The ability to speak is a very special power that Hashem gave to human beings. It is the main difference between us and all other creatures. Through our speech, we can reveal the Kingship of Hashem by saying brachos, tefillos, and words of Torah. Also, the main way that we do teshuvah and attach ourselves to Hashem is through words of confession and remorse for our sins, and expressions of yearning to come closer to Him.
Furthermore, we can help other people by sharing with them words of chizuk, or using our speech to direct and carry out an act of chessed. We can also speak firmly with people when it is necessary to enforce our authority (see Likutei Mohoran II, 2, where Rebbe Nachman elaborates on each of these categories of speech).
In essence, these four types of speech – Torah and tefillah, teshuvah, chessed, and authority – can be split up into two groups. Words of Torah, tefillah, and teshuvah are completely pure and holy. These expressions contain incredible spiritual light, since they are connected to the higher worlds of kedushah.
On the other hand, when we talk to other people about things that have to do with the material world – regarding acts of chessed or imposing authority – these words are mixed with good and bad. For example, when we’re doing an act of kindness, the words that we say to orchestrate that act contain goodness, since they’re accomplishing an incredible higher purpose. At the same time, however, since the expressions involve things in the physical world – which is a place of darkness and klipos – they don’t have the purity and kedushah of words of Torah and tefillah. Similarly, the words of authority that we have to say to others regarding practical matters also contain both of these aspects.
Using Our Words to Reveal Hashem’s Glory
All of this relates deeply to the tikkunim of Rosh Hashanah. On Rosh Hashanah, our avodah is to crown Hashem our King. One of the main ways that we human beings are able to accomplish this is through expressing words of kedushah that reveal the amazing splendor of the Creator. Thus, the Sages instituted many spectacular prayers for us to say – most of them describing the wonders of Hashem’s Kingship and praising His awe-inspiring greatness in all the higher and lower worlds. These words of tefillah are very pure and holy, without any trace of the darkness of this world.
However, in order to truly elevate the Malchus of Kedushah, it is also necessary to limit our speech regarding the material world. The reason for this is that throughout the year, each one of us in some way or another has made mistakes with our speech due to the struggle with the darkness and klipos of this realm. These mistakes cause Hashem’s Kingship to become hidden. Thus, at the same that we have to lift up the Malchus of Kedushah through the holy words of tefillah, we also need to separate it from the contamination of the physical world by limiting our speech in all other areas. Then, once the Malchus of Kedushah is detached from the darkness, we can rebuild it anew. (This is an aspect of “nesiras HaMalchus” that is mentioned in the sefarim hakadoshim, which the first tikkun of Rosh Hashanah).
Therefore, Rebbe Nachman says: “On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, a person should limit his speech very much.” When we are careful just to only use the expressions that are necessary to perform Hashem’s mitzvos, we purify the aspects of speech that involve the material world of their attachment to the darkness of the physical realm. By using our words solely for Hashem’s honor, we discard the klipos that surround these forms of speech and elevate the goodness that is within them.
