The Chofetz Chaim enumerated 31 Torah Commandments which may be violated when a person speaks or listens to loshon hora. There are 17 prohibitions and 14 positive Commandments - a total of 31 Commandments.
Positive Commandment number 12: The posuk in Devorim 6:7 says:
"You shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up"
Every single word of the Torah that you study is a fulfillment of a mitzah. Conversely, for every single word of loshon hora that you speak, you are guilty of bitul Torah, not having spent your time fruitfully in studying Torah.
Positive Commandment number 13: The posuk in Shemos 23:7 says:
"From a false matter you shall keep yourself far"
If you add untrue details to the loshon hora that you speak about someone, you violate this commandment.
(Guard Your Tongue - Rabbi Zelig Pliskin)
A One Minute a Day Torah Thought !
"One should always pepper his speech with phrases like: boruch HaShem, or with the help of HaShem, or G-d willing, etc.. Training oneself to speak in such a manner will help a person to always maintain a sense of gratitude to the Creator for all that he has.".
(Shelah HaKadosh ZT"L - Sefer Torah Tavlin)
50 Suggestions for Concentrating during Prayer!
(7) The Rambam (Hilchos Tefillah 4:16) says, How does one come to concentration? One should empty his mind of all thoughts and see himself as if he is standing in front of the Divine Presence. Therefore, he should sit before prayer in order to focus his mind.
(Pathway to Prayer, Rabbi Meyer Birnbaum) |
