Hebrew Roots

Peace be unto you in the name of our Father in heaven and His righteous son, Yeshua HaMashiach, our Saviour,
High Priest and betrothed Husband. May the peace (shalom) that passes all understanding be yours, no matter in what
circumstances you presently find yourself..

    This issue begins our third year writing and producing Hebrew Roots. Little did we know when we began this venture (with a mailing list of seventy just over two years ago), how much work would be involved or how fast it would grow. To date, we have not solicited any advertising (paid or otherwise), although some other ministries have mentioned Hebrew Roots in their own publications, yet our last mailing (Issue 98-1) went to over 1000 addresses.
    Hebrew Roots is now reaching every continent on the face of the earth with the exception of Antarctica and we find it quite challenging to keep up with the mail load that is coming in to our ‘home office’ (literally). We share this good news with you so that we can all rejoice together, for if it were not for your generous support this ministry would not be able to reach so many people. We truly are in a partnership together, helping to prepare the Bride of Messiah for her soon coming wedding.
    The growth of Hebrew Roots has been almost entirely the result of you, our readers, sending us referrals (names of people you know) whom you believe would be interested in the material we have to offer. Our policy is to send each of those referrals the very first issue and the latest issue, along with a letter of introduction, which includes the name of the person(s) who referred them to us. We then include the referred person in the mailing of the next regular issue. After that, if we have not heard from them, we send a letter asking them to respond if they wish to continue receiving Hebrew Roots. Those who do not respond are dropped from our mailing list.
    It has become obvious, over the years, that people either hear the message about the Hebrewness of Yeshua (Jesus) or they do not. If they do not hear it, there is absolutely nothing we can do to make them hear it. It is as if Almighty God (YHVH) must flip a switch in our minds before we are able to understand the great need that we have to understand the Hebrew roots of the Faith, so that we, the betrothed Bride of Messiah Yeshua, can adequately prepare for our wedding day.
    We continually hear from people who did not reply to that very first letter, which we sent out prior to our first issue over two years ago, and also from people who have received sample copies several months previous, and had been dropped from our mailing list for lack of response. It seems that after a period of time has elapsed many become aware of a need within themselves to learn more about the time, place and culture in which our Messiah lived, and they desire to gain some of the spiritual insights which this kind of study can impart. We praise Abba, our heavenly Father, for flipping the switch in our minds (and yours) and allowing us to share what we have learned with each and every one of you. Our prayer for each of you is that Abba will bless you with wisdom from above, and with a more full understanding of His word; creating in each of you a heart that projects His love for all members of the Bride.

Not only does this issue mark the beginning of our third year of production, it is also the first issue that has been printed here at Beit Shalom (Our House of Peace).
Our commercial printer has done a nice job for us, and has always been very helpful in giving us a fast turnaround time. However, we have found that, with our current volume of production, we can now produce the publication more economically ourselves, using leased equipment.

Through the assistance of our donors, we are able to send Hebrew Roots to those who are unable to contribute. Recently, a person involved in the publication of a religious magazine called and requested to be placed on our mailing list. This person asked how much we charged for Hebrew Roots, and was quite amazed to learn that we send all of our materials free of charge to anyone requesting them, no questions asked.
It is our sincere hope that we can continue to do this. However, it has become evident that we do need to put some restrictions on how much material we mail out at any one time, for frequently we receive requests from people asking for everything listed on our Materials Order Form. To date, we have honored all such requests. However, we now have a total of eleven publications and twenty-two tapes available for distribution. This is a lot of material for any one individual to digest at any one time. We therefore ask tat you request only the amount of material you know you can study in a meaningful way at any one time.

Many of you have been able to help in the support of this ministry, and to all of you we extend a heartfelt THANK YOU. Your generosity is greatly appreciated, especially by those who have been unable to contribute. The fruit of your contributions have resulted in a threefold blessing. A blessing for you as donor; for your good deed. A blessing for the person who receives the material; for they desire to continue studying thereby ‘showing themselves approved.’ And a blessing and for us here at Hebrew Roots as well; for we see that our work is not in vain.

