Musar for Avodah Zarah 36:10

According to the severity of the sin and its consequences, the True Judge increased its punishment as our sages of blessed memory taught us: "levity is extremely severe; it starts with suffering and ends in utter destruction as written (Isaiah 28:22):'And now do not be mockers lest your bonds be strengthened for a decree of destruction have I heard...' " (Avodah Zara 18b).

This is the intent of Shlomo's warning: "do not mingle with those who make changes" (Prov.24:21). If a man claims to you: "a person's mind should always be associated with his fellow men" (Ketuvot 17a), reply to him, "this refers to human beings who act like human beings. Not human beings who act like animals." Shlomo warns further: "Go from before a foolish man" (Prov. 14:7). And King David said: "Fortunate is the man that walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers" (Ps. 1:1). Our sages expounded this: "If he walks, he will eventually stand. If he stood, he will eventually sit" (Avodah Zara 18b). And "I did not sit with men of falsehood, neither did I go with hypocrites. I have hated the congregation of evil-doers, and will not sit with the wicked" (Ps. 26:4-5).

And let one learn from what we see of the prisoners who are brought before the judge for cross-examination. They guard their mouths and do not utter even a single word which might incriminate them. And they also take upon themselves all of the blows and revilings in order not to admit the truth, even though they know that in either event they will not live forever, and that even if they do confess, it is very likely that they will not be executed, only a minority of a minority meeting such a fate. In spite of this, they would rather take all of these sufferings upon themselves because of the possibility of a possibility of thereby lengthening their temporal lives. How much, then, should those people restrain themselves [(from speaking what is forbidden)], who sit in the company of mockers a few hours, without anyone beating or forcing them thereto. And if they restrain themselves from speaking what is forbidden, they merit eternal life, as we find in the Midrash, that for every moment that a man muzzles his mouth he merits the secreted light, which no angel or creation can conceptualize; and, conversely, they are punished for every article of speech. As the GRA has written in his holy letter, Alim Litrufah "(Koheleth 6:7): 'All of a man's toil is for his mouth.' Our sages of blessed memory have said (Chullin 89a) that all of a man's mitzvoth and Toroth do not suffice [to offset] what he utters with his mouth. 'What is the [proper] profession of a man in this world? Let him make himself mute and clamp his lips like two millstones, etc.' And all kaf hakela ["hollow of the sling" punishments] come because of the breath of the mouth of idle talk. For each article of [such] speech, he must be slung from one end of the world to the other. And all this, with superfluous speech. But with forbidden speech, such as lashon hara, leitzanuth, oaths, vows, quarrels, and curses, especially in the synagogue and on Sabbaths and festivals — for these one must descend to the nethermost depths of Sheol. And it is impossible to conceptualize the greatness of the suffering and afflictions that one must undergo for one article of [forbidden] speech. And there is not even one such article which is not written down. Angels accompany each man constantly and do not separate from him and write down each and every article of speech (Koheleth 10:20): 'For a bird of heaven will carry the voice and the winged one will tell the word.'" And we have learned (Avodah Zarah 18b): R. Katina said: "All who engage in levity fall into Gehinnom."

And now we shall speak about the faculty of hearing. Hearing, in itself, is good, as it is written (Isaiah 55:3): "Hear, and let your souls live." And (Mishlei 15:31): "The ear that hears the reproof of life, in the midst of the wise will it reside." And hearing works on a man to cause him to satisfy [an obligation] by hearing as if he had performed it himself. A proof may be adduced from the reading of the Megillah, the blowing of the shofar, and other such things, such as [the recitation of] Kiddush and the grace over meals, where one makes the blessing and all the listeners satisfy the obligation. Similarly, all of the receiving of the Torah was through hearing. All this, for good things. The reverse is true for bad things, G-d forbid. Hearing [bad things] also greatly affects a man's soul. It is well known what our sages of blessed memory have said (Kethuvoth 5b): "The Rabbis taught: 'Let a man not allow idle speech to be heard by his ears, for they are the first of the organs to be "burnt."'" How much more so [does this apply] to one who intends to cause rechiluth to be heard by his ears, this being proscribed by a negative commandment in the Torah, viz. (Shemoth 23:1): "You shall not bear a false report," or to one who hears, with intent, lashon hara and other forbidden things, or frivolous speech or leitzanuth (levity), in which instance his sin is too great to bear. And our sages of blessed memory have said about the scoffer (Avodah Zarah 18b) that suffering comes upon him, as it is written (Isaiah 28:22): "Do not scoff, lest your bonds be strengthened." And they have also said (Shabbath 33a): "Even he who listens [to obscenity] and remains silent [is condemned], it being written (Mishlei 22:14): 'The abhorred of the L-rd will abide there' [next to the speaker of obscenity.]"