For the average person, 80 - 90 words per day, or .5% - .7% of all spoken words, are what society deems bad words. Bleep! is an organization whose mission is to eradicate the usage of cursing among kids and teens today. Bleep!’s mission is not to tell anyone that it’s illegal to curse; the First Amendment gives everyone the right to free speech. Bleep!’s mission is to illustrate the negative effects of cursing and show people the reasons they shouldn’t use bad words.
It’s commonly accepted that people who use bad words are ignorant, unimaginative, immature, whiny, and have nothing better to express themselves with. It also shows that you have a bad attitude, lack of control, and very little character. When you curse and people around you don’t, you become unpleasant to be with. It’s also disrespectful, can be offensive, and can make people uncomfortable, which can endanger relationships. We live in a society where cursing is simply an unacceptable practice, and when you curse, you give off a bad impression and people will lose respect for you.
When you walk outside every morning and act a certain way, you impact people’s views on not only yourself but your family, school, and community. Your community can be any group of which you are a member, whether it’s your ethnicity, neighborhood, nationality, or any other group to which you belong. One of those groups can also be your religious affiliation.
Nivul peh is a mitzvah that prohibits using bad language. An “official” definition of nivul peh is a word or thought which could be conveyed in a more refined manner, or something that you wouldn’t say in polite company. The idea behind nivul peh is that we shouldn’t embarrass ourselves, the Jewish community, and God in turn by using bad words.
As the Jews were being freed from slavery in Egypt, God gave them the first commandment: the korban Pesach. Part of the detailed laws of the korban Pesach is that while eating it, you can’t break the bone of the animal. The Sefer HaChinuch explains that the reason for this is because it’s not befitting for proud people to gnaw on bones like animals. It goes on to explain that how you act becomes who you are, so if you act like an animal, you’ll start “becoming” one (like the famous epithet you are what you eat.) This concept can also be applied to how you speak: when you speak nivul peh, you become that on the inside. Is that really want you want to be?
The mouth is considered the Jew’s weapon. After Balaam tried to curse the Jews in Parshat Balak, the Jews killed him by sword. Rashi explains that “Balaam came against Israel and exchanged his craft with Israel’s craft, for the Israelites triumph only with their mouth, through prayer and supplication, and Balaam came and seized their craft by cursing them with his mouth. They, too, came against him and exchanged their craft for the craft of the other nations, who come with the sword” (Bamidbar 31:8).
Our speech reflects our thought process. When we speak Torah thoughts, we show others that we’re on a higher plane and we’re closer to God. When we use bad words, we show others the opposite: we are on a more basic plane and have little respect for the power God gave us.Additionally, the Torah teaches that the way you act physically affects the person you are on the inside. If you curse often, your personality and belief in God will be negatively affected, and you will begin to think less of yourself.
No one can stop you from cursing. The only person that controls what comes out of your mouth is you. You can curse whenever you want to, in front of anyone you want to. However, there are certain times and places to curse if you feel that you have to. You should make every effort to curb your mouth in front of little children (age seven or eight and below). Parents are horrified when they hear their little children curse for the first time, and will do anything to make sure their children don’t curse.
While you may use bad words, you have to remember that not everyone does, and you have to respect people who don’t want to hear it. It’s inconsiderate to use bad words around people when they feel uncomfortable hearing them, and you have to respect their attitude. You can still use the words, just not around them.
If you support the anti-cursing cause, then you can join Bleep!! So far, Bleep! has almost 750 members in 27 states and ten countries. By becoming a member, you’re stating that you understand the negative effects of cursing, and you receive an optional monthly newsletter. To join, email bleep3@gmail.com with your name, state/province, and email address. Bleep! also does programs with schools. If you would like to bring Bleep! and its message of clean speech to a school near you, email bleep3@gmail.com for more information.
A person who curses is not necessarily a bad person or Jew. However, knowing the oppositions to cursing, what’s your knee-jerk reaction to a person who does?