Several people have inquired as to our plans for celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles (Succoth) this fall We will definitely not be involved in sponsoring a site for it takes a lot of preparation to produce a really good Feast, and we prefer to leave such matters to those who are skilled in administration, and have the time needed to make everything come together properly. Much of our daily life is now spent dealing with matters pertaining to this ministry, and we just cannot take time out to plan and/so sponsor such an event.
As for where we will be attending, we are still undecided.

The lead article in this issue was written as a result of some of the feedback we received from our readers on the article published in the last issue entitled; Guarding Your Tongue. Although we had mentioned in that article how it was sometimes necessary to speak lashon hara (lah-shone hah-rah the evil tongue) about another person, some felt that we did not give this aspect enough emphasis. This current article, entitled; The Evil Tongue Revisited, goes into more detail about when it is permissible to speak lashon hara.

We hear a lot of talk about brethren using the principles set forth by Yeshua in Matthew chapter 18 to resolve disputes in their congregation. However, it is apparent that while most Believers understand part of this procedure, few understand all of it. We pray this article, entitled: Resolving Disputes in the Church. and also the current article on Lashon Hara, will help clarify some of these important issues.

In Issue 97-5 we published the first part of an article on the ‘Bible Codes’ which have been prominent in the news. The Bible Codes, Part II is the concluding portion on this topic. It covers, among other things, some code findings in the Hebrew Scriptures concerning the Messiah. We believe you will find it interesting.

    Again with this issue we offer two taped messages to those who request them. The first is Part IV of The Early Church series. It is entitled; Requirements for Fellowship. In it we look at the minimum requirements for fellowship in the Believing Community as laid down by the Jerusalem Council and recorded for us in Acts chapter 15. The actual content of these requirements may come as a surprise to many.
    The second tape offered is entitled; Why Study Hebrew Roots? We pray that it will be of value to anyone who might be called upon to explain why they are studying all this ‘Jewish stuff’.
    If you wish to receive either one or both of these tapes, please fill out and return the enclosed Tape Offer Form. Please remember that we do not have an automatic tape mailing program, we send out tapes only upon request.

Hebrew Roots is supported entirely by the prayers and freewill donations of it’s subscribers. It is published several times a year by Dean & Susan Wheelock. Subscriptions are free (based on availability of funds) to anyone who sincerely desires to "...grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ..."
(II Pet. 3:18)

Those wishing to assist financially in this teaching ministry can do so by sending a check or money order, payable in US funds, to:

Hebrew Roots
P0 Box 98
Lakewood, WI 54138
1-715-757-2775

    In the last issue of Hebrew Roots, we explored at some length a great evil that has permeated the Believing Community. That evil is the way in which so many Believers use their tongues to speak ill of each other. In Hebrew this practice is know as Lashon Hara (Lah-shone Hah-rah) and it literally means ‘the evil tongue.’
    A companion problem is when a person takes it upon themselves to tell someone about the lashon hara which another person has said about them. The one relating the story usually thinks they are doing the other person a favor, but such is rarely the case. When a person is told what someone else has said about them, (known in Hebrew as Rechilus [Rec-hee’-loose]), it usually engenders feelings of depression, or it breeds a desire for revenge; neither of which are healthy emotions. This subject was also covered in the previous article. (Guarding Your Tongue, Issue 98-1)
    The response to that article has been varied and interesting. Most readers who wrote to us about it, communicated a very positive viewpoint concerning the fact that, prior to reading the article, they had not understood the complexity or the seriousness of the words they spoke about other people. One reader said that it caused him to recognize that he was often guilty of speaking lashon hara in his regular conversations, and that this awareness has led him to begin considering carefully what he is about to say when it involves other people. He also stated that as a result of this awareness, he no longer wishes to be in the presence of people speaking lashon hara.
    By identifying and repenting of our own personal practice of speaking lashon hara, and seeking not to participate when others are speaking in this manner, we as Believers, continue to grow in our pursuit of righteousness.
    Now’ there is a time and place when lashon hara is not only permissible, but necessary. However, permissible lashon hara and rechilus must always conform to the guidelines set down in the Scriptures.

