Towards the end of our parashah, Miriam relates to Aharon her concern that Moshe separated from his wife Tziporah. For this she was punished with tzaraas and was sent outside the camp for seven days. The Chafetz Chaim observes that Miriam didn’t have any negative intent, she only desired to defend the honor of her sister-in-law Tziporah. She greatly admired Moshe and invested a lot of energy helping raise him when he was young. Furthermore, this comment was not said in public, only in private to her brother Aharon. Yet, she was still punished, showing us how severe lashon hara is. It is a mitzvah from the Torah to remember this incident, helping us be more on guard not to speak lashon hara.
The Magen Avraham (60:2) teaches that we should specifically remember what happened to Miriam, when we say the words lehodos lecha, to thank You, in ahavah rabbah each morning. What is the connection? Why specifically here do we remember this? The Magen Avraham explains that
