(ח) הִשָּׁ֧מֶר בְּנֶֽגַע־הַצָּרַ֛עַת לִשְׁמֹ֥ר מְאֹ֖ד וְלַעֲשׂ֑וֹת כְּכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁר־יוֹר֨וּ אֶתְכֶ֜ם הַכֹּהֲנִ֧ים הַלְוִיִּ֛ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּיתִ֖ם תִּשְׁמְר֥וּ לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃ (ס) (ט) זָכ֕וֹר אֵ֧ת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֛ה יקוק אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ לְמִרְיָ֑ם בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ בְּצֵאתְכֶ֥ם מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃ (ס)
(8) Take heed in the plague of leprosy, make sure that you observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests and the Levites shall teach you, as I commanded them, so that you observe it properly. (9) Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam, during your journeys when you came out of Egypt.
וְעַל עִנְיָן זֶה מַזְהִיר בַּתּוֹרָה וְאוֹמֵר (דברים כד ח) "הִשָּׁמֶר בְּנֶגַע הַצָּרַעַת" (דברים כד ט) "זָכוֹר אֵת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְמִרְיָם בַּדֶּרֶךְ". הֲרֵי הוּא אוֹמֵר הִתְבּוֹנְנוּ מָה אֵרַע לְמִרְיָם הַנְּבִיאָה שֶׁדִּבְּרָה בְּאָחִיהָ שֶׁהָיְתָה גְּדוֹלָה מִמֶּנּוּ בְּשָׁנִים וְגִּדְלַתּוּ עַל בִּרְכֶּיהָ וְסִכְּנָה בְּעַצְמָהּ לְהַצִּילוֹ מִן הַיָּם וְהִיא לֹא דִּבְּרָה בִּגְנוּתוֹ אֶלָּא טָעֲתָה שֶׁהִשְׁוַתּוּ לִשְׁאָר נְבִיאִים וְהוּא לֹא הִקְפִּיד עַל כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלּוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר יב ג) "וְהָאִישׁ משֶׁה עָנָו מְאֹד" וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן מִיָּד נֶעֶנְשָׁה בְּצָרַעַת. קַל וָחֹמֶר לִבְנֵי אָדָם הָרְשָׁעִים הַטִּפְּשִׁים שֶׁמַּרְבִּים לְדַבֵּר גְּדוֹלוֹת וְנִפְלָאוֹת.
(10) In warning against this, the Torah says: "In an attack of leprosy you shall be careful… Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam on the journey" (Deuteronomy 24:8-9). The Torah means to say: Consider what happened to Miriam the prophetess who spoke against her brother, even though she was older than he, and had nurtured him on her knees after having endangered her life to save him from the sea. Now she did not disparage him but made the only mistake in placing him on a level with other prophets, and he did not mind all this, as it is written: "Moses was a very humble man" (Numbers 12:3). And yet, she was immediately punished with leprosy. How much more then is this applicable to evil men, those fools, who keep talking arrogantly and boastfully.
Categories of Lashon Hara
- It’s forbidden to speak about anything negative even if it’s true.
- Even if the speech is true and there is no denigration, it still violates the negative commandment - "do not be a talebearer" (Lev 19). It is a severe sin and causes souls of Jews to be cut off from their people.
- It’s equally forbidden whether one volunteered or if one was asked for information.
- Even if taking upon oneself not to speak lashon hara will cause one to sustain financial loss such as the loss of one’s job, nonetheless, it is forbidden to speak lashon hara.
- Even if it will cause one embarrassment not to say lashon hara one may not say lashon hara.
- Even if while saying lashon hara one also degrades oneself it’s still forbidden.
A Chasidic Tale
A man went about the community telling malicious lies about the rabbi. Later, he realized the wrong he had done, and began to feel remorse. He went to the rabbi and begged his forgiveness, saying he would do anything he could to make amends. The rabbi told the man, "Take a feather pillow, cut it open, and scatter the feathers to the winds." The man thought this was a strange request, but it was a simple enough task, and he did it gladly. When he returned to tell the rabbi that he had done it, the rabbi said, "Now, go and gather the feathers. Because you can no more make amends for the damage your words have done than you can recollect the feathers."
(ח) אִסוּר זֶה שֶׁל לָשׁוֹן הָרָע הוּא בֵּין אִם הוּא מְסַפֵּר עָלָיו בְּפִיו מַמָּשׁ, אוֹ שֶׁהוּא (יב) כּוֹתֵב עָלָיו דָּבָר זֶה בְּמִכְתָּבוֹ, וְגַם אֵין בּוֹ חִלּוּק בֵּין אִם הוּא מְּסַפֵּר עָלָיו הלָשׁוֹן הָרָע שֶׁלּוֹ בְּפֵרוּשׁ וּבֵין אִם הוּא מְסַפֵּר עָלָיו הלָשׁוֹן הָרָע (יג) בְּדֶרֶךְ רֶמֶּז, בְּכָל גַּוְנֵי {בכל האפנים} (יד) בִּכְלַל לָשׁוֹן הָרָע הוּא.
(8) This issue of lashon hara obtains whether it is actually spoken by mouth or stated in a letter. There is also no difference whether he speaks it explicitly or by sign. In all modes, it is in the category of lashon hara.
Rather, the question is: What is the reason that they (hands) are pointed like pegs? It is so that if a person hears an inappropriate matter, he will place his fingers in his ears. Similarly, a Sage of the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: Why is the entire ear hard and the earlobe soft? It is so that if a person hears an inappropriate matter, he will bend his earlobe into his ear to seal it. The Sages taught: A person should not allow his ears to hear idle matters.
(טו) שַׁמַּאי אוֹמֵר, עֲשֵׂה תוֹרָתְךָ קֶבַע. אֱמֹר מְעַט וַעֲשֵׂה הַרְבֵּה, וֶהֱוֵי מְקַבֵּל אֶת כָּל הָאָדָם בְּסֵבֶר פָּנִים יָפוֹת:
(15) Shammai says, "Make your Torah fixed, say little and do much, and receive every person with a pleasant countenance."