Tag Archives: wicked speech

bookclub, CHOFETZ CHAIM

Chofetz Chaim – A Lesson A Day –

Praise in The Presence of The Adversary…

The issue of loshon hara (wicked speech) continues to arise lately. I have not spoken on the topic of loshon hara in a long time. I have had to wrestle with my own flesh in order to subdue this deadly, destiny destroying behavior. The temptation has been rearing its ugly head with several people lately, including myself, which tells me it’s time to address it again.

“Never offer praise in the presence of an adversary” (Page 118).

The Chofetz Chaim teaches that it is forbidden to praise someone in the presence of anyone who is known to dislike them. They are just waiting to pounce!

It opens the door for anyone listening who dislikes them, to seize an opportunity to say something negative about the persons shortcomings.

There are times when you are acutely aware that the person in question has enemies all around. There are also times when you may not know. They best course of action is to constrain your tongue, even if you want to offer praise. Why?

Because it leaves a pit for the adversary to fall into and this pit dies damage to their own soul. It’s just something that we do not want to be a party to.

The Praiseworthy Person…

The praiseworthy person can wait for you to seek a better moment in time to extend your gratitude or praise when the adversarial soul will not be in ear shot and tempted beyond their ability to resist speaking loshon hara.

So, What Do We Do About Philippians 4:8?

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

cute rabbit with eyeglasses
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Be wise. Pay attention in the moment. Be vigilant. We always need to remember that we have to know those that we labor among. Paul tells us to, “Think on these things…“, which means we can save those lovely things for another time. We do not always have to blurt out everything we think at the time.

Be aware of the atmosphere you are in at the time and be slow to speak. The right time for praise will present itself and the person to whom you would offer praise will not have to suffer their moment being snatched away by negativity, insults or another person’s pride or enmity.

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Remember: loshon hara affects the souls of at least 3 people… In this case Yourself, the person you’re speaking about (or trying to praise), and the people or persons that are listening.

We are in the business of caring for souls. Let nothing come between you reaching the highest pinnacle of power in your comprehension of GOD and His Word. Especially, our own tongues.

This Book is a Masterpiece! A torahisteaching for your library must have!

If you do not own a copy, I strongly recommend it.

Thank You for Asking me about it my friend!

Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. Psalm 34:13-15

Key Words:

  • Chofetz Chaim: seeker of life
  • shmiras haloshon – guarding the tongue

Related Blogs:

Elul, Hebrew Language Studies, Hebrew Scriptures, Spiritual Maturity

TalkTorahToMe.CAFE. –Our Speech Can Be A Lethal Weapon or A Means to Salvation.

During the Month of Elul, Stay The Course!

LEV 19:16-18

16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour; I am the Lord.

17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.

18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.

loshon hará ~ evil speech

…is language that does harm to another. Loshon hara is a profane use of the tongue, language that does harm to other nations and people. Loshon Hara is speech – a wicked and perverse form of lspeech that harms our own futures and threatens our destiny- neutralizing and undermining our power in prayer.

We are very familiar with lotion hara, even though we may have never heard it called by that name. We’ve seen the devastation it causes to another person’s spirit. It’s very familiar.

During this Month of Elul, (August 20 – September 17)

…We are going to keep our eye on our tongues…standing the watch over our own speech. No form of evil speech will escape our tongue. No gossip, no murmuring, so chiding or complaining, no slandering, no rebukes, no grudges, no insults, no toxic or poisonous language of any kind.

We will not allow our personal Panina’s to provoke us while we are on our spiritual journey to the Temple of GOD (1 Samuel). During the Month of Elul, we are on a mission!

We are doing this for a few reasons:

  • We are determined to elevate spiritually to a new level.
  • Our speech can elevate us or block us in regards to our ability to obtain that higher level.
  • Our words have power, (It’s time to really believe that). and that power can only be released through holy speech.
  • Our speech is the foundation of all of our prayers and…
  • Your prayers are essential. People need your prayers. Your neighbor needs your prayer, right now. Your prayers can mend the World.

Man was Created a Speaking Spirit...

We discussed this last year in setting the stage for our classes. (Highlights of that teaching can be found in MAN IS A SPEAKING SPIRIT )

Gen 2.7 “And the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and He breathed into his nostrils the soul of life, and man became a living soul.“

You will recall, the portion of the verse that reads “man became a living soul” actually reads, man became a speaking spirit.

It is right in this moment that the speech of mankind became Holy.

Your speech is meant to be Holy, to Glorify GOD, to Bless and not curse, to edify and encourage, to tear down (strongholds) and to build up (each other), and so much more good than we can ever imagine!

Our words (and prayers) have no limitations in the spirit. We’ve seen what our words can do in the natural. How much more could they accomplish when we consecrate our words and prayers to GOD?

What makes language holy is that it was given by GOD only to mankind. If we take something as pure and Holy as Language, our gift from GOD, and use it in a profane manner; to hurt, condemn, criticize, offend, destroy, etc. then we corrupt GOD’s language and disrespect GOD.

Gen 2:15 “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.”

“to dress it and to keep it” from the Hebrew Language is “to avad, to serve and to keep watch, guard/protect. Ref: Adam was not in Agriculture…

Our ears (as Christians) are atuned to hearing, “to dress it and keep it” for so long that we might miss the charge of what GOD really assigned Adam to do.

No where else in scripture is there support for an understanding that Adam was a horticulturist, agriculturalist, etc.

When I speak of this to some students, they feel like the word of GOD is being rewritten before their eyes and it’s very hard to process.

Was Adam a Worshipper or a Farmer?

Was his responsibility to guard and protect the anointing, to praise and worship, to draw closer to GOD? Or to grow plants and vegetables?

What we do find support for in scripture is that Adam was a worshipper, his service was to GOD. That his job was to guard and protect the anointing, that he was to protect GOD’s creation, all of it. (Disobedience affected his ability to carry our his assignment too).

Adam had work to do, certainly. But it was a spiritual kind of work in service to GOD, Avodah. Avodah has been interpreted in scripture as physical work. What I want to focus on instead, is our first work. Before caring for fields and gardens. Before building and creating and inventing.

We have the assignment to build and create with our words.

Getting our speech back in right alignment to GOD, is going to make all the difference in the level of effectiveness and fervency of our prayers.

How far we can go walking in the anointing will all begin and depend with our speech.

Mankind is a speaking spirit. Our words have spiritual impact. GOD created the world through the spoken word. Our speech can build up or tear down this creation.

Speak life and live.

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