One must be extremely careful before entering the arena of speaking permissible lashon hara, for often what passes for legitimate lashon hara in the mind of the speaker, is perceived by others as an excuse to run another person down. Therefore, before anyone uses the principles set forth in this article, it is imperative that they spend a considerable amount of time in personal prayer, seeking the complete will of Abba, our Father. Then, if such a person is absolutely convinced that they must take verbal action against another person, either in the form of lashon hara or rechilus, they should do so with complete humbleness of spirit and with the intent to bring that person back into the good graces of both their heavenly Father and the Believing Community.
The topic of permitted lashon hara and rechilus was covered in part in the previous article. That portion is reprinted here for review, after which we will explore this concept in much greater detail.

    "After all of these admonitions not to ever speak lashon hara or rechilus, the fact of the matter is there are rare occasions when it is not only allowed, but it is required to relate a mailer about someone to another person. however, we must all be very careful not to use these exceptions as an excuse to fall into the habit of speaking lashon hara, and then try to justify what we have done just because it is permitted on occasion.
    "According to Jewish Halacha (Hah-lah-cah the way one walks) one person you can speak against is a known rasha (rah-shah). A rasha is someone who knows that the Torah forbids something but does it anyway on a deliberate and regular basis. This person’s lifestyle indicates that he is in open rebellion against HaShem(YHVH) and His Torah. However, the purpose in speaking lashon hara about such a person is not to hurt him, but rather to bring him to such shame that he will repent of his evil ways and return to HaShem in complete repentance.
    "However, you still must not speak lashon hara against such a person unless you have personally gone to him first to try and persuade him to change his ways. The only exception to this rule is if the person is in a position that makes it impossible for you to contact him.
    "In such a case the following guidelines must be followed:

"Another case in which it is permissible to speak lashon hara is when someone causes another person physical or psychological pain, steals from someone, embarrasses another person, or damages someone’s property. If the offending person does not rectify the problem, it is permissible to speak lashon hara about him in order to warn others of possible danger from him.
"Again, there are cautions that need to be heeded:

"Two other cases where it is not only permissible but required to speak lashon hara about another person is if you know something about someone’s future mate or business partner, and you are positive it is not already known by the individual entering into that relationship. By relating what you know, you may be saving that person from great emotional trauma or financial loss.

"As you can see, there needs to be a lot of prayer involved before any lashon hara is communicated about another person."

Our heavenly Father, Abba, wants each one of us to learn how to live a life that is Torah centered. That means our lives should conform to His expressed will. The overall principles are; that we love HaShem with all our hearts, and that we love our neighbors as ourselves. The temptation to speak lashon hara is an ever present test that proves whether we truly have learned to love our brothers and sisters in Messiah. We all need to learn how to discern the "weightier matters of the law," as Yeshua defined them:

Obviously, differences of opinion will exist as to what constitutes lashon hara. Other factors in personal relationships may also enter into the matter. We must take into consideration the way in which the hearer will interpret what is said. We must be very careful, whenever entering into a conversation with someone about a third party (who may or may not be present), so that what we say about that person cannot be construed in any way to be lashon hara. Sometimes a remark said in innocence can be interpreted by the listener somewhat differently than what was intended.

It has been said that Christianity is more concerned with what the individual believes, while Judaism is more concerned with how one behaves. In the final analysis, both of these factors are very important.
The Apostle Paul (Shaul = Shaw-ool or Saul) addressed both belief and behavior when he said:

Many people seem to believe that religion consists of going to church services or synagogue on Sabbath or Sunday; singing a few songs; reading the Torah or other portions of the Bible; listening to a speaker; saying or listening to some prayers; and going back home to their normal everyday life. But religion, as defined for us in the Scriptures, is quite different:

