GENTLE SPEECH - A PATH OF LIGHT

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well.

Wishing a refuah shleimah for Yecheskiel ben Esther.

Mazal Tov to Dovber Kehaty on his birthday. Wishing you a very happy year Dovber with much success in your learning and your playing! You should continue to give your parents much nachas BEH.

This week's Sedra is Emor, and I saw a powerful Sicha of the Rebbe from Parshas Emor 1962, which I would like to share in a summarised form

• The word emor means to say ie to TALK, and it refers to our speech to all Jews and not only to the Kohanim, and no limitation is set on how much talking. (See references for this)
• Speaking words of Torah has already been commanded previously, and so the speech being referred to here, is a different speech.
• There are 2 terms used for speech ie emor and daber. Emor implies GENTLE SPEECH, and daber implies firm speech
• Rambam in Chap 5 of Deos states that one of the characteristics of a Torah Scholar is that "He speaks favourably of his fellowman and does not denigrate him at all."
• Where Rambam speaks about " judging everyone favourably", he precedes this by saying that a Torah Scholar "must SPEAK GENTLY WITH ALL PEOPLE"
• Torah Scholar also refers to all Jews, because ultimately "All your children will be students of Hashem."
• There is a small leeway for admonishment but this should only be done rarely and under the guidelines of Torah, in a way that is acceptable to the one being admonished.

The explanation given is as follows:

When we see a Jew (or Jewess) whom Hashem has placed in a situation involving tremendous challenges, and 'behaving unfavourably', we have to realise that Hashem would not have given this person these challenges if they were unable to overcome them. Therefore this person must have also been granted extra-ordinary powers of character and ability to be able to overcome the challenges!

Therefore when a Jew looks favourably at his fellow Jew, not only is his fellow not held culpable, but it also brings out the merit and lofty inner powers of that person, which enable him to overcome even such difficult challenges. (and as a result the bad becomes nullified)

This is the lesson that we derive from the word Emor, Say, in our Parshah, ie we must continually and profusely speak favourably, and in a praise-worthy manner, of our fellows ie every Jew, even regarding those matters that require that we adjust our perspective, to judge in a favourable light.

Tonight is the beautiful celebration of Lag BaOmer and Rebi Shimon bar Yochai.

Wishing all a wonderful Lag BaOmer and a Gut Shabbos!