In Parshas Tazria, the Passuk (Vayikra 13:46) tells us regarding Tzara’as, “All the days the lesion is upon him, he shall remain unclean. He is unclean, he shall dwell isolated, and his dwelling shall be outside the camp.”
Rashi explains the words, “he shall dwell isolated” to mean that other unclean people [that are not stricken with Tzara’as] shall not live with him. Our Sages said: “Why is he different from other unclean people that he must remain isolated? Since, with his slander, he caused [discord and] separation between man and wife or between man and his fellow man, he too, in kind, will need to be separated.”
Rav Michel Yehudah Lefkowitz ZT”L explains that Hashem’s employment of Middah K’Neged Middah (paying a person back measure for measure) is not an example of “you get what you give” or “what goes around comes around.” Rather, it is a Chessed (kindness) from Hashem and instructional in nature. Once we are aware that Hashem operates in this fashion, it allows us to identify the specific area in which we have sinned so that we can correct it.
Rav Tzvi Shraga Grossbard ZT”L, the Rosh Yeshiva of Ponevech L’Tzeirim explains that the dwelling in isolation mentioned by the Passuk is also a Chessed that Hashem designed to correct the underlying cause of the Lashon Harah that was said by the individual. What is the underlying cause of speaking Lashon Harah?
Rav Grossbard answers (Daas Shraga, Vayikra p.48) that we tend to think that hate and jealousy are the general causes of Lashon Harah and are the byproducts of bad Middos (character traits). Rav Grossbard cites a Vilna Gaon, however, that indicates that the real reason behind our hate and jealousy towards others stems from our inability to perceive the truth.
In the blessing of Yotzer Ohr that is recited daily before we recite the Krias Shema, we state regarding the celestial angels, “All of them are beloved, all of them are pure, all of them are mighty and all of them perform with awe and reverence the will of their Creator...” The Vilna Gaon comments (in the Avnei Eliyahu) that regarding the celestial angels, “All of them are beloved” because they have no hate or jealousy among them because they see the truth – that each person (or entity) has their own specialized role to play and no one may take that which is prepared for another [by Hashem]. Therefore, each angel is happy and satisfied with the role that Hashem has assigned to him.
The cure for relieving ourselves of the base qualities of hate and jealousy which causes us to speak Loshon Harah, is seeing the absolute truth the way the angels do. To see that truth, Hashem “punishes” the individual who spoke Lashon Harah by separating him from the rest of the camp so that through this forced isolation, he has the time and headspace to reflect on this fundamental truth. Upon this realization, he will no longer speak Loshon Harah.
