In this chapter it will be explained that one who does not guard his faculty of speech, even if he does not speak lashon hara and rechiluth, itself, will, in the future, be lacking a great portion in Torah thereby.
One who values the days of his life must take care not to lose them voluntarily, but, in our many sins, we are not heedful of this. Let us explain ourselves. Is it possible for someone to give to another the days of his life? And even if it were, it is known that no one would agree to do so, not even to give him a month or a week of his time — and rightly so. For there is nothing so precious as time. For in the limited time that the Holy One Blessed be He has given a man in His lovingkindness, he can inherit eternity for himself. But with our own eyes we see that one who does not guard his faculty of speech wastes every day, wittingly and willingly, much of his time. Sometimes, several hours, or, at least, one hour a day go to waste, in which he speaks with people of things which do not even affect his work, prattle in general. Now, indeed, I know that one who would want to contend with me will say that this is not so. But if one would give some thought to himself to add up all of his talk of the day which was not vital, he would find that he had wasted an hour or two a day, or thirty hours a month, or, in a yearly accounting, even if we reckon only one hour a day, he would have accumulated more than three hundred and fifty hours that had gone to waste. And, certainly, he would not have gained the next world by this, nor even this world, and only this profit — that there would have gone lost to him in this time a great portion of Torah (the Blessed L-rd having allotted to each man a portion of life sufficient for is needs, his Torah, and his [future] world, as the Chovoth Halevavoth has written, and that he would have diverted that portion to idle maters [(aside from there certainly having been included in them lashon hara, rechiluth, verbal wronging and other (forms of) forbidden speech.)]
But, conversely, one who acquiesces in guarding his faculty of speech (and such a man will certainly not go to any gathering of men, for there it would be impossible for him not to stumble into forbidden speech of his own or, in any event, into hearing lashon hara, rechiluth, leitzanuth or other [forms of] forbidden speech [as I have explained in Part One], or (if he resolves) that if he meets someone, he will not speak about any man) — a man like this will certainly add [to his life] several tens of hours a week which are free for studying Torah or fulfilling [other] mitzvoth.
And this is the intent of the verse (Koheleth 9:9): "See life with the woman that you love all the days of the life of your vanity, for that is your portion in life." "the woman that you love" alludes to Torah ["that you love" — for "one learns Torah only in the place (i.e., the subject) that his heart desires" (Avodah Zarah 19a)] And Scripture has exhorted us not to miss one day of Torah, for that is our portion in life. "your vanity" alludes to one who gives thought to himself to guard all of the days that he lives on the earth, not to waste one day, realizing that this world is a world of vanity, and that he has been sent here only to do the embassy of the Master of the world, to attain his portion in the Torah and in the fulfillment of mitzvoth in order to shine in the light of life in the world to come. About such a man we can hope that he will guard his days, that not one day will go to waste. In sum, just as the men of great wealth, who possess notes of great value, guard them vigilantly, each one of them representing a portion of their wealth, so, exactly, must the man of heart guard his days and hours, each of them being his portion in life. The maxim of the sage is well known: "There is no loss like the loss of time." For if a man loses a dinar from his pocket, he can hope to find it or that the Holy One Blessed be He will grant him a different one instead. But if a certain hour goes to waste, he will never find it again. And he will be made to face this when he comes for his accounting in time to come and they set out before him how he had spent his days and hours, as it is written (Psalms 50:21): "I shall reprove you; I shall set it out before your eyes." Chazal have said: "They illumine all of his deeds before him. Then he will bemoan himself over his conduct, but who will be able to help him then?" Happy is he who bethinks himself of all this while he yet lives!
To the man who guards his speech there is yet another constant profit. For whenever he wishes to speak and he reflects that this might involve some issur of lashon hara or verbal wronging or leitzanuth, or the like, and he suppresses himself and does not speak, it is reckoned for him above as if he had actively fulfilled a mitzvah, as Chazal have said (Makkoth 23a): "If a man sat and did not commit a transgression that presented itself before him, he is given reward as if he had performed a mitzvah," and there will thus be added to him [who guards his mouth] many thousands of mitzvoth!