The vast majority of Christians would probably be dumbfounded to learn that the very same Yacov (James) who wrote the above passage, and who was the undisputed leader of the early Believing Community in Jerusalem, was an orthodox Pharisee. He was highly esteemed by his fellow Jewish Pharisees and was known among them as ‘Yacov, the Pious One’ (or the ‘Righteous One’). Needless to say, since Yacov was a Pharisee, he was very interested in how people ‘walked the walk,’ not just in how they ‘talked the talk.’
Like so many Jewish Believers in Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah), Yacov was known to be a leader among that group of zealous Jews which were pointed out to the Apostle Paul during his last visit Jerusalem:

The simple fact of the matter is that we cannot divorce our behavior from our belief if we wish to live a life that is pleasing to our Father.
The whole point of our original article on this subject was that it would be far better if all of us spent our time praising HaShem (Hah-Shem the Name) for all tat He has done for us, and visiting the widow and the orphan in their affliction, than to be talking about someone else’s supposed sins (or even real ones for tat matter).

Let us now look in more detail at those situations where speaking lashon hara is not only permitted, but is sometimes actually required. We are using the traditional Jewish teaching concerning these matters. It is hoped that all of our readers understand that what is presented here is not intended to be the final word on this matter. Rather, it is intended to stimulate everyone’s thinking about some very real and serious problems that exist within the Bride of Messiah (the Church). It is our belief that unless the Bride can come to grips wit this compound problem of lashon hara and rechilus, she is destined to devour herself in evil speech and recrimination, for it is written:

Once again, let us reiterate tat what you are about to read does not give anyone a license to say whatever they wish about whomever they want. Rather, it teaches about our duty to speak out when the situation requires that something be done.
Before performing this duty we must be sure our motives are pure. If there is any degree of personal gain, joy or satisfaction to be acquired by speaking out, then we must go back to HaShem in prayer until we can do what needs to be done within our own selves, in order to come to a point of complete humbleness of spirit. This is so very important that it cannot be over stressed.

Whenever we sin, it is first and foremost against our Creator God, whether other people are involved or not. King David expressed this point perfectly after being convicted of his sin wit Bathsheba:

If sin alone was the criteria, we would all be required to speak lashon hara and rechilus against each other, for all of us have and do (from time to time) sin.

However, there are different types of people who sin against HaShem, and there are different degrees of sin. Let us first look at the different types of people as defined by Jewish halacha:

Since this person is an ‘observant’ Believer, it can be safely assumed tat if you see this person committing a sin it is an unusual event. This person is most likely already hurting, and therefore repenting, because they know they have sinned.
If however, the person does not realize that what they did was a sin, that fact does need to be brought to their attention. According to halacha this should only be done by the person against whom the sin has been committed, or by someone who has directly observed the sin. The purpose of this action is so the sinner can face up to their sins, and go to the One who has the power to forgive sins. Rather than condemning the sinner at this point we should encourage them to do just that.

If the observed sin seems to be one that is being done on purpose, we must confront the sinner. It is only permissible to speak lashon hara about that person after they have been directly confronted and have refused to hear our testimony and to repent, as outlined in Matthew 18:15-16. Remember, the purpose and goal of speaking lashon hara must always be to bring the sinner to repentance and a return to the ways of God. It must never be for the purpose of embarrassment or ridicule, or for ‘getting back’ at someone.
When confronting a sinner, one must do so in a manner that is loving and kind, and not in a spirit that is condemning. Condemnation must be reserved for those situations where the sin is both flagrant and consistent, and has the potential of bringing harm to other people.

If the sin you have observed has obviously been done on purpose, and you are a witness to it, then it is once again your responsibility to go to that person and confront them with their sin so that they can repent and be forgiven. If they do not repent you are permitted to speak lashon hara about them, but only if doing so will bring further pressure on that person to repent. Again, the guidelines of Matthew 18 should be followed.

