The Price of Words

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are suing a U.K. newspaper over an article reporting that their high-profile relationship is unraveling.

What makes this episode of flagrant gossip so repugnant is it also effects their six children and the basic structure of their family. There is nothing more important to the human being than the family–a branch upon the Tree of Life planted in the Garden of Eden.

The Talmud-Book of Law states, words that cause embarrassment brings redness to the face as a sign of subtle murder. Among the worst kind of speech is gossip–a pointless endeavor; the best kind of speech is prayer.

Only human beings have the capacity to translate thoughts into articulated words–it is what makes us different from the animals, be that spoken or written words. The Torah says that rich famous people should be honored one because God chose them for this reward and two because there are inherent difficulties in being rich–gossip about one’s family is the most pernicious type of invasion.

While people fight for the right of marriage this couple prefers not be married perhaps because family means more than family values. In the Torah the often quoted adage of an eye for an eye refers to monetary compensation–the question is what is the price for embarrassment?