We open the newspaper every day with trepidation: another
shooting, another attack, along with grim details. Turning
the page, we read of tragic illness, premature death, and
fatal accidents. There is no doubt about it: We are
experiencing very difficult times. How we wish we could
protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our community. We
join together in davening, and yet our troubles
continue. Is there anything more we can do?
"I can save you from all your troubles as long as you guard
your tongue," Hashem cries out to us (Yalkut Ki
Seitzei). As the Chofetz Chaim explains, when a person
sins and then someone speaks loshon hora about him,
there are two witnesses to his sin and punishment is
forthcoming. But if nobody talks about the sin, there are no
witnesses and the Jews are not punished!
We know it is true. People who have undertaken to learn two
halochos a day of shemiras haloshon have
experienced documented yeshuos in every sphere. We
witness these amazing stories daily: childless women bearing
children, people emerging unscathed from violent crashes;
the list goes on. Imagine the power we would wield for the
yeshu'oh of the klal if we were all to
undertake the study and observance of shemiras
haloshon, coupled with the key to proper speech: judging
favorably. Visualize the strength our communal
tefillos would carry when emerging from pure,
untarnished mouths; their potency would break all of the
harsh decrees that may lie in wait for Klal
Yisroel.
After the yom tefillah that was recently called by
gedolei Yisroel, a new movement of shemiras
haloshon, has been formed. Known as "Shalom"
(Shmor Leshoncho Meiro) the organization was founded
by Mrs. S. Jacobs of Monsey and Mrs. S. Wertzberger of
Yerushalayim, with the help of the existing Notzrei
Loshon organization. The organization is under the
rabbinical direction of HaRav Menachem Mendel Fuchs, the rav
of Ramot Dalet.
The first project was to distribute flyers and posters all
around Yerushalayim, issued and personally signed by the
rabbonim of the Eida HaChareidis, urging people to learn two
halochos in the sefer Chofetz Chaim every
day.
The cost of the posters and flyers was donated by the
children of Rabbi Sholom Goldstein z"l, (Shalom ben
Yechezkel Shraga) in memory of their father, long-time
principal of Bais Yaakov of Detroit. One of Rabbi
Goldstein's last projects was to institute the study of
shemiras haloshon as an integral part of the
curriculum in girls' schools. (Special thanks go to Dfus
Yashar printing, which has been very helpful in lowering
costs, thus enabling us to continue the programs.)
In addition to the posters, a car driven by Mr. Shimshon
Chazan has been traveling around the streets of Yerushalayim
calling out Shemiras Haloshon slogans: "Be a partner
in saving Klal Yisroel! Save yourself from all
troubles by not speaking loshon hora. What wouldn't
you do for parnossoh? Chazal say that one
machlokes pushes away a hundred parnossos."
Mr. Chazan also sells the sefer Chofetz Chaim printed
by the Igud Notzrei Haloshon from his car, at a
subsidized price of NIS 15. Thousands of seforim have
been sold in only four weeks! New ones are quickly being
printed. As Mr. Chazan relates, many people come to his van
and tell him, "I'm learning already," or, "Thanks so much
for coming around; I just didn't have the time to get to the
store to pick up the sefer."
"I intend to try to get to every street in Yerushalayim,"
Mr. Chazan says. "It will take some time, but we must cut
out all loshon hora so that we can be ready for the
geula."
Among other projects initiated or planned by the movement: A
chain call has been started with each woman phoning two
other women to learn the halochos of shemiras
haloshon. The movement will soon be sending letters to
all Torah institutions in Yerushalayim, advising them to add
the halochos to their curriculum on a daily basis.
Agudas Notzrei Haloshon has printed a new Hebrew
sefer explaining how to teach the halochos to
young children, entitled Loshon Limudim.
On motzei Shabbos Parshas Vayishlach, a giant step
was taken towards achieving a loshon hora free
environment and canceling harsh decrees, as hundreds of
ladies in Yerushalayim gathered together with enthusiasm to
be strengthened in the subject of shemiras haloshon.
The Bnos Yerushalayim hall was jam-packed as over 600 women
and girls of all ages arrived to take part in this event,
one of the first such assemblies in Yiddish.
The key speaker, Mrs. R.T. Neiman, delivered a rousing
address on the crucial importance of guarding our tongues
from speaking loshon hora. She related how her own
grandfather was saved from the Holocaust because he was so
careful to keep his distance from machlokes. She also
gave the audience a number of ideas for practical
application.
Mrs. Neiman ended with the fiery words, `Eis tzoro hi
leYaakov!' The enemy is standing right beside us. The
gedolei hador, have called upon us to do
teshuva to wipe out loshon hora and sinas
chinom by learning two halochos a day from the
Chofetz Chaim. Let us all be partners in the
hatzoloh of klal Yisroel!"
After Mrs. Neiman's speech, the seforim were sold out
in a matter of moments. There weren't enough available for
the multitudes of people who were mekabel to learn
hilchos shemiras haloshon every day, uplifted by the
powerful words they had heard.
The Klezkin sisters put on a play in three acts
demonstrating the principle of judging favorably in everyday
life. The key to properly aligning one's thoughts and
uprooting loshon hora is by learning to judge others
lechaf zchus.
Valuable prizes were raffled off at the evening, the raffle
money earmarked for more of Shalom's Shemiras
Haloshon projects.
In addition to its activities in the Yerushalayim area, the
Shalom organization has already branched out to Ashdod and
Beit Shemesh, and is hoping to raise funds to extend its
reach to Bnei Brak. Posters have already been hung in
Ashdod, and books of the Chofetz Chaim are sold regularly on
the Beit Shemesh vans. The movement hopes that finances will
allow it to branch out to further religious communities in
Bnei Brak and Tel Aviv.
In the time of Haman's decree, Mordechai, the godol
hador roused the masses and called them to
teshuva. Only in the merit of responding to that call
were they saved from destruction. Today our own
gedolim are beseeching us to do teshuva, with
a clear emphasis on the area of shemiras haloshon.
You can have a hand in bringing the klal a
yeshua, and all it takes is five minutes a day. Such
a simple act, sure to enhance your life and the lives of
you, your loved ones, and your community are safe. Can
anyone refuse the opportunity?
