14 Apr TAZRIA: THE SUPERFICIALITY OF GOSSIP

Parashat Tazria
discusses the laws
regarding Sara’at – a
type of skin infection
that brings Tum’a
(impurity) upon a
person. The Rabbis explain that in ancient
times, Sara’at would befall a person as a
punishment for the particular sin of Lashon
Ha’ra – gossip and talebearing, disseminating
negative information about other people.
The Torah begins its discussion of Sara’at
(13:2) by establishing that it comes in
different shades of white, referred to with
the terms “Se’et,” “Sapahat” and “Baheret.”
Upon closer examination, these three terms
allude to us the root cause of the sin of Lashon
Ha’ra, explaining the psychology behind
the tendency that some people have to share
unflattering information about their peers.
The word “Se’et” denotes “carrying,”
lifting something up in order to bring it
somewhere. Often, people indulge in gossip
for the purpose of “elevating” themselves,
in order to feel superior. There are two ways
in which a person can feel good about who
he is: to lift himself higher or knock others
down. The first way requires the hard work
and discipline to achieve, to attain greatness,
to be an accomplished person. The second
way is far easier – to look down on other

people, to focus one’s attention on their faults
and misdeeds, such that he can see himself
as better than them. Very often, the person
stricken with Sara’at, with the spiritual ill of
habitual gossip, is driven by “Se’et,” by the
desire to elevate himself in his own eyes by
speaking negatively about other people.
The word “Sapahat” stems from the root
“S.P.H.,” which connotes a connection or
attachment. Many people who indulge in
gossip do so with the aim of gaining social
acceptance, to improve their social standing.
They feel that bringing “juicy” information
about others will attract attention and impress
the people around them.
Finally, the term “Baheret,” a derivative
of the word “Bahir” – “clear,” or “bright”
– alludes to the natural desire to feel smart.
The ability to share information about
another person’s personal life, and especially
about that person’s failings, makes one feel
knowledgeable, as he is privy to information
that most people are unaware of.
These three terms thus teach us about the
three primary reasons why so many people
fall prey to the urge to speak Lashon Hara: 1)
to feel good about themselves by focusing on
other people’s faults; 2) the desire for social
acceptance; 3) to feel and appear smart and
knowledgeable.

In this introductory verse, the Torah
emphasizes that the Sara’at infection surfaces
“Be’or Besaro” – literally, “upon the skin of
his flesh.” This means that Sara’at affects
only the outermost layer of the skin, the layer

that is visible. Sara’at is, we might say, “skin-
deep.” It appears on the outer surface of the

skin, without impacting the inner layers at all.
In light of what we have seen, we might
suggest that the Torah here is teaching us
about the superficiality of Lashon Ha’ra, how
the benefits that people think they will enjoy
from sharing gossip are, in truth, superficial;
speaking Lashon Ha’ra appears to offer
benefits, but in reality, it doesn’t.
The first reason for speaking Lashon Ha’ra, as
mentioned, is the desire to “elevate” oneself,
to feel superior. But this feeling of superiority
isn’t real, and it fades very quickly. The only
way to truly feel good about ourselves is to
work to achieve and accomplish. The sense
of satisfaction experienced when sharing
gossip is “skin-deep,” and does not actually
give us a long-lasting feeling of pride and
accomplishment.
The same is true about the perceived social
benefits of gossip. True, at the moment, the
people are excited to hear what is being said.
But will they really want to be the speaker’s
friend? They certainly realize that if this

person shared unflattering information about
others, he would happily share information
about them, too, when he can. Temporarily,
the speaker is the center of attention – but this
is no way to build long-lasting friendships.
Finally, having the “inside scoop” on
somebody, knowing about his faults and
mistakes, does not make a person smart. It’s
just the opposite – a smart person knows that
he can’t judge people based on a small sample
size, on the little piece of “juicy” information
that he possesses. And, he understands that
people are not defined by their faults, by their
mistakes, or by their failures. After all, we
all have our share of flaws. A person might
feel smart because he knows something
embarrassing about his fellow, but this is a
superficial feeling. Real intelligence is the
realization that people are complex creatures,
and that it is impossible to cast judgment
based on this story or that story.
The lesson of Sara’at, then, is to focus our
attention on striving for real greatness, for real
accomplishments, rather than experiencing
the fleeting, superficial feeling of pride that
comes from speaking Lashon Ha’ra.