by Yehoshua Wiseman, yehoshuawiseman.com
Positive Speech—Positive Impact
The name of our Torah portion is "Emor" - "Speak". In the Torah’s context, this word relates specifically to the priests — "Speak to the priests" — yet the Jewish custom is to refer to the portion simply as "Emor," without the continuation ("to the priests"). Thus, this teaches a lesson to every Jew: the Torah tells each one — "Emor!" — "Speak!"
What is a Jew supposed to speak about? It cannot simply mean speaking words of Torah, because regarding Torah study there is already a specific command, "and you shall speak of them" (Deuteronomy 6:7). Rather, the "speech" that every Jew is commanded to do is to say positive things about their fellow.
The Creative Power of Speech
Regarding the verse, "Speak to the priests," the Midrash comments: "The words of G-d are pure words; the words of flesh and blood are not pure words."
The Midrash brings an example: a human king promises to build a structure for his people, but the next day he falls asleep and does not get up — "where is he and where are his words?" However, when G-d says something, He does it.
Since the Jewish people are attached to G-d — "But you who cleave to the L‑rd your G-d are alive, all of you, this day" (Devarim 4:4) — just as G-d’s words are true and His speech itself affects and creates, so too does a Jew have the power to speak words of truth that actually create and affect reality through the act of speaking.
Revealing the Hidden
Which kind of speech has this creative power?
It is the speech that speaks positively about others. The purpose of speech is to bring what is hidden into the open — things that were hidden in thought become revealed through speech. And this same power works when speaking about another Jew.
When someone speaks negatively about another, they bring that person's hidden flaws into revelation — and this can cause real harm. Had it not been spoken, perhaps the flaw would have remained concealed and would not have produced negative outcomes.
If negative speech has such a power, then certainly, all the more so, positive speech has an even greater effect, since "the measure of good exceeds the measure of punishment."
When one speaks about another Jew’s virtues, it brings their hidden strengths to light and gives them power and encouragement in their service of G-d.
Refined and Pure
When we speak favorably about a fellow Jew and highlight their positive traits, the speech itself causes those qualities to come forth in actuality.
This is the lesson of the command "Emor" — we must speak in praise of our fellow Jews, judge each person favorably, and talk about their virtues.
When this is done, it fulfills the deeper meaning of the teaching, "Judge every person favorably" — where "favorably" (zechut in Hebrew) also relates to "refinement."
This means that through positive speech, every Jew will become refined and pure, to the point where G-d Himself says about them: "Israel, in whom I am glorified." (Isaiah 49:3)
(from the teachings of the Rebbe, Likutei Sichot, vol. 27, translated from Sichat HaShevua)
