* Laws * Stories * Examples * Illustrations * Games and
Exercises
Illustrator Yoni Gerstein needs no introduction. Neither does
the topic, Shmiras Haloshon. Perhaps the public could use a
refresher on Rivka Lavie, at least as I know her, which I am
sure is just a tip of the iceberg. She is cool, cool as they
come!
She's hot stuff, too. I remember her skits several years back
on the Shmiras Haloshon Yom Iyun day sessions where she
enacts a person who, for all intents and purposes, is
considered a perfect candidate for Gan Eden -- finding her
very bewildered self at that Other Place.
How can this be? She davened with fervor, volunteered
for countless projects, helped out individuals, was active on
many fronts, gave charity, encouraged and supported her
husband in his Torah study, raised fine children and so forth
and so on.
Her downfall, which she little realized at the time, was
through her lack of speech vigilance. Rivka vividly put
herself in this woman's shoes with a play by play scenario
which had her audience rolling in the aisles one minute and
sucking in their breaths spellbound the next. Her thespian
gifts were superb. These monologue skits are on tape, as a
matter of fact, and I believe she still appears in person for
audiences upon request...
It seems that Rivka Lavie is an excellent author, as well as
consummate educator. She has made Shmiras Haloshon palatable,
comprehensible and contemporary, and within the grasp of
every educator and child. I would venture to say that just as
Rabbi Zelig Pliskin's Guard Your Tongue became a
classic handbook for home and school study, this book has the
makings of the same, for teachers and group leaders for the
junior level.
People cannot help but judge things by their externals and
this book makes you want to read it from inviting cover to
cover. For the parent, it has a comfortable size for sitting
down with a child, side by side, and browsing through. At a
young level, you can discuss the charming Yoni illustrations
and their messages but basically, it is a text for teaching
the intermediate day school level.
The text itself is well-spaced and graphically typeset for
easy reading, has lots of dialogue for good absorption of the
messages. It is very clear and fresh, has a reader-friendly
direct approach, excellent down-to-earth examples and fine
suggestions for pursuing the topic through exercises, like
story- writing, recommended tapes, group activities and
discussions. Amazingly, this versatile work is both a manual
and a reader, a textbook and an interesting reading book, a
literary work with stories and poetry, and even a song book
that provides the lyrics to songs from tapes produced by
"Hashomrot" for a very holistic approach to this topic that
necessarily encompasses all of our living activities.
Let's take a look at Chapter Eleven: Revealing that Someone
is Poor is Forbidden
On page 61, we are given an insight into the realities of
rich and poor and a healthy outlook towards this
condition:
"Especially in the case of a Ben Torah with a large family,
who studies Torah full-time and finds it difficult to manage
financially, you may wish to help them but you need not feel
sorry for them."
She goes on to discuss this phenomenon, its implications and
the pertinent Shmiras Haloshon laws, as stated in the
title.
Later, in Part IV, she discusses Additional Teaching Aids,
chapter by chapter, and on p. 145, several examples are
cited, with the reader or student in the class or group,
asked to judge if this is, or is not, considered Loshon
Horah. Referring to Chapter Eleven, Part IV
illustrates:
a) Rivkie always wears the same blouse and skirt to school.
Malkie is two sizes larger than Rivkie and has no younger
sisters or girl cousins. Since some of her outgrown clothes
were still in very good condition, she asked her mother's
permission to pass them on to a girl in her class. Her mother
felt that she could not give permission without knowing
whether the situation was really difficult, since there were
several other needy families whom she helped from time to
time. Malkie told her mother that she was referring to her
friend Rivkie and her mother was happy to assist. Of course,
Malkie's mother did not pass on the information to anyone
else.
ANSWER: This is not Loshon Horah because the intention
is to benefit Rivkie, while Malkie and her mother are in a
position to help. Although Malkie really has good intentions,
she should be very tactful about giving her clothes to
Rivkie. If other girls were to recognize the clothes as
having belonged to Malkie, there is an additional problem,
since being embarrassed is often worse than not having
presentable clothing to wear!
And another example:
b) Raizie is always borrowing possessions from other girls in
the class. One time she asks for a notebook, another time for
a pencil or eraser, another time for scissors. Fraidie told
Tzippora and Yehudis that she thinks Raizie must be so poor
that they cannot even afford to purchase school supplies.
ANSWER: If Tzippora, Fraidie and Yehudis are not able to help
Raizie, it is Loshon Horah to mention her
situation.
Shmiras Haloshon With Pleasure is an excellent book to
have in the house for study, occasional browsing, and to use
as a teaching aid. Enjoy and be better informed and
uplifted.
