Lessons

To sponsor a lesson Click
here

Lesson #63c

Please verbalize or
have in mind that you are studying this material as a merit for a specific
single and/or Jewish singles throughout the world.

Halachah

Loshon horah about
children

#1

1. Am I allowed to speak loshon horah about a minor (a boy
   under the age of 13 or a girl under the age of 12)?

1. Generally it’s permitted, unless you know that it will
   cause damage to the child.  A common example of this would be an orphan
   who is being cared for by others.  By speaking loshon horah about him, you
   might cause his caregiver to abandon him, thereby causing him great harm.

#2

1. If the child is causing harm to others, may I reveal this
   information; even if it will have a negative impact on the child?

1. Essentially it is permitted, however, the following 2 matters
   must be carefully considered before doing so:
1. You must verify the veracity of your information and not
   be quick to rely on what you’ve heard from others.
2. You must carefully weigh the consequences that will
   result from your words.  Often, the consequences do not justify the
   benefits.  For example, if as a result of your words the child is kicked
   out of his home or yeshiva, you might be endangering the child’s life or
   spiritual wellbeing.

It is therefore essential to
consult with a competent halachic authority before making such a weighty
decision.

Aggadah

This section is
formatted as a conversation between Oded and Menaseh.   Oded is encouraging his
friend Menaseh to be more careful in guarding his tongue from evil speech.  The
thoughts in this section are primarily based on the sefer, Shmiras Haloshon.

Oded:  Someone who has taken upon himself to guard
his mouth will certainly not join gatherings of people for he will certainly
stumble in forbidden speech, either himself, or by listening to others.  When
he gets together with individuals he will completely refrain from talking about
others.  Such a person will certainly gain many additional hours in his week
for Torah learning and mitzvah performance.  With this in mind, there is a
posuk in Koheles that we can now explain.

Menaseh:  Which posuk is that?

Oded:  “See life with a woman that you love all the
days of your life of nothingness… for it is your portion in life.”

Menaseh:  Would you mind illuminating that posuk a
bit?

Oded:  Not at all!  A woman that you love refers to
the Torah.  The posuk is warning us not to skip even one day of Torah learning
for that is the essence of our lives.

Menaseh:  But what does it mean by “… all the days of
your life of nothingness”?

Oded:  The posuk is telling us; who is the person who
will make sure that not a day goes to waste?  A person who understands that
this world is a world of emptiness.  He realizes that he was only sent here for
the purpose of fulfilling the mission assigned to him by the creator; to obtain
his portion in Torah and mitzvos so that he may bask in the light of world to
come.  Only from such a person is it possible to expect that he will preserve
all his days.

If you have any
questions regarding these lessons, feel free to contact Rabbi Faivel Adelman clicking here.

If you know others
who would appreciate this program, please encourage them to join.  The more
people participating, the greater the zechus!  In addition, you will have a
share in the merit of anyone who improves their speech as a result of you
signing them onto this program!!

Click here to join                    Click here to invite a friend

Sources

Halachah

1) Sefer Chofetz Chaim Sec. 1 Chap. 8 Par. 3 Be’er Mayim
Chaim 5

2) Sefer Chofetz Chaim Sec. 1 Chap. 8 Par. 3 Be’er Mayim
Chaim 7

Agaddah

Sefer Shmiras Haloshon Section 2 Chap. 5