The Power of Speech: “This Is the Thing Hashem Commanded”
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Bamidbar 30:2
וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־רָאשֵׁי הַמַּטּוֹת לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהֹוָה
Moshe spoke to the heads of the tribes of Bnei Yisrael, saying: This is the thing that Hashem has commanded.
11“Moshe spoke to the heads of the tribes … saying: This is the thing that Hashem has commanded.”2 Notice the wording “This is the thing that Hashem has commanded,” which implies a command to do something. Yet in the parshah of vows it is better not to vow at all, as the verse says, “It is better that you not vow than that you vow …”3 Chazal, too, spoke at length against those who make vows.4 We must also understand the phrase zeh hadavar, “This is the thing,” which Chazal have remarked on.5
* וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה אֶל רָאשֵׁי הַמַּטּוֹת וְגוֹ׳ לֵאמוֹר זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִיוָּה ה׳ (ל, ב). יֵשׁ לְדַקְדֵּק מַהוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ׳זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה׳׳, שֶׁמַּשְׁמַע שֶׁבָּא כָּאן צִיוּוּי לַעֲשׂוֹת אֵיזֶה דָּבָר, וַהֲרֵי כָּאן בְּפָרָשַׁת נְדָרִים יוֹתֵר טוֹב שֶׁלֹּא לִנְדּוֹר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (קהלת ה, ד) ״טוֹב אֲשֶׁר לֹא תִידּוֹר מִשֶּׁתִּדּוֹר״, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁהֶאֱרִיכוּ חז״ל (נדרים ט, א) בִּגְנוּת הַנּוֹדְרִים. וְגַם יֵשׁ לְהָבִין הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳זֶה הַדָּבָר׳, כַּאֲשֶׁר כְּבָר עָמְדוּ בָּזֶה חז״ל.
- The sefer's note: Said in the holy place, Meron. Meron is the resting place of R' Shimon bar Yochai. ↩
- Bamidbar 30:2. ↩
- Koheles 5:4 (the sefer has 5:2). The verse ends “… and not pay.” ↩
- Nedarim 9a. ↩
- Sifrei and Rashi on Bamidbar 30:2: the other prophets prophesied with “Thus said Hashem,” while Moshe was also granted prophecy in the words “This is the thing.” The word davar means “word” as well as “thing.” ↩
In shortWhy is the parshah of vows introduced as a command, when it is better not to vow, and what does zeh hadavar signify?
2aLet us begin with the words of my holy father and teacher, zt"l. He explained the Midrash “‘If a man makes a vow …’: this is what is written, ‘His days are like a passing shadow.’”6 It is taught in the name of the Baal Shem Tov, zy"a, that the alef in chet, “sin,” alludes to Alufo shel Olam, the Master of the world.7 He is, as it were, hidden within the act of sin. My holy father explained this as follows. Sometimes a longing and a holy fire to do a mitzvah come over a person. But he must examine carefully whether it comes from holiness, for it may come from the yetzer hara. At times the yetzer hara slips into that very longing an urge to commit, Heaven forbid, a sin. This is the meaning of “the Master of the world is hidden within sin”: a sin can be clothed even in fervor for the Master of the world.
וְנִפְתַּח בְּדִבְרֵי כ״ק אאמו״ר זצללה״ה שֶׁאָמַר לְפָרֵשׁ דִּבְרֵי הַמִּדְרָשׁ שֶׁאָמְרוּ ׳אִישׁ כִּי יִדּוֹר׳ וְגוֹ׳, הָדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב (תהלים קמד, ד) ״יָמָיו כְּצֵל עוֹבֵר״. דְּהִנֵּה אִיתָא (דגל מחנה אפרים פרשת אמור) בְּשֵׁם הבעש״ט זי״ע, שֶׁהָאוֹת א׳ שֶׁבְּתֵיבַת חֵטְא מְרַמֶּזֶת עַל אַלּוּפוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם הַמּוּסְתָּר כִּבְיָכוֹל בְּמַעֲשֵׂה הַחֵטְא. וּבֵיאֵר בָּזֶה כ״ק אאמו״ר דְּלִפְעָמִים בָּא לָאָדָם חֵשֶׁק וְאֵשׁ קוֹדֶשׁ לַעֲשׂוֹת מִצְוָה, אֲבָל צָרִיךְ הַרְבֵּה לִבְדּוֹק הַאִם זֶה בָּא מִסִּטְרָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁא, כִּי יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת שֶׁזֶּה מִצַּד הַיֵּצֶר, שֶׁלִּפְעָמִים הַיֵּצֶר הָרַע מַכְנִיס לוֹ לָאָדָם בְּתוֹךְ הַחֵשֶׁק הַזֶּה לַעֲשׂוֹת ח״ו חֵטְא. וְזֶהוּ הַכַּוָּונָה שֶׁבְּחֵטְא נִסְתָּר אַלּוּפוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, שֶׁהַחֵטְא יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת גַּם מְלוּבָּשׁ בְּהִתְלַהֲבוּת לְאַלּוּפוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם.
