The three hundred forty-ninth "cheder" in the palace of Hayom Yom.
Thursday, 13 Marcheshvan 5704.
Chumash lessons: Vayeira, Chamishi, with Rashi's commentary.
Tehillim, on the 13th of the month, chapters 69, 70, and 71.
Tanya: On this day we continue with Iggeret 27. The daily portion is on page 292, beginning with the word "atah" until the words "ve'alul kanoda."
The source of the daily saying is a letter written by the Rebbe Rayatz on 4 Kislev 5702. We have already brought this letter a few days ago, on 29 Tishrei, in a teaching whose content is that everything, every word, has meaning. As you may recall, we brought there the story about that person who said he would tear his fellow apart like a fish, and in the spiritual worlds the words indeed had their effect — and it appears in the letter as the second example. This time the saying is taken from the earlier example in that same letter, which precedes the story about that Jew who was one of the disciples of the Baal Shem Tov — a story about the Baal Shem Tov himself.
And so the story appears, written in Yiddish and here translated: "The Baal Shem Tov would study a lesson in Gemara with his students. The manner of study was one of great sharpness and profound genius, and they learned the Rambam, Alfas, Rosh, and other commentators among the Rishonim who were connected to the Gemara being studied. The Baal Shem Tov would translate the words into Yiddish." That is, the Baal Shem Tov taught the lesson with tremendous sharpness and great genius, and they studied the Gemara together with the explanations of the three famous pillars of halachic ruling — the Rambam, the Alfas (that is, the Rif) and the Rosh (Rabbeinu Asher) — as well as other commentators among the Rishonim; and the words he would translate into Yiddish, thereby explaining the lesson.
"And when they studied Tractate Arachin together, and reached the statement of Chazal (15b)" — on page 15, side two, in Arachin. There is an entire sugya there that discusses at length the various forms of expression and those who speak lashon hara — what they are about, what their punishment is, and so on. They reached that passage in the lower third of the page, where it states "lashon telita'i katil telita'i" (the third tongue kills three), and the Gemara continues: "It kills the one who relates it, the one who receives it, and the one who says it."
First, let us explain the plain meaning of the Gemara. What is meant by "lishna telita'i katil telita'i" (a third tongue kills three)? On this very point the commentators offer many explanations of how to understand it. Some explain that "lishna telita'i" refers to speech that is expressed in a manner involving a third party — the speech connects three people: the one who speaks, the one to whom he speaks, and the one about whom he speaks. This is one approach.
And there are additional interpretations. The Tosafot there explain something interesting: why is speech called "tlitai" (the third)? Because the tongue, which is within the mouth, is the third — it has a first wall, the lips, and a second wall, the teeth, and the third, on the inside, is the tongue. So say the Tosafot. Thus there are several interpretations of "lishna tlitai."
In any event, the Gemara concludes "katil telisai" — lashon hara kills three. Which three? Here too there are variant readings in the Gemara: in the Gemara before us it states "the one who relates it, the one who receives it, and the one who says it," while other versions read "the one who relates it, the one who receives it, and the one about whom it is said."
According to the way the Rambam, and also Rashi, learn it, what is meant by "kills three"? That lashon hara is liable to bring about a situation in which three people will die: the one who speaks, the one who listens, and the one about whom it is spoken. And how? Rashi explains that it is possible that the very one who heard what was told to him about a certain person may end up in a quarrel with him, until one kills the other, and afterward the blood-avenger kills the one who told it — "because of you the whole affair happened" — and in the end all three of them die. According to this approach it does not always happen in actual fact, but rather that lashon hara is liable to kill three. This is the plain meaning.
However, the Baal Shem Tov explained the Gemara as Rabbeinu Gershom explains it. What does Rabbeinu Gershom explain? That there are three people involved here: one person invented a story and told it to someone, and that person told it to another — so here we have three: the inventor, the teller, and the listener; and there is no mention at all of the person being spoken about, who is not counted among the three. Three partners in the process. This is how Rabbeinu Gershom explains it, and this is also how the Baal Shem Tov explained it.
Let us examine the continuation of the teaching: "The Baal Shem Tov explained" — he explained to his disciples the meaning of "a triple-slayer," whom it kills and who the three are. Said the Baal Shem Tov: ""Lashon hara kills all three: the one who originates it, the one who relates it, and the one who listens to it; but this is in the spiritual garments, which is more severe than physical murder"!". These three are killed by lashon hara.
And what is meant by "kills them"? The intent is not literal — that they should die; it is possible they will live — but rather as the Baal Shem Tov explained: "in their spiritual garments." Spiritually, in their spiritual garments, the sin of lashon hara kills all who are connected to it. With physical eyes you will not see that they have died — you will see them walking about — yet the Baal Shem Tov says: "and this is worse than physical murder." To kill in a manner that a person's spiritual garment is slain is worse than killing physically.
This follows the story that comes afterward, which we already read in the "Hayom Yom" of 29 Tishrei, about the man who said in words that he would tear his fellow apart like a fish; and when the disciples of the Baal Shem Tov saw its effect, they saw that the thing indeed happens — that the words act and have an impact in the spiritual realm. This is a further example of how the Baal Shem Tov explained this interpretation in the Gemara.