Loud and clear! The importance of speaking properly

Of all the 48 items relating to acquisition of the Torah in Avot 6:6, articulate speech is that which by its nature lies closest the heart of the transmission of the Torah sheb’al peh, the Oral Torah, in that the word “oral” demands speech.  Even though the writing down of the Oral Law and the subsequent invention of the printing press appeared to relegate the spoken word to a position of relative unimportance, the astonishing speed at which communication technologies have developed from the late 20th century onwards has placed the spoken word front and centre in the promulgation of Torah to a wider audience. The list of roles for the spoken word is impressive: at one end of the scale are modest activities such as learning by telephone and the production of recorded shiurim. At the other end is an ever-growing volume of online interactive and set-piece lectures via Zoom and Skype, classes and discussion groups, video productions that can be streamed or downloaded and podcasts. The spoken word has dramatically re-established its position in Torah learning, and demand for it has skyrocketed during the Covid-19 pandemic since many people are unable to access traditional printed books and other printed texts.

There are many dimensions to articulate speech which combine to assist a serious student navigate the path towards becoming a Torah scholar, as we have already learned.  These include the following Ten Commandments: 

(i) think about what you are going to say before you open your mouth so that your words will be the right ones,  

(ii) choose the right words with which to express what you mean, 

(iii) know when to stop speaking, 

(iv) make yourself audible, 

(v) clearly articulate consonants and vowels so that the listener will be able to recognize the spoken word, 

(vi) take the trouble to pronounce words correctly so that they will not be misunderstood or mistaken for other words, 

(vii) speak at a speed at which a listener can comprehend what is being said, 

(viii) repeat yourself only when it is necessary to do so, (ix) refrain from speaking any word if you are unsure of its meaning, and 

(x) if necessary, prepare and rehearse the words you intend to speak, so as to say them with meaning and feeling, thus maximizing their impact.

Unless a person suffers from a physical or psychological defect that cannot be remedied with the aid of a suitably qualified speech therapist, there is no excuse for failing to observe these rules. Contrary to the opinion of some people I have encountered, it is neither frum nor a sign of one’s humility to mumble when talking to others or giving a shiur. It is an acute discourtesy. Another egregious form of discourtesy is speaking to another person or to an audience in a language that you know they do not understand, when you are perfectly capable of speaking to them in a language you share with them.

Anyone who studies Torah and takes the correct articulation of his words seriously is set to receive many benefits. For example: (i) saying words aloud makes them easier to recall than merely scanning them with one’s eyes;  (ii) words misspoken can be helpfully corrected by one’s teacher or chavruta; (iii) by repeating his words enough times, a person can quote them both accurately  and fluently;  (iv) one’s learning can be more effectively internalized and understood.