8 February

harm. At times punitive measures must be taken by the teacher for

the maintenance of discipline in the classroom or for the student's

own development As mentioned above (Day 26), teachers must also

bear in mind the long-term effects of relating or recording

negative information about a student. The teacher must carefully

evaluate just how necessary his actions are in lights of their

possible consequences.

The following segment is a translation from the Chofetz Chaim's writings on the philosophy of proper speech from the Sefer Shmiras Halashon.

Sound Advice

speaking the forbidden:

Train yourself to refrain from engaging in any conversation while in a

beis midrash (study hall) or beis haknesses (synagogue). The benefits

of this practice are many:

(1) One fulfills the great mitzvah of displaying respect for the awesome

sanctity of these places.

(2) His Torah study is untainted by disruption (see Day 61) and his prayers

are likewise uninterrupted and not lacking even one Amen or Yehei Shemei

Rabbah, each a priceless irreplaceable treasure. Conversely, to disregard

these responses is a serious sin.

(3) The average Jewish male spends approximately four hours a day in

the beis haknesses for the three daily prayers. (This figure

takes into account the fact that most people remain in the synagogue

[studying and praying privately] for a while after the prayer has ended.2)

He spends another two hours in the beis hamidrash studying Torah

-- a total of six hours, or one-fourth of each twenty-four period. Thus,

one who scrupulously avoids idle conversation in halls of Divine service

is assured of having spent at least one-fourth of his lifetime on this earth

engaged in Torah study and prayer and having avoided all forms of forbidden speech.

(4) Having trained oneself to avoid conversation for these six hours, one

will find it relatively easy to refrain from speaking loshon hora the

remainder of the day.