Before you speak

מִֽי־הָ֭אִישׁ הֶחָפֵ֣ץ חַיִּ֑ים אֹהֵ֥ב יָ֝מִ֗ים לִרְא֥וֹת טֽוֹב׃

Who is the man that desireth life, and loveth days, That he may see good therein?

נְצֹ֣ר לְשׁוֹנְךָ֣ מֵרָ֑ע וּ֝שְׂפָתֶ֗יךָ מִדַּבֵּ֥ר מִרְמָֽה׃

Keep thy tongue from evil, And thy lips from speaking guile.

ס֣וּר מֵ֭רָע וַעֲשֵׂה־ט֑וֹב בַּקֵּ֖שׁ שָׁל֣וֹם וְרׇדְפֵֽהוּ׃

Depart from evil, and do good; Seek peace, and pursue it.

מִזְמ֗וֹר לְדָ֫וִ֥ד יְ֭הֹוָה מִי־יָג֣וּר בְּאׇהֳלֶ֑ךָ מִֽי־יִ֝שְׁכֹּ֗ן בְּהַ֣ר קׇדְשֶֽׁךָ׃

A Psalm of David. LORD, who shall sojourn in Thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell upon Thy holy mountain?

הוֹלֵ֣ךְ תָּ֭מִים וּפֹעֵ֥ל צֶ֑דֶק וְדֹבֵ֥ר אֱ֝מֶ֗ת בִּלְבָבֽוֹ׃

He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, And speaketh truth in his heart;

לֹֽא־רָגַ֨ל ׀ עַל־לְשֹׁנ֗וֹ לֹא־עָשָׂ֣ה לְרֵעֵ֣הוּ רָעָ֑ה וְ֝חֶרְפָּ֗ה לֹא־נָשָׂ֥א עַל־קְרֹבֽוֹ׃

That hath no slander upon his tongue, Nor doeth evil to his fellow, Nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour;

נִבְזֶ֤ה ׀ בְּֽעֵ֘ינָ֤יו נִמְאָ֗ס וְאֶת־יִרְאֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֣ה יְכַבֵּ֑ד נִשְׁבַּ֥ע לְ֝הָרַ֗ע וְלֹ֣א יָמִֽר׃

In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honoureth them that fear the LORD; He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not;

כַּסְפּ֤וֹ ׀ לֹא־נָתַ֣ן בְּנֶשֶׁךְ֮ וְשֹׁ֥חַד עַל־נָקִ֗י לֹ֥א־לָ֫קָ֥ח עֹֽשֵׂה־אֵ֑לֶּה לֹ֖א יִמּ֣וֹט לְעוֹלָֽם׃

He that putteth not out his money on interest, Nor taketh a bribe against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

בְּפֶרֶק זֶה יְבֹאַר טַעַם עֵל מַה הֶחְמִיר הַכָּתוּב בְּעָוֹן זֶה כָּל כָּךְ.

In this chapter it will be explained why Scripture was so stringent in respect to this sin.

כְּתִיב (תהילים ל"ד י"ג): "מִי הָאִישׁ הֶחָפֵץ חַיִּים אֹהֵב יָמִים לִרְאוֹת טוֹב נְצֹר לְשׁוֹנְךָ מֵרָע". וּפֵרְשׁוּ הַמְפָרְשִׁים דְּמַה שֶּׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב "הֶחָפֵץ חַיִּים", הַיְנוּ חַיִּים הַנִּצְחִיִּים בָּעוֹלָם הַבָּא, וְ"אֹהֵב יָמִים לִרְאוֹת טוֹב" הַיְנוּ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, שֶׁהוּא רַק בְּחִינַת יָמִים לְגַבֵּי חַיֵּי הַנֶּצַח. וְלִכְאוֹרָה יִפָּלֵא מְאֹד, מַה זֶּה יִחֵד לָנוּ הַכָּתוּב בִּפְרָט, שֶׁנִּשָּׁמֵר מִן הֶעָוֹן הַזֶּה, הֲלֹא נִצְטַּוֵּינוּ בַּתּוֹרָה רְמַ"ח עֲשֵׂה וּשְׁסָ"ה לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה, וְעַל כֻּלָּם אָמַר לָנוּ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּפָרָשַׁת נִצָּבִים (דברים ל' ט"ו): "רְאֵה נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ הַיּוֹם אֶת הַחַיִּים וְאֶת הַטּוֹב וְגוֹ' אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם לְאַהֲבָה אֶת ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ לָלֶכֶת בִּדְרָכָיו וְלִשְׁמֹר מִצְוֹתָיו וְחֻקּוֹתָיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו" וְגוֹ'?

