Parshat Acharei Mot – Kedoshim: More Than Words
May 9, 2025
Leviticus 19:16
לֹא־תֵלֵ֤ךְ רָכִיל֙ בְּעַמֶּ֔יךָ לֹ֥א תַעֲמֹ֖ד עַל־דַּ֣ם רֵעֶ֑ךָ אֲנִ֖י יְהֹוָֽה׃
You shalt not act as a talebearer among your people; neither shalt you stand idly by the blood of your neighbor: I am the Lord.
Fairly well known is the Jewish prohibition about speaking ill of others. We call this Lashon Hara, meaning “the evil tongue.” Less known is the fact that there are many kinds of Lashon Hara. In our parsha, we read about one in particular called rechilut, or talebearing. This category of speech is deemed dangerous enough to mention specifically in the book of Leviticus, and as you can see above, is even compared to standing by while the blood of the innocent is shed.
Rechilut refers to speech that creates unnecessary strife between two parties. It is going up to a friend and telling them, just to make drama, how someone they know did something that would offend or instigate them. Notably, the information shared also needs to be true. Had the gossip been a lie, it would fall into another category. The problem with this kind of speech is not that it’s false, it’s that it causes strife.
Words have tremendous power. Like the spies in the book of Numbers, our words can cause despair and dejection. Like the talebearer in our verse, our words can destroy reputations and relationships. The other side is true too. Like Moses speaking to Pharaoh, our words can paint a picture of hope, and set the stage for a better future. Like Judah’s speech to Joseph at the end of Genesis, words can open hearts to forgive, and bring about peace. We are the only creatures who have the remarkable gift of speech, and with it comes the responsibility to use it for a blessing. It’s more than just telling the truth or a lie. It’s about pausing before we speak, or text, or post, to ask if our words are going to make the world a better place, or tear it apart.s. It’s on us to reach out to them, to be that friend, that conduit for continued healing, and to remind them they are not facing illness alone.