The transgression of shmiras halashon, the laws of guarding one's tongue, is something from which the whole of Klal Yisrael suffers.

Our chachamim instituted that on the second day of Rosh Hashanahh the reading of the Torah should be from the Parshas Ha'akeidah. The obvious reason is that in this chapter we read about the ram of Yitzchak, and we pray that through the sounding of the shofar Hashem should remember the Akeidah and have mercy on the Jewish people. However, this Parshah of the Akeidah has nineteen pesukim, which would be more than sufficient for the five required aliyos, since we need only three pesukim for each person. Why, then, did our Chachamim insist that we also read the next small Parshah, which is not related to the Akeidah and contains many strange names: "Es Uz bichoro v'es Buz achiv, v'es Kemuel avi Aram. V'es Chesed, v'es Chazo v'es Pildash, v'es Yidlaph, v'es Besuel. U'Besuel yalad es Rivkah. Shmoneh eleh yalda Milcah l'Nachor achi Avraham. U'pilagsho, ush'mah Reumah vateled gam hi es Tevach v'es Gacham v'es Tachash v'es Maachah." .

Although we do not understand the meaning of these names, we do know that "lo davar rek hu mikem; no words of the Torah is devoid of meaning." If we do not understand something, its meaning and purpose has simply not been revealed to us. Certainly, the meaning and importance of these names are "wondrous secrets of the Torah," all referring to Godliness, although they are encapsuled in these seemingly meaningless names of ancient Syrians. Chazal add that the only reason these names are mentioned at all is because they include our mother Rivkah (u'Bsuel yalad es Rivkah), and it is in her merit that this whole Parshah is mentioned in the Torah.

The question, however, remains: why do we read this on Rosh Hashanahh? What kind of awakening toteshuvah can one receive from this Parshah? Imagine a person getting an aliyah on Rosh Hashanahh? He wraps himself in the tallis and makes the brachah over the Torah with great concentration, using the special tune of the Yamin Nora'im. Then he listens as the reader reads these pesukim with the same beautiful melody. What inspiration and awareness can this simple Jew receive as he hears this whole list of names being read to him? Albeit, there are important inferences to the day of judgement. For instance, Tachash stands for tiku chodesh shofar, and Ma'acha is an acronym for meloch al kol ha'aretz. But still, why was it necessary to add this Parshah to the Torah reading on Rosh Hashanahh? There must be something here of the essence of the Yom Hadin, the Day of Judgement, on which the Books of Life and Death are opened, and everyone's name is entered into them.

It occurred to me that the answer might be that there is indeed, a great inspiration to be derived from the reading of this Parshah! The source of that inspiration is not, however, derived from any of the names that appear in this Parshah, but rather it is the obvious omission of the name of a person who had great historic significance but, nevertheless, did not have the zechus of being mentioned in this listing. He is none other than Levan Ha'arami, Lavan the charlatan. The Parshah says "UBesuel yalad es Rivkah . Wasn't Besuel also the father of Lavan? Why is Lavan left out? After all, he is also our "metchutan," the grandfather of the twelve tribes. The answer is that he did not have the zechus to be entered into the Sefer Torah. Those that did merit it are mentioned, but Lavan was not among them!

This is the source of our hisorerus. On the first day of Rosh Hashanahh we all plead, " Kasveinu b'sefer hachayim; Inscribe us in the Book of Life." We hope and pray that we will be among the names listed in this great book. Now, imagine if we were allowed to look into that book for our names. How anxious one would be, looking for one's name! "My name, where is my name? Let me look again! Ah, baruch Hashem, I found it! My name is here! I am assured of a good year!" But suppose, chas veshalom, one's name were missing? Suppose that I look for my name....and cannot find it! What a frightening thing! What a terrifying possibility that my name could be missing....Oh, what a shock that would be! Oyom v'norah! I beg Hashem, "Avinu Malkeinu Kasveinu b'sefer hachayim." This, then, is the great inspiration which should infuse our minds upon reading this Parshah.

But what can one do to be assured that one will be among the fortunate? How can one know? There is a great piece of advice, given by David Hamelech in Tehillim, which reads as follows: Mi ha'ish hechofetz chaim. For the man who wants life, the man who wants to be certain his name is entered into the Sefer Hachayim, there is one sure advice: Nitzor l'shoncha mera usefasecha midaber mirmah. This is the only sure prescription! There is one other! "Guard your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking falsehood." If you have the desire to say something bad, restrain your tongue; do not talk.

