He who speaks with an evil tongue

Synopsis

Rabbi Yitzchak says that God pardons everything except an evil tongue; one who speaks evil, intending to defile another, is defiled himself. Because of the sins of Yisrael, the Other Side was awakened in Jerusalem and it was abandoned by God. Rabbi Yehuda says that the word Metzora, meaning 'leper,' includes the words Mozi Ra, meaning 'speaks evil,' and we learn that the prayers of one who speaks evil never come before God until he repents; then he will be cleansed.

Deeds Evil Hebrew Letters Lepers Sin Torah

14. Come and behold: the Holy One, blessed be He, grants pardons for all the sins of the world, save the evil tongue, for this man speaks evil of another, as it is written: "This shall be the Torah of the leper (Heb. metzora)" (Vayikra 14:2). THAT IS, he speaks evil of his friend, SINCE "METZORA" IS SPELLED WITH THE SAME LETTERS AS THE WORDS, MOTZI RA (LIT. 'SPREADS EVIL'). Rabbi Chiya said: If someone spreads an evil name, all his limbs become defiled and he should be shut out, for his evil speech rises aloft and calls down an unclean Spirit on him, and he is defiled. He who intends to defile is defiled; by the deed below another one is roused.

14. ת"ח, כָּל חוֹבֵי עָלְמָא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מְכַפֵּר עָלַיְיהוּ, בִּתְשׁוּבָה, בַּר מֵהַהוּא לִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא, דְּאַפִּיק שׁוּם בִּישׁ עַל חַבְרֵיהּ. וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ, דִּכְתִּיב, זֺאת תִּהְיֶה תּוֹרַת הַמְּצוֹרָע, זֺאת הִיא תּוֹרָתוֹ שֶׁל מוֹצִיא שֵׁם רָע. רִבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר, כָּל מַאן דְּאַפִּיק לִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא, אִסְתַּאֲבָן לֵיהּ כָּל שַׁיְיפוֹי, וְיִתְחֲזֵי לְסַגְרָא, בְּגִין דְּהַהִיא מִלָּה בִּישָׁא סַלְּקָא וְאִתְּעַר רוּחָא מִסְאֲבָא עֲלוֹי וְאִסְתְּאַב, אָתֵי לְאִסְתַּאֲבָא מְסָאֲבִין לֵיהּ, בְּמִלָּה דִּלְתַתָּא אִתְּעַר מִלָּה אָחֳרָא.

Congregation Harlotry Jerusalem Judgment Leprosy Other Side Sin Torah

15. He opened the discussion, saying: "How is the faithful city become a harlot" (Yeshayah 1:21), MEANING HOW can she, who was faithful to her husband, become a harlot? "It was full of judgment (or: justice)" (Ibid.). Justice is the Holy One, blessed be He, and righteousness is the Congregation of Yisrael, NAMELY MALCHUT. Because another aspect was awakened - THE OTHER SIDE WAS AWAKENED BECAUSE OF THE SINS OF YISRAEL - the Holy One, blessed be He, called 'Justice,' departs from her, NAMELY, FROM MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED 'RIGHTEOUSNESS.' A spirit of murderers abides in her, as it is written: "But now murderers" (Ibid.). If that was the fate of Jerusalem, the Holy City, how much more so must that be the fate of ordinary men, as it is written: "This shall be the Torah of the leper."

15. פָּתַח וְאָמַר, אֵיכָה הָיְתָה לְזוֹנָה קִרְיָה נֶאֱמָנָה וְגוֹ.' מַאן דַּהֲוַת מְהֵימָנָא לְבַעְלָהּ, אַהֲדְרַת לְזוֹנָה. מְלֵאֲתִי מִשְׁפָּט, מִשְׁפָּט, וַדַּאי דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, צֶדֶק, דָּא כ"י, וּבְגִין דְּאַתְּעָרַת מִלָּה אָחֳרָא, אִסְתְּלַּק מִנָּהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְשַׁרְיָא בָּהּ רוּחָא דְּקַטוּלֵי. הה"ד וְעַתָּה מְרַצְחִים. וּמַה יְרוּשְׁלֵם קַרְתָּא קַדִּישָׁא כַּךְ, שְׁאָר בְּנֵי נָשָׁא עאכ"ו. הה"ד, זֺאת תִּהְיֶה תּוֹרַת הַמְּצוֹרָע.

Evil Lepers Prayer Priests Repentance

16. Rabbi Yehuda opened the discussion saying: "This," MALCHUT, shall confront him, the one who spread the evil speech, to punish the man who speaks evil, FOR THE WORD METZORA (LIT. 'A LEPER') INCLUDES THE WORDS MOZI RA, THAT IS, 'SPEAKS EVIL.' "In the day of his cleansing he shall be brought to the priest" (Vayikra 14:2). We learn from this verse that the prayer of the man who has an evil tongue does not come before the Holy One, blessed be He, for the Evil Spirit abides with him. However, if he repents, then "in the day of his cleansing he shall be brought to the priest... and the priest shall look..." (Ibid. 2-3).

16. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר, זֺאת תִּהְיֶה וַדַּאי לָקֳבְלֵיהּ לְאִתְפָּרְעָא מִנֵּיהּ, דְּהַהוּא מוֹצִיא שֵׁם רָע, בְּיוֹם טָהֳרָתוֹ וְהוּבָא אֶל הַכֺּהֵן, מַאי קמ"ל. מַשְׁמַע, מַאן דְּאִית לֵיהּ לִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא צְלוֹתֵיהּ לָא עָאלַת קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּהָא אִתְּעַר עָלֵיהּ רוּחָא מִסְאֲבָא. כֵּיוָן דְּאָהֲדָר בִּתְשׁוּבָה וְקַבִּיל עָלֵיהּ תְּשׁוּבָה, מַה כְּתִיב, בְּיוֹם טָהֳרָתוֹ וְהוּבָא אֶל הַכֺּהֵן וְגוֹ' וְרָאָה הַכֺּהֵן וְגוֹ.'

Birds Hyssop Lebanon Point Priests Purification Tree Walls

17. "Then shall the priest command to take for him to be cleansed two live clean birds" (Vayikra 14:4). Rabbi Yitzchak and Rabbi Yosi were staying with Rabbi Shimon. One day, he said to them: It is known that a cedar tree IS TIFERET, for it is written, "From the cedar tree that is in Lebanon" (I Melachim 5:13). That cedar, WHICH IS TIFERET, can strike roots only in Lebanon, WHICH IS BINAH, and we have already learned this. BUT what is the point of the "hyssop that comes out of the wall" (Ibid.)?

17. וְצִוָּה הַכֺּהֵן וְלָקַח לַמִּטַּהֵר שְׁתֵּי צִפֳּרִים חַיּוֹת. ר' יִצְחָק וְר' יוֹסֵי הֲווֹ שְׁכִיחֵי קַמֵּיהּ דר"ש. יוֹמָא חַד אָ"ל, עֵץ אֶרֶז הָא יְדִיעַ, כד"א, מִן הָאֶרֶז אֲשֶׁר בַּלְּבָנוֹן, דְּהָא הַהוּא עֵץ אֶרֶז, לָא אִשְׁתָּרְשָׁן נְטִיעוֹי אֶלָּא בַּלְּבָנוֹן, וְהָא אִתְּמַר. אֵזוֹב לָמָּה, וּמַאי הוּא.