Page 239 - V1

Introduction to החיתפ
Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפסל
Aseen - A1
ב השע - ןישע

brother (your fellow Jew), you will not be spared from punishment. He לכו ,ללכּ וֹבהוֹא וֹניאֶשׁ ליִלֲעבּ הארְנ ,תמא רבדּה םִא
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brings a clear proof from the Sifri and concludes as follows: From here
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we see Chazal made this a mitzvah, a positive commandment, and not .םיּקְַמ וֹניא יאדּובּ ךָוֹמכדּ ןכֶּשׁ
just a historical story and good advice in order that we be spared from the
punishment of ne’ga’im.
יֵעגנ תא עדֵוֹי םדא לכּ אלֹהדּ ,הז לע הלוֹדגּה היָארְָהו
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How is it possible that Lashon Hara, which is equated to the sin of murder,
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would not be written in the Torah as an explicit Lav or as a Lav that וֹרבחֶשׁ ,ןפֹא םוּשׁבּ הצוֹר וֹניא ןכ יִפּ לע ףאו ,וֹמצע
evolves from an Aseh? (from here the Ramban implies that the Lav of
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“Do not peddle gossip” is a warning only against Rechilut but not Lashon טעְמ עדַוֹנֶּשׁ ,ערַא םִא ףאו .ףלאֵמ דחא ףא הזִּמ עדַי
Hara. But the Rambam in the beginning of the 7 perek of Hilchot De’Aut ,םיִשׁנאל הז רפּסְמוּ ךְלוֹה וֹרבחו ,וֹרבח לצא ויָתוֹנוֹרסחֵמ
th
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does not seem to agree with the Ramban. I have discussed this at length
elsewhere). Nevertheless, in this citation of the Ramban, “remember what אלֶֹּשׁ 'ה ןֵתּיֶּשׁ יאולה ,הפּצְמוּ דֵמוֹע אוּה ןכ יִפּ לע ףא
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Hashem did to Miryam” there is a very strong warning to refrain from
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speaking Lashon Hara both publicly and privately, both intentionally in קזּחְתי אלֶֹּשׁ ידֵכּ לֹכּהו ,וֹל וּניִמאי אלֹו וירָבדּ תא וּלבּקַי
order to cause damage or unintentionally. This is one of the 613 mitzvot
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(Ramban quoted up until here). הבּרְה וֹמצעבּ עדֵוֹי אוּהדּ ףא ,ןוּגה וֹניאֶשׁ םדאל םהיניֵעבּ
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יִפּ לע ףא ,וילע וֹרבח רפִּסֶּשׁ המִּמ רֵתוֹי ,תוֹנוֲֹעהֵמ הבּרְהו
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Similarly the Se’Mak (mitzvah #124) counts “remember” as a positive
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commandment from the Torah. Regarding the Rambam, even though he תמחֵמ לֹכּה החדְנ ,וֹמצע תא בהוֹא אוּהֶשׁ הבהאה ברֵֹמ ןכ
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does not list this in his Sefer HaMitzvot, he does bring it in his Mishneh
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Torah. This is the Rambam’s language at the end of his discussion of the ,וּהֵערֵל תוֹשֲׂעל הרָוֹתּה יִפּ לע ךְירִצ שׁמּמ הז ןפֹאבּ ןכּ .הז
Laws pertaining to the Tumah \ Impurity of the Tza’ra’at. This change in
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the appearance of the walls of a house that the Torah calls Tza’ra’at was .םינפאה לכבּ וֹדוֹבכּ לע סוּחל
Hashem’s vehicle for warning this person against speaking Lashon Hara. It
was unlike anything that existed in nature. Tza’ra’at was an extraordinary
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sign given for the benefit of the Jewish people in order to caution them 'ט תיִשׁארֵבּ( חֹנדּ הֶשֲׂעמ הרָוֹתּה וּנל הבְתכּ םנִּחל אלֹו
against speaking Lashon Hara. If someone spoke Lashon Hara, the walls ְ ְ ָ ַ ַ ְ ַ ִ ַ ָ ִ ַ ֵ ַ
of his house would change in appearance. If he did Teshuvah, the walls םֵשׁו 'וֹגו םח ארְיּו 'וֹגו לגְּתיּו רכְּשׁיּו ְתְּשׁיּו" :)ב"כ-א"כ
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would return to their normal appearance. If he remained evil and continued תא הרָוֹתּה וּנל הרְָפִּס םגו ,"םהיִבא תורְע תא וּסִּכּ תפיו
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to speak Lashon Hara even after his house was destroyed, the coverings
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and the furnishings of his house (such as his chair coverings or the bed תא וּנל תוֹארְהל ,ףוֹסּבל המיּקְַתנו חֹנ םכרְבֶּשׁ הכרָבּה
sheets that he slept on) would become defiled with Tza’ra’at. If at that וֹרבח תוּנגּ לע תוֹפּחל םדאה ךְירִצֶּשׁ ,תאֹזּה הדִּמּה תלּדֻגּ
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point he did Teshuvah they would all return to their normal appearance.
But if he continued to speak Lashon Hara his own skin would develop .וֹמצע לֶשׁ לע וֹמכּ וֹחֹכּ לכבּ
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Tza’ra’at and he would be forced to seclude himself until he learned
to stop speaking the kind of conversation that is typical of evil people,
namely, cynicism \ scoffing and Lashon Hara. Regarding this the Torah
issues a warning “be careful not to come into contact with the Tza’ra’at
lesion,” remember what Hashem did to Miryam.” He (HaKadosh Baruch
Hu) is telling us (in His Torah), think very carefully about what happened
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