Guarding speech as the essence of man

בפסוק שתי צפרים חיות כו'.

On the pasuk, "two live birds (tzipporim chayos)…"

The Sefas Emes begins with the purification offering of the metzora, which uses two live birds.

ברש"י לפי שהנגעים באים על לשה"ר וצפרים פטפוטי קול.

In Rashi: because the nega'im (afflictions) come on account of lashon hara, and birds are constant in their chirping of sound.

Rashi explains the birds are fitting because tzara'as comes for the sin of evil speech, and birds chatter ceaselessly — paralleling the offender's misuse of the mouth.

דאיתא בזוה"ק פ' תזריע דהנגעים באין על מלה בישא ועל מלין טבין דאתי לידי' ולא מלל החשיתי מטוב וכאבי נעכר ע"ש.

For it is brought in the Zohar HaKadosh, parshas Tazria, that the nega'im come both on account of an evil word and on account of good words that came to one's hand and he did not speak — "I was silent from good, and my pain was stirred up"; see there.

The Zohar adds that tzara'as results not only from speaking evil, but also from withholding good words one had the opportunity to say — both are failures of speech.

דכתיב מות וחיים ביד לשון.

For it is written, "death and life are in the hand of the tongue."

Speech has the power of both death and life, depending on how it is used.

ולפי שכח הלשון גדול מאוד צריכין להזהר מדברים בטלים והם מעכבין הפה ולשון להוציא בהם דברי קדושה כמ"ש ודברת בם אחז"ל השח שיחה בטלה עובר בעשה בם ולא בדברים אחרים.

And since the power of the tongue is very great, one must be careful of idle words (devarim beteilim), for they prevent the mouth and tongue from bringing forth words of holiness with them — as it says, "and you shall speak in them," [about which] Chazal said: one who engages in idle chatter transgresses a positive commandment — "in them" and not in other matters.

Because speech is so potent, idle talk is harmful: it clogs the instrument of speech meant for holy words. The mitzvah "you shall speak in them [words of Torah]" implies the mouth should be reserved for holiness, not wasted on emptiness.

שהוא תנאי שכפי מה ששומר פיו מדברים בטלים כך יכול לדבר בם.

For it is a condition: to the extent that one guards his mouth from idle words, so is he able to "speak in them" (words of Torah).

There is a direct relationship: the more one keeps his mouth from emptiness, the more capable his speech becomes of holy words.

ולכן השח שיחה בטילה א"י לקיים ודברת בם ועובר בעשה.

Therefore one who engages in idle chatter is unable to fulfill "and you shall speak in them," and transgresses a positive commandment.

Idle speech actively undermines one's ability to fulfill the mitzvah of speaking words of Torah, which is why it is itself a transgression.

והצפרים באים לתקן ב' החטאים.

And the birds come to rectify both of these sins.

The two birds correspond to the two failures of speech — speaking evil and failing to speak good.

השחוטה לבער ולפרוש עצמו מדברים בטלים ומכ"ש לשון הרע.

The slaughtered one is to eradicate and to separate oneself from idle words, and all the more so from lashon hara.

The slaughtered bird represents removing and cutting off destructive speech — idle talk and certainly evil speech.

והמשולחת להכין הפה ולשון להוציא בהם דברי תורה.

And the one sent free is to prepare the mouth and tongue to bring forth words of Torah with them.

The bird sent free into the open field represents readying the mouth for its true purpose — holy speech and words of Torah.

ולכן השחוטה אסורה ומשולחת מותרת כמ"ש חז"ל כל צפור טהורה תאכלו לרבות המשולחת שרומז על הדיבור הטהור שזה עיקר האדם.

Therefore the slaughtered one is forbidden [for benefit] and the one sent free is permitted, as Chazal said, "every pure bird you may eat" — to include the one sent free — which alludes to pure speech, which is the essence of a person.

The slaughtered bird (negative, evil speech) is forbidden, while the freed bird (positive, holy speech) is permitted — for pure speech is the very essence of what a person is.

לנפש חי' לרוח ממללא.

"[And man became] a living soul" — [which Targum renders] "a speaking spirit (ruach memalela)."

Onkelos translates man's "living soul" as a "speaking spirit," teaching that the power of speech is what defines the human being.