It is written (Psalms 34:13): "Who is the man who wants life, who loves days to see good? Guard your tongue from evil." The commentators have explained that "who wants life" refers to eternal life in the world to come, and "who loves days to see good" refers to this world, which is only "days" relative to eternal life. Now, on the face of it, this is cause for wonder. Why does Scripture single out this sin in particular for "guarding against"? Has the Torah not prescribed for us 248 positive commandments and 365 negative commandments, about all of which the Blessed L-rd has told us (Devarim 30:15): "See, I have set before you this day, the life and the good … which I command you this day, to love the L-rd your G-d, to walk in His ways, and to keep His mitzvoth, and His statutes, and His judgments, etc."?

וְהִנֵּה לְפִי מַה שֶּׁבֵּאַרְנוּ בִּפְתִיחַת סֵפֶר "חָפֵץ חַיִּים" אֶת רִבּוּי הַלָּאוִין וְהָעֲשִׂין שֶׁהוּא רָגִיל לַעֲבֹר עַל יְדֵי הֶעָוֹן הַמַּר הַזֶּה, מַה שֶּׁאֵין מָצוּי עִנְיָן זֶה בִּשְׁאָר עֲוֹנוֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה, נָכוֹן מְאֹד בִּפְשַׁט הַכָּתוּב מַה שֶּׁנָּקַט "מִי הָאִישׁ וְגוֹ' נְצֹר וְגוֹ' סוּר מֵרָע" וְגוֹ', כִּי רָצָה דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם לִרְמֹז לָנוּ בְּדֶרֶךְ כְּלָל, שֶׁנִּשְׁמֹר אֶת עַצְמֵנוּ מֵהָעֲוֹנוֹת דְּבֵין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ וְגַם מֵהָעֲוֹנוֹת דְּבֵין אָדָם לַמָּקוֹם, וְעַל כְּלַל הָעֲוֹנוֹת דְּבֵין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ יָעַץ דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם לָאָדָם הֶחָפֵץ בַּחַיִּים, שֶׁיִּנְצֹר לְשׁוֹנוֹ מֵרַע בְּכָל פְּרָטָיו, וּמִמֵּילָא יִהְיֶה זָהִיר בַּכֹּל.

And according to what we wrote in the introduction to the Chafetz Chaim, concerning the many negative and positive commandments that he is wont to transgress through this bitter sin, as opposed to the case with the other sins of the Torah, the expression "Who is the one who wants life … Guard your tongue … Depart from evil, etc." is found to be very apt. For King David, may peace be upon him wished to intimate in general terms that we must guard ourselves from the sins against man and his neighbor and also from the sins against man and his Maker. And in the category of sins between man and his neighbor King David, may peace be upon him, counseled the man who wants life to guard his tongue from evil in all its details, so that as a matter of course, he will be circumspect in all.

