Lashon Hara and Politics

By Douglas Kandl
Pace University

Lashon hara is the Hebrew term for gossip and, directly translated into English, means "evil tongue." This term also refers to the halakhic (Jewish legal) ban on gossiping. The Talmud states that those who partake in gossip are not permitted to be in God's presenc, and further cites gossip as a cause for leprosy. The Torah has several references to this Jewish law. In Psalm 34 we find "guard your tongue from evil," and in Leviticus chapter 19 we read "you shall not go up and down as a talebearer among your people."

Many recent political events make it evident why this ancient law is still relevant today. During the G-20 Summit (a forum to discuss international economic development) at the beginning of November in Cannes, France, French President Nicolas Sarkozy was overheard telling President Obama that he "cannot bear" Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that Netanyahu is a "liar." To this, Obama replied, "You're fed up with him, what about me? I have to deal with him every day." This event has caused many people around the world to question both of these world leaders' views of Netanyahu and of Israel in general.

Another prime example of the importance of this halakhic policy can be drawn from Cablegate – the leaking of 251,287 classified United States embassy cables – which began in February 2010. These leaked cables included analysis from diplomats and other leaders from all over the world and in these cables, U.S. diplomats were found to have called the Prime Minister of Italy, Silvio Berlusconi, "feckless, vain, and ineffective as a modern European leader" and Sarkozy "an emperor with no clothes," among other derogatory remarks. All of these cases of lashon hara have caused the politicians involved to come under public scrutiny and international criticism.

At an early age you might have learned the proverb "sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me," but this is very much incorrect. Words have the ability to convey ideas of evil and hatred, and sometimes actually can be worse than physical acts. Acts of lashon hara can cause an international firestorm, as witnessed by the Obama and Sarkozy conversation when they revealed how they truly felt about one of their allies. Even when you think no one can hear you, it is best to say nothing when you only have negative things to say. One might partake in lashon hara because it makes one feel important, as idle gossip makes some people feel superior to those they talk about negatively, but Judaism teaches us that lashon hara has far-reaching consequences.

And even though many people think that Jewish laws are irrelevant, they are mistaken, as they provide a backbone for how a moral and civil society should function.

Douglas Kandl is a sophomore Information Technology major at Pace University in New York City. He is also the President of Hillel and the KOACH representative for his school.

[Posted 11/27/11]