Apr 9/05 — Shabbat Tazria

Commentary by Chazzan Aníbal Mass

A Rabbi recommended to his Talmidim (students) to make a trip to a certain place. Obeying their Rabbi unconditionally, and without asking him why, they went there. When they arrived at the local hotel, they requested of their owner to be fed only dairy or Parve products.

"I’m sorry. I don't have any dairy products," said the owner, "but I have prepared a great meal made with Kosher meat."

The students looked at each other for an instant.

"And who was the Shochet?" they asked. The owner gave them the Shochet's name, which was, of course, completely unknown to them.

"Do you know him well?" they asked. And they began to attack the owner of the hotel with a rain of questions in the presence of all the hotel guests.

"Is the meat totally Kosher?".

"Is the Shechita made according to the strict norms of Halacha?"

"Did he take care of this and that when he processed the meat?”

"How was it cooked, and by whom?"

At that instant, a voice arose from behind them. It was a humble Jew that had been listening to the conversation.

"I congratulate you, dear brothers!" he declared. "But I would like to know if you examine the words that come out of your mouths as thoroughly as the food that enters your mouths. Before your questions, did you study if the Halacha allows you to question the reputation of an honourable person as our Shochet in front of all the people gathered here? Do you realize the moral damage that you can cause to that poor man? Do you realize that now some of the guests suspect that he is not a competent Shochet?"

After listening to the man, the students realized that their Rabbi had sent them there so they could learn a lesson to change their lives.

My friends, last week we were studying the laws of Kashrut, their messages and teachings.

In this Parashah, we should remember that there is another “Kashrut” related to the mouth, and that, unfortunately, it doesn't have so much marketing and advertising, or OU or COR supervision, or so many followers as traditional Kashrut. I’m talking about the Kashrut of words.

The Parashah speaks about the Metzora, a similar illness to leprosy. And our Sages say that when the Beit Hamikdash existed, this illness attacked those that had spoken maliciously or carelessly against their neighbour without measuring the consequences of their words. Metzora is an acronym of “Motzee Shem Ra": the one that spreads slander.

In our days, this illness doesn’t exist anymore, but it doesn't mean that the causes have disappeared.

On the contrary, if this illness existed today, we probably all would be contaminated, without any exception.

It is for that reason that the Torah requests from us to be especially careful with our words.

The mouth is the only privileged organ of our face that not only allows us to relate to the world through one of the senses (taste), but rather it allows us to make modifications in the environment. The eye only sees, the ear hears, but the mouth not only tastes or feeds the body, but is also able to express our thoughts and feelings.

This is why a beautiful Midrash teaches us that only the mouth has double "gates" (because it has teeth and lips), so that the words have to make an extra effort before being spoken ...

It is for this reason, my friends, that for those of us who really want to contemplate a true life of Kashrut, it is not enough to be cautious with what we eat and to check if a product has or does not have a Hechsher, but rather, and very especially, we should be paying particular attention to what is coming from our mouths ...