explains, it is because he spoke lashon hara about them, and it says: Anyone who speaks lashon hara is worthy of being thrown to the dogs. In Parshat Vayechi, Yaakov Avinu blesses Shimon and Levi and says to them:
שִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי אַחִים כְּלֵי חָמָס מְכֵרֹתֵיהֶם: בְּסֹדָם אַל תָּבֹא נַפְשִׁ י בִּקְ הָלָם אַל תֵּחַד כְּבֹדִ י כִּי בְאַפָּם הָרְ גוּ אִישׁ וּבִרְ צֹנָם עִקְרוּ שׁ וֹר: אָרוּר אַפָּם כִּי עָז וְעֶבְרָתָם כִּי קָשׁ ָתָה אֲחַלְקֵם בְּיַעֲקֹב וַאֲפִיצֵם בְּ יִ שְׂ רָ אֵ ל :
Shimon and Levi are brothers; instruments of violence are their swords. Let my soul not enter their council; let my honor not be united with their assembly, for in their anger they killed a man, and in their willfulness, they hamstrung an ox. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel. I will divide them in Yaakov and scatter them in Israel.
Rashi explains, Yaakov said, “I will separate them from each other so that Levi will not be counted among the tribes, and thus they are divided.” Alternatively, you will find no poor people, scribes, and teachers of children except from Shimon, so that they will be scattered, and the tribe of Levi was made to go around the storerooms for tithes and offerings, giving them their dispersion with honor.
Rabbi Shimshon of Ostropola, may his blood be avenged, writes (Dan Yadin, Maamar 8): And with this, you will understand why specifically Rabbi Yesheivav the scribe, one of the ten martyrs, was not buried in a burial. It is known that Shimon took Yosef and threw him into the pit, and he blemished Hakadosh Baruch Hu in the aspect of י-שׁ ַ ד ּ ַ, and for this Yaakov needed to daven: י יִתֵּן לָכֶם רַ חֲמִים-ל שׁ ַ ד ּ ַ -וְ אֵ . And behold, Shimon blemished the secret of י-שׁ ַ ד ּ ַ in the secret of murder, therefore Rabbi Yesheivav, who is his reincarnation, was not buried in a burial and was thrown to the dogs. ישבב in gematria is י-שד. From this, it is understood what Chazal expounded (Shabbat 63a): Rabbi Abba said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish – Anyone who raises a bad dog in his house prevents kindness from his house; and Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak adds – He also removes the fear of Heaven from himself. Therefore, Rabbi Yesheivav was given to the dogs. Rabbi Shimshon of Ostropola closes with: “In this matter, there are secrets of secrets, wondrous ancient mysteries, and I am not permitted to reveal them at all, and the pen cannot bear it.”
The Seder HaDorot writes, Yosef was reincarnated in Rabbi Chutzpit HaMeturgeman, about both it is said ”'handsome in form and appearance”. A pig dragged his tongue because he spoke lashon hara about his brothers, and Elisha ben Avuya saw and went out to a bad culture.
We’ll close with the critical writings of the Chafetz Chaim:
ִן הַחֵטְא הַזֶּה. הָאִישׁ הַפָּשׁ וּט בְּוַדַּאי אָכֵן בֶּאֱמֶת נִתְבּוֹנֵן מִי יוּכַל לְתַקֵּן הַחֵטְא הַזֶּה. הָאִישׁ הַפָּשׁ וּט בְּוַדַּאי לֹא יוּכַל לִשְׁמֹר הָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה כַּהֲלָכָה, אַחֲרֵ י שׁ ֶאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ מַה הוּא לָשׁ וֹן הָרָע וּמַה הוּא רְ כִילוּת, וְאֵיזֶה דָּבָר נִכְנָס בִּכְלָלָם. וְעִקוּ ן תּ ָ לוּ י בְּמִי שׁ ֶהוּא בֶּן תּוֹרָ ה. הוּא יָכוֹל לְהִתְבּוֹנֵן בְּהִלְכוֹתֶיהָ וּלְהִזָּהֵר וּלְ קַ י ...וְהִנֵּה לְפִי מַה שֶּׁבֵּאַרְ נוּ לְעֵיל, תָּלוּי בָּזֶה בִּנְיַן הַבַּיִת דְּ לֶ עָ תִ יד, ִן הַחֵטְא הַ ִתְחַזֵּק לְתַקֵּן הַחֵטְא הַזֶּה, יִהְיֶה לוֹ חֵלֶק בַּבַּיִת הַבָּנוּי לֶעָתִיד, דְּ בִלְתָּם הָיָה הַבַּיִת חָרֵ ב לְעוֹלָם, חַס וְשׁ ָלוֹם.
