Shalom, Mitspacha!
“He who guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.”
- Mishlei 13:3
As we enter Erev Shabbat on the final day of Shmini, YHVH brings us again to a matter that reveals the inner state of the heart - the mitzvah concerning hurtful words. This is not a light command. This is not merely about politeness or social decency. This is about the power of the tongue to build or to destroy, to heal or to wound, to create life or to break spirits. Torah consistently warns that words are never empty. They are seeds. They either produce righteousness or they spread damage.
This is the very lesson found in the wilderness when Moshe struck the rock instead of speaking to it. His frustration, built over years of dealing with the grumbling of the people, burst through in a moment. A single lapse, a single uncontrolled response, a single moment where emotion overrode obedience - and the consequence was severe. YHVH was teaching us that leadership is judged by a higher measure, and that words matter in the Kingdom. How we speak, how we respond, how we release the emotions within us has spiritual weight.
Hurtful words do not begin with the tongue. They begin with the heart. They begin with impatience, hidden irritation, old frustrations, quiet disappointments, unprocessed pain. When these things are not surrendered to YHVH, they eventually erupt in the form of harmful speech. The wilderness reveals what is inside. And Erev Shabbat invites us to lay those things down so that our words can become sources of shalom rather than instruments of harm.
The Torah prohibits hurtful words because such words can crush someone’s spirit, damage trust, poison relationships, and create wounds that last far longer than the moment in which they were spoken. Hurtful words can make someone feel small, belittled, dismissed, or worthless. They can turn a struggling brother or sister further into despair. They can make the weak feel weaker. They can steal courage from someone fighting to stand.
When we speak with harshness, we are striking a rock that YHVH has commanded us to speak to gently. Every heart is a stone that can bring forth water when approached rightly. But if we strike instead of speak, we may get temporary results, but we lose the blessing that obedience would have brought.
Torah calls us to speak what lifts, what heals, what clarifies, what guides, what strengthens. This does not mean that truth is silent. Truth must be spoken. Correction must be given. Boundaries must be set. But they must be given with a heart aligned to YHVH, not a heart venting its own frustration.
We do not speak words that wound, because every person carries battles we cannot see. Torah forbids speech that embarrasses, shames, or crushes another. Words must be tools of righteousness, not weapons of emotional release.
We do not use truth as a weapon, because even true statements can be delivered in ways that harm the spirit. Torah requires that correction be given in love, not in anger or pride. Righteousness demands truth wrapped in compassion.
We do not remind others of their past failures to break them, because YHVH Himself covers our sins. To expose someone for the sake of hurting them is to oppose His mercy. We lift people from their past; we do not chain them to it.
We do not manipulate with our speech, because manipulation is deception dressed as emotion. Torah commands straightforwardness, clarity, and honesty without hidden agendas.
We do not speak in ways that provoke fear, insecurity, or despair, because the Kingdom is built on encouragement that restores courage. Our words must echo YHVH’s faithfulness, not amplify darkness.
We do not spread negativity or bitterness, because these things poison the atmosphere around us. Torah teaches us to guard our lips so that life flows outward, not heaviness and decay.
We do not speak when our hearts are agitated with anger, because anger distorts judgment. Silence in such moments becomes obedience, and restraint becomes righteousness.
Ask yourself today: Are my words striking the rock, or are they calling forth water?
YHVH our Elohim, cleanse our hearts today so that our words may be pure before You. Remove anger, bitterness, frustration, and the hidden irritations that stain our speech. Teach us to speak gently, wisely, and with the compassion of Yahusha. Heal every place where our words have caused harm, and guide us to restore peace where we have planted pain. Strengthen us to walk in righteousness as we enter Erev Shabbat, and let our mouths become instruments of light and life. Strengthen our homes and our families. Strengthen all who walk in Your ways. Strengthen our steps to remain faithful in the days that are coming.
We lift our voices for peace in the Middle East, South Africa and the world.
We ask for end-time revival.
We pray for the elderly. May they be respected for their wisdom and age.
We remember the farmers, especially those facing death threats.
We pray for evangelists all over the world especially where persecution is severe. Protect every evangelist with a covering angel.
We intercede for the ill, especially cancer patients and those facing new viral diseases.
We ask for strength and protection as the signs of the birth pains increase.
And we lift up Derech Olam Ministries before You with humility and trust.
We also pray for those watching for the new moon, that clarity and truth would guide them.
Baruch YHVH.
The new moon was not sighted in South Africa tonight. This means tomorrow remains Shmini 30, 6027 AA, and Tishi'i 1, 6027 AA will fall on Shabbat. Sightings are country specific. Each person should check based on their own region, either through renewedmoon.com or through their local Muslim moon sighting council.
Shalom until tomorrow.