And, especially, if one has a time set aside for Torah in the house of study, how much will the trait of guarding his tongue avail his learning that it not be disturbed! For failing that he runs the risk of losing learning every day, and his learning itself will be fragmented. And the greatness of the punishment for this is well known. As Chazal have said (Avodah Zarah 3b): "If one interrupts his Torah study to engage in talk, he is fed broom-coals, as it is written (Iyyov 30:4): 'Those who interrupt maluach [(homiletically) "words written on the tablets" (luchoth)] with [idle] talk, broom-coal roots are their bread.'" And this is measure for measure. For if one studies Torah, his soul endures forever by the light of the holy Torah, which does not consume the soul (G-d forbid), but, to the contrary, sustains it eternally, as bread sustains his body in his lifetime. For this reason, Torah is called "bread," as it is written (Mishlei 9:5): "Come, eat of My bread, etc." And if he stops in the middle of his learning, he indicates that he does not want that bread, wherefore, he is fed there — instead of the food of the soul, the light of Torah — the light [i.e., the fire] of broom-coal roots.
Why broom trees, specifically? Because those coals made from a broom tree do not burn out for twelve months, as Chazal have said (Bava Bathra 74b), to teach us that he is judged for this like a rasha [a wicked one], whose punishment in Gehinnom lasts for twelve months. And this is the language of the holy Zohar in Parshath Shelach:
[And, in truth, it would seem to me as good counsel for one who would like to guard his mouth and his tongue from forbidden speech, to teach himself not to speak at all in the house of study or the house of prayer. For aside from this being a great mitzvah in itself because of the sanctity of the place, as the holy books write, it is also of great avail to us in other respects 1) that the Torah one studies in the house of study and his prayers be complete, not lacking any answering of "Amen" and "Amen yeheh shmer rabbah" and "Barchu", 2) that through this there be in the accounting of the days of his life about ten years free of forbidden speech. For a Jew is found during the day in the house of study for his prayers and for some time after his prayer, for at least four hours a day, especially if he also has a set time for Torah study every day in the house of study for about two hours. Attending to this, about one-fourth of the full day is spent by him in Torah and prayer. If so, how good it will be for him when a fourth part of the days of his life will be added in which there will not have been any forbidden speech, but only Torah and prayer, 3) that though through this it becomes easier for him every day, too, to guard his faculty of speech, having taught himself every day to suppress it five or six hours all the time that he sat in the house of study.]
בּוֹ תְּבֹאַר תּוֹעֶלֶת שְׁמִירַת הַלָּשׁוֹן לְמִי שֶׁקּוֹבֵעֵ עֵתִּים לַתּוֹרָה.
In this chapter there will be explained the value of guarding one's tongue, for him who sets times for Torah.
וּבִפְרָט אִם יֵשׁ לוֹ עֵת קָּבוּעַ לַתּוֹרָה בְּבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ, כַּמָּה תּוֹעִיל מִדַּת שְׁמִירַת הַלָּשׁוֹן לְלִמּוּדוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יִתְבַּטֵּל, דְּאִי לָאו הָכִי (דאם לא כן), עָלוּל מְאֹד שֶׁיִּגָּרַע לוֹ עַל יְדֵי זֶה מִלִּמּוּדוֹ בְּכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם, וְגַם לִמּוּדוֹ יִהְיֶה פִּסְקֵּי פִּסְקֵי, וְיָדוּעַ גֹּדֶל עֹנֶשׁ שֶׁיֵּשׁ עַל זֶה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲזַ"ל (עבודה זרה ג':): כָּל הַפּוֹסֵק מִדִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה וְעוֹסֵק בְּדִבְרֵי שִׂיחָה, מַאֲכִילִין אוֹתוֹ גַחֲלֵי רְתָמִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (איוב ל' ד'): "הַקֹּטְפִים מַלּוּחַ עֲלֵי שִׂיחַ, (דְּבָרִים שֶׁנִּתְּנוּ בַּלּוּחַ, עֲלֵי שִׂיחָה בְּטֵלָה), וְשֹׁרֶשׁ רְתָמִים לַחְמָם", וְהוּא מִדָּה כְּנֶגֶד מִדָּה, שֶׁאִם הָיָה לוֹמֵד הַתּוֹרָה, הָיְתָה מִתְקַיֶּמֶת נַפְשׁוֹ לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא לָנֶצַח עַל יְדֵי אוֹר הַתּוֹרָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה, שֶׁאוֹרָהּ אֵינָהּ שׂוֹרֶפֶת, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, הַנֶּפֶשׁ, אַדְּרַבָּה, הִיא מָזוֹן נִצְחִי לַנֶּפֶשׁ כְּמוֹ הַלֶּחֶם, שֶׁמֵּזִין לַגּוּף בִּימֵי חַיָּיו, וְעַל כֵּן נִקְּרֵאת הַתּוֹרָה בְּשֵׁם לֶחֶם, כְּמוֹ דִּכְתִיב (משלי ט' ה'): "לְכוּ לַחֲמוּ בְּלַחְמִי" וְגוֹ', וּמִדְּפוֹסֵק בְּאֶמְצַע הַלִּמּוּד מוֹרֶה שֶׁאֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה הַמָּזוֹן הַהוּא, וְעַל כֵּן מַאֲכִילִין אוֹתוֹ שָׁם תְּמוּרַת מְזוֹן הַנֶּפֶשׁ, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי אוֹר הַתּוֹרָה, הָאוֹר שֶׁל הַגַּחֲלֵי רְתָמִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: "הַקֹּטְפִים מַלּוּחַ עֲלֵי שִׂיחַ, וְשֹׁרֶשׁ רְתָמִים לַחְמָם".
And, especially, if one has a time set aside for Torah in the house of study, how much will the trait of guarding his tongue avail his learning that it not be disturbed! For failing that he runs the risk of losing learning every day, and his learning itself will be fragmented. And the greatness of the punishment for this is well known. As Chazal have said (Avodah Zarah 3b): "If one interrupts his Torah study to engage in talk, he is fed broom-coals, as it is written (Iyyov 30:4): 'Those who interrupt maluach [(homiletically) "words written on the tablets" (luchoth)] with [idle] talk, broom-coal roots are their bread.'" And this is measure for measure. For if one studies Torah, his soul endures forever by the light of the holy Torah, which does not consume the soul (G-d forbid), but, to the contrary, sustains it eternally, as bread sustains his body in his lifetime. For this reason, Torah is called "bread," as it is written (Mishlei 9:5): "Come, eat of My bread, etc." And if he stops in the middle of his learning, he indicates that he does not want that bread, wherefore, he is fed there — instead of the food of the soul, the light of Torah — the light [i.e., the fire] of broom-coal roots.
וּמַה דְּנָקַּט הַכָּתוּב דַּוְקָא רְתָמִים? שֶׁאוֹתָם גֶּחָלִים, שֶׁנַּעֲשִׂים מֵעֵץ רֹתֶם, אֵינָם נִכְבִּים עַד שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲזַ"ל (בבבא בתרא ע"ד:) לְהוֹרוֹת לָנוּ, שֶׁדָּנִין אוֹתוֹ עֲבוּר זֶה כְּרָשָׁע גָּמוּר, שֶׁמִּשְׁפָּטוֹ בַּגֵּיהִנֹּם הוּא שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ. וְזֶה לְשׁוֹן הַזֹּהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ פָּרָשַׁת שְׁלַח: מַאן דְּפָסַק מִלִּין דְּאוֹרַיְתָא עַל מִלִּין בְּטֵלִין, יִתְפַּסְּקוּן חַיּוֹהִי מֵהַאי עָלְמָא, וְדִינֵהּ קַיָּמָא בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא.
Why broom trees, specifically? Because those coals made from a broom tree do not burn out for twelve months, as Chazal have said (Bava Bathra 74b), to teach us that he is judged for this like a rasha [a wicked one], whose punishment in Gehinnom lasts for twelve months. And this is the language of the holy Zohar in Parshath Shelach:
מִי שֶׁפּוֹסֵק דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה בִּשְׁבִיל לְדַבֵּר דְּבָרִים בְּטֵלִים, יִפָּסְקוּ חַיָּיו מֵהָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, וְדִינוֹ עוֹמֵד לָעוֹלָם הַהוּא.
"If one interrupts words of Torah for idle talk, his life is 'interrupted' from this world and his judgment awaits him in the world to come."