בּוֹ יְבֹאַר שֶׁמִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ שׁוֹמֵר כֹּחַ הַדִּבּוּר שֶׁלּוֹ, אֲפִלּוּ אִם לֹא יְדַבֵּר לָשׁוֹן הָרָע וּרְכִילוּת מַמָּשׁ, יֶחְסַר לוֹ לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא חֵלֶק גָּדוֹל בַּתּוֹרָה עַל יְדֵי זֶה.
In this chapter it will be explained that one who does not guard his faculty of speech, even if he does not speak lashon hara and rechiluth, itself, will, in the future, be lacking a great portion in Torah thereby.
הָאָדָם, שֶׁחֲשׁוּבִין אֶצְלוֹ יְמֵי חַיָּיו, צָרִיךְ לִזָּהֵר שֶׁלֹּא לְאַבְּדָם בִּרְצוֹנוֹ, וּבַעֲוֹנוֹתֵינוּ הָרַבִּים, אֵין אָנוּ נִזְהָרִים בָּזֶה. וּנְבָאֵר דְּבָרֵינוּ: אִם הָיָה בַּמְּצִיאוּת, שֶׁהָיָה אָדָם יָכוֹל לִמְסֹר לַחֲבֵרוֹ יְמֵי חַיָּיו, וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן יָדוּעַ שֶׁשּׁוּם אָדָם לֹא הָיָה מִתְרַצֶּה בָּזֶה, אֲפִלּוּ לִתֵּן לַחֲבֵרוֹ אֵיזֶה חֹדֶשׁ אוֹ שָׁבוּעַ מִימֵי חַיָּיו, וּבֶאֱמֶת הַדִּין עִמּוֹ, כִּי אֵין דָּבָר יָקָר כַּזְּמַן, כִּי בַּזְּמַן הַקָּצוּב שֶׁנָּתַן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לָאָדָם בְּחַסְדּוֹ, יָכוֹל לְהַנְחִיל לְעַצְמוֹ נֶצַח. וּבְעֵינֵינוּ אָנוּ רוֹאִין, כִּי מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ שׁוֹמֵר אֶת כֹּחַ הַדִּבּוּר שֶׁלּוֹ, כָּלֶה אֶצְלוֹ בְּכָל יוֹם מִדַּעְתּוֹ וּרְצוֹנוֹ זְמַן רַב, לִפְעָמִים כַּמָּה שָׁעוֹת, וּלְכָל הַפָּחוֹת שָׁעָה אַחַת בַּיּוֹם הוֹלֶכֶת אֶצְלוֹ לְטִמְיוֹן, שֶׁדִּבֵּר עִם אֲנָשִׁים אֲפִלּוּ דְּבָרִים, שֶׁאֵינוֹ נוֹגֵעַ לוֹ לְעִסְקוֹ, רַק פִּטְפּוּטֵי דְּבָרִים בְּעָלְמָא. וְיָדַעְתִּי גַּם יָדַעְתִּי, שֶׁמִּי שֶׁיִּרְצֶה לְהִתְעַקֵּשׁ יֹאמַר שֶׁלֹּא כֵן הַדָּבָר, אֲבָל כְּשֶׁיִּתְבּוֹנֵן הָאָדָם בְּעַצְמוֹ לְצָרֵף כָּל הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁדִּבֵּר בַּיּוֹם, שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה מֻכְרָח לַדִּבּוּרִים הָאֵלּוּ, יִמְצָא שֶׁכִּלָּה עַל זֶה שָׁעָה אוֹ שְׁתַּיִם מֵהַיּוֹם, וּבְחֶשְׁבּוֹן חֹדֶשׁ הוּא שְׁלֹשִים שָׁעוֹת וּבְחֶשְׁבּוֹן שָׁנָה, אֲפִלּוּ אִם לֹא נְחַשֵּׁב, רַק שָׁעָה אַחַת בְּיוֹם, יִצְטָרְפוּ יוֹתֵר מִשְּׁלֹש מֵאוֹת וַחֲמִישִׁים שָׁעוֹת שֶׁהָלְכוּ אֶצְלוֹ לְטִמְיוֹן, וּבְוַדַּאי לֹא הִשְׂתַּכֵּר בָּזֶה לֹא עוֹלָם הַבָּא וְאַף לֹא עוֹלָם הַזֶּה, וְרַק זֶה הָרֶוַח שֶׁיֶּחְסַר לוֹ עַל יְדֵי זֶה חֵלֶק גָּדוֹל בַּתּוֹרָה, כִּי ה' יִתְבָּרַךְ נָתַן לוֹ לָאָדָם חֵלֶק הַחַיִּים כְּפִי צָרְכּוֹ לְתוֹרָתוֹ וְעוֹלָמוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב הַ"חוֹבַת הַלְּבָבוֹת", וְהוּא הֵסֵב אֶת הַחֵלֶק לִדְבָרִים בְּטֵלִים, [לְבַד מַה שֶּׁמֻּגְבָּל בָּהֶם בְּוַדַּאי לָשׁוֹן הָרָע וּרְכִילוּת וְאוֹנָאַת דְּבָרִים וּשְׁאָר דִּבּוּרִים אֲסוּרִים].
