THIS WEEK’S DIVREI SIMCHA IS WRITTEN FOR A ZECHUS OF A REFUAH SHLEIMA FOR RUCHAMA ALIZA SARA CHANA bas ESTER LIBA

This week’s parsha, we see the hazards of speaking Lashon Hara. At the beginning of the parsha, Yosef speaks Lashon Hara (slander) to his father about his brothers. He did it for a good reason, but it was still Lashon Hara. This begins the events that brought Yosef down to Mizraim (Egypt) and eventually all of the Children of Israel. Our terrible years in slavery were all started because of this one event. Lashon Hara is very dangerous. Therefore, this week, I would like to share with you an insight into Lashon Hara that I heard from Rav Yissochar Frand.

Rav Frand asks a simple question: When one thinks of the dangers of Lashon Hara, he usually thinks about how the slander can spread quickly from one person to another person and can literally destroy a person. Just one small conversation can be passed from one person to another and the person spoken about is ruined. But, then why is it that Lashon Hara is still forbidden if a person is speaking with their best friend in a private area and neither of them will tell anyone? The slander will never leave the room. Nothing bad will ever happen to the person spoken about. What is so wrong about this?

Rav Frand answers that the problem is the people involved speaking and listening to the Lashon Hara are looking at the person in a negative way. When one person looks at another in a negative light, this is not right. This is a sin! The problem with Lashon Hara is that the person being spoken about is not being looked at in a good way.

The Chofetz Chaim tells us how we can avoid ever speaking Lashon Hara – judge everyone favorably. Give everyone the benefit of the doubt. We know of the dangers of Lashon Hara – it can destroy the world! The opposite is also true though. If we avoid Lashon Hara, it is like we are saving the entire world. And by judging favorably and seeing the good in people, we can save the world!

Good Shabbos!
-yes
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