    A Tzadik (Tzah-deek = a righteous man) is a person who leads an exemplary life and is always trying their best to follow the instructions of the Torah and to help others through their good deeds. In other words, the Tzadik tries very hard to lead the kind of life that his Saviour Yeshua would lead if He were walking in his shoes.
    If a Tzadik is observed committing a sin, even if it appears to be a deliberate sin, their past performance should initially lead one to disbelieve what seems to have been observed. According to Jewish teaching one is required to give such a person the benefit of the doubt and not report his actions to others. Perhaps there was a good reason why the Tzadik did what they did, or perhaps the observer did not understand correctly what they thought they saw.
    This is a far cry from the attitude so prevalent in modem society where people often look extremely hard in order to find some sin in the life of a person who seems to be making every effort to live righteously. Christians in general are often exposed to this type of scrutiny by those who wish to find fault with them in order to excuse their own sinful lifestyle.
    If the sin is flagrant, then we should go to the Tzadik privately and, in love, let them know what we have observed. If there was no sin, but merely a misunderstood observation, much grief will be spared. If the Tzadik knows that what they did appeared to be evil, even though it was not, they will probably refrain from that kind of ‘appearance’ in the future, for they already understand that we must:

However, if the Tzadik has actually sinned, this will probably be more than enough for a complete repentant attitude to be forthcoming. If, by chance, this is the beginning of a pattern, the Tzadik will soon be classified as ‘An Observant Believer Who Possibly Sins On Purpose,’ or ‘An Observant Believer Who Definitely Sins On Purpose.’ In that case, they are to be treated as such.
(Again, please refer to Matt. 18.)

A rasha (rah-shah) is one who deliberately and regularly violates the Word of God, even though he knows what the Scriptures teach, and that certain things are forbidden by the Torah to those who wish to be obedient to their Eternal Creator God.
In such cases it is not only permissible to speak lashon hara about them, it may actually be required, so that others do not see their open rebellion and think that it is all right to do the same, because no one is speaking against their evil actions. In some cases it would be a sin if we did not speak out against their actions.

However, once again it must be reiterated that before we go off half-cocked, speaking lashon hara against a rasha, the guidelines set down at the beginning of this article, which are found in Matthew 18:15-16, must be followed. This always includes going directly to the person about whom we plan to speak against, if it is at all possible.

    A well-known rasha is someone who knows the Torah instructions but repeatedly sins intentionally. Such a person must be sinning on a regular basis in order to retain this offensive title. While it is considered permissible to speak lashon hara about such a person, one must always be careful, for it is possible that even a well-known rasha might have repented and begun to live a Torah centered lifestyle. One would not want to be in the position of speaking evil about someone that our heavenly Father has now forgiven. We must be absolutely sure that the sins are current and active, and that repentance has not taken place.
    A principle to always remember when being tempted to speak lashon hara is: will these words serve a useful purpose by helping the person to come to repentance, or by warning unsuspecting Believers of the dangers of associating with that person.
    Too often, when people speak lashon hara, it is for the purpose of hurting the other person. Again, the only two legitimate reasons for speaking lashon hara are to help a person repent, or to warn another individual about the dangers the sinner may represent to them. For this reason Jewish teaching requires that three guidelines be followed before speaking lashon hara against a well-known rasha.

Someone who does not believe in the existence of God, or who does not accept the teachings of Scripture, is considered to be an apikores (ah-peekoh-rehs). It is considered permissible to speak against such a person if doing so will produce a constructive result. For example, if children or new Believers in your congregation are in danger of being led away from the pure truth of the Scriptures, or into immoral behavior by such a person, it is your obligation to speak against that person. Not only must you speak against them, you must do so forcefully, for they represent a clear and present danger to the ‘little ones.’

    This category is quite interesting when viewed in light of Matthew 18:17. (See the following article; Resolving Disputes in the Church.)
    A Beit Din (Bait Deen) is literally a "House of Judgment." In Yeshua's day the Beit Din was a functioning entity in the synagogue. Not only did each synagogue have its own Beit Din. composed of a minimum of three elders, there would also be a larger Beit Din that would serve the city or the general area. The Sanhedrin (Jewish Supreme Court) consisted of seventy members and was the largest of the Beit Din. Regional courts of twenty-three members were the next level down.
    Thus the Beit Din of a congregation or synagogue was the lowest court in a system that ultimately led to the Sanhedrin. The court systems found in the United States and other democracies are often similar in structure. If one does not agree with the ruling of the lower court, the case can be appealed to a higher level court, finally ending in the Supreme Court. The same was true in Jewish law. The Jerusalem Council of the early Church (mentioned in Acts chapter 15) could well have been composed of twenty-three members, serving as the ruling court for the entire Believing Community.
    Several New Testament scriptures indicate that the early Church used this very same court structure found in the Jewish Synagogues.