One who values the days of his life must take care not to lose them voluntarily, but, in our many sins, we are not heedful of this. Let us explain ourselves. Is it possible for someone to give to another the days of his life? And even if it were, it is known that no one would agree to do so, not even to give him a month or a week of his time — and rightly so. For there is nothing so precious as time. For in the limited time that the Holy One Blessed be He has given a man in His lovingkindness, he can inherit eternity for himself. But with our own eyes we see that one who does not guard his faculty of speech wastes every day, wittingly and willingly, much of his time. Sometimes, several hours, or, at least, one hour a day go to waste, in which he speaks with people of things which do not even affect his work, prattle in general. Now, indeed, I know that one who would want to contend with me will say that this is not so. But if one would give some thought to himself to add up all of his talk of the day which was not vital, he would find that he had wasted an hour or two a day, or thirty hours a month, or, in a yearly accounting, even if we reckon only one hour a day, he would have accumulated more than three hundred and fifty hours that had gone to waste. And, certainly, he would not have gained the next world by this, nor even this world, and only this profit — that there would have gone lost to him in this time a great portion of Torah (the Blessed L-rd having allotted to each man a portion of life sufficient for is needs, his Torah, and his [future] world, as the Chovoth Halevavoth has written, and that he would have diverted that portion to idle maters [(aside from there certainly having been included in them lashon hara, rechiluth, verbal wronging and other (forms of) forbidden speech.)]
אָכֵן לְהֶפֶךְ, מִי שֶׁנָּדְבָה רוּחוֹ לִשְׁמֹר כֹּחַ הַדִּבּוּר שֶׁלּוֹ, וְאִישׁ כָּזֶה בְּוַדַּאי לֹא יֵלֵךְ לְשׁוּם חֲבוּרַת אֲנָשִׁים, כִּי שָׁם אִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּשֵׁל בְּדִבּוּרִים אֲסוּרִים שֶׁיְּדַבֵּר בְּעַצְמוֹ, אוֹ עַל כָּל פָּנִים בִּשְׁמִיעַת לָשׁוֹן הָרָע וּרְכִילוּת וְלֵיצָנוּת וּשְׁאָר דִּבּוּרִים הָאֲסוּרִים, [כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְתִּי בְּחֵלֶקּ רִאשׁוֹן], אוֹ כְּשֶׁמִּזְדַּמֵּן עִם אָדָם אֶחָד, שֶׁלֹּא לְדַבֵּר אוֹדוֹת שׁוּם אָדָם, אִישׁ כָּזֶה בְּוַדַּאי יִתּוֹסְפוּ לוֹ כַּמָּה עַשְׂרוֹת שָׁעוֹת בְּשָׁבוּעַ, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ פְּנוּיוֹת לוֹ לִלְמֹד הַתּוֹרָה וּלְקַיֵּם הַמִּצְוֹת.
But, conversely, one who acquiesces in guarding his faculty of speech (and such a man will certainly not go to any gathering of men, for there it would be impossible for him not to stumble into forbidden speech of his own or, in any event, into hearing lashon hara, rechiluth, leitzanuth or other [forms of] forbidden speech [as I have explained in Part One], or (if he resolves) that if he meets someone, he will not speak about any man) — a man like this will certainly add [to his life] several tens of hours a week which are free for studying Torah or fulfilling [other] mitzvoth.
