Title: The Power of the Spoken Word: From Genesis to the Newsroom — How Divine Speech and Media Shape Reality

The Spoken Word

Introduction: The World Was Spoken into Existence

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth… And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”
— Genesis 1:1,3

From the very first words of the Torah, we are introduced to a profound principle: the universe itself was created through speech. Unlike human construction, which uses tools and matter, God creates through utterance. In Kabbalistic tradition, this is not poetic metaphor—it is metaphysical truth. The spoken word, both divine and human, is not merely communication. It is creation.

In this blog post, we will explore the importance of the spoken word according to the Torah and Kabbalistic teachings, and examine how this principle has been corrupted and weaponized in our modern age—particularly through media platforms like Fox News that shape the American psyche using the very same mechanism: the word.

The Torah and the Creative Force of Speech

The Genesis of Reality: “And God Said”

The Hebrew word for “word” is דָּבָר (Davar), which also means “thing” or “matter.” In other words, in Hebrew, there is no separation between speech and substance. What you say becomes what is. Every utterance, every vibration from the divine mouth, became concrete reality.

Kabbalistic texts, especially the Sefer Yetzirah (“Book of Formation”), elaborate that the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet are the building blocks of creation. These letters are not merely symbols—they are energetic forces, spiritual DNA. When God spoke, He arranged these letters into divine formulas that summoned reality into being.

“The Ten Utterances” in Genesis are not simply narrative devices. In Jewish mysticism, each utterance corresponds to a distinct aspect of reality—from light and sky to time and life itself.

Speech in the Torah is always action. God does not wave His hand—He speaks.

Human Beings: Created in the Image and Likeness

Genesis 1:26 tells us that humankind is made in the image of God. Kabbalistically, this means we inherit speech as a creative faculty. Our words shape the emotional, spiritual, and even physical world around us.

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote:

“Words create worlds. They can be windows of light or walls of darkness.”

This is not hyperbole. In the Torah, blessings and curses are real and consequential. Isaac’s blessing to Jacob could not be undone, because once the words were spoken, the spiritual power had been released. The same principle governs prayer, prophecy, and even gossip (lashon hara).

The Power of Hearing: Shema Yisrael

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” — Deuteronomy 6:4

The first word of Judaism’s central declaration is “Shema” — Hear. Why not “See” or “Know”? Because hearing implies internalization. Hearing requires attention, trust, and humility.

Kabbalah teaches that hearing is linked to the sefirah of Binah (understanding). When we truly listen, we co-create understanding. Just as speaking is creative, hearing is receptive creation. It allows reality to be received into the heart and soul.

Kabbalah and the Metaphysical Mechanics of Speech

The Sefirotic Blueprint of Divine Speech

In Kabbalah, God’s expression flows through the Tree of Life, composed of 10 sefirot. Speech flows through this structure, particularly through:

• Chokhmah (Wisdom) – the flash of insight.
• Binah (Understanding) – the elaboration of meaning.
• Da’at (Knowledge) – the channel for expression.
• Chesed through Malkhut – the application and manifestation.

The Shekhinah, the feminine indwelling presence of God, corresponds to Malkhut, the “mouth” or final gate of divine expression. Thus, Malkhut is the world of speech, where divine will becomes actualized.

The Danger of Misused Speech

Speech can also desecrate. The Zohar teaches that evil speech brings spiritual impurity. Falsehood (sheker), gossip (lashon hara), or manipulative rhetoric severs the speaker from divine truth.

“He who speaks truth in his heart shall dwell in Your tabernacle.” — Psalm 15

The rabbis say the tongue is so dangerous that God gave it two gates—the lips and the teeth. In other words, think twice before you speak once.

Modern Media and the Inversion of Divine Speech

Television: The False Prophet of Our Generation

Today, a different kind of speech saturates the world—not divine utterance, but broadcast programming, mass media, and narrative warfare. The spoken word, once the domain of prayer and prophecy, has become a tool of manipulation.

Television does not ask you to “Shema”—it demands passive attention. Its messages bypass discernment and enter the subconscious. It speaks not to awaken but to entrain.

Modern media is a counterfeit of prophecy. Where the prophet speaks truth to power, modern media often speaks power into truth.

The Fox News Effect: Shaping the American Psyche

Of all media outlets, Fox News stands as a monumental example of how spoken word can shape collective consciousness.

Fox News uses repetition, visual-emotional language, and constant speaking heads to create alternate realities. This is not journalism—it’s spiritual programming. Each broadcast functions as a modern-day incantation, designed to anchor belief and eliminate critical thought.

Fox’s success lies in its echo chamber model. Much like Shema, it demands loyalty to the voice. But this voice often peddles fear, anger, nationalism, and tribal division—none of which are fruits of the divine spirit.

Kabbalistically, Fox News could be seen as channeling the klipot—the husks that imprison divine sparks. It mimics the structure of speech and hearing but inverts their sacred purpose.

Words as Weapons: Political Sorcery

Today’s political rhetoric—shaped largely by televised media—is often a form of verbal sorcery. The Torah warns of “false prophets” and “smooth-talking deceivers.” We now see entire populations moved not by logic, nor ethics, but by emotionally charged soundbites.

Just as God created through speech, political empires now manipulate through speech. And where God said, “Let there be light,” much of today’s media says, “Let there be fear.”

Restoring the Sacredness of the Word

Return to Torah: The Repair of Speech

In Hebrew, Tikkun means “repair.” The spoken word must undergo a tikkun in our time.

We must return to:

• Truth-telling grounded in Torah.
• Blessing instead of cursing.
• Prayer instead of propaganda.
• Listening to the still small voice, not the loud headlines.

The Talmud says:

“Life and death are in the power of the tongue.” — Proverbs 18:21

Our task is to choose life—not just biologically, but linguistically.

Conscious Speaking in Daily Life

Speech should be mindful:

• Speak only what uplifts.
• Listen before responding.
• Avoid speech that divides or distorts.
• Elevate casual conversations with intention and awareness.

In Kabbalistic terms, this is raising the sparks—transforming mundane speech into holy acts.

Creating New Worlds: Speaking Like God

Every tweet, every post, every word you speak shapes a little world. What are you creating?

Just as God created a cosmos from speech, so too must we co-create a healed world from our own words.

Let your words:

• Create peace.
• Reveal truth.
• Illuminate the path for others.

Conclusion: From Sacred Speech to Spiritual War

From the Torah’s opening lines to the Zohar’s mystical teachings, we learn that speech is creation. Words are not mere sounds—they are vibrational blueprints of reality.

But in the modern world, this divine tool has been hijacked. Television, and especially Fox News, has weaponized speech into an engine of psychological manipulation. Where God’s word brought light, much of today’s media brings confusion, division, and darkness.

The solution? A spiritual return. A tikkun of the tongue. A resurrection of holy speech.

May our words mirror the Creator’s. May we listen to truth, speak life, and resist the false prophets of our day. For in the end, the spoken word is not just a tool.

It is a mirror of the soul.