One cannot talk much about shemiras haloshon and the
ways of correcting this sin without mentioning the
tzaddik, HaRav Yehuda Ze'ev Segal, zt'l, of
Manchester, England. He was the originator of the idea to
study two halochos in the Chofetz Chaim along
with mussar excerpts from his Shemiras Haloshon
every single day, an idea which he spread throughout the
world.
Today, all are familiar with the daily fixed calendar of
HaRav Segal, and everyone has a friend or an acquaintance who
has already been among the tens of thousands of fortunate
people who have embarked on this daily study in previous
cycles. This monumental program began a new cycle a few short
weeks ago.
We wanted to understand how this idea, so firmly entrenched
in Am Yisroel,was formulated and how it evolved. We
wanted to know how so remarkable an endeavor was launched and
what the originator of the idea, R' Yehuda Ze'ev Segal, said
about the value of this study. We turned to R' Yehuda Ze'ev
Segal's son, R' Pesach Segal, who readily agreed to share
some of his precious Torah study time with us and to respond
to our many questions. The warmth of his illustrious father's
home, which envelops and encompasses this lofty idea, is
apparent between the lines. This is what he told us:
The truth is that the idea to study two halochos a day
was spread by Abba during his latter years," said R' Segal.
"Nonetheless, after his petirah we found among the
lists of resolutions made in his youth a resolution to study
two halochos of the Chofetz Chaim every day. We
heard him say that the reason he had decided to become
involved in the issue of shemiras haloshon was that the
Chofetz Chaim was the pillar of light which Hashem
yisborach had sent to the world to illuminate our dark
generations. If guarding one's tongue from forbidden speech
in general and from loshon hora in particular was the
crux of the Chofetz Chaim's life, then it must be a very
important matter. This thought spurred Abba to devote himself
to this issue and to merit to spread it. In this way, he was
also able to benefit so many.
Abba saw the Chofetz Chaim as the model of the perfect
person, and would often say, `The Chofetz Chaim is an example
of how a Jew must look.' Abba regarded him as the one who
continued the way of the Gaon of Vilna and R' Chaim of
Volozhin: Torah's way, which places an emphasis on
hasmodoh in Torah study and the study of halocho
as well as of mussar, which is the small measure of
chomtin (a type of preservative) which preserves wheat.
After HaRav Segal took the issue of shemiras haloshon
upon himself, he began to disseminate it publicly. At first,
he studied Chofetz Chaim every Shabbos with groups of
students in his yeshiva in Manchester. Later, he instituted
the study of two halochos a day from the Chofetz Chaim
within the yeshiva (still without adding the daily the study
of mussar from Shemiras Haloshon).
Before the idea of the famous calendar was born, he would
post a note in the yeshiva, announcing the halochos to
be studied for that particular day. In time, Abba began to
arrange the study of two halochos according to the
calendar. But this still wasn't permanent. Every now and then
he would make another calendar and yet another, in the order
of the months, and then only in the yeshiva itself.
The idea of distributing the calendar outside the yeshiva
began when the students married and moved away from the
yeshiva. They continued to maintain close ties with Abba, who
remained strongly attached to all of the yeshiva's graduates.
Slowly, graduates began to request a calendar too, so that
they could continue to study in their new places of
residence. In response, Abba stenciled copies of the
calendars which he had prepared, and later even printed them.
But there still wasn't a fixed daily calendar.
One day, I suggested that he make a fixed calendar so that he
wouldn't have to prepare new ones each time. It was also
suggested that in addition to the two halochos from
Chofetz Chaim, a mussar excerpt from Shemiras
Haloshon also be studied on a daily basis. Besiyata
diShmaya, he liked these ideas, and proceeded to prepare
the well-known, daily, fixed calendar, which included two
daily halochos of the Chofetz Chaim and a
mussar excerpt from Shemiras Haloshon.
The reason that Abba chose `only' two halochos stems
from an important point which he often spoke about:
`If you've grabbed a lot, you haven't grabbed [anything],' he
always said. `A small amount makes an impression. A person
who truly wants to strengthen himself in a particular matter,
not only in shemiras haloshon, must be careful not to
make big and difficult resolutions which do not suit his
level and ability. Those who do so are doomed at the outset
to fail, especially when these resolutions involve a
particular type of study. For the material one is studying to
become firmly embedded in one's mind and impressed upon one's
soul, one must make only one small resolution, regarding
brief, specific study, and not take upon himself many or
difficult resolutions which he will soon drop, and which will
thus be of no avail.' This was one of his main guidelines.
The main benefit to which Abba pointed to in his idea of the
steady, daily calendar was rooted in two fundamental points.
The first was that of order and consistency. He often
stressed that the order and consistency which prevails the
moment one obligates himself to study two halochos and
a mussar excerpt on a steady basis, every day of the
year, have the capacity to bring the learner to guard himself
in an orderly and consistent manner from the pitfalls of the
tongue, without any distraction whatsoever.
