This week we read about creation. When it comes to the creation of humans, the Torah says, “And G-d blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the human became a living being.” The human was preceded by other living beings - vegetation, animals - so what makes the human unique?
Onkelos renders the phrase “living being” into Aramaic as “an articulate soul.” Rashi echoes this and refers to the uniqueness of the human as related to “intelligence and verbal articulation.” So we see that speech and intelligent verbal communication are core to the unique human identity.
While many beings communicate and “speak,” there is something special and different about human speech. We have the ability to speak of abstract matters relating to all kinds of intellectual disciplines. We have the ability to convey deep emotions, love, compliments, and our hopes and dreams. We have the ability to speak of practical things, instructions and guidance to others. Unfortunately, we also have the capacity to speak destructively and, G-d forbid, tear another person down.
As we think about the “power” of speech (pun intended), I would encourage us to use the following metric when we set out to speak. Clean. Positive. Kind.
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Are the words we choose to use clean? The same mouth that we use to praise Hashem and study Torah must be kept clean of any inappropriate language.
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Are we speaking of positive things or are we using our speech to drag ourselves and our environment down into negativity? Positive speech has the ability to change our surroundings and make them pleasant and energizing.
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Are we using our communication in a kind manner? Are we being constantly critical or are we complimentary? Are we speaking slanderously or being gossipy or are we careful to protect the dignity of others in our manner of speech?
An “articulate soul” is a powerful soul. Words have a major impact, sometimes even greater than sticks or stones. Let us harness our power as a force for good. Through clean, positive, and kind words we can make a real difference in our world, making it a cleaner, more positive, and kinder place, one mouth at a time.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin