In these parashiyoth, the Torah wrote at length about the greatness of the uncleanliness of the metzora [one afflicted with tzara'ath (leprosy)] and of his cleansing. And the Gemara in Arachin is well known, that tzara'ath afflicts one who speaks lashon hara, as stated there (Arachin 15b): "If one speaks lashon hara, he is afflicted with plague-spots, viz. (Psalms 101:5): 'He who slanders his neighbor in secret, him atzmith,' and (Vayikra 25:30): 'latzmituth,' which the Targum renders 'lachalutin'; [that is, that he be a metzora muchlat], concerning which we learned: 'The only difference between a quarantined leper and a confirmed [muchlat (similar to 'lachalutin')] leper is disheveling of the hair and rending of the clothes" [(these obtaining with the second, but not with the first)]. As to (Arachin 16a): "Plague-spots come for seven things, etc.", the Maharsha writes that there, it is possible that tzara'ath atones for him, for he is subject to quarantine — as opposed to the sin of lashon hara, where he is a metzora muchlat.
See the greatness of the uncleanliness of a metzora. For one who enters his tent, as soon as his head and most of his body enter, he is unclean. And this is so even if the metzorah is sitting under a tree and a clean person passes under it.
There are three types of uncleanliness: dead-body uncleanliness, zivah [genital discharge] uncleanliness, and metzora uncleanliness. The [one affected with the] first is sent only outside the camp of the Shechinah; the second, outside two camps, and the third, the metzorah, outside [all] three camps, as it is written (Vayikra 13:46): "Solitary shall he sit; outside the camp in his dwelling." That is, even the other unclean ones may not sit with him. And our sages of blessed memory have said. What is different about the metzorah that he sits alone? He [by his lashon hara] separated a man from his wife, a man from his neighbor — "Solitary shall he sit."
And it is written further in the Torah (Ibid. 95); "His clothes shall be rent and his hair shall grow long." The reason may be that lashon hara stems primarily from pride, one's fancying himself a distinguished man among men, whereby his heart prompts him to demean his friend. For if he recognized his own shortcomings, he would not seek another's blemishes. This is attested to by Scripture's writing concerning his cleansing (Ibid. 14:4), that he is to take cedar-wood, hyssop, and a tongue [lit. worm] of wool [dyed] scarlet. Rashi explains: "If he has grown proud as a cedar, let him lower himself as a worm and as hyssop and it will be forgiven him." Therefore, Scripture writes that his clothes shall be rent and his hair shall grow long, in order to abase him, that he appear to all as despised, and his heart not grow proud to speak against others.
It would also seem, according to what is known, that through the mitzvoth there are created precious vestments to clothe one's soul when it ascends, as we find n the holy Zohar (and as the GRA explains Koheleth 6:8: "At all times let your clothes be white.") And it is also known that through lashon hara the spirit of uncleanliness is drawn down on all the words of holiness that he utters afterwards, and they do not accrue to him, as we find in the holy Zohar, Pekudei 263:
"And from this evil spirit there issue forth other 'arousers of din,' which are appointed to seize upon the evil or filthy speech that a man utters with his mouth, after which he utters holy words. Woe unto them [such men]! Woe unto their lives! Woe unto them in this world! Woe unto them in the world to come! For those spirits of uncleanliness take that unclean word, and when he thereafter utters holy words, those spirits of uncleanliness come forward with that unclean word and defile [with it] the holy speech [that follows], and it does not accrue to him. If so, if one speaks lashon hara and then fulfils the positive commandment of reciting the Shema or of praying or of reciting grace after meals, or other blessings of the one hundred daily blessings, which certainly create vestments for the soul — when the unclean words draw down upon them the spirit of uncleanliness, they are immediately sullied and defiled and no longer fit to clothe the soul, wherefore the Torah writes (Vayikra 13:46): 'His clothes shall be rent,' intimating the vestments of his soul."
(Ibid. 45): "And [the hair of] his lips shall he cover": Because he certainly said in the beginning (Psalms 12:5): "Our tongues shall we strengthen. Our lips are with us. Who is master over us?", the L-rd commanded that now he be covered over his lips.
(Ibid.): "And 'Unclean! Unclean!' shall he cry" to keep people away from him. Because it was his way in the beginning to reveal the shame of his friend before others, therefore, he is now compelled to reveal his own shame before others.
Now when we come to assess the greatness of the sin of lashon hara, the damage one can do with his tongue, we find ourselves powerless to do so. For it permeates all of Torah, Prophets, Writings, and the apothegms of our sages of blessed memory. And, in general, one knows that he undermines thereby [the processes of] the upper worlds, [strengthening thereby the Sitra Achara (the "Adversary") and giving it power to incriminate the entire world.] And, below, he spoils the entire creation and himself, [for he thereby draws down the spirit of uncleanliness on all the fibers of his soul, as we find in the holy Zohar, Metzora.] And he harms others, as our sages of blessed memory have said (Arachin 15b): "The third tongue [i.e., the tongue of the talebearer, which is the third between a man and his neighbor, to reveal secrets to him] kills three: the speaker [of lashon hara], the accepter, and the object." And, in general, they said (Ibid.): "All who speak lashon hara magnify sin until the heavens, as it is written (Psalms 73:9): 'They set their mouths in the heavens when their tongues walk the earth.'" The plain explanation is that they thereby arouse the great Prosecutor against Israel, and bring death, sword, and slaughter to the world, as we find in the holy Zohar (see Chapter III).
And we can say that apparently "All who speak lashon hara" applies to one who is habituated to it and does not take it upon himself to guard himself against it. And there is always someone who finds someone to speak about every day. And even if we do not reckon many words, but only four or five a day, that is, about thirty words a week, and, in the course of a year, about fifteen hundred words, even if we consider lashon hara only one negative commandment, [he violates] fifteen hundred negative commandments a year! For certainly, just as in words of holiness, every word in itself is [fulfillment of] a positive commandment, so, in forbidden speech, every word is an issur in itself. And if he conducts himself in this manner his whole life, he accumulates about eighty thousand or more. And it is known that from every transgression a "prosecutor" is created, as we find in Avoth 4:11: "Anyone who commits one transgression acquires for himself one prosecutor" [How much turmoil must grip one's heart when he reflects that he has massed against himself a great army of such prosecutors!] All this, by a reckoning of four or five words a day, which are common to many men. How much more will there be found, among the notorious speakers of lashon hara, more than two hundred [such] words a day. This is the intent of "All who speak lashon hara magnify sin until the heavens."
And let one not think: "Do I not say every day: 'Forgive us, our Father, for we have sinned'?" This would avail if one considered this [lashon hara] a sin and took it upon himself to guard himself against it. For penance requires, at least, absolute regret [for the past] and also acceptance [for the future]. And, in our many sins, one who is habituated to lashon hara does not consider it a sin at all. And even on Yom Kippur, when one says: [Forgive us] "for the sin that we have sinned before you with lashon hara," he does not accept upon himself 'guarding' for the future. And even if we say that he does, is this not among the sins between man and his neighbor, for which Yom Kippur does not atone until he conciliates his neighbor? (see Yoma 85b). And, a man like this — has he not certainly harmed several tens of men with his tongue? He has hurt this man by verbal wronging, and that one with lashon hara, and the other, with "whitening of the face" and the like. About such a one our sages of blessed memory have rightly said that a man by his lashon hara magnifies sin until the heavens. Therefore, a man must set his heart and his mind to this, that he not be "entrapped" above in this sin. They have also said "If one speaks lashon hara, he and I cannot live [together] in the world, as it is written (Psalms 10:15): 'He who slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I cut down… him will I not abide.' Read it not: 'him will I not abide,' but 'with him' will I not abide."
And see further that in all places we find that we must be solicitous of men's honor and not reveal their shame; but they were not solicitous at all of the honor of a person like this [(an inveterate lashon-hara speaker.)] To the contrary, they saw to it that the name of this man should be publicized, and all, so that he be humbled and receive atonement. For in the past, when one had to bring libations for the offerings, he had to go with his money to the keeper of the seals (Shekalim 5) and tell him for which offering he required libations [(for the cost of the libations was not the same for all offerings.)] He would give him the seal, with which he would go to the keeper of the libations, who would give him what he needed. On the seals there was written: "calf," "male," "goat," "sinner" [i.e., "metzora"], so that he would know how many libations he needed to take. We see, then, that they were not solicitous of the honor of the metzora at all and wrote "sinner" on his seal, so that he would know how many libations he required for his offerings.
And see further that from his cleansing we can reflect upon the greatness of his sin. For Scripture required the Cohein to place what remained of the oil on his palm or on the head of the one to be cleansed, something that we find in no other place. And this, because he must also have sinned in the acceptance of lashon hara. And the issur of the acceptance of lashon hara stems from his believing the lashon hara absolutely in his mind, whereby he transgresses the negative commandment of (Shemoth 23a): "You shall not bear a false report," as we explained in Chafetz Chaim, in the name of the Rishonim. If so, his mind is full of blemishes and faults vis-à-vis many men, wherefore the Torah required him to cleanse his head, so that henceforward he will follow this path no more and will judge every man in the scales of merit.
פָּרָשַׁת תַּזְרִיעַ וּמְצֹרָע
Tazria and Metzora
הִנֵּה בְּפָרָשִׁיּוֹת אֵלּוּ הֶאֱרִיכָה הַתּוֹרָה הַרְבֵּה בְּגֹדֶל טֻמְאָתוֹ שֶׁל מְצֹרָע וּבְעִנְיַן טָהֳרָתוֹ. וְיָדוּעַ מַה דְּאִיתָא בַּעֲרָכִין (ט"ו:), דְּהוּא בָּא עַל חֵטְא הַלָּשׁוֹן, דְּגָרְסִינַן שָׁם: כָּל הַמְסַפֵּר לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, נְגָעִים בָּאִים עָלָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהילים ק"א ה'): "מְלָשְׁנִי בַסֵּתֶר רֵעֵהוּ, אוֹתוֹ אַצְמִית", וְהַיְנוּ לַחֲלוּטִין, כְּדִכְתִיב: לִצְמִיתוּת, וּמְתַרְגְּמִינַן: לַחֲלוּטִין, וְהַיְנוּ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מְצֹרָע מֻחְלָט, וּתְנַן: אֵין בֵּין מְצֹרָע מֻסְגָּר לִמְצֹרָע מֻחְלָט אֶלָּא פְּרִיעָה וּפְרִימָה. וְהָא דְּאָמְרִינַן שָׁם (ערכין ט"ז.), דְּעַל שִׁבְעָה דְּבָרִים נְגָעִים בָּאִים, כָּתַב הַמַּהַרְשָׁ"א שָׁם, דְּהָתָם אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיְּכֻפַּר לוֹ עַל יְדֵי צָרַעַת, שֶׁדִּינוֹ בְּהֶסְגֵּר, מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בְּחֵטְא הַלָּשׁוֹן הוּא מְצֹרָע מֻחְלָט.
In these parashiyoth, the Torah wrote at length about the greatness of the uncleanliness of the metzora [one afflicted with tzara'ath (leprosy)] and of his cleansing. And the Gemara in Arachin is well known, that tzara'ath afflicts one who speaks lashon hara, as stated there (Arachin 15b): "If one speaks lashon hara, he is afflicted with plague-spots, viz. (Psalms 101:5): 'He who slanders his neighbor in secret, him atzmith,' and (Vayikra 25:30): 'latzmituth,' which the Targum renders 'lachalutin'; [that is, that he be a metzora muchlat], concerning which we learned: 'The only difference between a quarantined leper and a confirmed [muchlat (similar to 'lachalutin')] leper is disheveling of the hair and rending of the clothes" [(these obtaining with the second, but not with the first)]. As to (Arachin 16a): "Plague-spots come for seven things, etc.", the Maharsha writes that there, it is possible that tzara'ath atones for him, for he is subject to quarantine — as opposed to the sin of lashon hara, where he is a metzora muchlat.
וּרְאֵה אֶת גֹּדֶל טֻמְאָתוֹ שֶׁל מְצֹרָע, שֶׁהַבָּא בְּתוֹךְ אָהֳלוֹ, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִכְנִיס שָׁם רֹאשׁוֹ וֻרֵבּוֹ, נִטְמָא, וַאֲפִלּוּ הוּא יוֹשֵׁב תַּחַת הָאִילָן, וְטָהוֹר עוֹבֵר דֶּרֶךְ שָׁם, נִטְמָא.
See the greatness of the uncleanliness of a metzora. For one who enters his tent, as soon as his head and most of his body enter, he is unclean. And this is so even if the metzorah is sitting under a tree and a clean person passes under it.
וְהִנֵּה יֵשׁ שְׁלֹשָה מִינֵי טֻמְאוֹת: טֻמְאַת טְמֵא מֵת וְטֻמְאַת זִיבָה וְטֻמְאַת מְצֹרָע. טְמֵא מֵת מִשְׁתַּלֵּחַ רַק מִחוּץ לְמַחֲנֵה שְׁכִינָה, זָב וּבַעַל קֶרִי חוּץ לִשְׁתֵּי מַחֲנוֹת וּמְצֹרָע חוּץ לִשְׁלֹשָה מַחֲנוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא י"ג מ"ו): "בָּדָד יֵשֵׁב מִחוּץ לְמַחֲנֶה מוֹשָׁבוֹ", וְהַיְנוּ שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ שְׁאָר טְמֵאִים לֹא יֵשְׁבוּ עִמּוֹ. וְאָמְרוּ חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ערכין ט"ז:): מַה נִּשְׁתַּנָּה מְצֹרָע לֵישֵׁב בָּדָד? הוּא הִבְדִּיל בֵּין אִישׁ לְאִשְׁתּוֹ, בֵּין אִישׁ לְרֵעֵהוּ, לְפִיכָךְ "בָּדָד יֵשֵׁב".
There are three types of uncleanliness: dead-body uncleanliness, zivah [genital discharge] uncleanliness, and metzora uncleanliness. The [one affected with the] first is sent only outside the camp of the Shechinah; the second, outside two camps, and the third, the metzorah, outside [all] three camps, as it is written (Vayikra 13:46): "Solitary shall he sit; outside the camp in his dwelling." That is, even the other unclean ones may not sit with him. And our sages of blessed memory have said. What is different about the metzorah that he sits alone? He [by his lashon hara] separated a man from his wife, a man from his neighbor — "Solitary shall he sit."
וְעוֹד כְּתִיב בַּתּוֹרָה (שם מ"ה): "בְּגָדָיו יִהְיוּ פְרוּמִים [קרוּעִים] וְרֹאשׁוֹ יִהְיֶה פָרוּעַ" [מְגֻדָּל שֵׂעָר]. וְאֶפְשָׁר שֶׁהַטַּעַם הוּא, שֶׁעִקַּר חֵטְא הַלָּשׁוֹן בָּא עַל יְדֵי גַּאֲוָה, שֶׁהוּא מַחֲשִׁיב עַצְמוֹ לְאִישׁ חָשׁוּב בַּאֲנָשִׁים, לְפִיכָךְ מְלָאוֹ לִבּוֹ לְגַנּוֹת אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ, שֶׁאִלּוּ הָיָה מַכִּיר אֶת נִגְעֵי עַצְמוֹ, לֹא הָיָה מְחַפֵּשׂ מוּמֵי זוּלָתוֹ. וְהָעֵד לָזֶה, שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב בְּטָהֳרָתוֹ, שֶׁיִּקַּח עֵץ אֶרֶז וְאֵזוֹב וּשְׁנִי תוֹלַעַת, וּפֵרֵשׁ רַשִׁ"י: אִם נִתְגָּאָה כְּאֶרֶז, יַשְׁפִּיל עַצְמוֹ כְּתוֹלַעַת וּכְאֵזוֹב, וְיִתְכַּפֵּר לוֹ. לְפִיכָךְ אָמַר הַכָּתוּב, שֶׁבְּגָדָיו יִהְיוּ קְרוּעִים, וְרֹאשׁוֹ יִהְיֶה מְגֻדָּל כְּדֵי לְנַוְּלוֹ, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה נִרְאֶה לַכֹּל כְּבָזוּי, וְלֹא יִתְגָּאֶה לִבּוֹ לְדַבֵּר בְּזוּלָתוֹ.
And it is written further in the Torah (Ibid. 95); "His clothes shall be rent and his hair shall grow long." The reason may be that lashon hara stems primarily from pride, one's fancying himself a distinguished man among men, whereby his heart prompts him to demean his friend. For if he recognized his own shortcomings, he would not seek another's blemishes. This is attested to by Scripture's writing concerning his cleansing (Ibid. 14:4), that he is to take cedar-wood, hyssop, and a tongue [lit. worm] of wool [dyed] scarlet. Rashi explains: "If he has grown proud as a cedar, let him lower himself as a worm and as hyssop and it will be forgiven him." Therefore, Scripture writes that his clothes shall be rent and his hair shall grow long, in order to abase him, that he appear to all as despised, and his heart not grow proud to speak against others.
עוֹד נִרְאֶה, לְפִי מַה שֶּׁיָּדוּעַ, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי הַמִּצְוֹת נִבְרָאִים בְּגָדִים יְקָּרִים לְהַלְבִּישׁ אֶת נִשְׁמָתוֹ כְּשֶׁתַּעֲלֶה לְמַעְלָה, וּכְמוֹ דְּאִיתָא בַּזֹּהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ, (וּכְמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאֵר הַגְּרָ"א בָּזֶה אֶת הַפָּסוּק (קהלת ט' ח'): "בְּכָל עֵת יִהְיוּ בְּגָדֶיךָ לְבָנִים"). וְיָדוּעַ עוֹד, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי חֵטְא הַלָּשׁוֹן נִמְשֶׁכֶת רוּחַ הַטֻּמְאָה עַל כָּל דִּבְרֵי הַקְּדֻשָּׁה שֶׁהוּא מוֹצִיא אַחַר כָּךְ, וְלֹא יִזְכֶּה בָּהֶן. כִּדְאִיתָא בַּזֹּהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ פָּרָשַׁת פְקוּדֵי, וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנוֹ:
It would also seem, according to what is known, that through the mitzvoth there are created precious vestments to clothe one's soul when it ascends, as we find n the holy Zohar (and as the GRA explains Koheleth 6:8: "At all times let your clothes be white.") And it is also known that through lashon hara the spirit of uncleanliness is drawn down on all the words of holiness that he utters afterwards, and they do not accrue to him, as we find in the holy Zohar, Pekudei 263:
וּמֵהַאי רוּחָא בִּישָׁא תָּלְיָן כַּמָּה גַּרְדִּינִין אַחֲרָנִין, דְּאִנּוּן מְמֻנִּין לַאֲחָדָא מִלָּה בִּישָׁא אוֹ מִלָּה טִנּוּפָה, דְּאַפִּיק בַּר נָשׁ מִפּוּמֵהּ וּלְבָתַר אַפִּיק מִלִּין קַדִּישִׁין, וַי לוֹן, וַי לְחַיֵּיהוֹן. וַי לוֹן בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין, וַי לוֹן בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. בְּגִין דְּאִלֵּין רוּחִין מְסָאֲבִין נָטְלִין הַהוּא מִלָּה מְסָאֲבָא, וְכַד אַפִּיק בַּר נָשׁ לְבָתַר מִלִּין קַדִּישִׁין, אַקְדִּימֵי אִלֵּין רוּחֵי מְסָאֲבֵי מִלֵּי הַהוּא מְסָאֲבָא, וּמְסָאֲבֵי לְהַהוּא מִלָּה קַדִּישָׁא, וְלָא זָכֵי לֵהּ בַּר נָשׁ, עַד כָּאן לְשׁוֹנוֹ.
"And from this evil spirit there issue forth other 'arousers of din,' which are appointed to seize upon the evil or filthy speech that a man utters with his mouth, after which he utters holy words. Woe unto them [such men]! Woe unto their lives! Woe unto them in this world! Woe unto them in the world to come! For those spirits of uncleanliness take that unclean word, and when he thereafter utters holy words, those spirits of uncleanliness come forward with that unclean word and defile [with it] the holy speech [that follows], and it does not accrue to him. If so, if one speaks lashon hara and then fulfils the positive commandment of reciting the Shema or of praying or of reciting grace after meals, or other blessings of the one hundred daily blessings, which certainly create vestments for the soul — when the unclean words draw down upon them the spirit of uncleanliness, they are immediately sullied and defiled and no longer fit to clothe the soul, wherefore the Torah writes (Vayikra 13:46): 'His clothes shall be rent,' intimating the vestments of his soul."
וּמֵאוֹתָהּ רוּחַ רָעה תְּלוּיִים כַּמָּה מְעוֹרְרֵי דִּין אֲחֵרִים, שֶׁהֵם מְמֻנִּים לֶאֱחֹז בְּדִבּוּר רַע אוֹ דִּבּוּר טִנּוּף, שֶׁהוֹצִיא אָדָם מִפִּיו, וְאַחַר כָּךְ מוֹצִיא מִלִּים קְדוֹשוֹת, אוֹי לָהֶם, אוֹי לְחַיֵּיהֶם, אוֹי לָהֶם בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, אוֹי לָהֶם בָּעוֹלָם הַבָּא. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאוֹתָן רוּחוֹת הַטֻּמְאָה נוֹטְלוֹת אוֹתָהּ מִלָּה טְמֵאָה, וְכַאֲשֶׁר מוֹצִיא הָאָדָם אַחַר כָּךְ מִלִּים קְדוֹשׁוֹת מַקְדִּימוֹת אוֹתָן רוּחוֹת הַטֻּמְאָה וְלוֹקְחוֹת לְאוֹתוֹ דִּבּוּר טֻמְאָה וּמְטַמְּאִים לְאוֹתוֹ דְּבַר קְדֻשָּׁה, וְלֹא זוֹכֶה לָהּ הָאָדָם, וְכִבְיָכוֹל נֶחֱלָשׁ כֹּחַ הַקְדֻשָּׁה.
וְאִם כֵּן, כְּשֶׁמְּסַפֵּר לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, וְאַחַר כָּךְ מְקַיֵּם מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה דִּקְרִיאַת שְׁמַע אוֹ תְּפִלָּה אוֹ בִּרְכַּת הַמָּזוֹן אוֹ שְׁאָר בְּרָכוֹת מֵהַמֵּאָה בְּרָכוֹת דְּכָל יוֹם, וּבְוַדַּאי נִבְרָא עַל יְדֵי זֶה מַחֲלָצוֹת לַנֶּפֶשׁ, וְכַאֲשֶׁר הַדִּבּוּרִים הַטְּמֵאִים מַמְשִׁיכִים עֲלֵיהֶם רוּחַ הַטֻּמְאָה, תֵּכֶף מִתְקַלְקְלִים וְנִמְאָסִים, וְאֵינָם רְאוּיִם עוֹד לַנֶּפֶשׁ לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ בָּהֶן. וְלָזֶה כָּתְבָה הַתּוֹרָה (ויקרא י"ג מ"ו): "בְּגָדָיו יִהְיוּ פְרוּמִים" לִרְמֹז עַל בִּגְדֵי נַפְשׁוֹ; "וְעִל שָׂפָם יַעֲטֶה" (שם מ"ה). הוּא תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר בְּוַדַּאי אָמַר מִתְּחִלָּה (תְּהִלִּים י"ב ה'): "לִלְשׁוֹנֵנוּ נַגְבִּיר שְׂפָתֵינוּ אִתָּנוּ, מִי אָדוֹן לָנוּ", צִוָּנוּ ה', שֶׁכָּעֵת יִהְיֶה מְעֻטָּף עַל שְׂפָתוֹ;
(Ibid. 45): "And [the hair of] his lips shall he cover": Because he certainly said in the beginning (Psalms 12:5): "Our tongues shall we strengthen. Our lips are with us. Who is master over us?", the L-rd commanded that now he be covered over his lips.
וְטָמֵא טָמֵא יִקְרָא (שם). יַשְׁמִיעַ לָרַבִּים שֶׁהוּא טָמֵא, וְיִפְרְשׁוּ מִמֶּנּוּ, כִּי תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר מִתְּחִלָּה הָיָה דַּרְכּוֹ לְגַלּוֹת קְלוֹן חֲבֵרוֹ בִּפְנֵי אֲנָשִׁים, לָכֵן הֻכְרַח עַתָּה לְגַלּוֹת קְלוֹן עַצְמוֹ בִּפְנֵי אֲנָשִׁים.
(Ibid.): "And 'Unclean! Unclean!' shall he cry" to keep people away from him. Because it was his way in the beginning to reveal the shame of his friend before others, therefore, he is now compelled to reveal his own shame before others.
וְהִנֵּה, כְּשֶׁנָּבוֹא לְהַאֲרִיךְ גְּדֻלַּת עֲוֹן חֵטְא הַלָּשׁוֹן, מַה שֶּׁהָאָדָם יָכוֹל לִפְגֹּם בִּלְשׁוֹנוֹ, אֵין בְּכֹחֵנוּ, כִּי מָלֵא מִזֶּה בְּכָל הַתּוֹרָה וּנְבִיאִים וּכְתוּבִים וּמַאַמְרֵי חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה. וּבְדֶרֶךְ כְּלָל יֵדַע הָאָדָם, כִּי הוּא מְקַלְקֵל בָּזֶה לְמַעְלָה בָּעוֹלָמוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים [כִּי הוּא מַגְבִּיר בָּזֶה הַסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא, וְנוֹתֵן לוֹ כֹּחַ לְהַלְשִׁין עַל כָּל הָעוֹלָם] וּמְקַלְקֵל לְמַטָּה בְּכָל הַבְּרִיאָה כֻּלָּהּ וּמְקַלְקֵל לְעַצְמוֹ, [שֶׁהוּא מַמְשִׁיךְ בָּזֶה רוּחַ הַטֻּמְאָה עַל כָּל אֵיבְרֵי נַפְשׁוֹ, כִּדְאִיתָא בַּזֹּהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ פָּרָשַׁת מְצֹרָע] וּמְקַלְקֵל לַאֲחֵרִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ערכין ט"ו:): לִישָׁנָא תְּלִיתָאֵי (לָשׁון שְׁלִישִׁית) [זֶה לְשׁוֹן הָרוֹכֵל, שֶׁהוּא שְׁלִישִׁית בֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ לְגַלּוֹת לוֹ סוֹד] קָטֵיל תְּלִיתָאֵי (הורג שלשה): הָאוֹמְרוֹ וְהַמְקַבְּלוֹ וְהַנֶּאֱמָר עָלָיו. וּבְדֶרֶךְ כְּלָל אָמְרוּ (שָׁם): כָּל הַמְסַפֵּר לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, מַגְדִּיל עֲוֹנוֹתָיו עַד לַשָּׁמַיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהילים ע"ג ט'): "שַׁתּוּ בַשָּׁמַיִם פִּיהֶם, וּלְשׁוֹנָם תִּהֲלַךְ בָּאָרֶץ". וּפְשׁוּטוֹ הוּא, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁעוֹרֵר בָּזֶה אֶת הַמְקַטְרֵג הַגָּדוֹל עַל כְּלָל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְגָרֵים בָּזֶה מוֹתָא וְחַרְבָּא וּקְטָלָא בְּעָלְמָא (וגורם מות וחרב והרג לעולם), כִּדְאִיתָא בַּזֹּהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ, וְהֶעְתַּקְנוּ לְשׁוֹנוֹ לְעֵיל בְּפֶרֶק ג', עַיֵּן שָׁם.
Now when we come to assess the greatness of the sin of lashon hara, the damage one can do with his tongue, we find ourselves powerless to do so. For it permeates all of Torah, Prophets, Writings, and the apothegms of our sages of blessed memory. And, in general, one knows that he undermines thereby [the processes of] the upper worlds, [strengthening thereby the Sitra Achara (the "Adversary") and giving it power to incriminate the entire world.] And, below, he spoils the entire creation and himself, [for he thereby draws down the spirit of uncleanliness on all the fibers of his soul, as we find in the holy Zohar, Metzora.] And he harms others, as our sages of blessed memory have said (Arachin 15b): "The third tongue [i.e., the tongue of the talebearer, which is the third between a man and his neighbor, to reveal secrets to him] kills three: the speaker [of lashon hara], the accepter, and the object." And, in general, they said (Ibid.): "All who speak lashon hara magnify sin until the heavens, as it is written (Psalms 73:9): 'They set their mouths in the heavens when their tongues walk the earth.'" The plain explanation is that they thereby arouse the great Prosecutor against Israel, and bring death, sword, and slaughter to the world, as we find in the holy Zohar (see Chapter III).
וְעוֹד נוּכַל לוֹמַר בָּזֶה בִּפְשִׁיטוּת, דֻּמַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ: כָּל הַמְסַפֵּר לָשׁוֹן הָרָע יֵאָמֵר עַל מִי שֶׁמֻּרְגָּל בָּזֶה וְאֵינוֹ מְקַבֵּל עַל עַצְמוֹ לְהִשָּׁמֵר מִמֶּנּוּ, וְאִישׁ כָּזֶה מָצוּי בְּכָל יוֹם, שֶׁמּוֹצֵא עַל מִי לְדַבֵּר, וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם לֹא נְחַשֵּׁב הַרְבֵּה תֵּבוֹת, כִּי אִם אַרְבַּע וְחָמֵשׁ תֵּבוֹת בְּיוֹם, וְהוּא בְּעֵרֶךְ שְׁלֹשִים תֵּבוֹת בְּשָׁבוּעַ, וּבְמֶשֶׁךְ שָׁנָה הוּא חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מֵאוֹת תֵּבוֹת. וְאִם כֵּן, אֲפִלּוּ אִם לֹא נַחְשִׁיב לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, כִּי אִם לְלָאו אֶחָד, יִתְקַבְּצוּ בְּשָׁנָה אַחַת חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מֵאוֹת לָאוִין דְּאוֹרַיְתָא, כִּי בְּוַדַּאי, כְּמוֹ בְּדִבְרֵי קְדֻשָׁה, כָּל תֵּבָה מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָהּ, כֵּן בְּדִבּוּרִים אֲסוּרִים כָּל תֵּבָה הוּא אִסּוּר בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ. וְאִם יִתְנַהֵג בְּאֹפֶן זֶה כָּל יְמֵי חַיָּיו, יִתְקַבְּצוּ בְּעֵרֶךְ שְׁמוֹנִים אֶלֶף וְיוֹתֵר. וְיָדוּעַ, שֶׁמִּכָּל עֲבֵרָה נִבְרָא מְקַטְרֵג, כִּדְאִיתָא כְּאָבוֹת (אבות ד' י"א): כָּל הָעוֹבֵר עֲבֵרָה אַחַת קוֹנֶה לוֹ קַטֵּיגוֹר אֶחָד, [וְכַמָּה יִסְתַּעֵר לֵב הָאָדָם בְּהִתְבּוֹנְנוֹ, שֶׁיֵּשׁ' עָלָיו חַיִל גָּדוֹל שֶׁל מְקַטְרְגִים כָּזֶה]. וְזֶה חִשַּׁבְנוּ לְאַרְבַּע וְחָמֵשׁ תֵּבוֹת בְּיוֹם, וְזֶה מָצוּי כִּמְעַט לְכַמָּה אֲנָשִׁים, וּבִפְרָט לְבַעֲלֵי לָשׁוֹן הָרָע גְּדוֹלִים מָצוּי כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים מָאתַיִם תֵּבוֹת בְּיוֹם אֶחָד. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ (ערכין ט"ו:): כָּל הַמְסַפֵּר לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, מַגְדִּיל עֲוֹנוֹתָיו עַד לַשָּׁמַיִם.
And we can say that apparently "All who speak lashon hara" applies to one who is habituated to it and does not take it upon himself to guard himself against it. And there is always someone who finds someone to speak about every day. And even if we do not reckon many words, but only four or five a day, that is, about thirty words a week, and, in the course of a year, about fifteen hundred words, even if we consider lashon hara only one negative commandment, [he violates] fifteen hundred negative commandments a year! For certainly, just as in words of holiness, every word in itself is [fulfillment of] a positive commandment, so, in forbidden speech, every word is an issur in itself. And if he conducts himself in this manner his whole life, he accumulates about eighty thousand or more. And it is known that from every transgression a "prosecutor" is created, as we find in Avoth 4:11: "Anyone who commits one transgression acquires for himself one prosecutor" [How much turmoil must grip one's heart when he reflects that he has massed against himself a great army of such prosecutors!] All this, by a reckoning of four or five words a day, which are common to many men. How much more will there be found, among the notorious speakers of lashon hara, more than two hundred [such] words a day. This is the intent of "All who speak lashon hara magnify sin until the heavens."
וְלֹא יַחֲשֹׁב הָאָדָם: הֲלֹא אֲנִי אוֹמֵר בְּכָל יוֹם: סְלַח לָנוּ אָבִינוּ כִּי חָטָאנוּ. זֶה הָיָה טוֹב אִם הָיָה מַחֲשִׁיב זֶה לְחֵטְא, וְהָיָה מְקַבֵּל עַל עַצְמוֹ לְהִשָּׁמֵר מִמֶּנּוּ, כִּי לִתְשׁוּבָה צָרִיךְ עַל כָּל פָּנִים חֲרָטָה גְּמוּרָה וְקַבָּלָה גַּם לְהַבָּא. וּבַעֲוֹנוֹתֵינוּ הָרַבִּים אִישׁ הַמֻּרְגָּל בָּזֶה, אֵינוֹ חוֹשֵׁב זֶה לְעָוֹן כְּלָל. וְגַם בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁאוֹמֵר: עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּלָשׁוֹן הָרָע, אֵינוֹ מְקַּבֵּל עַל עַצְמוֹ שְׁמִירָה עַל לְהַבָּא, וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם נֹאמַר שֶׁהוּא מְקַבֵּל עַל עַצְמוֹ עַל לְהַבָּא, הֲלֹא הוּא מִדְּבָרִים שֶׁבֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ, וְאֵין יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים מְכַפֵּר עַד שֶׁיְּפַיֵּס לַחֲבֵרוֹ (יומא פ"ה:). וְאִישׁ כָּזֶה הֲלֹא בְּוַדַּאי קִלְקֵּל בִּלְשׁוֹנוֹ לְכַמָּה עַשְׂרוֹת אֲנָשִׁים, לָזֶה צִעֵר בִּלְשׁוֹנוֹ בְּאוֹנָאַת דְּבָרִים וְלָזֶה בְּלָשׁוֹן הָרָע וְלָזֶה בְּהַלְבָּנַת פָּנִים וְכַדּוֹמֶה. וְלָזֶה יָפֶה אָמְרוּ חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה, שֶׁהָאָדָם, בִּלְשׁוֹנוֹ הָרָע, מַגְדִּיל עֲוֹנוֹתָיו עַד לַשָׁמַיִם. וְעַל כֵּן צָרִיךְ הָאָדָם לָשִׂים לִבּוֹ וְדַעְתּוֹ לָזֶה, שֶׁלֹּא יִלָּכֵד לְמַעְלָה בְּחֵטְא זֶה. עוֹד אָמְרוּ: כָּל הַמְסַפֵּר לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: אֵין אֲנִי וְהוּא יְכוֹלִין לָדוּר בָּעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהילים ק"א ה'): "מְלָשְׁנִי בַסֵּתֶר רֵעֵהוּ אוֹתוֹ אַצְמִית" וְגוֹ', "אוֹתוֹ לֹא אוּכַל", אַל תִּקְרֵי "אוֹתוֹ" אֶלָּא אִתּוֹ.
And let one not think: "Do I not say every day: 'Forgive us, our Father, for we have sinned'?" This would avail if one considered this [lashon hara] a sin and took it upon himself to guard himself against it. For penance requires, at least, absolute regret [for the past] and also acceptance [for the future]. And, in our many sins, one who is habituated to lashon hara does not consider it a sin at all. And even on Yom Kippur, when one says: [Forgive us] "for the sin that we have sinned before you with lashon hara," he does not accept upon himself 'guarding' for the future. And even if we say that he does, is this not among the sins between man and his neighbor, for which Yom Kippur does not atone until he conciliates his neighbor? (see Yoma 85b). And, a man like this — has he not certainly harmed several tens of men with his tongue? He has hurt this man by verbal wronging, and that one with lashon hara, and the other, with "whitening of the face" and the like. About such a one our sages of blessed memory have rightly said that a man by his lashon hara magnifies sin until the heavens. Therefore, a man must set his heart and his mind to this, that he not be "entrapped" above in this sin. They have also said "If one speaks lashon hara, he and I cannot live [together] in the world, as it is written (Psalms 10:15): 'He who slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I cut down… him will I not abide.' Read it not: 'him will I not abide,' but 'with him' will I not abide."
