The Power of Speech: An Important Pesach Message
The Midrash Raba relates that Raban Shimon ben Gamliel sent his servant Tuvi to buy good food. He returned a while later with a cow tongue. Later, he sent him to buy bad food. Again, he returned with a cow tongue. Raban Shimon questioned how the same food could be good and bad. The wise Tuvi responded that the (human) tongue can be the source of good and it can be the source of bad. For this reason, Mar the son of Ravina was known to conclude his teffilot with the prayer that HaShem should “guard my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking deceitfully.” In fact, this is the words that we say when we conclude our teffilot.
Upon reflection on the Midrash, it is not clear what great insight Tuvi provided. What makes the tongue different from any other part of the human being? Man is given free choice to use his body for good or bad. Perhaps, it’s based on the origin and source of man’s ability to speak. The Targum Unkelos in his commentary on the Torah translates the words “living soul” that HaShem blew into Adam the first man as the ability to speak. In other words, speech is rooted in the spiritual aspect of man, his holy soul and not man’s physicality. Hence, Tuvi was communicating that despite its holy source, even speaking can be used for bad. For this reason, speech is referred to as the “Koach HaDibur”, the Power of Speech. Because of its spiritual nature the effects of speech can have eternal ramifications for good and bad.
During these weeks leading up to the Yom Tov of Pesach when the weekly parshiot are focused on Tzarat, the spiritual malady that has a physical manifestation, the contrast of good and bad speech is highlighted. Chazal tell us that one of the main causes of contracting Tzarat is Lashon Hara. Even though the term Lashon Hara connotes a specific expression to cause people to think badly about each other, the actual meaning of the phrase means bad speech that hints at all aspects of improper use.
Regarding Lashon Tov, Pesach stands out for its great emphasis on using speech for good. In fact, the two main symbols of the holiday, the Korban Pesach and Matzah both hint at speaking as a central component of the Yom Tov. Peh Sach-the speaking mouth and Lechem Oni-the bread that much is said about it are two Mitzvot that hint to the Torah Mitzvah of Haggadah-the telling of the Pesach story.
Once again, let’s reflect on the term Koach HaDibur when considering Tzarat and the Yom Tov of Pesach. Instead of focusing on speech that impact others either in a good way or bad, we come to understand the power of speech in these two expressions are focused on internal ramifications. Regarding Tzarat, it’s a spiritual malady with a physical manifestation. We can assume that external blemishes reflect on internal blemishes on a tainted Neshama. The speaking on Pesach night potentially impacts the neshama in a most profound way. It leads to a deepening of emunah, which is the essence of an ever-enhancing relationship with HaShem.
In light of the positive ramifications of good speech on the Neshama of a person, the statement made by Raban Shimon ben Gamliel in Pirkei Avot needs an explanation. He said, “All my days that I was growing up among the wise, there was nothing better for me than silence”. Perhaps he should have said, there was nothing better for me than good speech. I think that Raban Shimon was reflecting on his youth and the challenge to guard his tongue from bad speech. Therefore, he grew up within the paradigm that silence or speaking as minimally as possible to ensure that bad speech would be greatly controlled was a better strategy than promoting unbounded positive speech. Ultimately, his philosophy is the most effective preparation and chinuch for children in their pursuit of a life of good speech. When they are trained that the default position is not to speak, then they will come to pause and reflect more easily when they want to speak. This is a great message to share with the children at a time of year when speaking is so important around the table including themselves.