וְדָבָר פָּשׁוּט הוּא, כִּי כְּשֶׁיַּרְגִּיל עַצְמוֹ לִהְיוֹת זָהִיר בִּלְשׁוֹנוֹ שֶׁלֹּא לְסַפֵּר לְעוֹלָם בִּגְנוּת חֲבֵרוֹ, אֲפִלּוּ אִם לֹא יִגְרֹם לוֹ הֶזֵּק בָּזֶה, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן מִלִּגְרֹם לוֹ שֶׁיְּאַבֵּד מִחְיָתוֹ עַל יְדֵי זֶה וְגַם שֶׁלֹּא לְהַלְבִּין פָּנָיו עַל יְדֵי דִּבּוּרָיו הָרָעִים וְגַם מִלְּהַחְזִיק בְּמַחֲלֹקֶת עַל יְדֵי סִפּוּרָיו, שֶׁכָּל זֶה הוּא רַע בַּלָּשׁוֹן, וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה שְׁאָרֵי לָאוִין וַעֲשִׂין שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּעִנְיָנִים אֵלּוּ, וְכַנַּ"ל בַּפְּתִיחָה, בְּוַדַּאי יִזָּהֵר בְּעַצְמוֹ מִמֵּילָא מִגֶּזֶל וּגְנֵבָה גַּם כֵּן, כִּי הֲלֹא כְּבָר קַבֵּל עַל עַצְמוֹ לִהְיוֹת זָהִיר, אֲפִלּוּ שֶׁלֹּא לִגְרֹם לוֹ שׁוּם רֵעוּתָא וּגְנוּת עַל יְדֵי דִּבּוּרוֹ וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן בְּפֹעַל מַמָּשׁ, וְאִם כֵּן בְּהֶרְחֵב הַזְּמַן יִהְיֶה נָקַי מִכָּל הָעֲוֹנוֹת שֶׁבֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ.

And this stands to reason. For when one habituates himself to be careful with his tongue, never to speak demeaningly of his friend, even if he causes him no harm; how much more so will he be careful not to cause him to lose his livelihood thereby, and also not to "whiten his face" with his evil talk, and also not to foment strife through his tales, all this being "evil" in the tongue, and the same with similar negative and positive commandments, as mentioned in the introduction. He certainly will also be watchful in the area of robbery and theft. For has he not already taken it upon himself to be watchful even not to cause him any harm or to demean him by his speech? How much more so [will he not harm him] actively. And if so, in the long run, he will be clean of all the sins between man and neighbor.

וְאַחַר כָּךְ אָמַר הַכָּתוּב (תהילים ל"ד ט"ו): "סוּר מֵרָע", עַל כְּלַל הָעֲוֹנוֹת שֶׁבֵּין אָדָם לַמָּקוֹם. וְאַחַר כָּךְ אָמַר "עֲשֵׂה טוֹב", עַל כְּלַל כָּל הָרְמַ"ח עֲשִׂין. [וְהִקְדִּים שְׁמִירָה מֵעֲוֹנוֹת שֶׁבֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ, כִּי הֵם כּוֹלְלִים שְׁנֵיהֶם, שֶׁהוּא עוֹבֵר עַל רְצוֹן הַשֵּׁם שֶׁצִּוָּה עַל זֶה וְגַם הוּא עוֹשֶׂה עַוְלָה בָּזֶה לַחֲבֵרוֹ.] וּלְהֶפֶךְ, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, כְּשֶׁלֹּא יִנְצֹר לְשׁוֹנוֹ מֵרַע, יִתְרַבֶּה עָלָיו עֲוֹנוֹת מְרֻבִּים וְחַטָּאִים עֲצוּמִים לִמְאֹד, שֶׁמִּשְׁתַּלְשֵׁל עַל יְדֵי הֶעָוֹן הַזֶּה כַּמְבֹאָר בַּפְּתִיחָה. וְהָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה שֶׁל נְצִירַת הַלָּשׁוֹן הוּא שֹׁרֶשׁ וְעִקָר לְרֹב עֲוֹנוֹת שֶׁבֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ וְגַם לְאֵיזֶה עֲוֹנוֹת שֶׁבֵּין אָדָם לַמָּקוֹם, כַּמְבֹאָר לְהַמְעַיֵּן שָׁם.

And after that, Scripture states: "Depart from evil," relating to the category of sins between man and his Maker. This is followed by "and do good," relating to the 248 positive commandments. [Guarding oneself from sins between man and his neighbor ("Guard your tongue, etc.,") comes first because they include both — transgressing the will of the L-rd, who commanded against it, and also wronging his neighbor thereby.] And the opposite, G-d forbid: If he does not guard his tongue from evil, there multiply in him many transgressions and extremely grave sins which issue from this sin, as explained in the preface. And guarding one's tongue is the root and source of the sins between man and his neighbor and also of some of the sins between man and his Maker, as has been explained there.