The Power of Speech in Our World Today

I used to think that it didn’t matter what people say. Even the Jewish  tradition seems to place deed over creed – “We will do and we will hear” (Exodus 24:7).

There is a lot of discussion at the moment about freedom of speech and potentially damaging speech. The question is, what do the Ten Commandments have to say about this?

“Do not be a false witness” is the ninth Commandment. Literally, it applies to a witness in a court of law. However, it’s one of the Ten Commandments and can be understood as a general principle with wide application. In fact, the Ten Commandments is a confusing translation. In Rabbinic literature, they are called Aseret HaDibrot, which means the ten utterances or statements. As opposed to specific Mitzvot or commandments, Dibrot are general principles and when put into practice, they become Core Values. 

In order to understand a Diber (one of the Ten Commandments) in this way, we must explore the principles underlying it. “Do not be a false witness” rests on three values: Truth, justice, and recognizing the power of speech. Speech is easy and hardly physical so its impact seems minimal. The reality, however, could not be more different. Speech is the primary instrument of human activity and significantly impacts almost every aspect of our endeavors. Just like our tradition says that God spoke and created the world, so too, we create when we speak. We conceptualize, collaborate, and affirm with words. Staying close to the literal meaning of the Diber, true testimony and judgment bring about legal justice. Telling a lie in court or interpreting the law falsely is corruption. 

Extending this idea into the “courts” of the workplace, schools, or social settings, the focus of this Diber is not achieve legal justice, but social justice. This is attained by the societal commitment to providing fair opportunities to all and giving people the benefit of the doubt. Both of these are actualized through speech. In a court of law, the truth is paramount, in these courts, speech is additionally evaluated on positive and peaceful outcomes. There are even cases, according to the Talmud, where white lies are permissible for the sake of peace and when truth that leads to conflict is better left unsaid. 

Loshon HaRa, literally translated as “bad speech” breaks down society. Although it may be true, it is bad because it has negative consequences. For example, in the workplace, an employer does not need to know what you think about a prospective employee’s taste in clothes. What an employer does need to know about is a prospective employee’s ongoing issue with theft. In that case, dependant on certain conditions, it would be a Mitzvah or obligation to help guard the employer against potential loss.  

Journalists and politicians who work in the “courts” of media and politics have every right to their opinions, however, they are no less bound by these principles and when relaying factual information, clearly have no right to lie.  

So, if we want to know what the Ten Commandments have to say about our current state of affairs vis-à-vis speech, we need to think about and apply the Core Value of “do not be a false witness” – to recognize the power and rules of speech in each “court”.

“We will do and we will hear” is a statement about our readiness to do what is right even before we fully comprehend it. Our words are treated as actions in our tradition.

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Rabbi Nitzan Bergman started Global Aseret, which is an organization dedicated to learning and living with the Core Values of the Ten Commandments. Founded in Israel, its materials are studied worldwide. Most recently he partnered with Chai Mitzvah to create the Aseret: The Big Ten curriculum for informal adult and teen discussion groups. 

Learn more about the Aseret: The Big Ten program here.

 

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