2bWith this we can explain “If a man makes a vow.” At times a person feels a longing and is fired up to vow “a great vow to the God of Israel.”8 But he must check whether other things are hidden in it as well. He must remember “to bind a prohibition upon himself,” so that his vow does not lead him into something forbidden, caught in the net the yetzer hara has hidden for him. That is what the Midrash means by “His days are like a passing shadow.” Sometimes there is clarity and fervor, a kind of “day.” Yet it is “like a passing shadow”: it was only a shadow, and afterward it passes. Then what had been covered and hidden in the yetzer hara's garment comes into view. So one must always examine all fire and fervor for holy things, to see whether it comes from a pure place. Those are his holy words.
וּבָזֶה יֵשׁ לְפָרֵשׁ ׳אִישׁ כִּי יִדּוֹר נֶדֶר׳, שֶׁלִּפְעָמִים יֵשׁ לוֹ לְאָדָם חֵשֶׁק וּמִתְלַהֵב לִנְדּוֹר נֶדֶר גָּדוֹל לֵאלוֹקֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (עפ״י נדרים ח, א), אֲבָל צָרִיךְ לִבְדּוֹק אִם לֹא מוּסְתָּר בָּזֶה גַּם דְּבָרִים אֲחֵרִים, וְלִזְכּוֹר ׳לֶאֱסוֹר אִיסָּר עַל נַפְשׁוֹ׳, לְבַל יִפּוֹל עַל יְדֵי זֶה בְּאִיסּוּר עַל יְדֵי הָרֶשֶׁת שֶׁטָּמַן לוֹ הַיֵּצֶר. וְזֶה כַּוָּונַת הַמִּדְרָשׁ ׳יָמָיו כְּצֵל עוֹבֵר׳, שֶׁיּוּכַל לִהְיוֹת לִפְעָמִים בְּהִירוּת וְהִתְלַהֲבוּת בְּחִינַת יוֹם, וְהוּא ׳כְּצֵל עוֹבֵר׳, שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה זֶה אֶלָּא כְּצֵל בְּעָלְמָא וְאַחַר כָּךְ עוֹבֵר, וְאָז נִרְאֶה מְכוּסֶּה וּמוּסְתָּר מַה שֶׁהָיָה בִּלְבוּשׁ הַיֵּצֶר. עַל כֵּן צְרִיכִים תָּמִיד לִבְדּוֹק כָּל אֵשׁ וְהִתְלַהֲבוּת לְדִבְרֵי קוֹדֶשׁ, אִם בָּא מִמָּקוֹם טָהוֹר, עכד״ק.
- Based on Nedarim 8a, where one who vows to rise early and learn “has vowed a great vow to the God of Israel.” ↩
In shortSin can hide in holy fervor, so an eager vow must be examined: its bright “day” may be a shadow hiding the yetzer hara's net.
3To explain the whole matter, we may put it as follows. As is well known, a person must serve the Creator with three faculties: thought, speech and deed. Every faculty he has must be brought into avodas Hashem, the service of Hashem. One might think that what matters most is the tikkun, the rectification, of a person's deeds. But the holy sefarim imply that the main thing is the rectification of a Jew's speech.9 For the world was created entirely through speech, as the verse says, “By the word of Hashem the heavens were made,” and “For He spoke and it came to be; He commanded and it stood firm.”10 Even its continued existence depends entirely on the word of Hashem, which sustains it at every moment. This shows us how far the power of speech reaches.
