Bread from the Basket: Your Daily Slice

ELUL 13

Slander

“…nor give place to the devil.” (Eph 4:27)

Those of us who call ourselves children of the living Elohim would never knowingly ‘give place’ to the adversary; we know better, at least, we should. However, I would like to focus our attention on something I am seeing more and more of, particularly in our Torah observant communities. When we participate in this behavioral pattern, we are coming into agreement with our enemy, and we have moved over to his camp.

The Scriptures teach us that the adversary is the “accuser of our brethren”, and that he stands before Elohim day and night, bad-mouthing us (Rev 12:10). Yes, he uses lies and untruths, for we also know that “he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44). However, with all the distortions of the truth that he is a master of, the number one weapon in his arsenal is slander.

Slander is defined as “a malicious, false, and defamatory statement or report.”^{^[1]} There is way too much of this going on in our modern society. With our so-called ‘esteemed’ politicians and “call-it-wood” actors and film makers setting the brilliant example for us, this type of venomous behavior is becoming the new ‘norm’. Those of us on social media are not exempt from this evil either. We have our own band of ‘Torah Terrorists’ and ‘Pharisee Police’ who religiously scroll daily, “seeking someone to devour” (1Pet 5:8). Do we not realize that when we sprout malignant, vicious words about another who is also made in the image of Elohim, we have now become a witness for the prosecutor, haSatan?

Yes, we ARE overloaded with false teachers and ministers; nevertheless, that is not my immediate concern. What needs to be addressed is how illegal this type of activity is. There are specific directions that we must follow – according to the instructions laid out for us in the Torah and Talmud – which includes bringing two or more witnesses with us, when we bring the accused to a Beit Din, a court of law. Nowhere in the Scriptures are we given license to openly and publicly accuse anyone of anything; it must all be carried out in the proper legal manner (see Deu 19:15-19), else we ourselves will bear the title of ‘accuser of the brethren’.

What the many who engage in this type of exercise seem to forget is the admonition Apostle Paul gave us in Rom 2:1-3:

“Therefore, O man, you are without excuse, everyone who judges, for in which you judge another you condemn yourself, since you who judge practise the same wrongs. And we know that the judgment of Elohim is according to truth against those who practise such wrongs. And do you think, O man, you who judge those practising such wrongs, and doing the same, that you shall escape the judgment of Elohim?”

By opening our mouths in slander and bitter accusations, we too are violating the laws of Torah, and stand just as condemned as the one we are accusing. And, according to Torah, the judgment reserved for the one we are accusing will also be ours, most especially if it is found that our accusations and charges were false (see Deu 19:18-19). Folks, this is serious.

We are expected to be ‘kind to one another’ (Eph 4:32), not ever ‘back-biting and devouring each other’ (Gal 5:15). James, the brother of our Messiah warns us concerning ‘both blessing and cursing coming from the same mouth’ (James 3:10); this is something that should never be. And one more thought we need to bear in mind: Elohim does NOT need us as part of His defense team. He is more than capable of refuting and exposing all false teachers, leaders, and ministers that are a dime a dozen out there. We are simply called to be a light.

Please, folks, remember what season we are in. During this month of Elul, this season of teshuvah, it is important to focus on tikkun - reparation and restitution. Is there someone that I have publicly spoken ill of? Is there that ONE whose life and reputation I have verbally shredded? It is time for these wrongs to be righted – face to face, if possible, with the victim – by acknowledging the wrong and asking for forgiveness. And then, we must ALL (myself included) learn to keep our opinions to ourselves.