In an age of expression, when society tells us that whatever we think or feel we should be allowed and even empowered to say, should there be any restrictions on our speech? Is "say whatever you want" truly progress for our world?
The answer lies in this week's Torah portion Tazria. There, we learn about the ancient affliction called Tzaraas, a consequence of speaking negatively about someone else. The afflicted person would have to leave the entire Jewish camp for a week once their diagnosis was confirmed. You might wonder why such a harsh punishment for someone if they were speaking the truth, so what if it's harmful and hurtful? The answer is that telling the truth is not an excuse to destroy someone else, and that's what negative speech can do, even if it's true. The Torah compares Lashon Hara to murder, and just as one would never justify murder by saying, "I disagreed with them; I had to kill them because they were so wrong and contradicted my truth," so too, one can't justify disparaging someone else in any way.
The notion that self-expression comes above all else is selfish and nothing more. When we embrace that life is a mission given to us by G-d we stop focusing on ourselves and start focusing on others. No longer is our metric for right and wrong what makes us feel good now; it's centered on what G-d wants me to say. What will help make this world a better place? What would help the other person about whom I speak elevate themselves and move beyond their past failings? These are the questions I need to ask, so let's ask them and stop justifying our terrible talk. We will never get to where we want to go if we don't help others elevate themselves instead of crushing them.
Good Shabbos & Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Mendy Dubrowski
Mission: Words matter, so make sure yours are mission-centric, not me-centric.