There is a well-known story in Midrash Rabbah Parshas Metzora about a peddler of all sorts of potions and medicines, who went through the streets shouting, "Who wants a potion for life? If you take this medicine, you are assured life." The Midrash continues with how Rabbi Yanai, having heard of this peddler, ordered some of this medicine for himself. "This is not for you or your people," came the answer. However, Rabbi Yanai insisted on knowing what this great medicine was. The peddler then showed him the words of Tehillim. "This is the medicine." The Midrash continues: R' Yanai declared, "I have been reading this passuk all my life, lo hayisi yada heichan hu pashut; And I never knew how simple the meaning was until the peddler came and explained it to me." Now how did this peddler make the meaning so abundantly simple and clear?

The explanation is as follows: A peddler does not sell his wares on credit. It is strictly a "cash and carry" business. You pay cash to the peddler, and you immediately receive the merchandise. The peddler is an itinerant; today he is here, tomorrow he is elsewhere. Now, suppose one has a desire to speak evil of another person. A person may have seen or heard something derogatory about another person, and has a strong desire to "spread the news" to others. He restrains himself and does not talk, although he would love to tell what he really knows about the other person. Why the restraint? Because the Torah forbids such speech. The Ribono Shel Olam said that one is not allowed to talk lashon hara, therefore he refrains from speaking. This person at that very moment, instantly, earned his reward! Right there on the spot his name is entered into the Sefer Hachayim.

To speak disparagingly of others is a very strange desire. Nobody really understands what real satisfaction it provides. There is no physical gratification from it; it does not enrich us. Perhaps it makes the speaker feel superior to the other person. But when a person manages to overcome this inclination, and keeps silent instead of talking, and no one except the Ribono Shel Olam knows it, he has, at that moment of restraint, bought his reward, hence the resemblance to this peddler's very simple "cash and carry" business.

Yes, how simple it is, but yet how very difficult! It is so difficult that we must pray three times a day, after each Shemoneh Esrei, that Hashem help us fulfill the admonition . The yeitzer hara violate this great issur is so strong, that without the help of Hashem we could not overcome it! As simple as it is, that is how hard it is. Imagine! Just read these words: Any man who desires life, loves life, to see good...We are guaranteed life, and who would not want it? And we can get it by simply restraining our tongue! Yet, the yeitzer hara is so strong that we must ask Hashem three times a day to help us overcome the temptation for evil talk. And it is still so difficult!

The Gemara Bava Basra says: "Rubam b'gezel, miutam b'arayos, v'kulam b'lashon hora. This means that the desire for gezel stealing affects most people, and a minority are affected by arayos, immorality. But everyone is affected by the desire to speak lashon hara. There is no person who is immune from this yeitzer hara. To be sure, there are tzaddikim who do not speak lashon hara, but the yeitzer hara to do so is still there.

Sixty years ago, when I was in Poland, people used to say that there are two big tzaddikim who have never in their lives spoken any lashon hara. One was the Gerrer Rebbe (the Imrei Emes) and the other was the Chafetz Chaim. But there was a difference between the two. The Gerrer Rebbe did not like to talk at all. He enjoyed silence, and only spoke sparingly and with counted words. A visitor would find himself outside the Rebbe's chambers after only a minute or two with the Rebbe, as he would very quickly answer all the visitor's questions, and end the visit. His words were sparse. Naturally, he did not speak any lashon hara throughout his entire life. However, the Chafetz Chaim was the opposite. He loved to talk. Oh! did he love to talk! I was twenty years old bachur when I visited him and he did not know me previously. Although it was Friday, he spoke with me alone for almost one full hour. On the following Motza'ei Shabbos he said he would like to speak to me again. He loved to talk: divrei chizuk, words of Torah, words of encouragement, topics of emunah and chesed. He would speak about everything! He spoke so much all his life, yet never did he speak any lashon hara.

In Pirkei Avos we find the saying of Rabban Shimon Ben Gamliel: Kol yamai gadalti bein hachachamim v'lo matzasi laguf tov mishtika. This means that as far as matters of the guf, the body, are concerned, there is nothing better than keeping silent. For mundane matters, silence is preferred. However, this does not refer to speech affecting Torah and mitzvos; for these it is a mitzvah to utilize speech.

Very peculiarly, when we examine the tefillah of Al Cheit, which we say on Yom Kippur, we find two confessions for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This means that there is a total of forty-four confessions. Of these forty-four sins that one will confess, no less than twelve involve matters pertaining to shmiras halashon. Imagine, over one quarter of all the sins that one focuses on during Yom Kippur concern sins of speech: Bituy sfasayim, dibur peh, viduy peh, tipshus peh, tumas sfasayim, kachash, kuzav, loshon hora, latzon, siyach sifsosaynu, rchilus, shvuas shav. This means that of all the possible aveiros, more than one quarter revolve around speech. So simply, the best advice to avoid these pitfalls would be not to talk. However, this is extremely difficult, and almost impossible, except for a few outstanding individuals. To be sure, there were in the past some big tzaddikim who practiced taanis dibur ("a fast of words"). When they did speak, it was only for Torah umitzvos, which is in itself a mitzvah; otherwise they said nothing!

In the Mirrer Yeshivah I remember seeing an elderly Jew who never spoke. However, if someone would approach him to "talk in learning," he would respond. Otherwise he never spoke to anyone, not even one word. If he wanted something, or in response to a question, he would write it down. When I inquired about this man, I was told that he was a Baal Teshuvah. He had been a Communist in Russia, belonging to the so-called "Yevsektzia," the Jewish section of the Communist Party. Its members were Jews who informed on other Jews, such as Torah teachers, shochtim and other prohibited religious functionaries. The authorities would then apprehend these Jews, and send them to Siberia for their "crimes." One day this man, this great sinner, ran away and crossed the border into Poland. He approached one of the tzaddikim of his generation and declared, "Rebbe, I want to do teshuvah. I have done terrible aveiros. I have on my conscience many people who have been sent to Siberia because I informed on them. Rebbe, instruct me regarding the proper atonement procedure for my teshuvah." The tzaddik told him that the tikun for his teshuvah would be for him to accept upon himself to remain completely silent, not talking, for the rest of his life until his death! Only Torah learning and prayer would be permitted. He did, indeed, keep this tikun for his entire life.

Clearly, however, silence is only for the select few. As to the masses, "Ein rov hatzibur y'cholim la'amod bah; the average person cannot do this," and must find other methods. The Chafetz Chaim had a great piece of advice to help people overcome this problem, and that is to constantly learn, and relearn, the laws of lashon hara. Doing so will prevent them from committing this aveirah. This advice is based on the words of Chazel: "Barasi yetzer hora barasi Torah tavlin ." This means that for every type of yeitzer hara there is an antidote of Torah to counteract it. The Talmud (in arachin 15b) asks, "What is the cure for a person with this malady?" The Talmud answers, "If he is a scholar let him learn Torah. If he is not able to learn, let him lower himself." Let him think about how much lashon hara others could say about him! The Chafetz Chaim explained this to mean that one should become a talmid chacham a scholar in Hilchos Lashon Hara. Just as learning the laws of Shabbos will help one from being mechalel Shabbos, so must a person learn the laws of lashon hara, and become a talmid chacham in this subject, in order to avoid transgressing these laws. He composed the sefer, Chofetz Chaim Ushmiras Halashon, in order that people should constantly learn these laws and become very familiar with them. Thus they would avoid any transgressions of these laws.

In Baltimore there lived a great Gaon, a retiring, secluded Jew, Rabbi Michoel Hakohen Forshlager, zatzal, a talmid of the Avnei Nezer ( the "Sachochover Gaon"). He explained to me that when Adam, the first man, ate from the Eitz Hadaas, the Tree of Knowledge, Hashem told him, "Vatochal min ha'etz asher tzivisi lemor lo sochal mimenu; You ate from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat." In this passuk we find a seemingly superfluous word,"lemor, to say." What is meant by that word? Rabbi Forshlager pointed out that this little word "lemor" means that Hashem told Adam to talk constantly about it, to constantly repeat the din that one is prohibited from eating this fruit. This was Adam's Torah. And his mitzvah was that he was to constantly repeat it: "lo sochal mimenu; Do not eat it!" Hashem told Adam that he violated this mitzvah because he did not talk about it! Had he done so, and constantly repeated Hashem's commandment both to himself and to Chavah, the aveirah of theEitz Hadaas would never have happened.

