29 Apr TMI

Have I got news for you… Want to hear the
latest… Did you hear what she did? Do you
know what he said? I shouldn’t be sharing
this, but… practically everyone knows
anyways.
And so begins the treacherous trail of lashon
hara. Gossip, slanderous talk, derogatory
statements, be it true or not, public knowledge
or confidential information… it’s all lashon
hara.
This Shabbos, we read the double Torah
portions, Tazria and Metzora, which include
the laws regarding one afflicted with tzoraas, a
blemish that, in biblical times, appeared upon
the skin of one who spoke lashon hara. A
physical response to the spiritual ailment of
harmful speech.
The word metzora comes from the term
“motzi (shem) ra”. Literally, one who gives a
bad name to another through slanderous
gossip.
Spots start popping up on one’s skin. Its
appearance would hopefully stop the speaker
in his tracks. A sign to be careful with one’s
words. While tzoraas is a punishment, the

mere fear of contracting it protected our
ancestors from falling into the trap of lashon
hara
The Lubavitcher Rebbe teaches that tzoraas
should be understood as a lesson to help a
person correct his ways and experience a
spiritual rebirth.
While the physical affliction of tzoraas no
longer exists, its message remains strong and
relevant. HaShem gifted us with the power of
speech, and we must choose our words wisely.
Once said, words cannot be taken back. There
is a well-known tale of a man who went to his
rabbi seeking advice. He spoke lashon hara,
damaging another’s reputation. The rabbi
instructed him to take a sack of feathers and
scatter them in the town square, and then
report back to him.
No problem, the simple-minded man thought.
This I can do. An easy way to make amends.
He followed the rabbi’s instructions and
returned to him. “Now, go collect the
feathers”, the rabbi instructed.
“Impossible”, the man said. “By now, they
have all blown away”.
“Ah”, said the rabbi. “Just as you can’t collect
the feathers, so it is impossible to take back

your words. Like feathers, words
travel, and like feathers, they cannot
be retrieved”.
The Talmud in Arachin has an
extensive discussion amongst the
sages about the severity of lashon
hara. “Rabbi Yishmael taught,
‘Whoever speaks lashon hara is
guilty of a wrongdoing equivalent
to the three cardinal sins: idol
worship, illicit relations and
murder.’ ” Strong words that should
make one think before speaking.
In today’s fast-paced, hi-tech world,
emails, texts, WhatsApp and social
media have made gossip instantly
available to be read and heard. With
one click – one “send all” –
information proliferates easily and
travels exponentially. Once you
push that button, it is impossible to
control how far and wide the words travel.
Additionally, thanks to smartphone technology
at our side, it has become so easy to take
pictures and videos wherever we are, and of
whomever and whatever we desire. These
pictures and clips are shared, very often
without the knowledge of the subject, and
without considering the ramifications of
simply dumping information into the public
arena.
Language is life. Words can be both creative
and destructive. Words can be used to spread
goodness or bring pain and sorrow. As
Shlomo HaMelech says, “Maves v’chaim
b’yad loshon, Death and life are in the hand
of the tongue”. (Mishlei
8:21). Our words can be used to build,
encourage, console and provide confidence.
Or, they can be used to tear down, diminish
and destroy. The decision is ours to make.
The Chofetz Chaim is quoted as saying
“Before you speak against someone else,
think how you would like it, if someone said
the same thing about you.”
One must think: Is there a chance that my
words may be hurtful or damaging? Am I
embarrassing someone with my words? Am
I revealing another’s confidences, sharing
private info? The Rambam teaches in
Hilchos Dayos, that lashon hara hurts not
just the person being spoken about, but also
has a negative spiritual effect on the speaker
as well as on the listener. Honestly, no one
walks away from lashon hara with a good
feeling.
In poll of 1,000 people, 51% answered that
the #1 buzz with friends was about other
people’s relationships. And 59% admitted
their kids have repeated something they
heard their parents gossiping about. What
does that say about the world we live in, and
what does that indicate about the role models
we are for our children.

It’s not always easy to break away from the
habit of speaking lashon hara. To be the one to
change the conversation, when it becomes
negative and is about someone else. In fact, it
takes much strength and willpower. But
HaShem never asks the impossible from us.
We have the capacity to do it, bringing
blessing not only to our own lives, but to the
lives of those around us.
Tzoraas is called a nega, an affliction. The
Hebrew word nega, is spelled nun, gimmel,
ayin. If we rearrange the order of the letters to
ayin, nun, gimmel, we have the word oneg, an
occasion of pleasure and delight. With our
words, we can change nega to oneg, affliction
to pleasure. All we have to do is put the ayin
first. The word ayin, means an eye. First and
foremost, we must look at others with an ayin
tov, a good eye, to see the positive in others, to
be genuinely happy for them. When we fargin
others, it creates a barrier in our mind that
prevents us from speaking negatively. See the
good and you will experience oneg, the
blessing of joy.
In the sefer Aleinu L’Shabeach, Rabbi
Yitzchok Zilberstein relates a teaching from
the Chofetz Chaim. The Chofetz Chaim said
that before Rosh HaShana, people try to
engage in self-improvement, and take on extra
mitzvos. One highly effective way to ensure
that one has a good year, and merits a positive
Heavenly judgment, is to commit not speak or
listen to lashon hara. If one finds the strength
to not speak negatively about others, and
speaks words of kindness and understanding,
the malochim, the angels above, will find
kind, good words to say about him.
It’s never too late to make it a lashon hara free
year. We can start now. We can make our
home, our Shabbos table, our daily
conversations, lashon hara free. In that merit,
may we see many brachos and yeshuos for
ourselves, our loved ones, and all of Klal
Yisroel.