Rav Pinto: It is Forbidden to Speak Against Tzaddikim and Torah Scholars

With so many troubles upon the people of Israel, Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto shlit"a explains in clear language how far we have deteriorated into disrespect for tzaddikim and Torah scholars, and how much this harms us.

"Anyone who harms the wise should be shunned as repulsive. In the past, could anyone say something against tzaddikim? The very foundations of the world would tremble. Today, striking tzaddikim has become a 'nice' thing; people enjoy striking tzaddikim."

"Rabbis are striking rabbis. A rabbi who speaks lashon hara (evil speech) about another rabbi must be told: 'You are disqualified, disqualified, disqualified; there is no one more disqualified than you.' Why are you speaking lashon hara about a tzaddik? It is forbidden to speak lashon hara about tzaddikim."

"To disagree regarding Torah is fine; I can say yes and you can say no—in Torah, it is permitted to disagree. The House of Hillel and the House of Shammai would disagree over the holy Torah; they would disagree and argue, yet they would go out and marry into each other's families, they were friends—this is the way of Hashem. But when a person disqualifies others, 'anyone who disqualifies, does so with his own blemish.'"

"Whoever tells you that so-and-so is not good, know that he himself is not good, because one who is not good speaks evil of his fellow, while one who is good sees no evil in his fellow."

"The holy Baal Shem Tov once saw a desecration of the Sabbath and began to weep bitterly. They asked, 'Rebbe, why are you crying?' He answered: 'Because I saw a desecration of the Sabbath. If I saw a desecration of the Sabbath, it is a sign that I heard lashon hara about a Torah scholar and did not protest.' A Torah scholar is on the level of the Sabbath, and whoever saw a desecration of the Sabbath is a sign that he saw an injury to a Torah scholar and remained silent."

"To disagree on Torah is permitted... that is how the Torah was built. Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua... the people of Israel were built like a pyramid with Moses at the top, but we have reached a state where one is killing the other, and that is forbidden."

"To disagree on Torah is permitted... this is my way of Hashem and that is your way, but to enter into disputes, to hate, to engage in bad things, to lead people into bad things—this is something that must end. Every person should take it upon himself to cut this off."

"Cut lashon hara off from yourself. Whoever speaks lashon hara is disqualified; he is to be shunned as repulsive. We have Hashem, we have sincerity, we have the service of Hashem, the way of Hashem, and the service of Hashem in simplicity. This is our life, for 'they are our life and the length of our days.' Whoever goes to the sidelines will have to deal with his life on the sidelines."

"...Whoever walks in simplicity in the way of Hashem, 'happy are those who dwell in Your house'—this is the true way of Hashem, this is the way of Hashem through which a person acquires his Creator."