Slandering a community

Hi,

[The following was written in response to a writer who accused the Jews of Morocco of horrible crimes under the Almohad persecution of the 12th century.]

"If the great pillars of the world – Moshe, Eliyahu and Yeshayahu and the ministering angels – were so punished when they raised just a few words against the Jewish people, then how much more so the lightest of the world’s lightweights, who would loose his tongue upon the communities of Israel, sages and their students, Kohanim and Levites, to call them sinners and wicked people and non-Jews and people who are disqualified from testimony and deniers of the Gd of Israel!"

(Rambam, Iggeret haSh'mad, Part 2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Think before you speak, think before you write

Hi,

"A person should not speak and orate before the nation’s ears until he reviews that which he wishes to say once, twice, thrice and four times, studying it well, before speaking…

"This is regarding speech; when a person will engrave it by hand and write it on a book, it would be appropriate for him to review it one thousand times, were it possible…"

(Maimonides, Iggeret haSh'mad)

Have a great day,
Mordechai