While the Yom Iyun on Shemiras Haloshon was covered in the
body of this paper, we would be terribly remiss in not
reporting at least one facet of this year-round preoccupation
for us, females of Am Yisroel. It is our `baby,' after
all. We have chosen "Hashomrot" for girls.
A telephone interview with the coordinator of the Kabbolas
Shabbos groups (we cannot mention her name -- everyone
remains anonymous and no one takes credit for anything! But
we can provide her phone number for more information: 02-
5382085)) in Yerusholayim tells us some fascinating
figures:
There are some seven thousands girls who avidly attend the
weekly Friday night groups: 400 in Hebrew and 100 in Yiddish.
Many people make the mistake of thinking of shemiras
haloshon as a prohibitive commandment, and even refer to
it as anti-loshon horo. The Shomrot make it a point of
highlighting the positive aspects of speech. Their approach
is called Chochmas Hadibbur, the art and wisdom of
proper and constructive speech. Their aim is to make positive
speech a second nature, and within the group framework,
certain situations and scenarios are created in which girls
are supposed to come up with favorable judgments and positive
actions and reactions.
With this in mind, the Shomrot have created a series of
guidebooks for the group leaders, in Hebrew and Yiddish,
which have become extremely popular. So much so, that
seminary students from Mexico, Argentina, Gibralter, Texas
and other places, studying in Eretz Yisroel, have taken them
home to distribute. Then there are the entertaining and
educational series of tapes for girls.
It is a fact that people involved in shemiras haloshon
projects have found their yeshua in many various
areas. One outstanding story is told of the woman who came to
Rebbetzin Kaniefsky with a tearful plea for help. A vein in
her eye had burst and the only way to prevent blindness and
other damage was to undergo a very difficult operation. So
difficult, in fact, that the surgeons were loathe to
undertake the risk.
"There was one expert surgeon who was willing to try. I said
that I first wanted to consult the rabbis, and have come here
for your advice and blessing."
The Rebbetzin had a tried-and-tested method. "Accept upon
yourself to heed your tongue from prohibited speech and
resolve to study two halochos a day. If you do, you
will have nothing to worry about." The woman returned to the
specialist the following day with her reply. He examined her
and to his amazement, found that surgery was altogether
unnecessary. Her eye was healed!
The Jerusalem coordinator has numerous other stories to
illustrate this same point.
