Count on Rebbe Nachman

Rebbe Nachman teaches us a rule that is useful for rectifying anything, namely, that things can turn around for the best. The scary things that our sages say about evil speech and certain other transgressions, like there is no penitence for them, only applies to a person who continues in the path of sin. If a person wants to change, does his or her best to learn what's right and what's wrong and prays steadfastly for Divine assistance while making a firm commitment to do their very best in improving their behavior and to refrain from speaking about anyone, they will surely merit complete repentance as well as Divine blessing. Hashem will help them make complete teshuva.

Teshuva is so good and so pleasant. It is sweet and wonderful. A person who never speaks evil speech has a clean heart and a calm life. He enjoys health of body and soul. Anyone can attain this. It doesn't matter what you did and what you transgressed – you didn't know any better. You were not aware, maybe you learned and forgot, you became confused or the evil inclination tripped you. Don't worry! Rebbe Nachman promised that there is no despair in the world – ever! You ca count on Rebbe Nachman – here's why:

The Rambam rules in the Laws of Teshuva that a person can atone for even the worse transgression in the world with teshuva, and says that anyone who does teshuva is, "A Baal Teshuva with a place in the World to Come." The important thing is to pay attention and to decide with all our hearts to begin guarding our tongue from this moment on.

We must be decisive and take decisive action in doing whatever we can to refrain from ever speaking or listening to evil speech ever again and not to speak or listen to anything about anyone ever again. Everyone is righteous and beloved and we want to pray for everyone, so that everyone should be happy and successful both materially and spiritually. But, we don't want to know about anyone or speak about anyone. That's why we must set aside time every single day to pray to Hashem in our own words that He should rid us of any trace of desire to speak about others or to say anything detrimental in the slightest.

We should ask for Hashem's assistance in helping us attain a wholesome mouth of holiness, devoid of the slightest blemish. We must do daily self-assessment in this area and constantly search for ways of improving our speech. We must make complete teshuva for any wrongdoing in this area. This way, we'll merit a happy and sweet life and we'll contribute to illuminating the world and making it a better place. A little light overcomes a lot of darkness.

This is one of the secrets of Moshiach, who will come to rectify the world of speech. The word "Moshiach" in Hebrew has the same four letters as the word "masiach", one who converses. If people's mouths were trapped in evil until now, Moshiach will redeem them and teach them how to pray to Hashem and speak to Him, turning the darkness of their lives into a bright light of positivity both materially and spiritually.

May Hashem help us to walk in the true path of Torah and to guard our mouths and tongues from all evil and from speaking about others. May we only speak good things so that we'll never again commit the heinous sin of forbidden speech, amen, may it be His will.