Rabbi Forshlager added another thought. There is a halachah that chaver ein tzarich hasra'ah; A talmid chacham does not require the usual warning by two witnesses in capital cases. He does not have to be warned by them that if he commits the intended crime, he will be subject to either the death penalty or lashes, whichever the case may be. This talmid chacham is presumed to already know that. However, there is one problem with this. Notwithstanding the person's presumed knowledge of the severity of his punishment, the hadachah still requires that the warning must be given immediately before the crime is committed toch kidei dibur. Now, even if our talmid chacham knows of the dire consequences of his intended act, he may not be thinking about them in the seconds before he commits it! The answer is that we see from this halachah that if one is a talmid chacham and has studied everything about a given aveirah, the Torah will appear in his consciousness at that moment and warn him, "Do not do it! Do not do it! You have learned that you must not do this! You'll get punished for it." If someone learns Torah properly, the prohibition will be continually repeated in his mind. And if he is tempted to do a sin, he is considered as having been warned against it at that very moment.

This was the Chafetz Chaim's proposal. If one learns about the laws of lashon hara one will be prevented from violating them. If we become accustomed to constantly repeating the many statements of Chazal on this subject, we would not violate the issur. For example, "Ein omer loshon hora ad shekofer b'ikar (Yerushalmi Peah); One who speaks lashon hara has denied Hashem's existence." A terrifying thought for a frum Jew to be called kofer b'ikar! But if Chazal says so, it is true. Why is such a person, indeed, kofer? Because if he truly believed that at that moment when he wants to talk lashon hara he is being observed, and his words will be recorded (as it says in Avos, "ayin ro'ah vozen shoma'as" - like there is a "video" being made of everything that he is doing and saying), then he would surely refrain from it. But if he still speaks lashon hara, it must be that he does not really believe that he is being watched at that moment. This is kofer b'i'kar. So if a person would constantly repeat this Chazal it would prevent him from lashon hara no matter how strong his desire might be, or how justified he may think his grievance is against the other person. If one is aware that such talk is tantamount to kofer b'i'kar he will refrain from it.

Another example of such a Chazal is the one in Midrash Rabbah Dvarim . Hashem says to the speaker of lashon hara, "Ani sholeach malach v'omed etzlicha v'kosev kol mah sheata tomar al chavercha; I will send a special angel who will write down everything you say against the other person." Or another one from the Talmud Erchen: "Whoever speaks lashon hara will be punished by bodily afflictions." "He is subject to being put to death by stoning." Constantly repeating such statements would remind a person at the time of his temptation of the severity of the issue. The tefillah of Elokai ntzor lshoni mera is a plea to the Ribono Shel Olam that through the learning and the repetition of the laws of lashon hara we should not forget them at the moment of our temptation, no matter how strong the desire is. He alone knows how hard it is for us to refrain; no other being knows. This is a secret each person shares with G-d.

Chazal have said, "gadol avono ad hashamayim; His sin is so great it reaches the Heavens." The sin of lashon hara is even worse than the cardinal sins of idolatry, murder and immorality.

We must understand. Why is it really worse than these three cardinal sins? I would like to offer the following explanation. Suppose one observed someone doing an aveirah, and the doer knows that someone saw him do it. If this person later honestly regrets his act, and sincerely wants to do teshuvah, he will be hindered by the thought that there is somebody out there who saw him sin, and who will surely spread the word to others. When he thinks of others watching his earnest crying and praying for forgiveness, he will be discouraged. Knowing what he has done, he is convinced that everyone who observes him will think that he must be a phony, a faker. The yeitzer hara will tell him, "Look, the shame is out. Your aveiros are known., You are lost. Anyway, nobody will believe that you have really done teshuvai. Why bother at all? You might as well enjoy life and embrace any aveirah you wish." However, if our hypothetical sinner could be absolutely sure of the one who saw him do this sin, sure that although he witnessed him doing the aveirah no word of it would ever cross his lips! Sure that no other person in the world would ever find out about his transgression from the one who saw him do it! If he could be sure of this then he could do teshuvah, and really put the past behind him.

Now, if he does not do teshuvah because of his fear of the witness's lashon hara about him, and he then strays from Yiddishkeit and his children become lost to our nation, how enormous does this aveirah become! Indeed, it enormity reaches the Heaven! And at the final day of reckoning of the baal lashon hara, it will be said that A Jewish child was estranged from Judaism because someone spoke lashon hara against his grandfather, and this prevented him from doing teshuvah, which resulted in his defection and the loss of his future generations to Torah. What a monumental aveirah that would be! But if the grandfather did do teshuvah because he was secure in the knowledge that he could put his past behind him, and then went on to merit Olam Hazeh and Olam Haba and to leave children and subsequent generations of righteous offspring behind him all because he knew that no one would ever talk to anyone of his past transgressions, what an exceedingly great zechus this would be!