וּבִכְדֵי לְבָאֵר כָּל הָעִנְיָן אֶפְשָׁר לְפָרֵשׁ בְּדֶרֶךְ זֶה, דִּכְיָדוּעַ צְרִיכִים לַעֲבוֹד אֶת הַבּוֹרֵא בִּשְׁלוֹשָׁה כּוֹחוֹת, בְּמַחְשָׁבָה דִּיבּוּר וּבְמַעֲשֶׂה, וְכָל הַכּוֹחוֹת שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָאָדָם צָרִיךְ לְהַכְנִיס לַעֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא. וְהִנֵּה יְכוֹלִים לִסְבּוֹר שֶׁהָעִיקָּר הוּא תִּיקּוּן הַמַּעֲשֶׂה אֵצֶל הָאָדָם, אַךְ מַשְׁמַע בְּסִפְרֵי קוֹדֶשׁ (עיין בלקוטי תורה לאריז״ל פרשת עקב, ועץ חיים שער מ פ״ב, ובסוף סידורו של שבת בתשובה בענין לשם יחוד [אות יג]) כִּי הָעִיקָּר הוּא תִּיקּוּן הַדִּבּוּר שֶׁל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּי כָּל בְּרִיאַת עוֹלָם הָיָה רַק בְּדִיבּוּר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״בִּדְבַר ה׳ שָׁמַיִם נַעֲשׂוּ״ (תהלים לג, ו), ״כִּי הוּא אָמַר וַיֶּהִי הוּא צִוָּה וַיַּעֲמוֹד״ (שם, ט), וְאַף כָּל קִיּוּם הָעוֹלָם הוּא עַל יְדֵי דְּבַר ה׳ הַמְקַיְּימוֹ כָּל הָעֵת, וְזֶה מוֹרֶה לָנוּ עַד הֵיכָן מַגִּיעַ כֹּחַ הַדִּיבּוּר.
- See Likutei Torah of the Arizal, Eikev; Etz Chaim, Shaar 40, ch. 2; and the end of Sidduro shel Shabbos, in the responsum on saying LeShem Yichud [§13]. ↩
- Tehillim 33:6; 33:9. ↩
In shortOf thought, speech and deed, the rectification of speech comes first, for the world was created and is sustained by Hashem's word.
4aHow far words reach we learn from R' Shimon bar Yochai. He said: “Had I been standing on Mount Sinai when the Torah was given to Israel, I would have asked the Merciful One to create man with two mouths, one to toil in Torah and one to take care of all his needs.” Then he reconsidered and said: “If with one mouth the world cannot endure because of his lashon hara, his evil speech, had there been two, how much more so!”11 The holy Zohar teaches the same: “Come and see: the word that goes out of a person's mouth rises up and stirs an awakening above, whether for good or for bad.”12 The Zohar also says: “When a person brings forth breaths and words in his prayer, how many birds [angels] open their wings and their mouths to receive them!”13
וְעַד הֵיכָן הַדְּבָרִים מַגִּיעִים לָמַדְנוּ מִמַּה שֶׁאָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר יוֹחַאי (ירושלמי ברכות א ה״ב) אִילּוּ הֲוֵינָא קָאֵים עַל טוּרָא דְּסִינַי בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּאִתְיְהִיבַת תּוֹרָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, הֲוֵינָא מִתַּבְעִי קוֹמֵי רַחֲמָנָא דְּיִתְבְּרֵי לְבַר נָשָׁא תְּרֵין פּוּמִּין, חַד דְּהָוֵי לְעִי בְּאוֹרָיְיתָא וְחַד דְּעָבֵד לֵיהּ כָּל צוּרְכֵּיהּ, חָזַר וְאָמַר וּמָה אִם אֶחָד הוּא אֵין הָעוֹלָם יָכוֹל לְהִתְקַיֵּים מִלָּשׁוֹן הָרַע שֶׁלּוֹ, אִילּוּ הָיוּ שְׁנַיִם עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה. וְכֵן מְבוֹאָרִים הַדְּבָרִים בַּזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ (ח״ב מז, ב), תָּא חֲזֵי הַהוּא מִלָּה דְּנָפֵיק מִפּוּמֵּיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ סָלְקָא וְאִתְּעַר אִתְעָרוּתָא לְעֵילָּא אִי לְטָב אִי לְבִישׁ. עוֹד אִיתָא בַּזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ (תיקוני זוהר קה, ב) כַּד בַּר נָשׁ אַפֵּיק הֲבָלִים וְדִבּוּרִים בִּצְלוֹתֵיהּ, כַּמָּה עוֹפִין [מַלְאָכִים] פָּתְחִין גַּדְפַּיְיהוּ וּפוּמַּיְיהוּ לְקַבְּלָא לוֹן.
