Lashon Harah ~ The Evil Tongue

Words are very powerful. They have the power to build up and the power to destroy. Judaism is very conscious of the power of words to destroy, so much so that there is a term for destructive words – Lashon harah, or the Evil Tongue. Lashon harah destroys three people – the speaker, the listener, and the target of the words.

The harm done by speech is considered even worse than stealing. Material goods can be replaced. Words, once spoken, can never be retracted.

One of my favorite Chasidic tales explains the dangers of Lashon Harah: An old woman went about telling stories and lies about her neighbors. After doing so for many years, she began to feel bad and went to the Rabbi for forgiveness. The Rabbi told her to go take her best feather pillow, cut it open, and throw the feathers to the wind, then return to him. She thought this was a strange request, but she wanted to atone for her ways, so went out and did as the Rabbi instructed. After she had completed this task, she went back to the Rabbi for further instructions. The Rabbi told the woman to go back out, collect all the feathers and return them to her pillow. “But, Rabbi,” cried the old woman, “that’s impossible! The feathers are all gone!” “Aha!” said the Rabbi, “your words are like the feathers. Once they leave your lips, they cannot be retrieved and you have no control over where the words will land.”

Talmud teaches that the tongue had the power to be so dangerous that it must be kept hidden from view ~ behind the protection of two walls, the lips and teeth, to prevent its misuse.

Mezuzah

The word "Mezuzah" is Hebrew for "doorpost." It is also the term used for the little case that many Jews place on the right side of the entrance to their homes. A mezuzah may also be placed on the doorpost of any internal rooms of a home as well, with the exception of the bathrooms. One will also find a mezuzah on the entrances of synagogues and Jewish schools, as well as Jewish-owned businesses.

The Mezuzah contains a scroll, which if it is a kosher scroll, will contain a handwritten verse of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4~9) and the passage from Deuteronomy 11:13~21.. The Shema (which is Hebrew for "Hear"), is the biblical passage in which G~d commands us to keep His words in our minds and hearts by placing them on the doorposts of our homes. Because the first letter of the Shema is Shin, a Shin generally is found on the mezuzah.

In Askenazic tradition, the mezuzah is placed at an angle on the right side of the doorpost as one enters the room. Placing a mezuzah on a new home is a small family ceremony, called a Chanakkat HaBayit (which means the dedication of the home). The following blessing is recited before the mezuzah is affixed to the doorpost:

Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam
Asher kidishanu b'mitz'votav v'tzivanu lik'bo'ah mezuzah.

Blessed are you, Lord, our G~d, sovereign of the universe
Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to affix a mezuzah

Every time one pass through a door with a mezuzah on it, one touch the mezuzah and then kiss the fingers that touched it, expressing love and respect for G~d and his mitzvot and reminding oneself of the mitzvot contained within them.

When a Jewish family moves, and a non-Jewish family moves into the home, the mezuzah should be removed. If a Jewish family moves into the home, then the mezuzah may remain on the doorpost.

Matzevah: Unveiling of the Tombstone

Matzevah is Hebrew for "tombstone" or "headstone." In Judaism, the tombstone is generally placed on the grave sometime after the burial. When the tombstone is placed on the grave, it generally done at a special unveiling ceremony. The dedication of the tombstone can be done at any time between Sheloshim, the first thirty days of mourning after the burial, and the anniversary of the death. The unveiling cannot take place during Pesach.

A cloth covering the tombstone is removed from in the presence of family and friends. A brief service at the dedication includes the reading of several psalms, often the 23rd Psalm, the Mourners' Kaddish, and the El Maleh Rachamim prayer.

The tombstone generally bears the Hebrew letters "pe" and "nun", which stands for "here lies buried." At the bottom of the tombstone, are the five Hebrew letters "tav", "nun", "tzadik", "bet", and "he." These letters stand for the phrase "May his/her sould be bound up in the bond of life eternal."

It is customary to leave a small stone on the tombstone. The origin of this custom is not known, but it may date back to Biblical times when bodies were buried beneath piles of stones. Today, the custom is a reminder that someone has visited the grave.