Furthermore, murder and immorality, and even idolatry, are aveiros which are associated with physical life. However, the human power of speech is purely spiritual. The Sefer Hachinuch says, "Segulas ha'adam vgodel shivcho hu hadibur; The greatest treasure which the human being possesses is the power of speech, shehu yoser al kol minei hanivraim; because through this, he is greater than all other creatures." As we find in the Torah, "vayhi ha'adam lnefesh chaya" and the Targum translates this as "lruach m'malilah; a talking being." Now, with whom did Adam Harishon speak? He was all alone in the world! Why did he need the power of speech? He needed it to speak with the Ribono Shel Olam. The power of speech was originally created so that man could speak Hashem!

Communication by speech among human beings is a most miraculous power. One person has a thought in his brain, and through his power of speech; he is able to put his thought into someone else's brain. Hashem created the five oral tools of expressing speech (tongue, lips, teeth, gum and throat), which enable a person to form words. These words, computer-like, form images in the recipient's brain, and he immediately understands the thought which the other person is conveying to him. Truly a miracle! This is the epitome of the human being. Now this great power should be used for spiritual things: Torah, mitzvos, sanctifying Hashem's name, doing chesed, cultivating love and truth, and for prayer, confession and teshuvah. But, if we take this unique power and we defile it, if we lower it to the point of ruining people's lives and making them miserable, then we have committed a horrible crime, truly worse than the merely physical sins of murder and immorality.

A further illustration of the power of speech is the following. This piece of paper which I am holding is mutar bilhanaah, permissible for ordinary use. I can use it for any purpose. But if I now make a neder and prohibit its use, this ordinary piece of paper will become "off limits" and prohibited to me, or to others, as if it were a korban. This transformation was accomplished by me through my power of speech, which was given to me by the Ribono Sshel Olam as part of the Tzelem Elokim. Therefore, the misuse of this great and noble power is a much larger transgression than other aveiros because it exists on a much higher plane than other human powers.

On Rosh Hashanahh we speak of " hasatan mikatreg; Satan accuses us." This means that the whole power of Satan is in speaking lashon hara against us before the Heavenly Court. As we find in the book of Iyov, Chapter 2: "It was on that special day of Rosh Hashanahh. All the angels came together, including the Satan, and Hashem asked Satan, 'Have you said attention to my servant Iyov? There is no tzaddik like him in all the world!' In response, the Satan says, 'Yes of course, but....he has it so good....could he withstand tests? He is not as great as Avraham Avinu! He could be much greater...." We also speak like the Satan: "He is alright, but....." "He is not the world's greatest lamdan...." "He could have approved on this or the other thing...." "I remember twenty years ago he...." "Of course now he is a feiner Yid...." And so . This is "ma'aseh Satan; the Satan's ways." So now, if we, with G-d's help, can refrain from this sort of behavior, and not show the example of the Satan, we weaken his power to act against us in this manner. We speak of "larbev es haSatan; to confuse the Satan." The greatest way to confuse the Satan is to refrain from talking against someone else. Then he will not be able to talk against us in the Heavenly Court.

In the interest of self-betterment we are encouraged on Yom Kippur to talk about ourselves, and to tell of our sins! However, no one else should overhear our private rebuke to ourselves. In the Beis Hamikdash, when the people kneeled and prostrated themselves, there was, miraculously, ample room between each individual so that one should not overhear the private confessions of someone else. Such speech is strictly private; between man and the Ribono Shel Olam. If we must talk lashon hara, let us talk about ourselves! There is surely a lot to say! And if we only rebuke ourselves, and refrain from talking about others, then the heavenly "Satan's criticism" of us will be superseded by our own self-criticism. In this way we can inhibit the attacks of the Satan against us. This is what we mean when we say, "Avinu Malkeinu stom piyos mastineinu umkatrigeinu." If we accept upon ourselves this prohibition, then we have the right to request of Hashem that in this zechus, may He seal the mouths of the heavenly mekatregim, the Satanic forces which our aveiros have created, and which are crying out for our punishment. May these attacks against us be mitigated by our own actions of closing our mouths and inhibiting our tongues from any lashon hara.