רב אמר כאילו בנה פלטרין של מעלה ושל מטה שנאמר (ישעיהו נא, טז) ואשים דברי בפיך ובצל ידי כסיתיך לנטוע שמים וליסד ארץ (אמר ריש לקיש) [רבי יוחנן אמר] אף מגין על כל העולם כולו שנאמר ובצל ידי כסיתיך ולוי אמר אף מקרב את הגאולה שנאמר (ישעיהו נא, טז) ולאמר לציון עמי אתה
and by 'alluf' an uncrowned ruler is meant. Desiring to become a proselyte, she went to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but they did not accept her. So she went and became a concubine to Eliphaz the son of Esau, saying, 'I had rather be a servant to this people than a mistress of another nation.' From her Amalek was descended who afflicted Israel. Why so? — Because they should not have repulsed her. And Reuben went in the days of the wheat harvest [and found mandrakes in the field]. Raba b. Isaac said in Rab's name: This shews that righteous men do not take what is not theirs.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'stretch forth their hands to theft.' Since Reuben went when the fields had already been reaped, after which it is permissible for all to enter (Rashi). Maharsha explains: The wheat had not yet been harvested, but Reuben was careful to take only mandrakes, to which the owner of the field would not object.
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Shemirat HaLashon
Torah study is also a preventative against one's coming to (speak) lashon hara, as they said there (Arachin 15b): "What is the preventative against lashon hara? If he is a Torah scholar, let him occupy himself with Torah." The reason is obvious, as we find in Sanhedrin 99b: "All men are created for toil, viz. (Iyyov 5:7): 'For man is born for toil.' I would not know whether for toil of the lips or toil of labor — if it were not written: (Mishlei 16:22): 'For he saddles his mouth with it,' which indicates that he was born for toil of the lips. And I still would not know whether for the [lip] toil of Torah or the toil of converse — if it were not written (Joshua 1:8): 'Let the book of this Torah not depart from your mouth,' which indicates that he was created for the toil of Torah." The idea is that the nature was given man, when speech was given to him, that the tools of speech do what is theirs without becoming fatigued, unlike the other organs, which man must spur himself to put into operation. Not so, the faculty of speech. And this is the intent of "the toil of the lips." But a man must reflect that this power was given him only to merit Torah. Therefore, it is stated that the preventative of speaking lashon hara is only occupying oneself with Torah, for lacking this, he will certainly stumble into forbidden speech. For it is man's nature that his tools of speech not be inoperative (unless he is able to overcome his yetzer and make himself "mute," as they say in Chullin 89a).
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Shemirat HaLashon
And man was created only for Torah. For thus have Chazal expounded (Sanhedrin 99b): "All men were created for toil, viz. (Iyyov 5;7): 'For man is born for toil.' I would not know whether for toil of the lips or toil of labor — if it were not written (Mishlei 16:26): 'For he saddles his mouth with it,' which indicates that he was born for toil of the lips. And I still would not know whether for the [lip] toil of Torah or the toil of converse — if it were not written (Joshua 1:8): 'Let the book of this Torah not depart from your mouth,' which indicates that he was created for the toil of Torah."
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Shemirat HaLashon
Chazal have said (Sanhedrin 99b): “All who study Torah for its own sake make peace in the celestial and terrestrial retinues, viz. (Isaiah 27:5): ‘Or if he but take hold of My stronghold [Torah], he shall make peace for Me [1]; he shall make peace for Me [2].’ Rav said: ‘It is as if he would build the celestial palace and the terrestrial palace, viz. (Ibid. 51:16): “And I have placed My words in your mouth … to plant the heavens and to lay the foundations of the earth.”’”
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Shenei Luchot HaBerit
[I am condensing the continuation of this particular discourse from this point on. Ed.]