What does the Bible say about gossip?
The Hebrew word translated “gossip” in the Old Testament is defined as “one who reveals secrets, one who goes about as a talebearer or scandal-monger.” A gossiper is a person who has privileged information about people and proceeds to reveal that information to those who have no business knowing it. Gossip is distinguished from sharing information in two ways:
- Intent. Gossipers often have the goal of building themselves up by making others look bad and exalting themselves as some kind of repositories of knowledge.
- The type of information shared. Gossipers speak of the faults and failings of others, or reveal potentially embarrassing or shameful details regarding the lives of others without their knowledge or approval. Even if they mean no harm, it is still gossip.
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“And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and upon your
gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:9)
The mezuzah is a well-recognized, visible sign of a Jewish home. This
small rectangular container affixed to the right side of the door, in the upper
third of the doorpost (shoulder height), contains a powerful message.
This mezuzah graces the doorpost of Beit Hameiri
(Hameiri House), a museum in Safed, Israel that
houses 200 years of Jewish history.
Just as our bodies are the outer shell that houses the true essence of who we
are, these sometimes elaborately decorated small containers protect the
inner contents which hold the power of this ancient Jewish custom called the mezuzah.
Inside each mezuzah is a rectangular piece of parchment called a ‘klaf,’
which is made from a specially prepared skin of a biblically clean (kosher) animal.
The klaf is scribed with Hebrew lettering from key scriptures found in the holy Word of God: Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and Deuteronomy 11:13-21.