But, in truth, let us reflect who can correct this sin? The plain person can certainly not do so correctly, since he does not know what lashon hara is and what rechilut is and what enters into their categories. So that their fundamental correction depends upon one who is a Torah scholar. He can reflect upon their halachot and take care to fulfill them. ... And all who strengthen themselves to correct this sin will have a share in the future Beit Hamikdash; for without them, the Beit Hamikdash would be in ruins forever, G-d forbid.
Rabbotai, the translation of this is: The correction for this is to accept upon ourselves the study of the laws of lashon hara daily; studying two laws at the table every day, with the whole family sitting around the table – a most tremendous thing!
The Chafetz Chaim then closes with a powerful idea:
וְהִנֵּה אִם הָיְתָה לָנוּ רְ שׁ וּת לִבְנוֹת בֵּית הַמִּקְ דָּשׁ , וְהָיָה צָרִ יך כֶּסֶף לָזֶה, יָדוּעַ דְּ כָל אֶחָד מִי שְׂרָאֵל הָיָה מְנַדֵּב בְּנֶפֶשׁ חֲפֵצָה כָּל מַה שֶּׁבְּכֹחוֹ לָזֶה, כְּדֵי שׁ ֶיעִנְיָנֵנוּ אֵין כֶּסֶף כְּלָל, רַ ק לְהִתְחַזֵּק לְהִתְרַ חֵק מִן הַחֵטְא הֶחָמוּר שׁ ֶל לָשׁ וֹן הָרָע וְשִׂנְאַת חִנָּם, וְלֶאֱחֹז בְּמִדַּת הַשָּׁלוֹם, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה יְתֻקַּן הַחֵטְא וְ נִזְ כֶּ ה לְ בִ יאַ ת הַ מָּ שׁ ִ יחַ וּלְ בִ נְיַן הַ מִּ קְ דָּ שׁ . וְ כַ מָּה יִתְרוֹמֵם שְׁמוֹ שׁ ֶל הָאִישׁ הַזֶּה, שׁ ֶהוּא הָיָה הַסִּבָּה לְבִנְיַן הַבַּיִת, וְכַאֲשׁ ֶר נִמְצָא בִּנְחֶמְיָה )פרק ג'(, נִרְ שְׁמוּ שׁ ָם לָנֶצַח שְׁמוֹת הָאֲנָשִׁים, שׁ ֶנָּתְנוּ חֵלֶק בַּחוֹמָה שׁ ֶל יְרוּשׁ ָלַיִם, וְעַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה בַּבַּ וּפָא.
Now if we were authorized to build the Beit Hamikdash and money were required, it is well known that each Jew would willingly contribute all that he could, so that he, too, would have a share in the Beit Hamikdash. Now, in our case, money is not required at all! Only to strengthen ourselves and to distance ourselves from the grave sin of lashon hara and sinat chinam and to hold onto the trait of shalom. By doing so, the sin will be corrected and we will merit the coming of the Messiah and the building of the Beit Hamikdash. And how exalted will be the name of that man who was the cause of the rebuilding of the Beit Hamikdash, as we find in Nechemiah (3), where are recorded for all time the names of those men who donated a portion of the wall of Yerushalayim. How much more so, one who gives for the Beit Hamikdash itself!
The Chafetz Chaim tells us, everything depends on guarding one’s tongue. The first sin in Creation by the serpent was lashon hara, which brought to the world the impurity of niddah, idolatry, heresy, bloodshed, immorality, etc. Because of it, the galut in Mitzrayim came, and because of it, the spies sinned, and because of it, the two Batei Mikdash were destroyed – and this, the Chafetz Chaim tells us, is what delays the building of the third Beit Hamikdash!
Let us all strengthen ourselves in guarding our speech, in ahavat chinam (baseless love), and in pursuing peace between a person and his fellow, and then Hakadosh Baruch Hu will hasten our redemption and send us Mashiach Tzidkeinu speedily in our days, Amen v’Amen!