הג"ה.[ וּבֶאֱמֶת הָיָה נִרְאֶה לִי בְּתוֹרַת עֵצָה, לְמִי שֶׁרוֹצֶה לִשְׁמֹר פִּיו וּלְשׁוֹנוֹ מִדִּבּוּרִים אֲסוּרִים, שֶׁיַּרְגִּיל אֶת עַצְמוֹ שֶׁלֹּא לָשׂוּחַ כְּלָל בְּבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ וּבְבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת, כִּי מִלְּבַד שֶׁהוּא מִצְוָה רַבָּה בְּלָאו הָכִי מִשּׁוּם קְּדֻשַּׁת הַמָּקּוֹם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתְבוּ הַסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים, עוֹד הוּא תּוֹעֶלֶת גָּדוֹל לְעִנְיַן כַּמָּה דְּבָרִים: א. שֶׁתִּשָּׁאֵר לוֹ תּוֹרָתוֹ שֶׁלּוֹמֵד בְּבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ וּתְפִלּוֹתָיו בִּשְׁלֵמוּת, שֶׁלֹּא יֶחְסַר לוֹ שׁוּם עֲנִיַּת אָמֵן וְאָמֵן יְהֵא שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא וּקְדֻשָּׁה וּבָרְכוּ. ב. שֶׁעַל יְדֵי זֶה יִהְיֶה לוֹ בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן יְמֵי חַיָּיו, בְּעֶרֶךְ עֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים, שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה בָּהֶם שׁוּם דִּבּוּר אָסוּר, כִּי אִישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי מָצוּי בְּכָל יוֹם בְּבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ בְּכָל תְּפִלּוֹתָיו וּזְמַן מָה אַחַר תְּפִלָּה, לְפָחוֹת בְּעֶרֶךְ אַרְבַּע שָׁעוֹת בַּיּוֹם. וּבִפְרָט אִם יֵשׁ לוֹ גַּם כֵּן עֵת קָבוּעַ לַתּוֹרָה בְּכָל יוֹם בְּבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ בְּעֶרֶךְ שְׁתֵּי שָׁעוֹת. לְפִי זֶה בְּעֶרֶךְ חֵלֶק רְבִיעִי מִכָּל הַמְּעֵת לְעֵת מְיֻחָד אֶצְלוֹ לְתוֹרָה וְלַעֲבוֹדָה. הִנֵּה אִם כֵּן מַה טּוֹב יִהְיֶה לוֹ לֶעָתִיד, כְּשֶׁיִּצְטָרֵף חֵלֶק רְבִיעִי מִימֵי חַיָּיו, שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה בָּהֶם שׁוּם דִּבּוּר אָסוּר, רַק תּוֹרָה וַעֲבוֹדָה. ג. שֶׁעַל יְדֵי זֶה יִהְיֶה נָקַל לוֹ מִמֵּילָא בְּכָל הַיּוֹם גַּם כֵּן לִשְׁמֹר אֶת כֹּחַ הַדִּבּוּר שֶׁלּוֹ, אַחֲרֵי שֶׁהִרְגִּיל אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ בְּכָל יוֹם לִכְבֹּש אֶת כֹּחַ הַדִּבּוּר שֶׁלּוֹ חָמֵשׁ אוֹ שֵׁשׁ שָׁעוֹת כָּל עֵת שִׁבְתּוֹ בְּבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ].
[And, in truth, it would seem to me as good counsel for one who would like to guard his mouth and his tongue from forbidden speech, to teach himself not to speak at all in the house of study or the house of prayer. For aside from this being a great mitzvah in itself because of the sanctity of the place, as the holy books write, it is also of great avail to us in other respects 1) that the Torah one studies in the house of study and his prayers be complete, not lacking any answering of "Amen" and "Amen yeheh shmer rabbah" and "Barchu", 2) that through this there be in the accounting of the days of his life about ten years free of forbidden speech. For a Jew is found during the day in the house of study for his prayers and for some time after his prayer, for at least four hours a day, especially if he also has a set time for Torah study every day in the house of study for about two hours. Attending to this, about one-fourth of the full day is spent by him in Torah and prayer. If so, how good it will be for him when a fourth part of the days of his life will be added in which there will not have been any forbidden speech, but only Torah and prayer, 3) that though through this it becomes easier for him every day, too, to guard his faculty of speech, having taught himself every day to suppress it five or six hours all the time that he sat in the house of study.]