It's a bit awkward to speak about the issue of lashon hara – gossip, slander, spreading defamatory rumors, and the like – in this era of internet and social media. At a time when a simple X-tweet can turn into lashon hara on a worldwide scale within moments, we may be inclined to think that trying to place limitations on our speech is simply a war lost in advance.

The Halakhic definition of the prohibition against lashon hara is simple: One is forbidden to speak negatively about a person – even if true – unless some worthy benefit can be gained therefrom. Our Sages view lashon hara as one of the most severe prohibitions, because it mars our most important and exalted ability: the capacity of speech. 

Speech, in the Torah view, is not just a technical means of communication between people. It is rather the primary tool by which a human being can express his inner world, and thus essentially define himself. Rabbi Onkelos, who translated the Torah into Aramaic some two millennia ago, translated the words "the [newly-created] man became a living soul" (B'reshit 2,7) as, "the soul in man became a speaking spirit." That is, speech is the definition of the living soul of man. 

When a person speaks, he expresses his spiritual world and brings to actuality its potential. As a result, a large part of one's spiritual identity is directly dependent on the manner in which he speaks. When he speaks negatively about someone else (if not to warn of harm that person is liable to cause), this causes him to position his personality on the negative side of life. The ramifications thereof touch on all aspects of life: focusing on the bad, being over-critical, and estrangement from his environment.

The study of the laws of forbidden speech received a great boost precisely 150 years ago, when R. Yisrael Meir HaCohen of the city of Radin first published his Halakhic-ethical work Chafetz Chaim. He gave it this name, which means "desirous of life," because of the verse: "Who is the man who desires life… Guard your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deception" (Psalms 34,13-14). This work, which quickly became a classic in the Jewish world, deals with specific details of what may and may not be said, under what circumstances, how to avoid this harmful sin, and why it is so socially and spiritually harmful.

As expected, the book deals with local lashon hara issues, such as family and neighborhood gossip. Newspapers were distributed in a limited manner at the time, and are dealt with in the work accordingly. But today, the rules of the game have changed unrecognizably, as modern communications and media have taken over our world. TV, internet, smartphones, social media – all these have multiplied infinitely our accessibility to lashon hara, thus gravely worsening the damage it can cause. 

Solutions

We can deal with this spiritual threat in several ways, simultaneously. First, the Torah world is called upon to develop a multi-faceted approach – Halakhically and otherwise – to deal with the new reality. For example, we must find the right balance between the values of the lashon hara prohibition, on the one hand, and the need to constructively criticize public bodies and personages; the media, for better and worse, currently serves as one of the main tools by which we can call out public corruption. 

Secondly, we must try to act on the governmental level, via the formulation of an ethical code for the media and other bodies. 

Thirdly, even though the public expanse today is controlled by the media, the personal expanse is still under our own control, and we have the ability to shape it via our Free Choice. The ability to stay away from large doses of "media" – and certainly to ensure that we are not addicted to it – is one of the main ethical tests facing one who wishes to develop his full potential. Yes, there is a minimal reasonable level of exposure to the internet and social media that one is required to have so that he can live functionally in his society. But every unnecessary second that one spends in this media swamp of small-mindedness, negativity and unending blabber is harmful.

We can be comforted somewhat by the fact that the power of the electronic media is actually not as strong as it may appear. It is precisely because of its accessibility, its frenzied nature, and the inconceivable amount of information that it offers, that its influence is waning. The soul of post-modern man has become worn out from all the non-stop talk. In the past we said that newspapers were of value for one day only and the next day would be used to wrap fish – but today, in the age of electronic communication, they can't even be used for that. The scandals that so agitate the web fade into oblivion within a few hours, and in any case are paid short shrift by thinking persons. This is evident, for example, in the lack of attention paid of late to talkbacks, as their shallowness, cheapness and even violence have rendered them quite irrelevant. 

In any case, building a culture of talk that emphasizes the positive and strengthens that which unites us over that which divides us is our personal and national mission.

In Kohelet we read: "There is no advantage to the person who speaks" (10,11). The Sages of the Talmud (Taanit 8a) understand this as asking a puzzling question: What advantage does a person possibly receive from speaking lashon hara? If we are fair and honest with ourselves, we would answer those Sages that we actually derive great enjoyment from slandering others. But our Sages are telling us clearly: "If so, go find yourselves other less harmful ways to have fun."

Translated by Hillel Fendel.