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Juicy Gossip: Are The Words That Leave Your Mouth As Kosher As The Food That Goes In?

Juicy Gossip: Are The Words That Leave Your Mouth As Kosher As The Food That Goes In?

“Lashon hara is geshmake,” (“Gossip is tasty,”) my rabbi announced to my seminary class years ago. My first inclination was to think, “Oh, no Rabbi, you too?!” But then I realized that God created our world so that gossip would be delicious to most people. Of course there are those who simply have no taste for it. But for the majority of us, spreading information about others – particularly those we don’t like very much – is simply irresistible.

Just like there is an entire media industry built around food, with pictures, recipes, and reviews – people love everything associated with the act of consumption – so too, there is a media industry built around gossip. Pictures, articles, tidbits in magazines, blogs, and newspapers seem to follow us wherever we go, tempting us to take part.

But just as an observant Jew might see or smell a non-kosher food that’s appealing, she wouldn’t partake in it because she has made a commitment to not let any forbidden foods cross her lips. We must approach gossip the same way. As an idea gets cooked up in your mind and you consider letting it pass into your mouth, ask yourself first – is it kosher? If it definitely isn’t – even if it’s succulent – swallow it. If you’re not sure if it’s kosher – just like you’d check with a rabbi when it comes to a hechsher (kosher symbol) on a package of food you’re not sure of – check with a rabbi here too.

Let’s not beat around the bush – being snarky is lots of fun. Looking clever, while we put someone else down (social media allows people to do this more than ever) gives many of us real pleasure. But let’s not allow ourselves the indulgence. Lashon hara is just as forbidden in Jewish person’s mouth as a piece of pork is. Quitting cold turkey may be too hard, but going on a “gossip diet” is a start.

We are in the midst of a two thousand year exile, whose cause and continuation is due to these poisonous, destructive words. Let’s all commit to speaking more responsibly and may we merit to see the redemption speedily in our days.

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Simone Shapiro says on July 25, 2012
Well said!
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Yochana says on July 25, 2012
Wonderfully put.
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Allison Josephs

Allison Josephs is the founder and executive director of Jew in the City has been involved in the field of Jewish Outreach for over twenty years and is the Partner in Torah mentor to actress Mayim Bialik. She was named one of NJOP’s Top Ten Jewish Influencers and one of the Jewish Week’s 36 under 36. Allison has been quoted or written about in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, People Magazine, NYPost, Daily News, TMZ, The Daily Beast, and Hollywood Reporter. She has appeared on numerous television and radio networks including CBS, ABC, Fox5, TLC, Associate Press TV, and NPR; her articles have appeared in publications including The Washington Post, JTA, Jewish Week, Jerusalem Post, The Forward, and Kveller. Pearson Education, the largest textbook company in the world, produced a video segment on Allison’s life for the Judaism chapter of their textbook. She is a sought-after international lecturer whose corporate clients include Con-Edison and NYU Langone and hosts a weekly podcast on the Nachum Segal Network. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University in Philosophy and lives with her husband and four children minutes from the George Washington Bridge.