4bChazal also taught: “‘And you shall speak of them’: of them, and not of idle matters.”14 This implies that according to halachah, even a person who says nothing disgraceful, Heaven forbid, but only idle words that serve no need, transgresses a positive commandment by that alone, for speech carries great weight in Heaven.
וְעוֹד אִיתָא בחז״ל (יומא יט, ב. שו״ע הרב הלכות תלמוד תורה פ״ג ס״ה), וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם וְלֹא בִּדְבָרִים בְּטֵלִים. וּמַשְׁמַע דִּלְפִי הַהֲלָכָה אֲפִילּוּ אִם אֵין מְדַבֵּר ח״ו דְּבָרִים מְגוּנִּים רַק מְדַבֵּר דְּבָרִים בְּטֵלִים שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם צוֹרֶךְ, כְּבָר עוֹבֵר בַּעֲשֵׂה, הֱיוֹת וְהַדִּיבּוּר יֵשׁ לוֹ חֲשִׁיבוּת גְּדוֹלָה בַּשָּׁמַיִם.
- Yoma 19b; Shulchan Aruch HaRav, Hilchos Talmud Torah 3:5; Devarim 6:7. ↩
In shortWith one mouth the world cannot endure lashon hara, and every word stirs forces above; so even idle talk transgresses “you shall speak of them.”
5Several sefarim, among them the Arvei Nachal, the Me'or Einayim and the Pri HaAretz, teach this from the verse “And man became a living soul,” which Onkelos renders “a speaking spirit.”15 It is clear from here, they explain, that a person's speech is the foundation and root of the soul within him.
וּכְבָר אִיתָא בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (עיין בערבי נחל פרשת וישלח, ובמאור עינים כאן, ובפרי הארץ פרשת וארא) עַל מַה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וַיְהִי אָדָם לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה״ (בראשית ב, ז) וְתִרְגֵּם אוּנְקְלוֹס ׳לְרוּחַ מְמַלְּלָא׳, שֶׁמְּבוֹאָר מִכָּאן שֶׁדִּיבּוּר הָאָדָם הוּא יְסוֹד וְשׁוֹרֶשׁ הַנְּשָׁמָה שֶׁבּוֹ.
- Arvei Nachal, Vayishlach; Me'or Einayim, Matos; Pri HaAretz, Va'eira; Bereishis 2:7 and Targum Onkelos there. ↩
In shortOnkelos renders man's “living soul” as “a speaking spirit,” for speech is the root of the human soul.
6The holy sefer Tiferes Shlomo proves how great the power of speech is.16 An animal standing in the yard has no holiness on it at all. Yet the moment its owner says, “This is an olah, a burnt offering,” it becomes hekdesh, consecrated property, through those words alone. From then on the law of me'ilah, the prohibition against misusing consecrated things, applies to it, even though he did nothing to it but speak.
וּבְסֵפֶר הַקָּדוֹשׁ תִּפְאֶרֶת שְׁלֹמֹה (פרשת ויקרא) כָּתַב לְהוֹכִיחַ גּוֹדֶל כֹּחַ הַדִּיבּוּר, מֵהָא דְּאַף בְּהֵמָה הָעוֹמֶדֶת בֶּחָצֵר אֲשֶׁר אֵין עָלֶיהָ שׁוּם קְדוּשָּׁה, תֵּיכֶף כְּשֶׁאוֹמֵר הַבְּעָלִים ׳הֲרֵי זֶה עוֹלָה׳, נַעֲשֵׂית הֶקְדֵּשׁ בְּדִבּוּר זֶה וְיֵשׁ עָלֶיהָ דִּין מְעִילָה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא עָשָׂה בָּהּ שׁוּם מַעֲשֶׂה רַק דִּיבּוּר בְּעָלְמָא.
- Tiferes Shlomo, Vayikra. ↩
In shortA few spoken words make an ordinary animal consecrated, the Tiferes Shlomo shows, though no act was done to it at all.
7aThis lets us understand why it says here “This is the thing that Hashem has commanded.” Here, in the parshah of vows, Moshe wanted to teach the people of Israel how precious a Jew's speech is, and how through it a person brings about good or, Heaven forbid, the opposite. That is the meaning of “This is the thing that Hashem has commanded.” In every word a person is about to utter, even in optional speech, he must take care that his speech be only “what Hashem has commanded,” so that all of it is bound up with the Torah. It is like Chazal's teaching on “And its leaf does not wither”: even the ordinary conversation of a Torah scholar needs study.17 For all of a person's words must be in keeping with the teaching of Chazal we saw earlier, “And you shall speak of them,” and not of other things.
