Jewish Inspiration Podcast · Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe

In the concluding installment of the Gate of Slander from Orchot Tzaddikim, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe presents a powerful and uplifting message: while the tongue can be the source of humanity's greatest failures, it can also become the instrument of its greatest achievements. The author teaches that nearly every aspect of a person's life—for good or for bad—is shaped by speech. Slander, gossip, flattery, deceit, and negativity can destroy lives, yet words of Torah, kindness, encouragement, and truth can elevate both the speaker and everyone around them. 

A central theme of the episode is that many people mistakenly believe they lack the resources to perform great mitzvos. They may not have wealth to distribute charity, but they possess something far more accessible: the ability to speak positively. Through encouraging words, comforting mourners, uplifting the downtrodden, inspiring children, teaching Torah, and praising Hashem, every person has unlimited opportunities to create goodness and impact the world. The most valuable spiritual investments cost nothing but intention and thoughtful speech. 

Rabbi Wolbe concludes the entire Gate of Slander by emphasizing the enormous responsibility that accompanies the gift of speech. Relationships, marriages, families, friendships, and communities are built—or destroyed—through words. Positive speech creates positive environments, while negativity breeds negativity. The challenge and opportunity before every person is simple: speak good, see good, encourage good, and build a world filled with blessing.
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This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Peter & Becky Botvin

Recorded at TORCH Centre in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on February 2, 2026, in Houston, Texas.
Released as Podcast on June 4, 2026
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This series on Orchos Tzadikim/Ways of the Righteous is produced in partnership with Hachzek.
Join the revolution of daily Mussar study at hachzek.com.
We are using the Treasure of Life edition of the Orchos Tzadikkim (Published by Feldheim)
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About the Host:
Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life.  To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback, please email: awolbe@torchweb.org
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What is Jewish Inspiration Podcast · Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe?

This Jewish Inspiration Podcast is dedicated to learning, understanding and enhancing our relationship with Hashem by working on improving our G-d given soul traits and aspiring to reflect His holy name each and every day. The goal is for each listener to hear something inspirational with each episode that will enhance their life.

You're listening to Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of TORCH in Houston, Texas. This is the Jewish Inspiration Podcast.