In this case the ‘telling it to the church’ would be to bring the matter before the Beit Din for a decision. Both parties were expected to abide by their decision.

The binding mentioned here refers specifically to the decisions rendered by the Beit Din. It does not mean that the Believers could make new laws that would be in disagreement with the law of God given in the Torah. Rather, they were to make binding decisions based on the teachings of the Torah.
According to Jewish teaching, a person who did not abide by the ruling of the Beit Din, and could not offer a valid reason for disobeying their ruling, was considered to have forgone his protection from lashon hara, and it was permissible to publicize this fact. This does not mean it was permissible to speak other, unrelated lashon hara about this person. Only the facts pertinent to the case that came before the Beit Din were open for discussion.

It is common among some Christian groups to disparage other professing Believers (in Yeshua HaMashiach) who hold different interpretations on certain doctrines or issues. It must be remembered that many people who profess their belief that Jesus (Yeshua) is the promised Messiah, may have never studied the Scriptures in an in-depth way. Much of what they believe may come from the teachings of the Church in which they find themselves (and into which they may well have been born), and not from the Scriptures themselves.
In determining who in fact falls into the classification of a rasha, it is important to remember that many people cannot be considered to be in open rebellion against HaShem, because they are operating from a position of ignorance. Rather than condemning these people, it would be far better if we could bring ourselves into a position where we could teach them the pure word of Scripture.

Another factor that needs to be considered before deciding to speak lashon hara, is the degree of seriousness of the sin that has been committed. In other words, does the punishment of lashon hara really fit the crime?
All sin is ugly in the sight of our Father and Yeshua. However, the Scriptures teach that some sins are more abhorrent than others. It is not the purpose of this article to try and classify all of the various sins, that has already been attempted by various Church organizations and only leads to more controversy and dissension. Nevertheless, the Scriptures do tell us:

The sin that is "to death" is one that carries the death penalty in the Torah. However, there is also another type of sin that Yeshua said would lead to the second death.

    It must be remembered that all sin is first and foremost against our Creator God, the one who made us and Who gives us life and breath. Whether it be rattling off a list of obscenities after hitting one’s thumb with a hammer, or cheating someone by using a dishonest scale, the sin is first of all against God Himself However, a sin against another person may carry greater weight because it is against both HaShem and your fellow man.
    Likewise there is the mailer of the degree of the committed sin. One who steals to feed their family suffers a lessor punishment (by Torah standards) than someone who has committed murder. The point is, God has established the rules.
    If someone has stolen bread, they may do it again. Likewise, if someone has committed murder they may also do it again, especially if they know there was a witness to their crime. In the first case, one needs to go to the person who stole the food and talk to them about the mailer, stressing the sinfulness of stealing. Then, the individual should take it upon themselves to help furnish food to that family until gainful employment can be found, so they do not feel compelled to steal anymore. In the second case, it would be foolhardy to go and tell someone that you witnessed them killing another person. Rather, one must go immediately to the authorities and report what we have witnessed.
    Above all, common sense and good judgment must prevail, and if we need to, we should ask for wisdom:

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."
(James 1:5)

Our discussion up to this point has been centered on lashon hara. Now we need to address those situations where rechilus is permissible, or mandatory, as well.
Once again, let us define out terms. Rechilus refers to a ‘talebearer.’ It comes from the Hebrew word rochel (roh-chel) which means; "a traveling merchant." In other words, one who spreads rechilus is a person who goes about carrying tales. Usually it involves telling a person what someone else has said about them.