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (קהלת ט' ט'): "רְאֵה חַיִּים עִם אִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר אָהַבְתָּ כָּל יְמֵי חַיֵּי הֶבְלֶךָ וְגוֹ', כִּי הוּא חֶלְקְךָ בַּחַיִּים". וְ"אִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר אָהַבְתָּ" הוּא רֶמֶז עַל הַתּוֹרָה [וּמַה שֶּׁאָמַר: "אֲשֶׁר אָהַבְתָּ", שֶׁאֵין אָדָם לוֹמֵד תּוֹרָה אֶלָּא בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁלִּבּוֹ חָפֵץ (עבודה זרה י"ט.)], וְהִזְהִיר לָנוּ הַכָּתוּב, שֶׁלֹּא יְחַסֵּר יוֹם אֶחָד מִן הַתּוֹרָה, כִּי הוּא חֶלְקוֹ בַּחַיִּים. וְאָמַר "הֶבְלֶךָ" לִרְמֹז, מִי שֶׁמִּתְבּוֹנֵן בְּעַצְמוֹ לִשְׁמֹר כָּל הַיָּמִים שֶׁהוּא חַי עַל הָאֲדָמָה, שֶׁלֹּא יֵלֵךְ מִמֶּנּוּ יוֹם אֶחָד לָרִיק. מִי שֶׁמֵּבִין בְּדַעְתּוֹ וְשִׂכְלוֹ שֶׁהָעוֹלָם הוּא עוֹלָם שֶׁל הֶבֶל, וְלֹא נִשְׁלַח לְפֹה, רַק לַעֲשׂוֹת שְׁלִיחוּתֵהּ דְּמָרֵהּ עָלְמָא לְהַשִּׂיג חֶלְקּוֹ בַּתּוֹרָה וְקִיּוּם הַמִּצְוֹת כְּדֵי לֵאוֹר בְּאוֹר הַחַיִּים לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא, עַל זֶה הָאִישׁ נוּכַל לְקַוּוֹת בּוֹ שֶׁיִּשְׁמֹר יָמָיו, שֶׁלֹּא יֵלֵךְ מִמֶּנּוּ יוֹם אֶחָד לְאִבּוּד. כְּלַל הַדְּבָרִים: כְּמוֹ הָעֲשִׁירִים הַגְּדוֹלִים, שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם הַשְּׁטָרוֹת הַגְּדוֹלִים עַל כַּמָּה אֲלָפִים (הַנִּקְרָא סֶערְיֶעס), שׁוֹמְרִים בְּתַכְלִית הַשְּׁמִירָה כָּל שְׁטָר וּשְׁטָר שֶׁלֹּא יֹאבַד מִמֶּנּוּ, כִּי כָּל אֶחָד מֵהֶן הוּא הַחֵלֶק מֵעָשְׁרוֹ, כֵּן מַמָּשׁ צָרִיךְ הָאִישׁ הַנִּלְבָּב לִשְׁמֹר אֶת יָמָיו וּשְׁעוֹתָיו, כִּי כָּל יוֹם הוּא חֶלְקוֹ בַּחַיִּים, וְהִנֵּה יָדוּעַ מַאֲמַר הֶחָכָם: אֵין אֲבֵדָה כַּאֲבֵדַת הַזְּמַן, כִּי כְּשֶׁיֹּאבַד לְאָדָם דִּינָר מִכִּיסוֹ, יָכוֹל לְקַוּוֹת שֶׁיִּמְצָאֶנּוּ, אוֹ שֶׁיַּזְמִין לוֹ ה' יִתְבָּרַךְ דִּינָר אַחֵר תַּחְתָּיו, אֲבָל אִם תַּעֲלֶה לוֹ אֵיזֶה שָׁעָה בַּתֹּהוּ, לֹא יִמְצָאֶנָּה עַד עוֹלְמֵי עַד, וְיַרְגִּישׁ דָּבָר זֶה כְּשֶׁיָּבוֹא לְחֶשְׁבּוֹן לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא, וְיַעֲרִיכוּ לְפָנָיו בַּמֶּה הוֹצִיא אֶת יָמָיו וּשְׁעוֹתָיו, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (תהילים נ' כ"א): "אוֹכִיחֲךָ וְאֶעֶרְכָה לְעֵינֶיךָ". אָמְרוּ חֲזַ"ל: שֶׁמְּאִירִין לוֹ כָּל מַעֲשָׂיו בְּפָנָיו, אָז יִנְהַם בְּעַצְמוֹ עַל הַנְהָגָתוֹ, אֲבָל מִי יוּכַל לְהוֹעִיל לוֹ אָז? וְאַשְׁרֵי מִי שֶׁיִּתְבּוֹנֵן בְּכָל זֶה בְּעוֹדוֹ בְּחַיָּיו.
