The Power of Speech

What defines us as human beings is our ability to speak. Whenever we worry about taking care of what we speak, how and when we speak it, etc., we will be giving more meaning to our humanity. Whoever does not know how to use this power of speech given to us by the Almighty and uses it to lie, insult, speak lashon hara (slander), etc., really lowers himself to the level of any other creature, except that of the human being. By misusing our words, they not only do not fulfill their purpose, but at that moment it would have been better not to have had that great power, and to be like an animal that simply cannot speak and, for this reason, cannot embarrass, damage, hurt etc. If God gave that power only to humans, who have much more intelligence and reason than animals, surely it was so that we think before speaking!