וּבָזֶה אֶפְשָׁר לְהָבִין עִנְיַן אָמְרוֹ כָּאן ׳זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִיוָּה ה׳׳, כִּי כָּאן בְּפָרָשַׁת נְדָרִים רָצָה מֹשֶׁה לְלַמֵּד אֶת עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת גּוֹדֶל עֶרְכּוֹ שֶׁל דִּבּוּר אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֵיךְ עַל יָדוֹ פּוֹעֲלִים לְטוֹב וח״ו לְהֵיפֶךְ. וְזֶה כַּוָּונַת אָמְרוֹ ׳זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִיוָּה ה׳׳, הַיְינוּ דִּבְכָל הַדִּיבּוּרִים אֲשֶׁר עוֹמֵד לְהוֹצִיא מִפִּיו אֲפִילּוּ דִּבּוּרֵי הָרְשׁוּת, צָרִיךְ לָשׂוּם לִבּוֹ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה כָּל דִּיבּוּרוֹ רַק בִּבְחִינַת ׳אֲשֶׁר צִיוָּה ה׳׳, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה כָּל דִּיבּוּרוֹ קָשׁוּר לַתּוֹרָה, וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בחז״ל (סוכה כא, ב) ״וְעָלֵהוּ לֹא יִבּוֹל״ שֶׁאֲפִילּוּ שִׂיחַת חוּלִּין שֶׁל תַּלְמִיד חָכָם צְרִיכָה לִימּוּד, כִּי צָרִיךְ שֶׁכָּל הַדִּיבּוּרִים יִהְיוּ כְּעִנְיַן דִּבְרֵי חז״ל הַנִּזְכָּרִים ׳וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם׳ וְלֹא בִּדְבָרִים אֲחֵרִים.
- Sukkah 21b; Tehillim 1:3. ↩
7bMoshe taught them this here of all places because it can all be learned from the parshah of vows. There we see that through speech alone the severe prohibitions of a vow and an oath take effect, just as we saw with the words “This is an olah,” which consecrate an animal. So the subject of vows teaches us “he shall not profane his word,” lo yachel, a word related to chullin, the ordinary. A person's power of speech must not, Heaven forbid, be ordinary in his eyes; all his words should be words of Torah and holiness.
וְלִימְּדָם דַּוְקָא כָּאן עִנְיָן זֶה, שֶׁכֵּן יֵשׁ לִלְמוֹד כָּל זֹאת מִפָּרָשַׁת נְדָרִים, אֲשֶׁר בָּהּ רוֹאִים אֲשֶׁר עַל יְדֵי דִּבּוּר בִּלְבַד חָלִים כְּבָר אִיסּוּרֵי נֶדֶר וּשְׁבוּעָה הַחֲמוֹרִין, עַל דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בְּנִדְרֵי קָרְבָּן כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל, וּמִמֵּילָא מֵעִנְיַן נֶדֶר יֵשׁ לִלְמוֹד אֲשֶׁר ׳לֹא יַחֵל דְּבָרוֹ׳, שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה ח״ו כֹּחַ דִּיבּוּרוֹ חוּלִּין אֶצְלוֹ, אֶלָּא כָּל דִּיבּוּרָיו יִהְיוּ דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה וּקְדוּשָּׁה.
In shortVows, where speech alone creates binding prohibitions, teach that every word, even optional speech, should be “what Hashem has commanded,” bound to Torah.
8This lets us understand the Midrash that cites the verse “His days are like a passing shadow.” The Arvei Nachal and the Yitav Lev, the latter in the name of his grandfather, the Yismach Moshe, teach that when a person comes down into this world, he is allotted a set number of words to speak all the days of his life. When he has finished speaking the words allotted to him, he departs from the world.18 That is what the Midrash means: it too teaches how great the power of speech is, since a person's “days like a passing shadow” depend on it. The more he guards his power of speech, the more he can lengthen his days. This is also the meaning of “I have found nothing better for the body than silence”:19 silence is good even for the body, so that its life-force does not leave it.
