As we have now left the seven-day period of Tashlumin after Shavuos, we should in all events take with us a revitalized Birchas HaTorah every morning. We should especially appreciate the words “V’Haarev Nah”--Hashem, please sweeten the words of Torah in our mouth, realizing that oh so few people in the world have the pleasure and opportunity to experience the incomparable, Heaven-sweetened honey of Torah. Additionally, we can focus on the words “HaMelamed Torah L’Amo Yisroel--that Hashem is a Melamed, a teacher of Torah to His people.” We should think about how we can act like Hashem, by sharing words of Torah with others around us, including those less fortunate with little or no Torah education of their own.
HaRav Matisyahu Salomon, Shlita, tells the story of how an American student in the Ponevezh Yeshiva, as a gesture of thanks to his Mashgiach, HaRav Yechezkel Levenstein, Z’tl, brought him and the Rebbetzin a new invention, a food processor, from America.
The Rebbetzin was initially perturbed, for she had a large, clumsy box, with something of obvious value inside, but she did not know what to do with it at all. HaRav Levenstein thereupon asked the American student to come over and translate the instructions to the machine for them. After hearing how to use the machine, and all that she could now do, the Rebbetzin was elated. She now possessed something which would really help her--and others as well.
The next day, HaRav Levenstein brought the food processor into the Yeshiva, and gave a Shmuz on the great lesson one could derive from it. Life could be viewed as a large, clumsy box, with something obviously valuable inside. However, without the proper instructions and directions it could cause a person more pain than pleasure (that is why so many people walk around depressed). If, on the other hand, one possesses and uses the instruction booklet for guidance and direction--i.e., the Torah--then he can truly produce a whole party--for himself and others--out of the one special and potent machine.
In last week’s Parsha, B’Haalosicha, the Torah concludes with the story of Miriam relating to Aharon her issue with Moshe Rabbeinu’s relationship with his wife, Tzipora. Miriam then suffers from Tzoraas, and millions of people wait for her for seven days until she is healed.
The Sefer Chofetz Chaim (Asei 1), notes at least ten defenses and strong mitigating factors in Miriam’s situation, but concludes that none alone, nor even all together, could save her--and Bnei Yisroel--from their difficult punishment. The defenses and mitigating factors, which we may all be familiar with, but nevertheless must be constantly reviewed, include: 1. Moshe was her younger brother; 2. She loved him dearly; 3. She actually raised him; 4. She endangered her life waiting to see what would happen to him as a baby at the Nile River, and spoke to Paroh’s daughter as to how he could best be saved and raised; 5. When speaking of him, it was not in a degrading fashion, as she simply compared him to all other Neviim (including herself and Aharon); 6. She did not speak in front of him to embarrass him, nor did she speak about him in public; 7. Instead, she spoke to her Holy brother, the Kohen Gadol, privately; 8. Moshe Rabbeinu was not makpid--i.e., he did not care; 9. Her intention was for Kinas HaEmes--for the sake of what was proper; and 10. Likewise, her intention was for Binyan HaOlam--for Moshe Rabbeinu to have more children.
The Chofetz Chaim concludes that it is for this reason that we have a Mitzvas Asei of the Torah to remember what happened to Miriam--in order to remind ourselves to do our utmost to avoid and greatly distance ourselves from the far baser acts of Loshon Hora which involve no such justifications or defenses.
It is especially important for us to recognize **and apply**this great lesson now, as the Torah immediately continues in this week’s Parsha with our nation sadly failing to learn from Miriam’s experience, which resulted in the catastrophe of the Meraglim and its effect on Bnei Yisroel for all time.
There is an especially moving S’forno (Bamidbar 1:2) who writes that not only did the Jewish people suffer from the sin of the Meraglim, but that the Canaanim, who were the then inhabitants of Eretz Yisroel, suffered immensely as well--for if Bnei Yisroel would not have sinned at that time, they would have entered the land immediately, and the Canaanim would simply have been chased out, as their sins had not yet reached the level for which they deserved death. As a result of the 40-year delay, their sins continued to accrue and compound, and, as a result by the time of Bnei Yisroel’s arrival, they (except for the Girgashi) all deserved to be killed. Because they were killed, all of their future generations were never born into the world. Thus, the S’forno concludes, Loshon Hora destroys not only the lives of those immediately involved, but by its very nature, destroys the world. Similarly, the S’forno writes, because the Bais HaMikdash was destroyed as a result of Loshon Hora, the entire world fell spiritually, and continues to exist in a spiritually-bereft state.
There is one additional, important and very beneficial point we can make. The Chofetz Chaim writes that if one has spoken Loshon Hora, and the Loshon Hora has been accepted, then the speaker must ask forgiveness from whom he has spoken about (i.e., the victim) in order to do Teshuva. HOWEVER, if the person listening does not accept, and in fact, rejects, the words of Loshon Hora, then the words have had no damaging effect, and the sin remains one of Bain Odom L’Makom, so that the Teshuva process need not include the embarrassment of asking a victim of Loshon Hora for forgiveness (see Sefer Chofetz Chaim, Hilchos Loshon Hora 4:12). It behooves us, then, to always be on the alert not to be Mekabel--not to accept, and in fact, reject--Loshon Hora so that you not only avoid hurting the victim, but actually eventually help the former culprit in his Teshuva process as well!
Important Numbers