And this is the intent of the verse (Koheleth 9:9): "See life with the woman that you love all the days of the life of your vanity, for that is your portion in life." "the woman that you love" alludes to Torah ["that you love" — for "one learns Torah only in the place (i.e., the subject) that his heart desires" (Avodah Zarah 19a)] And Scripture has exhorted us not to miss one day of Torah, for that is our portion in life. "your vanity" alludes to one who gives thought to himself to guard all of the days that he lives on the earth, not to waste one day, realizing that this world is a world of vanity, and that he has been sent here only to do the embassy of the Master of the world, to attain his portion in the Torah and in the fulfillment of mitzvoth in order to shine in the light of life in the world to come. About such a man we can hope that he will guard his days, that not one day will go to waste. In sum, just as the men of great wealth, who possess notes of great value, guard them vigilantly, each one of them representing a portion of their wealth, so, exactly, must the man of heart guard his days and hours, each of them being his portion in life. The maxim of the sage is well known: "There is no loss like the loss of time." For if a man loses a dinar from his pocket, he can hope to find it or that the Holy One Blessed be He will grant him a different one instead. But if a certain hour goes to waste, he will never find it again. And he will be made to face this when he comes for his accounting in time to come and they set out before him how he had spent his days and hours, as it is written (Psalms 50:21): "I shall reprove you; I shall set it out before your eyes." Chazal have said: "They illumine all of his deeds before him. Then he will bemoan himself over his conduct, but who will be able to help him then?" Happy is he who bethinks himself of all this while he yet lives!
עוֹד יֵשׁ לוֹ, לְאָדָם שֶׁשּׁוֹמֵר אֶת דִּבּוּרוֹ, רֶוַח תְּמִידִי, שֶׁבְּכָל עֵת שֶׁהוּא רוֹצֶה לְדַבֵּר, וְהוּא מִתְבּוֹנֵן בְּעַצְמוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּזֶה חֲשַׁשׁ אִסּוּר שֶׁל לָשׁוֹן הָרָע אוֹ אוֹנָאַת דְּבָרִים אוֹ לֵיצָנוּת וְכַדּוֹמֶה, וְכוֹבֵשׁ אֶת עַצְמוֹ וְאֵינוֹ מְדַבֵּר, נֶחֱשָׁב לוֹ לְמַעְלָה, כְּאִלּוּ מְקַיֵּם מִצְוָה בְּפֹעַל מַמָּשׁ, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲזַ"ל (מכות כ"ג.): יָשַׁב אָדָם וְלֹא עָבַר עֲבֵרָה כְּשֶׁבָּא לְיָדוֹ, נוֹתְנִין לוֹ שָׂכָר כְּעוֹשֶׂה מִצְוָה, וְיִתּוֹסֵף לוֹ עַל יְדֵי זֶה בְּשָׁנָה כַּמָּה אַלְפֵי מִצְוֹת.
To the man who guards his speech there is yet another constant profit. For whenever he wishes to speak and he reflects that this might involve some issur of lashon hara or verbal wronging or leitzanuth, or the like, and he suppresses himself and does not speak, it is reckoned for him above as if he had actively fulfilled a mitzvah, as Chazal have said (Makkoth 23a): "If a man sat and did not commit a transgression that presented itself before him, he is given reward as if he had performed a mitzvah," and there will thus be added to him [who guards his mouth] many thousands of mitzvoth!