    Often times rechilus is used to separate brethren from each other. Someone makes a thoughtless remark (lashon hara) about another person to a friend. The ‘friend’ then goes to the person about who the remark was made and relates it to them. The person hearing the rechilus can be devastated, and often a broken or severely maimed relationship is the result.
    However, there are cases where it is permissible to speak rechilus. This occurs when withholding such information could bring harm to the one who needs to know about it. For example, if a person knows that someone is going to form some type of a partnership (whether business, marriage or concerning church affairs), and they have information that leads them to believe that one of the participants may be harmed in some way because of this relationship, then they are obligated to bring that information to the person, even though they have not been specifically asked for it. However, once the partnership has been formally made, such information should not be disclosed, for it is now too late.
    An example would be if a man and woman are going to be married. Let us say that a third person is aware that one of them is hiding something very important from the other. In such a ease it is that person’s obligation to go to the innocent party and relate what they know. At that point it is up to the innocent party to decide if they want to go through with the marriage or call it off For the third party not to tell what they know is likened in Jewish thought to the following prohibition found in the Torah:

    Someone who is not aware of certain facts is considered ‘blind’ to that information.
    However, if the third party related the story because they wanted to marry one of the principals, it would be wrong for them to tell what they knew, for now they have something to gain personally.
    Sometimes it is necessary for a person who is going into a partnership to actually seek out a third party and request information about their potential partner. It does not matter whether that partnership is in the realm of a future business partner, marriage partner, employer, employee, or in church affairs, the principle is always the same.
    One word of caution. When it becomes necessary to go to someone in order to find out about the background of another person, one should always tell them why this information is needed. If the reason does not hold sufficient merit, the person being questioned is permitted to decline the request for information.
    Most Jewish teachings include a checklist of rules to help a person determine when it is permissible to take appropriate action. Rechilus is no exception. Listed below are six conditions that are recommended to be met before a person reveals rechilus to another:

As we have seen, there are times when it is absolutely necessary to speak lashon hara or rechilus. However, in reality they are probably few in number. Therefore, it behooves us to always review in our minds what things must have taken place in order for us to take this drastic form of action.
Instead of asking; "When may I speak lashon hara or rechilus?" we should be asking ourselves; "When must I speak lashon hara or rechilus?" Hopefully, the guidelines given in this article will be of assistance in making such a serious decision. They are restated here in slightly modified form:

It is our recommendation that these principles be thoroughly discussed and become understood by all who read them, for by having many members of the Bride study and practice them, a great healing can begin to take place. The result of this healing will be a more beautiful Bride.

May we all continue to grow in grace and knowledge, benefiting from what we have learned.

Greenwald, Yisroel, We Want Life!, Feidheim Publishers, Jerusalem/New York, 1996.
The Open Bible, The New king James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1985.

The Least of the Commandments

In Matthew 5:19 Yeshua said that if a person would teach others to perform the ‘least’ of the commandments, that person would be considered great in the Kingdom of Heaven. Did you know that in Jewish teaching there is a commandment that is specifically called "the least of the commandments?"

"‘If a bird’s nest happens to be before you along the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, with the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young; you shall surely let the mother go, and take the young for yourself, that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days.’"
(Deut. 22:6-7)

This principle also applies to the animal kingdom:

"‘Whether it is a cow or ewe, do not kill both her and her young on the same day.’"
(Lev. 22:28)

The sages say that this "least of the commandments" teaches us about the sanctity of the parent/child relationship, for there is only one other commandment given in all of Scripture that promises a prolonged life:

"‘Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.’"
(Ex. 20:12)

Our Almighty Father in heaven is an awesome God. In His commandments we see His compassion for all of His creation. His desire for us is that we might have an abundant and long life. Therefore, He says:

"...choose life...by loving the LORD your God, heeding His commands, and holding fast to Him. For thereby you shall have life and long endure upon the soil..."
(Deut. 30:19-20)

It is said that the ten commandments are a summary of the 613 commandments which HaShem has given us in the Torah. Yeshua spoke of two great commandments upon which all of the Torah and the Prophets are dependent (Matt. 22:36). If we will but follow the commands that our loving Father has set down for us in the Torah, we truly will have a long and abundant life, "upon the land."