activity — designed to be completed by students in chevrusa (learning partnerships) or as a class discussion. The questions after the texts are thought provoking and therefore have no “correct” answers.
Text: The religious duty of not speaking Lashon haRa comes from Leviticus 19.16, "You shall not go up and down as a talebearer among your people; neither shall you stand idly by the blood of your neighbour."
Why does the Torah prohibit Lashon haRa (tale bearing) and standing "idly by the blood of your neighbor" in the same verse? Because the way people speak can cause others to become insensitive to the needs of others.
Text: Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men....for they are flatterer and speakers of evil, and every mouth speaks shamelessness. (Isaiah 9:16)
What did the prophet Isaiah try to instruct the people against in this verse? He tried to tell them not to speak in a hurtful way.
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