I usually ignore any gossip in the media, but something happened recently that made me realize how much we need to become more aware about the way the world works. We need to understand what is actually happening when we speak to one another, because it’s not easy to realize how powerful our words can be.

Every human being is able to think, and every idea that comes into our mind has an energetic force. We live within a creative universe that exists as interacting particles and waves of energy, so any energy we have is actually part of this flow of energy within the universe. Once we realize that we each carry this force of energy, we’ll begin to see that our words don’t just transmit sound, they also carry the energy of our thought.

In other words, there is great power in every thought we express, so everything we say has to be said with great care, particularly when we recognize the very intense positive or negative effect these words can have on our relationships. Any negative words we say, perhaps from anger or hurt feelings, can separate us from others and create distance between us, whereas any words with positive energy, especially when they’re transmitted with loving kindness, draw us closer into more cooperation with each other.

We can also notice that this affects how we receive what other people say to us. Once we understand that any words projected toward us have energy, we can begin to appreciate that the impact of this energy will resonate within us, sometimes in enduring ways. That’s why we can often feel hurt or sad long after someone has spoken or acted in a negative way, and yet we usually experience a good feeling after a conversation that’s been positive and respectful.

So when a famous television personality used twitter to write a racist comment about an African American woman, she obviously didn’t realize the power her words could have. This caused a powerful response from the Entertainment President of the television station that carried her program, who canceled this person’s television show. The impact of those negative words was so powerful that it caused great distress, to the general public and to the woman herself.

This is why Judaism advises us not to say “lashon hara,” which literally means “negative talk.” We’re told that it is forbidden to speak negatively about someone else, even if what we might want to say is true. This was explained by Rabbi Israel Meir Hakohen of Radin, also known as Chafetz Chaim: “Whoever of you desires life (chafetz chaim) . . . guard your tongue from evil . . . ”

So sad that so many lost their jobs because of a few words said in haste.