Lashon Hora – Tzarat – 7 things causes Tzaraht  – Arachin 16:a

על שבעה דברים נגעים באין על לשון הרע ועל שפיכות דמים ועל שבועת שוא ועל גילוי עריות ועל גסות הרוח ועל הגזל ועל צרות העין

Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani says that says: Leprous marks come and afflict a person for seven sinful matters: For malicious speech, for bloodshed, for an oath taken in vain, for forbidden sexual relations, for arrogance, for theft, and for stinginess.

על לשון הרע דכתיב (תהלים קא, ה) מלשני בסתר רעהו אותו אצמית  The Gemara explains the source for the claim that each of these seven sins is punishable with leprosy.

For malicious speech one is punished, as it is written: “Whoever defames his neighbor in secret, I will destroy him; whoever is haughty of eye and proud of heart, I will not suffer him” (Psalms 101:5). The Gemara explained above (15b) that this is referring to leprosy.

על שפיכות דמים דכתיב (שמואל ב ג, כט) ואל יכרת מבית יואב זב ומצורע וגו’

For bloodshed, as it is written about Joab, as punishment for murdering Abner: “And let there not fail from the house of Joab a zav, or a leper, or that leans on a staff, or that falls by the sword, or that lacks bread” (II Samuel 3:29)

ועל שבועת שוא דכתיב (מלכים ב ה, כג) ויאמר נעמן הואל קח ככרים וכתי’ (מלכים ב ה, כז) וצרעת נעמן תדבק בך וגו’

And for an oath taken in vain, as it is written: “And Naaman said: Be content [ho’el], take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garment, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bore them before him” (II Kings 5:23). The Sages maintain that the term ho’el indicates an oath, and that Naaman requested of Gehazi, to whom this was stated, to take an oath that Elisha had sent him to accept gifts, which Elisha had not done, and Gehazi took the oath. When Elisha found out what Gehazi had done he cursed him, and so it is written: “The leprosy of Naaman shall stick to you and to your children forever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow” (II Kings 5:27).

ועל גילוי עריות דכתיב (בראשית יב, יז) וינגע ה’ את פרעה נגעים וגו’

And for forbidden sexual relations, as it is written: “And the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great afflictions because of Sarai, Abram’s wife” (Genesis 12:17).

ועל גסות הרוח דכתיב (דברי הימים ב כ״ו, טז) ובחזקתו גבה לבו עד להשחית וימעול בה’ אלהיו (דברי הימים ב כ״ו, יט) והצרעת זרחה במצחו

And for arrogance, as it is written with regard to King Uzziah: “But when he was strong his heart became arrogant so that he did corruptly, and he trespassed against the Lord his God; for he went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense” (II Chronicles 26:16). And it states: “Then Uzziah was angry; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense; and

ועל הגזל דכתיב (ויקרא יד, לו) וצוה הכהן ופנו את הבית תנא הוא כונס ממון שאינו שלו יבא הכהן ויפזר ממונו

And for theft, as it is written: “And the priest shall command that they empty the house, before the priest go in to see the mark, that all that is in the house not become impure; and afterward the priest shall go in to see the house” (Leviticus 14:36). In explanation of this verse, the Sages taught: He gathered property that is not his, therefore let the priest come and scatter his property.

ועל צרות העין דכתיב (ויקרא יד, לה) ובא אשר לו הבית [וגו’] ותנא דבי ר’ ישמעאל מי שמיוחד ביתו לו

And for stinginess, as it is written: “Then he that owns the house shall come and tell the priest, saying: There seems to me to be as it were a mark in the house” (Leviticus 14:35). And the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: The verse calls him the one who owns the house because it is referring to one who was stingy and treated his house as being exclusively his, and did not allow others to share his property.