וּרְאֵה עוֹד, כִּי בְּכָל מָקוֹם מָצִינוּ שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לָחוּשׁ לִכְבוֹד הַבְּרִיוֹת וְלֹא לְגַלּוֹת קְלוֹנָם, וְאִלּוּ בְּאָדָם זֶה לֹא חָשׁוּ כְּלָל לִכְבוֹדוֹ, וְאַדְּרַבָּה, רָאוּ שֶׁיִּתְפַּרְסֵם קְלוֹן הָאִישׁ הַזֶּה, וְהַכֹּל כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּכָּנַע, וְיִתְכַּפֵּר לוֹ, כִּי הִנֵּה מִלְּפָנִים, כְּשֶׁאֶחָד הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְהָבִיא נְסָכִים לְקָרְבָּנוֹת, הֻצְרַךְ לֵילֵךְ בְּמָעוֹתָיו לַמְמֻנֶּה עַל הַחוֹתָמוֹת (שקלים פרק ה') וְהִגִּיד לוֹ לְאֵיזֶה קָרְבָּן צָרִיךְ נְסָכִים, [כִּי חֶשְׁבּוֹן הַנְּסָכִים אֵין שָׁוֶה לַכֹּל], וְהָיָה נוֹתֵן לוֹ חוֹתָם, וּבָזֶה הַחוֹתָם הָיָה הוֹלֵךְ לַמְמֻנֶּה עַל הַנְּסָכִים, וְהָיָה נוֹתֵן לוֹ מַה שֶּׁצָּרִיךְ. וְעַל הַחוֹתָמוֹת הָיָה כָּתוּב עֲלֵיהֶן: עֵגֶל, זָכָר, גְּדִי, חוֹטֵא [הַיְנוּ מְצֹרָע], כְּדֵי שֶׁיֵּדַע כַּמָּה נְסָכִים צָרִיךְ לִקַּח. הֲרֵי דְּעַל מְצֹרָע לֹא חָשְׁשׁוּ כְּלָל לִכְבוֹדוֹ, וְכָתְבוּ עַל חוֹתָמוֹ חוֹטֵא, וּמִזֶּה הָיָה נוֹדָע לוֹ כַּמָּה נְסָכִים צָרִיךְ לְקָרְבְּנוֹתָיו.
And see further that in all places we find that we must be solicitous of men's honor and not reveal their shame; but they were not solicitous at all of the honor of a person like this [(an inveterate lashon-hara speaker.)] To the contrary, they saw to it that the name of this man should be publicized, and all, so that he be humbled and receive atonement. For in the past, when one had to bring libations for the offerings, he had to go with his money to the keeper of the seals (Shekalim 5) and tell him for which offering he required libations [(for the cost of the libations was not the same for all offerings.)] He would give him the seal, with which he would go to the keeper of the libations, who would give him what he needed. On the seals there was written: "calf," "male," "goat," "sinner" [i.e., "metzora"], so that he would know how many libations he needed to take. We see, then, that they were not solicitous of the honor of the metzora at all and wrote "sinner" on his seal, so that he would know how many libations he required for his offerings.
וּרְאֵה עוֹד, שֶׁמִּטָּהֳרָתוֹ יֵשׁ לְהִתְבּוֹנֵן עַל גֹּדֶל חֶטְאוֹ, שֶׁהִצְרִיךְ הַכָּתוּב לִתֵּן מִיֶּתֶר הַשֶּׁמֶן אֲשֶׁר עַל כַּפּוֹ עַל רֹאשׁ הַמִּטַּהֵר, מַה שֶּׁלֹּא מָצִינוּ כֵּן בְּשׁוּם מָקוֹם, וְהוּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁעָבַר בְּוַדַּאי עַל קַבָּלַת לָשׁוֹן הָרָע גַּם כֵּן, וְאִסּוּר קַבָּלַת לָשׁוֹן הָרָע הוּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמַּאֲמִין בְּדַעְתּוֹ לַלָּשׁוֹן הָרָע בְּהַחְלָטָה, שֶׁעָבַר בָּזֶה עַל לָאו (שמות כ"ג א') דְּ"לֹא תִשָּׂא שֵׁמַע שָׁוְא", וּכְמוֹ שֶׁבֵּרַרְנוּ דָּבָר זֶה בְּסֵפֶר "חָפֵץ חַיִּים" בְּשֵׁם הָרִאשׁוֹנִים. וְאִם כֵּן בְּוַדַּאי מָלְאָה דַּעְתּוֹ פְּגָמִים וּגְנוּת עַל כַּמָּה אֲנָשִׁים, וְלָזֶה הִצְרִיכָה הַתּוֹרָה לְטַהֵר אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ, וּכְדֵי שֶׁמִּכָּאן וּלְהַבָּא לֹא יֵלֵךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַזּוֹ עוֹד, וְיָדִין הַכֹּל לְכַף זְכוּת.
And see further that from his cleansing we can reflect upon the greatness of his sin. For Scripture required the Cohein to place what remained of the oil on his palm or on the head of the one to be cleansed, something that we find in no other place. And this, because he must also have sinned in the acceptance of lashon hara. And the issur of the acceptance of lashon hara stems from his believing the lashon hara absolutely in his mind, whereby he transgresses the negative commandment of (Shemoth 23a): "You shall not bear a false report," as we explained in Chafetz Chaim, in the name of the Rishonim. If so, his mind is full of blemishes and faults vis-à-vis many men, wherefore the Torah required him to cleanse his head, so that henceforward he will follow this path no more and will judge every man in the scales of merit.