The second point, even more important than the first, is one
which he incessantly stressed, saying: `The daily, consistent
study of two halochos a day reminds one to be on the
alert in his yiras Shomayim 24 hours a day.' He added,
`There is no better advice than to recall one's spiritual
state on Yom Kippur. Every Yom Kippur, one merits some degree
of spiritual elevation. But as all know, immediately after
that sacred day has ended, everything dissipates without
leaving a trace. Therefore, if one sincerely wants to recall
and to capture the level he reached on Yom Kippur and to
retain it the entire year, he should study Chofetz
Chaim and Shemiras Haloshon on a daily basis. One
who pursues such a course is on constant alert. He finds
himself in a state of constant yiras Shomayim.'
Everyone understands this, and Abba would stress that
guarding one's tongue constitutes a strong foundation for
many other lofty character traits. One who refrains from
speaking ill of his fellow will also seek his benefit and
look for his good points. He is not jealous and doesn't
harbor animosity toward his fellow. He acquires the trait of
`ayin tova' and accustoms himself to accepting all that
befalls him in a positive manner and with complete faith.
That person is transformed into a person of a totally
different level. He becomes a good-hearted person, with
yiras Shomayim and a kindly eye.
Of course, all of the great activities which R' Yehuda Ze'ev
Segal so ardently espoused and fulfilled, stemmed from the
fact that he himself was one who practiced what he preached.
He was unique in his times regarding the fulfillment of the
laws of loshon hora and what is well-known needs no
proof. All I can say is that Abba was terrified of uttering
even the slightest trace of avak loshon hora or
rechilus.
I recall an interesting episode: Once one of Europe's great
rabbonim came to discuss a certain matter with Abba. When
they finished their discussion, Abba asked him to wait a bit.
Then he entered the next room, wrote a note, placed it in an
envelope, returned to that rav, and gave him the letter.
`This letter is for you,' Abba said. `But open it only on the
plane, on your flight home.'
Of course the rav was very curious, and the moment he was on
the plane, he opened the letter. These words, in Abba's
handwriting, jumped before his eyes: `In your conversation
you mentioned ploni's name regarding a certain fact
which seems not to be for to'eles. Therefore the matter
contains an element of loshon hora.'
This fact never would have become known had that rav not told
us about it when he came to pay us a shiva call. As he
spoke, the rav said that he was amazed by Abba's behavior
who, while reproving him, was so careful about that rav's
honor. In order not to embarrass him, he devised such a
clever plan.
Much can be said on this point, but such accounts would fill
many pages. However it should be stressed that Abba's
meticulousness pertained not only to loshon hora.
Throughout his life, he also focused on the power of speech
and one's inner essence, which should prevent a person from
engaging in vain and pointless speech; how much more so in
forbidden speech.
Over the years, Abba's idea of the daily study of two
halochos and a mussar excerpt gained impetus on a
worldwide scale, due to the fact that Abba made strenuous
efforts to spread it. He didn't waste any public or private
opportunity to arouse, to ask and to appeal to everyone to
join the circle of fortunate people who study the
halochos of loshon hora according to the
calendar. These calendars were always on his table, and he
would distribute them to everyone who came to his home for
advice or brochos, asking them to embark on a fixed
study program. He especially recommended that husbands study
these halochos with their wives and the entire family
on Shabbos. `Study the halochos in order, and you'll
see wonders,' Abba would tell them.
Many stories and facts about people who saw yeshuos
after they began to study the two halochos and the
mussar excerpt on a daily basis are well known. Abba
himself made this now-famous remark to an acquaintance:
`There is no family in the world that studies these two
halochos according to this order, and which has not
seem some sort of yeshua in their affairs, some in
medical matters, some regarding children, others in
livelihood or shidduchim, others with success in
chinuch. It always helps.'
He would explain that Chazal and our sifrei kodesh, as
well as the works of the Chofetz Chaim, teach that nothing
has more power to close the mouths of the accusers than
shemiras haloshon. Thus it is clear that shemiras
haloshon has the capacity to bring deliverance to those
who need it. Annulling of the accusers constitutes
yeshua. This pertains to every aspect of the study of
shemiras haloshon. However, Abba would stress the
importance of studying according to the calendar, because
this endows one's study with the special segulah of
Torah study by the many. Once he even advised an ill person
to keep the calendar in his pocket at all times, because in
that manner, he would be strengthened by the power of the
community. He would always say: `This is the prescription I
give to all who complain to me about their woes and
difficulties.'
One year Abba instructed that all of the calendars which he
had published throughout his life be placed in his grave
after his petirah, and that the calendar of the
particular year in which he issued that order, be placed in
his hand. He was niftar that very year. `Those are my
passports to Gan Eden,' he asserted. At another opportunity,
he said: `When the mal'achei chabolo see the calendars,
they'll flee.'
There is no doubt that the tremendous his'orerus which
we are currently witnessing in the area of shemiras
haloshon is to a great extent on the merit of the efforts
of Abba, the rosh yeshiva of Manchester.
Despite his tremendous exertion in all aspects of Torah,
avoda and gemilus chassodim, the jewel in the
crown of his achievements is his institution of the daily
study shemiras haloshon and the dissemination of this
idea on a worldwide basis."
