One Who Guards His Words is A Man

One Who Guards His Words is “A Man”:

The Mishnah states (Tamid 26a): “If the door was closed, you would know that a person was in there. If it was open, you would know that no person was there.” The Yid Hakadosh of Peshischa zy”a would say that this refers to a person’s mouth, as the difference between a man and an animal is the power of speech. If a person’s mouth is open – meaning that it is always chattering with idle speech – you know that there is no mentch inside, and that this individual is on the level of an animal. If his mouth is closed – meaning that he is careful with what he says and thinks before he speaks – you know that he is a mentch.