Rabbi Levinsky Sermon: August 28
This Shabbat, I want us to think about something we do every day: talk about other people. Judaism calls harmful speech lashon hara. One thing that makes avoiding lashon hara difficult is that the words we say to another can be true and still cause harm. The question is not only whether our words are accurate. We also need to think about what those words will do once we say them. Guarding our speech can make our lives better. It can protect friendships and strengthen our community. We cannot take back words once we have spoken them. Judaism asks us to think before we let them go.
