During takeoff, as an airplane accelerates down the runway, there is a critical moment when the copilot announces, “V1.”
What does it mean?
It means the aircraft has reached a speed at which an aborted takeoff is no longer possible. There is not enough runway remaining to stop safely. The plane is now fully committed to becoming airborne.
It’s the point of no return.
The “V1” of Speech
The V1 speed is a fitting metaphor for how we treat others with words. Once hurtful words have been spoken and heard, the damage is done. The insult cannot be recalled; the runway has run out. You are committed to the consequences – hurt feelings and painful marginalization.
But does the Torah actually address this kind of verbal mistreatment?
Not explicitly. The Oral Law derives it from a Biblical verse, though it’s clearly not the plain meaning of the verse.
In Leviticus chapter 25, the Torah prohibits financial deception twice in the same paragraph (Lev. 25:14, 17). The plain meaning, the peshat, is that this prohibition is doubled to emphasize its severity.
However, the Talmud (Bava Metzia 58b) interprets the second mention as a distinct prohibition against verbal mistreatment. Known as ona’at devarim (אוֹנָאַת דְּבָרִים)—literally harming others with words—this law forbids insults, such as reminding a repentant person of their past wrongdoings.
The 13th-century Sefer Ha’chinukh expands on this, stating that the commandment forbids any form of shaming or belittling others (Mitzvah 338). Think about the weight of that transition. Rabbinic tradition expands the literal text of the Torah to protect human dignity. It creates novel halakhic constructs to defend a single individual from being crushed by words.
Kosher Demonization Does Not Exist
If Jewish law departs from a verse’s plain meaning in order to protect the dignity of a single individual, kal va’chomer—all the more so—it prohibits rhetoric that dehumanizes entire groups of people.
There is absolutely no moral or religious justification for leaders who weaponize their platforms to incite hatred and propagate racism against other races, nationalities or faiths.
Adjunct professor of Hebrew and Judaics at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center. Born and raised in Israel. Law degree from Bar Ilan University and a Master's in International Legal Studies from American University Washington College of Law. Also, a Baal Kore at my shul. DISCLAIMER: The views expressed here are solely mine, and do not represent the views of DLIFLC or any other institution with which I am affiliated.
