In this week’s Parsha the pasuk says: “lo yachel d’voroy kichol hayotze mepeev ya’aseh”– “Do not profane your words, keep everything that comes out of your mouth.”
The Chida explains that if one does not pollute his mouth with forbidden words and only uses it for the right things, then even when he uses it for simple, everyday speech, his mouth is not defiled (yachel is a lashon of chilul). Such a person is then rewarded that “k’chal hayoitze mepeev ya’aseh” – literally - whatever he says, Hashem will do. The Chida explains that this is the secret of a “tzaddik goizer v’Hakadosh Baruch Hu mekayem” – a tzaddik decrees and Hashem fulfills.
There is a story brought down in sefer Otzros HaTorah of the Vilna Gaon. He once had a wart in his throat and the doctors said that they need to operate on it. Family members told the Gaon that instead of undergoing surgery, why not call a woman who was known to whisper on a wound and make it disappear. The Gaon agreed but he wanted to make sure it wasn’t done with a “koach hatuma” – an impure power. He arrived at the woman’s house and asked what her method was and where she learned it. She answered, “I am an almonah, a widow, with a house full of orphans. I was left alone without any income and had no means to support myself and my children. So I went to the shul, opened the Aron Kodesh, and poured my heart out to Hashem. After a few minutes, I heard a voice call out, “My dear daughter, what is your trouble?” After I answered, the voice called out and said, “I advise you to heal people by making the berachah “borei nefoshos” after drinking a cup of water in front of the sick person. In this way you will have parnosah to support your family.” “This is my method for healing the sick”, she said. When hearing this, the Gaon started laughing until his wart popped out and no operation or whispers were needed anymore.
The woman wasn’t sure what the Gaon found funny. He explained: “The voice that you heard in shul on that day was none other than my own voice. I was learning in the ezras nashim one winter night and a crying woman was disturbing my learning. Out of desperation, I asked her what the trouble was and gave some advice, without imagining for a second that my idea actually was taken seriously and being used successfully. I did this just to quieten her so that I could carry on learning without being disturbed.”
This is a clear illustration of “tzaddik goizer v’Hakadosh Baruch Hu mekayem”. There is a Medrash on this pasuk that brings down the following pasuk from Tehillim (49:12). “V’adam bikar bal yalin nimshal k’beheimos nidmu” – “but as for man – in glory he shall not remain overnight, but if he believes he is the one in charge then he is likened to the animal”. What is the connection between these pesukim?
To understand the connection, we first must understand why dibur - speech is more stringent then maaseh - action. The Gemara says in Yoma (29a) that the thought of an aveirah is harsher than the aveirah itself. Why would the thought be harsher than the action?
The sefer Yechi Reuvain brings down the Rambam in Moreh Nevuchim (3:8), which explains that the guf of a person is the animal part in man. Machshava is something man has over an animal, as an animal can’t think on a higher level. When a person transgresses with an action it’s less severe than when he is sins with a thought, as he is doing what his guf is pushing him to do. But when he sins with a thought, he is sinning with a spiritual part of himself which he was supposed to use for higher purposes. Therefore, his aveirah is on a higher level.
Since man is higher than an animal by machshava – thought, if a person sins with thought, he is no longer elevated over the animal. Man is superior than an animal not only in thought, but also in speech. Like the pasuk says Bereishis (2:7) “Vayehi Adam L’nefesh Chaya” which the Targum explains as “l’ruach memalila” – a speaking spirit. Man is defined by his power of speech, which is a direct reflection of his power of machshava, thought.
That’s why the pausk says “lo yachel d’voroy” because speech is what defines man. We are being warned not to sin with thought even more than action, as that’s what elevates us over animals. Now we can understand the Medrash – “adam b’kar bal yolin” – the yakar – the glory - of a person is his power of speech. But if he doesn’t understand that and instead defiles his mouth, then the pasuk says of him “nimshal k’beheimos nidmu” – then he is compared to an animal. He removed his crowning feature that elevated him above the animal so now he is on the same level as the animal.
This thought should motivate us to stop and think before we open our mouths to speak. Our mouths are our precious tools in the service of Hashem as it’s our power of speech which defines us as human beings. Let’s appreciate this wonderful gift and use it properly, rising above our animalistic nature to shine with our true glory. (R’ Moshe Oelbaum shlita)
