Lashon Hara - The Evil Tongue

                        "Do not go about as a talebearer among your people."

                                            Vaykira (Leviticus) 19:16

Lately, there has been something that I have noticed that has started to invade the Messianic Jewish movement and the Body of Messiah as a whole. It's called Lashon Hara - an evil tongue. People have been speaking evil and spreading half-truths about some well known and respected ministries in the Messianic movement as a whole.

There have been disagreements between parties that have been resolved by a House of Judgment (Beit Din), which cleared the accused party of any wrongdoing. That was not enough for some people though. They felt they knew better than the Beit Din and continue to not only attack the person and ministry that has been cleared, but now they have taken to slandering and trying to drag other men and women, as well as other ministries of integrity into the fray, trying to find a deep, dark conspiracy where there is none.

They have also tried to enlist the support of others through e-mail lists to act as their own Beit Din, even though a Beit Din has already spoken and looked at the matter in question. Instead, the party continues to speak evil of the original Beit Din, the other person in the matter, and the ministry that was involved. This makes this person guilty of Lashon Hara, as well as those that would listen to and join in this cause. Instead of submitting to the Beit Din and letting the issue drop, they are now on a crusade, looking for vengeance, by causing damage to a fellow believer in Messiah, and their ministry. If I remember correctly,vengeance ONLY belongs to Adonai.

However, there are a few individuals, both men and women, as well as Messianic ministries that are beginning to say, "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH." We will not allow Lashon Hara of any type to continue!!

Lashon Hara not only destroys the person that starts the fire of evil speech, but is soon spreads as a firestorm to consume and destroy others. It brings division, dis-unity, and destroys friendships and ministries for selfish reasons.

The Torah speaks of talebearers and the strife they bring with their evil speech. Let us beware of such leaven and have no part of it. Let us rise up and say to those that would speak evil of other men, women and ministries of integrity in the Messianic movement, "Stop! You are advocating Lashon Hara. We will have not part of it."

If you feet the same way, feel free to copy this graphic and put it on your website to let those that would be talebearers know, "NO MORE! NOT ON THIS WEBSITE, NOT ON THIS FORUM. Together, we can pray that G-d will show those with an evil tongue their error. As a body, let us join together and pray for them and learn to walk in forgiveness towards those that would be guilty of Lashon Hara as well.

Shalom b Messiah Yeshua

Donbam - Director Kol HaShofar Ministry

Written by Donald Doherty. Not to be used without permission of the author. E-mail the webmaster for permission to use or to link to this page. Copyright 2000, Kol HaShofar Ministry.