Distancing a Person From His Creator:

The Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh (Vayikroh 14:9) writes: "Nothing distances a person from his creator as much as lashon hara does." With this in mind, he explains the words of the pasuk (ibid): "This shall be the rule of the metzorah on the day of his purification, and he shall be brought to the kohen. " When a person wants to purify himself from the sin of lashon hara, he must come to Hashem (whom the Zohar Hakadosh refers to as a “Kohen”, see Chelek 3, 49B). Since he distanced himself from Hashem, he must be brought back to Him.