Rav Moshe of Pshevorsk zy”a (Sefer Ohr Pnei Moshe) asks why a metzorah deserves such a severe punishment. Isn’t it enough that he is stricken with tzora’as? Does he also need to be banished from the camp for two weeks, to sit in solitude, and to have to scream “tamei” when anyone approaches?
He says that the Torah itself hints to this question, as it begins: “Zos tihiye tors hametzorah.” The word “zos” always indicates something that is puzzling. Thus, the pasuk is saying that it is puzzling that a metzorah is given such a harsh punishment,
The Torah answers “hametzorah” – the thing that caused him to become a metzorah, i.e., speaking lashon hara, is the answer. The next word in the pasuk is “bayom” (on the day), which can be an acronym for “yeridas v’haba’as matar” – the falling and coming of rain. This is a reference to the Gemara that states (Taanis 7B): “Rav Shimon ben Pazi said that rain is withheld because of those who speak lashon hara, as is stated (Mishlei 25:23): ‘As the north wind creates rain, so a backbiting tongue creates an angry countenance.’” Thus, the pasuk is saying that the metzorah is punished so severely because it is his fault that much needed rain is withheld from the world. The next word of the pasuk, “taharaso”, can be translated to mean “to purify” or “to clean”. Thus, the pasuk can be understood to be saying that the clouds will be cleaned from the sky, and a hunger will descend upon the world.
According to all this, we see that in addition to being equally as bad as the three most severe sins – murder, idol worship and forbidden relationships (Eruchin 15B), lashon hara also causes hunger and drought. Therefore, one who speaks it deserves such a stringent punishment.