And now my dear friends, welcome back to day number 143 and the conclusion of the gate of slander in the Treasure for Life edition of the Yorh HaTzadikim. Page number 794 Tzarech lehizbonen... we have to reflect and examine the phenomenon of the tongue... Asher kol inyonei ha'odam l'roh v'l'tovah tluyim ba' All the good and the evil in a man's life comes from his mouth. Things you say.
Yochol odom la'asos b'loshon aviruz gdos v'hatzum v'zei misbar A person can do the worst sins in the world with his mouth, with his words. Kigon malshinus, like becoming an informer. Rechilus, tail-bearing. Leitsonus, levity. Hanifus, flattery. Sheker, lying. V'kayotze be'elu, and the like. V'chol elu aviruz gdos v'ein revach l'bal ha'vashin. And all of these are great transgressions and there is no profit, no benefit to the person who speaks it. There's no benefit. What's the benefit? What did you gain?
V'yesh kama b'nei yodam ha'omim, ma'nu chalasos mitzvah. Halo ein b'yodeinu mamon la'asos stokol ha'anim. And the people say what am I gonna do, a mitzvah? I don't have money to give charity. V'heim einam yodim asher mikora mitzvos korov lo'hem me'od. They don't understand that to do good deeds everything is right there. V'fichol b'vov chalasos, so the verse tells us in Deuteronomy, everything is by your ability in your mouth and your heart, your mouth and your heart. The first part is your mouth.
V'heim einam yodim asher mikora mitzvos korov lo'hem me'od, mikor chayim ba'olam ha'zeh, ba'olam ha'bov, v'hoo ha'la shon. Just start talking good things. Talking about your will to serve Hashem, and you will. Talking of your will to want to keep kosher, and you will. Talk about keeping Shabbos, and you will. Talk about doing good acts of kindness, and you will. V'chein omar david, mi rotsel liknos chayim ba'olam ha'bezeh, v'olam ha'ba, according to King David. What did King David say in his Psalms? If you want
life in this world, and in the world to come, amr lo, ein odom yochol la'amod b'shneim. We know that a person can't live a perfect life in both. He says, no, no, no, no, amr le'em, b'zol hu me'od. It's very cheap. It's inexpensive to attain both. D'chsev, mi oyshochav etzchaim. Who is the man who desires life? Life, not only in this world, but life in the world to come. Amr lo, mi yochol liknos chayim. Who can purchase life?
Amr le'em, netzol l'shon b'chamera. The Midrash tells us that this is the proper way to understand this verse in chapter 34 of Psalms. You want life? You've got it. Speak good. See good. Do good. V'yargil atzmo b'loshon le'daber d'vaytor v'yoshmayim. A person should always put his mouth in a habit of speaking good things. Speaking words of Torah. Speaking words of God-fearing ideas. V'ochich b'nei odom v'le'tzavos, bono v'achorav, l'shmor v'lasos. And to always
encourage others to do good. And to command your children that after you pass on from this world, they should do good. L'shmor v'lasos, to protect and to watch and to act in a way that is appropriate according to the Torah. B'le'nachim av'elim v'le'nachim aniim. To comfort the mourners and to comfort the poor. V'le'daber al libam d'varam shol tzanchum im tovim. And to always give nice, pleasant, loving, encouraging words to others. V'le'daber emes, and speak only words of truth.
V'le'his'u l'hisragil, b'shiros v'sishbachos. And to always be singing and giving praise to the Almighty. V'oz yia'ov l'mata v'nechmud l'mala. Then a person is loved here and loved there. As it says, by the way, in the Mishnah, the Mishnah says, If people love you, God loves you. It's very simple. It's not a difficult script. V'yi'ezchar b'rov tuv ha'tzofon ha'tzadikim. And such a person who invests in doing all of these good deeds, in doing, in speaking good words, in acting in a way that is proper, such a person
is guaranteed to have a righteous place in the world to come, in heaven with all of the holy and righteous people. So my dear friends, this concludes the gate of slander in the Orchastzadikim. And I want to just urge us all that the words that the Orchastzadikim, what the author is teaching us here, is incredible words of encouragement of how we can live life in the most impactful way. To live life with purpose, to live life with meaning. We mentioned that a person should be focused on doing good, acting good, speaking good, seeing good. It all starts from the way we talk. And when we talk good words, it has an impact on everything. When we compliment people, we build them. When we encourage people, we build them. When we see the good in people, we bless them. This is a tremendous gift that we have. We can do unbelievable good in this world. But you know what else we can do? We can do terrible harm with
words. You know that most of the relationships that I was counseling over the years with young couples, it all started from words. All started from words. Not being complimentary, not giving proper praise, not giving, finding the flaws and noting them and talking about them and commenting about them. Words, words, words, words. They can build the most beautiful, magnificent, loving relationship. And they can destroy that same relationship. The words that we use have such an incredible impact. We have to take such care and such responsibility for the words that we use, the words that we choose to use. And if we choose good, clean, beautiful, encouraging words, we'll build a beautiful world around us. And if we have words that are always discouraging and always negative and always putting people down, then we're going to have a negative environment around us. No one wants to be around people who are negative. Everybody wants to be around people who are positive. My dear friends, be positive. Have a terrific evening. Thank you so much. And God willing, next week, we're going to resume with the Orcha Tzadikim, the Gate of Torah, all the way on page 925. Because we did the Gate of Repentance already. We did that. We started it in Elul. It took us a long time because it's a very big chapter. I think it's the biggest chapter in this book, in the Orcha Tzadikim. So we're going to jump all the way to the Gate of Torah, day number 177. Here we come. My dear friends, I look forward. Have a magnificent week. Tomorrow morning, you know where we'll all be. Right here. Studying parasha prayer. I look forward. Have a magnificent evening, everybody. Thank you.

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