Musar for Sotah 83:19

There are some people whose profession is lying. Namely, those people who go around and make up complete lies in order to increase social conversation or to be considered among the intelligent and knowledgeable. On this type it is written "lying lips are an abomination to G-d" (Mishlei 12:22). And also "your lips speak lies, your tongue mutters perverseness" (Isaiah 59:3). Our sages, of blessed memory, have already pronounced their judgment: "four classes of people do not receive the divine presence" (Sanhedrin 103a, Sota 42a), and one of these is the class of liars.

Therefore, if one wishes to cleanse his soul, let him reflect upon the greatness of the issur of levity in several respects. For aside from the fact that he [the mocker] sins himself, it [levity] being one of the four things because of which one does not receive the Shechinah, as Chazal have said (Sotah 42a), he also causes many to sin, bringing them to multiply mockery. And the punishment of causing many to sin is well known, it not being granted one to repent because of this, as Chazal have stated (Avoth 5:18). And, aside from all this, involvement in idle talk, even if it contained nothing forbidden, causes one to lose the time that he could have spent in Torah study and the acquisition of the world to come. And he gives the impression that he scorns the words of the L-rd and the reward of the world to come, as stated in Sanhedrin 99a on the verse (Bamidbar 15:31): "For he has scorned the word of the L-rd" — R. Nehorai said: ['This refers to] one who could have studied Torah but did not do so.'"

Now we must explain to you in four chapters four classes of people that do not receive the Divine Presence (Sotah 42a). A company of scoffers, as it is written, "He stretcheth out his hand with scorners" (Hos. 7:8). A company of liars, as it is written, "He that speaketh falsehood shall not be established before mine eyes" (Ps. 101:7). A company of flatterers, as it is written, "That a hypocrite cannot come before Him" (Job 13:16). A company of gossipers, as it is written, "For Thou are not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness; Evil shall not sojourn with Thee" (Ps. 5:5). And now it is important to acquaint you with their ways and to divide the matter into proper divisions, for there is great advantage in understanding this matter thoroughly.

As to the yetzer's second contention — "Since you cannot observe the din completely, it is best to distance yourself from this [(guarding your tongue)] altogether" — you can answer: "Would I allow myself to conduct my business in this way?" For example, If someone saw me running with alacrity to "make a deal" to support myself and he asked me: "Why are you running? Do you think that by doing so you will become the wealthiest man in the whole world, like Ploni?" would I not certainly answer him: "Because I will not become like him should I 'hide my hand in the dish' and not support myself?" And if this is so with the transitory body, what should I answer for the affairs of the [eternal] soul? Because I cannot observe this trait in all its details and aspects, by means of which I could rise to eternal heights of exaltedness and holiness — [as we find in the holy Zohar, Parshath Chukath, that one who guards his mouth and his tongue merits being clothed with the holy spirit, and also shining eternally in the secreted light that no angel or [Heavenly] creature can visualize, as Chazal say and as we find in Reshith Chochmah in the name of Maharam Kordovero of blessed memory, that Rav Shoshan was shown secrets in a dream in which he saw that every hair of his beard shone with a torchlike luminescence, the result of his abstinence from idle speech] — should I, therefore, forebear from guarding my soul by guarding my mouth with all my might and not being G-d forbid, of the class of "the speakers of lashon hara" and the like, of those evil classes of which Chazal state that they do not behold the presence of the Shechinah? It is this that King Solomon, may peace be upon him, intended when he wrote (Koheleth 9:10): "All that your hand finds to do with your strength — do!" To teach us that even if it enters one's mind that he will not have the strength to complete the mitzvah in all of its details, in spite of this, he should do everything that he can do. And along these lines Chazal have said on Devarim 4:41: "Then Moses would set apart three cities," that Scripture apprises us of this [to teach us] that even though the three cities across the Jordan could not serve as cities of refuge until those in the land of Canaan had been designated, and he knew that he would not enter Eretz Yisrael, in spite of this Mosheh Rabbeinu, may peace be upon him, said: "Everything that it is in my power to do, I will do," as Rashi explains there. All this we have written, with the help of the Blessed L-rd, in explanation of what is stated in Avoth d'R. Nathan, that one should not distance himself from "a trait that has no end." As to "a labor that has no completion," this applies to [the study of] Torah, as indicated by the analogy adduced there.

Rabbi Simon, the son of Halafta said, "From the date that the power of flattery grew strong, laws have been twisted and deeds have been perverted, and no man was able to say honestly to his companion, 'My deeds are greater than your deeds.' " Said Rabbi Elazar, "Every man that has flattery in his nature, brings wrath upon the world," as it is said, "But they that are godless in heart lay up anger" (Job 36:13). Not only this, but his prayer is not heard, as it is said, "They cry not for help when He bindeth them" (ibid). And even the unborn children, still in the wombs of their mothers, curse him, and he falls into Gehennah. And everyone who flatters a wicked man falls into his hand. And if he does not fall into his hand, then he falls into the hand of the son of the wicked man, and if he does not fall into the hand of his son, then he falls in the hand of his grandson (Sotah 41b). Every congregation that has within it the trait of flattery is as loathsome as a woman in her impurity, and in the end will be exiled (Sotah 42a).

The fourth category of gossip is this. If one publicly makes known the abominations of someone's ancestors, although not in the presence of the victim of the gossip, in order to shame him in the eyes of people — concerning this they said, "A group which speaks gossip cannot receive the Divine Presence" (Sotah 42a).