וכתי' הוציאה ממסגר נפשי.

And it is written, "bring my soul out of confinement (mimasger)."

The pasuk speaks of releasing the soul from imprisonment — which the Sefas Emes links to the "closing up" of tzara'as.

שהצרעת נק' סגירו שנסגר הנפש והפה.

For tzara'as is called "closure (segiro)," for the soul and the mouth are shut up.

The metzora is "quarantined" (hesger), which reflects a deeper reality: his soul and his power of speech have become spiritually sealed shut.

ולכן הנגעים נמסרו רק לבנ"י שניתן להם המילה שהוא פתח הגוף כמ"ש בזוה"ק בא.

Therefore the nega'im were given only to Bnei Yisrael, who were given the mitzvah of milah, which is the "opening" of the body, as is written in the Zohar HaKadosh, parshas Bo.

Tzara'as applies only to Bnei Yisrael because they possess milah, which "opens" the body to holiness — and only what can be opened can be closed.

וזה שהוציא א"א ע"ה מכח אל הפועל זה הפתח כמ"ש פתח האהל פתח טוב פתחת.

And this "opening" Avraham Avinu brought from potential into actuality, as it says, "the entrance of the tent (pesach ha'ohel)" — "a good opening You have opened."

Avraham actualized this capacity for "opening" through milah, alluded to in "the entrance of the tent" — a "good opening" to holiness.

וזה הפתח כפי שמירת האדם עצמו כך נפתח.

And this "opening" — according to how a person guards himself, so it is opened.

The degree to which this gateway to holiness opens depends on how carefully a person guards himself.

ולפי החטא נסתם זה הפתח.

And according to the sin, this "opening" becomes sealed.

Conversely, sin causes this gateway to close up — which is the inner reality of tzara'as.

אבל מי שאינו נימול ואין לו הפתח כלל לא שייך בי' פתיחה וסגירו.

But one who is not circumcised and has no "opening" at all — opening and closure do not apply to him.

A non-Jew, lacking the "opening" of milah, has nothing that can be closed, which is why tzara'as does not apply to him.

ולכן נסמך פ' נגעים אחר וביום השמיני ימול.

Therefore the passage of the nega'im is placed after "and on the eighth day he shall be circumcised."

The juxtaposition of milah and the laws of tzara'as confirms the link: only one with the "opening" of milah is subject to the "closure" of tzara'as.

ובאמת הכל תלוי בפה גם ברית המעור תלוי בברית הלשון כמ"ש מות וחיים ביד לשון העוסק בדברי תורה מאיר בו הנשמה שהיא החיות.

And in truth everything depends on the mouth; even the bris of circumcision depends on the bris of the tongue, as it says, "death and life are in the hand of the tongue" — one who engages in words of Torah, the neshamah, which is the vitality, shines within him.

Ultimately the mouth is decisive: the "covenant" of milah itself depends on the "covenant" of guarding the tongue. Through words of Torah, the soul — the source of life — illuminates a person.

ולהיפך בהבלי עולם מתחזק הגוף ומחשיך הארת הנשמה.

And conversely, through the vanities of the world, the body grows strong and darkens the illumination of the neshamah.

Indulging in worldly emptiness strengthens the body at the soul's expense, dimming its light.

והגוף בחי' מיתה שעומד למות:

And the body is the aspect of death, for it is destined to die.

The body, mortal and bound for death, represents the "death" side of "death and life are in the hand of the tongue" — whereas Torah-illumined speech draws down the life of the soul.

Summary: Tzara'as comes for sins of speech — both speaking evil and withholding good words — for "death and life are in the hand of the tongue," and idle talk clogs the mouth that is meant for holy words. The two birds rectify these two failures: the slaughtered bird (forbidden) represents eradicating destructive speech, and the freed bird (permitted) represents preparing the mouth for words of Torah — for pure speech is the very essence of man, the "speaking spirit." Tzara'as is a "closing up" of the soul and mouth, and it applies only to Bnei Yisrael, who possess the "opening" of milah, which opens or seals according to how one guards himself. Ultimately everything hinges on the mouth — even the bris of milah depends on guarding the tongue — for Torah-speech lets the soul's light shine, while worldly vanity strengthens the mortal body and darkens that light.