The Holiness of Speech

It’s been an emotional week. Honestly, this is probably my sixth blog post, and I didn’t plan to share this one right now. I had forgotten that this week is a double Parsha—Tazria and Metzora—so here are my reflections on Metzora.

The Sanctity of Speech

Metzora speaks deeply to the power and sanctity of speech. I am sharing two thoughts: one I heard on Yom Ha’atzmaut, and the other from the Chofetz Chaim’s teachings.

Rabbi Tamir Granot led a beautiful Hallel on Yom Ha’atzmaut and offered a moving and layered reflection. His message reminded me of something deeper—something that stayed with me throughout the day and beyond.

The featured video includes his words, which is translated and the beautiful Hallel, from the 50^th minute.

Before We Sing Hallel: A Tribute to Am Yisrael

Rabbi Granot:  “Before we sing Hallel, I want to begin by saying something good—about the people of Israel and the State of Israel.

Yom Ha’atzmaut is like Shabbat for the whole year. And just like on Shabbat, we bring only good news before God. On Shabbat, we don’t speak of evil—and so too on Yom Ha’atzmaut. It’s a day of light, a birthday, a spiritual celebration. On this day, we choose to see the good. We don’t dwell on what’s broken. We elevate.

Yom Ha’atzmaut teaches us something profound:

In a person’s life, there is a sign—a spiritual indicator—when they are asking for something real.
If their intentions are pure, if the journey is difficult and filled with obstacles, if they fall or get stuck, but continue onward without bitterness or blame—then this is a true desire.
They don’t give up. They don’t lash out.
Instead, they are driven by longing, a deep longing of the soul to grow, to rise, to be filled with good.

And so it is with a people.

There is a sign for a nation that it is asking for something real. If we stumble and fall, if there are frustrations and challenges—but still we keep going, still we long to be better, kinder, stronger—then that is a holy sign. It means we are not divided inside. We are united in our yearning to build something good.

Carrying the Name of God

This morning, I read a beautiful statistic from a book I was given for Yom Ha’atzmaut: Over 90% of Israelis say they are proud to be part of the State of Israel.

Not everyone may know how to articulate the name of God. Not everyone has the words. But deep in their hearts, they recognize the chesed, the goodness, the miracles that brought us here. They see the kindness. They see the blessings. They feel that God created us, and in His name, we are called.

On this day, we carry the banner of God—not as a burden, but as a testimony to the wonders He has done for us in this generation.

What we have seen—our return, our survival, our rebirth—is a wonder even greater than the Exodus from Egypt.
And with that, we carry the presence of God.
And in His name, we will be called.

A Year of Longing and Resilience

The world will see in Israel and beyond how much this people, even with so many reasons to be sad or discouraged, continues to rise with longing. Despite exhaustion, despite hardship, we yearn:

• To be better.
• To move faster.
• To be proud.
• To be loved more.
• And most of all—to be closer to God.

We long for God to hear our prayers. We love the God of the world, especially when He listens to our voices. As the Zohar teaches: What we do down here echoes in the heavens above.

When we open our ears to each other—God opens His ears to us.”

Where There Is Fog, There Is a Sea

Last year, I shared something: “From the straits I called out, and God answered me with wide expanse.” We spoke about uncertainty, fog, and fear. But with God, there is always a wide sea waiting beyond the mist.

Even when stories are hidden, when reality is obscured, God sees clearly. And so do we, through faith.

And in the name of God, we will be called.
And from that place, we will sing.
We will bless.
And we will rise together.

The Power and Responsibility of Speech

The Parsha of Metzora focuses on a person afflicted not by disease alone, but by the consequences of negative speech—lashon hara.

The word Metzora is often explained homiletically as a contraction of motzi shem ra—one who spreads a bad name.

The classic example is Miriam, the sister of Moses, who was struck with tzara’at in Numbers 12 after speaking critically about her brother.

That individual is sent outside the camp, not as punishment, but as an invitation to reflect:

Why did I speak that way?
What harm did I cause?
What healing can now begin?

In our world of endless notifications and public discourse, we need this lesson more than ever.

When Can One Speak About Another to Prevent Harm? The TOELES Framework

TOELES (תועלת) is a Hebrew word that means “benefit”, “constructive purpose,” or “usefulness.”

That’s where the principles of TOELES come in—a careful halachic framework based on the teachings of the Chofetz Chaim, providing us with moral clarity in the complicated world of speech. These are the conditions that must all be met before speaking negatively to prevent harm:

• T – The information must be true.
  You must verify the facts and ensure the situation is truly serious enough to warrant sharing negative information.
• O – Your intention must be for a constructive purpose.
  You are sharing the information to protect someone, not to gossip, vent, or release frustration.
• E – Exaggeration is forbidden.
  Say only what actually happened. Don’t add details, embellish, or dramatise.
• L – Let’s try other means first.
  If there’s a way to prevent the harm without speaking negatively, you must try that first.
• E – Evaluate the potential consequences.
  Will your words help or hurt? Make sure what you say will lead to a constructive outcome.
• S – Seek guidance when in doubt.
  When unsure, ask a competent halachic authority (Rav) for guidance.

Speech is powerful. It can be holy or harmful, build or break. TOELES reminds us that even necessary speech must be grounded in responsibility and truth.

The Legacy of the Chofetz Chaim: Guardian of Speech

No conversation about ethical speech in Judaism is complete without honouring Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan, known as the Chofetz Chaim—the name of his seminal work on the laws of proper speech.

Born in 1838 in what is now Belarus, the Chofetz Chaim devoted his life to collecting, organising, and teaching the Torah’s guidance on lashon hara, gossip (rechilut), and constructive speech (toeles). His masterwork, Sefer Chofetz Chaim, brought these laws out of obscurity and into the heart of Jewish learning and practice.

He later wrote Shmirat HaLashon (“Guarding the Tongue”), which focuses on the spiritual power of words. There, he shows how speech mirrors God’s own creative force—“And God said, ‘Let there be light’…” and why guarding our tongue is key to personal and communal holiness.

But more than a halachist, the Chofetz Chaim was a moral beacon. He lived the values he taught, embodying humility, gentleness, and compassion. He reminded us that guarding our speech is not just about avoiding sin—it’s about building a world of trust, dignity, and kindness.

Final Thought: Speak as if God is Listening—Because He Is

We are created b’tzelem Elokim—in the image of God. Just as God creates through speech, we too shape the world with our words. Every comment, every post, every whispered remark carries weight.

Let us use our speech to build bridges, not barriers.
To heal, not hurt.
To uplift, not tear down.

“If what you’re about to say won’t lead to something good, don’t say it.”

And when in doubt—remember the Chofetz Chaim’s timeless advice: pause, reflect, and choose words that honor your soul and God’s name.