Lashon Tov: Right Speech

(7) the LORD God formed the human from the dust of the earth. God blew into its nostrils the breath of life, and the human became a living being.

(4) לנפש חיה A LIVING SOUL — Also cattle and beasts are called living souls נפש חיה, but the נפש soul of the human has what they all have and more, because to the human was granted understanding and speech. דֵּעָה וְדִבּוּר

(3) Rabbi Isaac said: He [Isaac] was going to curse him [Jacob], but the Holy One, blessed be He, cautioned: "Beware, for if you curse him, you curse your own soul, for you said: 'Cursed be they who curse you' (Genesis 27:29)."

Rabbi Levi said: six things serve a human - three are under one's control, and three are not under one's control. The eye, the ear and the nose are not under one's control, as one sees what is not wished for, one hears what is not desired, and one smells what is not wanted.

The mouth, the hand, and the foot are under one's control. If one wishes to, one studies Torah, while if one wants to one speaks badly, and if one wants to one blasphemes and reviles.

Regarding the hand, if one wishes one can offer charity, while if one wants one can rob, and if one desires one can murder. Regarding the feet, if one wishes one can go to the houses of theatre and the houses of circus, while if one wants one can go to the houses of assembly [synagogues] and the houses of study.

(13) Who is the man who is eager for life, who desires years of good fortune? (14) Guard your tongue from evil, your lips from deceitful speech.

(21) Death and life are in the power of the tongue; Those who love it will eat its fruit.

(16) Do not go around as a tale-bearer with your countrymen. Do not profit by the blood of your fellow: I am G!d.

(1) לא תלך רכיל THOU SHALT NOT GO ABOUT AS A TALE BEARER — I say that because all those who sow discord between people and all who speak slander go into their friends' houses in order to spy out what evil they can see there, or what evil they can hear there so that they may tell it in the streets —they are called הולכי רכיל which it the same as הולכי רגילה, "people who go about spying"

Maimonides, Morocco 1138-1204

(5) Regardless of whether the slander is spoken in the presence of his fellow, or in his absence, or if the slander spread from mouth to mouth cause harm to his fellow, to his body, or property, even to cause him anguish, or fear to his soul, behold this is the iniquity of an evil tongue. ... Arakin, 16b. C. G.

(6) All such are owners of an evil tongue, in whose neighborhood it is forbidden to dwell, needless to say to be in their company and listen to their words. The doom against our fathers in the wilderness was not sealed for aught else, save for that of an evil tongue.⁸Ibid. C.

In the West (Palestine) they say "Lashon Hara kills three people: The speaker, the receiver and that of which is it is spoken."

Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Death and life are in the hand of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21)? Does the tongue have a hand?

Rather the verse comes to tell you that just as a hand can kill, so too a tongue can kill.

If you were to claim that just as the hand kills only from close by, so too the tongue kills only from close by, therefore the verse states: “Their tongue is a sharpened arrow” (Jeremiah 9:7). The tongue kills like an arrow that is fired from a bow, at a great distance.

Regarding one who speaks lashon hara, God says, "I cannot dwell with him," as it says (Psalms 101:60). One who slanders his neighbor... him I cannot tolerate.

One who speaks lashon hara is like one who denies God, as it says (Psalms 12:5) They have said, 'Because of our tongues we will prevail... who is master over us?'

Rav Sheshet further said, citing Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya:

Anyone who speaks slander, and anyone who accepts and believes the slander he hears, and anyone who testifies falsely about another, it is fitting to throw him to the dogs, as it is stated: “And you shall not eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field, you shall cast it to the dogs” (Exodus 22:30), and afterward it is written: “You shall not utter [tisa] a false report; put not your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness” (Exodus 23:1). Uttering rumors is here equated to delivering false testimony. Furthermore, read into the verse as though it stated: Do not cause a false report to be accepted [tasi], i.e., do not lead others to accept your false reports.

(1) There are things which are forbidden because of the "dust" of lashon hara.

As when one says about another:

"Who would have said about Ploni that he would be the way he is now?!" or

"Don't talk about Ploni. I don't want to talk about what happened or what will happen," and the like.

Also in the category of the "dust" of lashon hara is speaking in one's praise before his enemies; for this will cause them to speak demeaningly of him. And it is forbidden to be profuse in praise of him, even if not before his enemies; for through this he will come to demean him in the end, saying: "except for this one bad trait that he has." Or the listeners will say: "Why do you speak so much in his praise? Does he not have this and this trait?"

MISHNA: Just as there is a prohibition against exploitation [ona’a] in buying and selling, so is there ona’a in statements, i.e., verbal mistreatment. The mishna proceeds to cite examples of verbal mistreatment:

One may not say to a seller: For how much are you selling this item? if he does not wish to purchase it. He thereby upsets the seller when the deal fails to materialize.

The mishna lists other examples: If one has done teshuva, another may not say to him: Remember your earlier deeds. If one is the child of converts, another may not say to him: Remember the deeds of your ancestors, as it is stated: “And a convert shall you neither mistreat, nor shall you oppress him” (Exodus 22:20). ...

If one is a convert and he came to study Torah, one may not say to him: Does the mouth that ate non-kosher carcasses and animals that had wounds that would have caused them to die within twelve months [tereifot], and repugnant creatures, and creeping animals, comes to study Torah that was stated from the mouth of the Almighty?

If torments are afflicting a person, if illnesses are afflicting him, or if he is burying his children, one may not speak to him in the manner that the friends of Job spoke to him: “Is not your fear of God your confidence, and your hope the integrity of your ways? Remember, I beseech you, whoever perished, being innocent?” (Job 4:6–7). Certainly you sinned, as otherwise you would not have suffered misfortune.