Hear no Evil, Speak no Evil, See no Evil.

In some form or another we are all victims of it.

We create it, speak it, hear it, and spread it. We get hurt by it, cause unnecessary drama in our life because of it yet somehow can’t get enough of it.

Gossip.

Just one word, six letters, yet an eternity of meaning.

Mishlei brings a very interesting quote, “B’efes etzim tikbeh aish u’vein nirgan yishtok madon.” Which literally translated means: “Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossiper a quarrel dies down.” A fire goes out as soon as there is nothing more to burn, and conflicts end as soon as there is no more hearsay spread.

Lashon hara is unfortunately one of the toughest Aveiros to withhold from. Most people don’t even realize just how much of their daily talk is in fact gossip.

Although it is very tempting to pass on juicy news or to listen in on a scandalous conversation stop and think, do I really need to listen to this? Do I really need to share this piece of information that I know can potentially harm someone?

A good way to slow down the gossip is by dedicating a  specific time each day, it can be as little as ten or fifteen minutes, in which you know you will not talk any Lashon Hara. The problem with gossiping is we’re not inherently malicious people looking to destroy others lives. It really comes down to a lack of realization that what you are saying or listening to is unnecessary gossip that could potentially really hurt someone. So taking that time to just be conscious of the fact that you are not going to idle talk is a huge step in eventually getting to a lifestyle where you don’t need to or want to talk about other people.

That extra few seconds to think before you act and those few minutes of intentionally withholding can really make the world of a difference!