וְעַל פִּי זֶה יִתְבָּאֲרוּ דִּבְרֵי הַמִּדְרָשׁ שֶׁהֵבִיאוּ הַפָּסוּק ׳יָמָיו כְּצֵל עוֹבֵר׳, דְּהִנֵּה אִיתָא בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (ערבי נחל וישלח, יטב לב תבוא בשם זקינו הישמח משה) שֶׁכָּל אָדָם כַּאֲשֶׁר יוֹרֵד לָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה נִקְצַב לוֹ מִסְפַּר הַדִּיבּוּרִים שֶׁיְּהֵא יָכוֹל לְדַבֵּר כָּל יְמֵי חֶלְדּוֹ, וּבְאִם סִיֵּים לְדַבֵּר אֶת הַדִּיבּוּרִים שֶׁנִּקְצְבוּ לוֹ, נִפְטַר מִן הָעוֹלָם. וְזֶהוּ כַּוָּונַת הַמִּדְרָשׁ, שֶׁבָּא גַּם הוּא לְלַמֵּד גּוֹדֶל כֹּחַ הַדִּיבּוּר שֶׁבּוֹ תָּלוּי ׳יָמָיו כְּצֵל עוֹבֵר׳ שֶׁל הָאָדָם, וּכְפִי שְׁמִירַת כֹּחַ הַדִּיבּוּר כֵּן יוּכַל לְהַאֲרִיךְ יָמָיו. וְזֶהוּ גַּם הַפֵּירוּשׁ וְלֹא מָצָאתִי לַגּוּף טוֹב מִשְּׁתִיקָה (אבות א, יז), שֶׁאַף לַגּוּף טוֹב הַשְּׁתִיקָה, שֶׁלֹּא תֵּצֵא מִמֶּנּוּ חַיּוּתוֹ.
In shortEach person is allotted a set number of words, so guarding speech lengthens his days, and silence is good even for the body.
9We can also explain why the verse begins with vayedaber, “spoke,” a harsh word, and ends with leimor, “saying,” a soft one. Chazal said, lefum tza'ara agra, “According to the pain is the reward.”20 The holy sefer Aron Eidus explains that lefum refers to the mouth, pum. On the one hand, through the mouth a person can earn great reward, agra. On the other, it can bring him great pain, tza'ara. If he uses the power of speech for words of Torah, it brings him reward; but if he uses it to speak idle and forbidden words, it brings him pain. So the verse begins with vayedaber, to show how harsh and severe the power of speech is when a person stumbles in it. And it ends with a soft word, to teach how good and pleasant speech is when it is used for the good and bound up with it.
וּלְפִי זֶה יֵשׁ לְבָאֵר מַדּוּעַ הִתְחִיל הַכָּתוּב בְּלָשׁוֹן ׳וַיְדַבֵּר׳ שֶׁהוּא לָשׁוֹן קָשָׁה, וְסִיֵּים בִּלְשׁוֹן ׳לֵאמוֹר׳ אֲמִירָה רַכָּה. אָכֵן הִנֵּה אָמְרוּ חז״ל ׳לְפוּם צַעֲרָא אַגְרָא׳ (אבות ה, כג), וּמְפָרֵשׁ בְּסֵפֶר הַקָּדוֹשׁ אֲרוֹן עֵדוּת, כִּי ׳לְפוּם׳ הַיְינוּ הַפֶּה, דְּמֵחַד גִּיסָא יָכוֹל לְהַרְוִיחַ עַל יָדוֹ שָׂכָר רַב ׳אַגְרָא׳, וּמֵאִידָךְ יָכוֹל לָבוֹא עַל יָדוֹ לְצַעַר גָּדוֹל ׳צַעֲרָא׳, כִּי אִם יְנַצֵּל כֹּחַ הַדִּיבּוּר לְדִבְרֵי תּוֹרָה הֲרֵי זֶה מֵבִיא לוֹ אַגְרָא, אֲבָל אִם יִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּזֶה לְדַבֵּר דְּבָרִים בְּטֵלִים וַאֲסוּרִים יָבִיא לוֹ צַעֲרָא. וְלָכֵן מִצַּד אֶחָד הִתְחִיל בִּלְשׁוֹן ׳וַיְדַבֵּר׳, לְהַרְאוֹת כַּמָּה קָשֶׁה וְחָמוּר כֹּחַ הַדִּיבּוּר כַּאֲשֶׁר נִכְשָׁלִים בּוֹ, וּמֵאִידָךְ סִיֵּים בִּלְשׁוֹן אֲמִירָה רַכָּה, לְהוֹרוֹת כַּמָּה טוֹב וְנָעִים כֹּחַ הַדִּיבּוּר כַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא מְנוּצָּל וּמְקוּשָּׁר לַטּוֹב.
