Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan (the Chofetz Chaim) has created an awareness throughout the Jewish world about the importance of not speaking Lashon Hara. He wrote a number of seforim about the importance of not speaking Lashon Hara and about the laws of not speaking Lashon Hara.

The gemara (Yoma 9a) tells us that one of the main reasons why Hashem destroyed the Beis Hamikdash and brought the Jewis people into exile was because of the Lashon Hara that we were speaking at the time. The Chofetz Chaim says that our improper speech creates an iron wall between us and Hashem and it is actually one of the main reasons that Hashem has not rebuilt the Beis Hamikdash for almost 2,000 years!

The Torah dedicates nearly two entire parshas, (Parshas Tazriah and in Parshas Metzorah), to demonstrate to us how much that Hashem wants us to avoid speaking Lashon Hara (to hurt others with the words that we speak about them or to speak about others in a critical manner). In a miraculous manner, Hashem brings us spiritual plagues to teach us and encourage us to improve ourselves and to stop speaking Lashon Hara.

Most of us want to stop speaking Lashon Hara. We think about it, we speak about it, and we learn about it, however we still find ourselves speaking it too frequently.

The fact that we haven’t fixed this problem for the last 2,000 years is a clear indication that it is really difficult for us improve! Therefore, if we want to overcome this challenge we need to make a clear commitment to improve.

There are a number of reasons why we often don’t recognize how severe that the sin of Lashon Hara is. We often don’t recognize that having negative thoughts and feelings about others is a great sin, and certainly speaking in a negative manner about others is certainly a terrible sin. In addition to that we often don’t recognize how much damage that we can do to others when we speak Lashon Hara. We also have so many biases and justifications for the way that we speak and we often don’t even realize that we are doing something wrong as we speak Lashon Hara.

The Sefer Hachinuch explains that when Hashem created the laws of a Metzorah, He was creating a system and a program for a Lashon Hara speaker to stop speaking Lashon Hara.

He explains that one of the main components of the program that Hashem created was the aspect that the Metzorah has to be away from his family and friends until he improves. This creates a recognition that he must change. When we have a clear recognition that we must stop speaking Lashon Hara we can make a clear commitment to really changing. As long as we can push it off in our mind and tell ourselves that we don’t really need to change, then even if we sort of commit to changing, it is unlikely that we will really make meaningful changes.

In our days we don’t have tzaraas, and we don’t have such a clear message from Hashem that we must stop speaking Lashon Hara, however when Hashem taught us the laws of tzaraas, He was teaching us that we must change.

Even when we have a clear commitment to change it is still very difficult to do so. We need to be determined to become kinder and more compassionate people who are dedicated to praising others with our words. We need to use our words to build others up and not to use our words to put others down.

The Sefer Hachinuch tells us another important message from the laws of the Metzorah. Part of the program that the Metzorah went through was to communicate with a kohen. The Sefer Hachinuch explains that the function of the kohen was to be a mentor to help the person improve in his speaking of Lashon Hara. Aharon Hakohen’s legacy of helping people become better people and being nicer to each other was carried on by his children and grandchildren as well. They loved peace and they pursued it and they helped others improve as well.

The Sefer Hachinuch explained that after people recovered from the whole tzaraas experience, they often made sure to surround themselves with people who helped them to create an environment where they weren’t critical of others and speaking Lashon Hara to each other consistently.

We all need an Aharon Hakohen in our lives to help us to recognize the importance of focusing on building others through our words. Sometimes we need a personal mentor who can help us make the changes that are difficult for us to make ourselves. We also need to be an Aharon Hakohen and to create an atmosphere where our friends and family focus on building up others.

In conclusion, the journey to stop speaking Lashon Hara is a challenging yet rewarding endeavor. By understanding the profound impact of our words, committing to personal growth, and seeking guidance from spiritual teachings, we can transform our communication and foster a more positive environment.

Remember, every step taken towards this goal not only benefits ourselves but also contributes to the well-being of those around us. Let us strive to be mindful, compassionate, and respectful in our speech, and together, we can create a world where kindness and understanding prevail.

We need to improve and we can improve! Let’s make it happen!