Bleep! - Watching Your Words

“Leah, did you see Sarah’s dress?”
“I know, Shayna! What possessed her to buy it?”
“Probably on the sales rack at Loehmann’s!”
“Knowing Sarah, probably!”
“She’s so cheap!”
“And a nasty *****!”

There are so many negative effects of using bad language. Bad language in Judaism is separated into two main categories: lashon hara (gossip) and nivul peh (bad words). Judaism is extremely critical of using both forms of bad language. Lashon hara can ruin people’s reputations, hurt others’ feelings, and create a generally tense and unhappy environment. Nivul peh also creates a negative environment, making many people feel uncomfortable.

There are many reasons to avoid using bad language. When you hear people (like Shayna and Leah) talking about, for example, how ugly Sarah’s new dress is, you also tend to lose respect for them. (How many of you are impressed with Shayna and Leah’s empathy and kindness?) This also goes for when you hear a person using bad words, like describing Sarah with the kinds of words they bleep out on television. Why should you respect a person who doesn’t respect themselves enough to keep their mouth clean?

People will not only lose their respect for you, but will also think less of you. Some common stereotypes of people who use bad language are that they’re whiny, offensive, immature, unpleasant to be with, have a bad attitude, little character, and lack control.

Just as every Jewish home is a mikdash me’at (miniature Temple), every Jew is a representative of their family, past schools and workplace, and community. When you use bad language, people will not only think less of you, but your family. After all, someone had to raise you to speak that way, and you must be raising your children like that, too! People will also think less of any schools you attended and your workplace - people will think that people who graduated years before or after you use bad language, just because you did! People will also think less of your community when you use lashon hara and nivul peh. Your community can be any extended group you call yourself a part of, from your circle of friends to your nationality, ethnicity, or religion. Imagine what kind of chillul Hashem (desecration of G-d) would be committed if a non-Jew heard Shayna and Leah!

As a Jew, a person uses their mouth for many holy purposes: prayer, blessings, the name of G-d, Torah thoughts, and so many other religious reasons. It’s inappropriate to speak lashon hara and nivul peh with the same mouth that you say G-d’s name. One of the rabbis of the Jerusalem Talmud even said that had he created humankind, he would have made people with two mouths: one for holy thoughts and one for daily use. He then realized that this would be counterproductive, though; if people had separate mouths for holy and secular, then they would be indiscriminate about what they said with their non-holy mouth. Do you think Shayna and Leah’s blatant use of lashon hara and nivul peh is going to reflect well on their religious observance?

Because of my strong feelings against the usage of lashon hara and nivul peh, I created an organization called Bleep! whose mission is to eradicate the usage of bad language (but primarily the usage of bad words) among kids and teens today. Bleep!’s mission is to show people that there are negative effects of using bad language, and that’s why you should avoid it. It shouldn’t be a blind, knee-jerk reaction, but an understanding of the reasons behind the unacceptability of bad language. Bleep! currently has over 350 members in 20 states and eight countries, and is always looking for more! Membership is totally obligation-free. To sign up, simply send your name and state/province to bleep3@gmail.com. As a member, all you have to “do” is receive the optional monthly newsletter. Joining Bleep! is really more about making a statement that you understand the negative effects of bad language, even if you personally indulge in it more often than recommended. You can visit Bleep!’s website at any time. Here is the information: http://sites.google.com/site/bleeporganization.

As the Jews were being freed from slavery in Egypt, G-d gave them the first commandment: the korban Pesach (sacrifice of Passover). Part of the detailed laws of the korban Pesach is that while eating it, you can’t break the bone of the animal. A book on Jewish law, Sefer HaChinuch, explains that the reason for this is because it’s not befitting for proud people to gnaw on bones like animals. It goes on to explain that how you act becomes who you are, so if you act like an animal, you’ll start “becoming” one (like the famous epithet you are what you eat.) This concept can also be applied to how you speak: when you speak lashon hara and nivul peh, you become that on the inside. Is that really want you want to be?

Thank you Talia Weisberg, the creator and founder of Bleep! for writing this article!

UPDATE 1: The new email address for Bleep! is bleeporg@gmail.com.

UPDATE 2 (August 2010): Bleep!'s email address has changed to bleep3@gmail.com.