- Avos 5:23. ↩
In shortThe verse opens with harsh vayedaber and closes with soft leimor, for the mouth can bring either great pain or great reward.
10This also lets us explain why it does not say here, as it does throughout the Torah, “Hashem spoke to Moshe,” a question the Ramban raises.21 In other places Hashem's words were said to Moshe himself as well, so it says “Hashem spoke to Moshe.” But here the subject is the great task of rectifying the power of speech. And we know that Moshe reached the level of “the Shechinah speaking from within his throat,”22 so that every word that went out of his mouth was the power of Hashem. “He shall not profane his word” therefore did not apply to him at all, and so here only “Moshe spoke” fits: he spoke to others.
וּבָזֶה יֵשׁ לְבָאֵר מַדּוּעַ לֹא נֶאֱמַר כָּאן ׳וַיְדַבֵּר ה׳ אֶל מֹשֶׁה׳ כְּמוֹ בְּכָל הַתּוֹרָה (כמו שהקשה הרמב״ן), אֶלָּא דִּבְכָל שְׁאָר מְקוֹמוֹת נֶאֶמְרוּ דִּבְרֵי ה׳ גַּם לְמֹשֶׁה, לָכֵן נֶאֱמַר וַיְדַבֵּר ה׳ אֶל מֹשֶׁה, אֲבָל כָּאן שֶׁמִּדּוֹבֵר עַל גּוֹדֶל עִנְיַן תִּיקּוּן כֹּחַ הַדִּיבּוּר כָּאָמוּר, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁעַל מֹשֶׁה אִיתָא (עיין זוהר רע״מ ח״ג רלב, א) שֶׁזָּכָה לִבְחִינַת שְׁכִינָה מְדַבֶּרֶת מִתּוֹךְ גְּרוֹנוֹ, שֶׁכָּל הַדִּיבּוּרִים אֲשֶׁר יָצְאוּ מִפִּיו הָיוּ כֹּחַ ה׳, מִמֵּילָא לֹא שַׁיָּיךְ אֶצְלוֹ עִנְיַן ׳לֹא יַחֵל דְּבָרוֹ׳, לָכֵן שַׁיָּיךְ בָּזֶה רַק וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה לַאֲחֵרִים.
In shortSince the Shechinah spoke from Moshe's throat, the lesson on guarding speech did not apply to him; so it says “Moshe spoke,” to others.
11Since we are here on holy Shabbos, in this holy place, we must at least now use the power of speech only for words that raise us up in holiness. May the Holy One, blessed be He, help us so that an impression of holiness remains from this Shabbos for the whole year, raising everything to its root, and through this may we be privileged to see the redemption speedily. Amen, may it be His will.
וּבְהַיּוֹתֵנוּ עַתָּה בְּשַׁבָּת קוֹדֶשׁ בְּמָקוֹם קָדוֹשׁ זֶה, צְרִיכִים לְכָל הַפָּחוֹת עַתָּה לְנַצֵּל כֹּחַ הַדִּיבּוּר, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ הַדִּיבּוּרִים רַק לְהִתְעַלּוֹת בְּעִנְיְנֵי קְדוּשָּׁה, והקב״ה יַעֲזוֹר שֶׁמִּשַּׁבָּת זוֹ יִשָּׁאֵר רְשִׁימָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה לְכָל הַשָּׁנָה, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה יִתְעַלֶּה הַכֹּל לְשָׁרְשׁוֹ, וּבָזֶה נִזְכֶּה לִגְאוּלָּה בִּמְהֵרָה, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן:
In shortMay our words on this Shabbos in this holy place be holy alone, leaving their mark on the whole year and bringing the redemption speedily.
Takeaway
The world was made and is sustained by speech, a few words can consecrate an animal, and each of us has a measured number of words for a lifetime. “This is the thing that Hashem has commanded” asks that even our everyday talk be bound to Torah and holiness, while we honestly examine our moments of holy fervor, since the yetzer hara can hide inside them. The same mouth can bring great pain or great reward, and one Shabbos of guarded words can leave its mark on the whole year.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.