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Thought for the Day: Even Moshe Rabbeinu Fears Lashon Ha'Rah

Moshe Rabbeinu's encounter with HaShem at the burning bush is filled with drama. This year, though, I noticed a puzzling sequence of events. Moshe (Shmos 4:1) proposed that Klal Yisrael will not pay attention to his claims. HaShem responds by giving Moshe Rabbeinu two signs that he can use to prove who sent him. First, his staff is turned into a snake and then back to a staff. Second, Moshe Rabbeinu is stricken and then cured of tzara'as on his hand. As Rashi notes, both of these signs are associated with lashon harah. The sages of Klal Yisrael will recognize that as a response to Moshe saying lashon hara about Klal Yisrael and then they will believe him.

I am good with all that. (I know, HaShem is thrilled that I agree... what a ba'al gaivah I am.....) The details of the snake sign, though, are puzzling to me. First HaShem directs Moshe Rabbeinu to confirm that it really is a staff he is holding. Moshe Rabbeinu affirms. Moshe Rabbeinu is directed to throw the staff to the ground. Moshe Rabbeinu complies. Yikes! It's a snake!!! I added "yikes" to the narrative because Moshe Rabbeinu fled from the snake. I can imagine it is a big, scary snake. Anyone would be terrified of being face to face with a big scary snake.  Except one thing...

In the next verse Moshe Rabbeinu is directed to reach down and take a hold of the snake's tail. As soon as the snake's tail is in Moshe Rabbeinu's hand -- voilà! It's a staff again. So... that means that Moshe Rabbeinu was not facing a big, scary snake; the snake had his - so to speak - back to Moshe Rabbeinu. Why did he flee?

In sefer Chafeitz Chaim, Klal 5, syef 2, the Chafeitz Chaim describes - at quite some length -- one of the worst forms of lashon harah -- gossiping about another Jew's deficiencies. "He's not the such a big talmid chacham." "He's not as wealthy as people think." "He's gets a little cold and he's wearing a mask." etc, etc, etc, And the defense? "Oh please, I'm not really saying something so bad about him. Not really bad at all, in fact. Who cares that he's not the greatest talmid chacham, or not so wealthy, or a bit of a whiner. I mean, big deal."

The answer to those excuses, writes the saintly Chafeitz Chaim, is to consider how you would feel if you heard someone saying these things about you. "What?!?  <sputter, sputter>... Why would you say those things about me? What did I do to you? I mean, it's true, but I work hard for a parnassa and I learn as much as I can when I have time and energy, and I don't want to get other people sick with my cough." Right, once it is turned back on you, and even though it is all true, you are upset and worried about what others will think of you, and you have excuse after excuse.

Moshe Rabbeinu said that Klal Yisrael wouldn't listen to him, so HaShem provided him with a how that feels -- a big, mean, scary snake. Even though the snake is not facing you and is not poised to attack. So tame you can even reach down to hold its tail. Well, yeah, but it's a snake and it could turn on you at any moment.

Right. Lashon HaRah is a snake and it can turn on you at any moment.

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