Daf Yomi: Avodah Zara 23
Guest Author:
Rabbi Saul Chill
Young Israel of North
Woodmere, NY
The emphasis of Parshat
Tazria is the affliction of tzoraas. Chazal tell us that
the primary reason for this spiritual disease is Lashon Hara, the
universal disease of which most people are guilty. Therefore, only a
Kohen - descendent of Aharon, the great healer of relationships, �ohav
shalom v�rodeph shalom� can purify the metzora.
Life's experiences are that it doesn't take much to trigger Lashon Hara.
A speaker once lectured on the evils of improper speech. He related the
following story. "Someone asked a man if he would like to borrow a copy of
Hilchos Lashan Hara. He replied, 'Oh no, I never speak Lashon
Hara. Give it to my wife though, she always speaks Lashon Hara.'
The reaction of the audience was remarkable - the men laughed, the women
fumed and everyone spoke Lashon Hara about the speaker."
"HaChaim V'Hamaves B'Yad Halashon". Lashon Hara can be a
killer - of reputations, marriages, businesses, potential shidduchim,
and lives. HaShem created human beings with the ability to speak.
We have a great choice - to perform so many mitzvos �ben adam
l�Makom� and �ben adam l�chavero�, or G-d forbid, to bring
great harm.
Sefer Taam V�Daath points out that tzoraas only affected
Bnai Yisrael. He explains that our ability to survive our enemies is
our special unity. Indeed, �Kol Yisrael araivim zeh l'zeh�, by the
same token, no nation is harmed and torn apart by Lashon Hara like
Am Yisrael. Thus, tzoraas - the warning bell for this grave
sin, affects only us.
The Chafetz Chaim bemoans the fact that nowadays, there is no
tzoraas. He points out the punishment for Lashon Hara is
midda k'neged midda. In the same manner that through his Lashon
Hara, he attempted to ostracize his victim from the rest of society;
so, too, was he physically separated from his home and community as a
metzora. However, if today we are not being punished by such removal,
when will it happen? In Olam Haba, when their neshamos will
be removed from the neshamos of righteous people.
The Parsha describes three types of tzoraas: s�ais
(tumors), sapachas (scabs), and baheres (bright spots). Rav
Moshe Sternbuch comments that the Torah is demonstrating that there
are three primary reasons that motivate people to speak Lashon Hara.
S�ais (lift) people tend to build themselves up, by putting other
people down. Sapachas, (additions) people have a need to socialize
and be in the company of others. Much of social discussion, as we sadly
know, centers on Lashon Hara conversations. And baheres
(clear), the type that needs to know everything about everybody.
What can be done to prevent Lashon Hara? By speaking Lashon Tov.
As the pasuk says, "mi ha-ish hachafetz chaim, n�tzor l�shoncha
me�rah, sur me�rah v�aseh tov.� The past few years, the Chafetz Chaim
Heritage Foundation has exerted great efforts to convey the message of
Lashon Tov to our attention. One of their projects has been an annual
sefirah chart with the slogan: "Count sefiras Ha'Omer (with
an �ayin�) with Sefiras HaOmer (with an aleph, with
what we say).� Encouraging people, when they count the Omer each
night, to write down positive things that they�ve said that day to others.
In two weeks, IY'H, we will be celebrating Pesach. We
merited the original redemption from Mitzraim in the z'chus
of not changing our names, language and mode of dress; and by not speaking
Lashon Hara. B�EH, with our united effort to
eradicate this universal evil from which we all suffer, may we be
privileged to see the final redemption, b'mhayrah b'yameinu.
