In the Torah portion of Ki Teitzei, the theme of lashon hara—evil speech—comes into focus, particularly concerning Miriam, the prophetess and sister of Moses. Though she was respected as a prophet and leader, she was punished by G-d with leprosy for speaking negatively of Moses. This teaches us that even someone as elevated as Miriam, who played a critical role in the redemption of the Israelites, is not above the laws of proper speech. Her punishment was a powerful reminder of the severity of lashon hara, warning that words have immense power, both to harm and to heal.
The Torah underscores the fact that the prohibition of evil speech, which also applies to Noahides, can have far-reaching consequences. Just as a single harmful word can ripple through a community, damaging reputations, relationships, and trust, a good deed can have an equally powerful, positive ripple effect. This is often compared to the Domino effect—where a single good action can generate enormous benefits, sparking other acts of kindness and goodness. Similarly, evil speech can spiral out of control, but the converse is also true: positive speech and deeds can create lasting, beneficial change.
This idea connects deeply with the incitement of the primordial snake in Jewish tradition. The snake in the Garden of Eden is the embodiment of the evil inclination, using speech to manipulate and deceive. The word Nahash, meaning "snake," in gematria (the numerical value of Hebrew letters) is equal to the word Moshiach. This connection points to that just as the snake introduced evil into the world, the Moshiach will eradicate it and rectify the entire creation.
Where the snake represents deception and division, the Moshiach will bring about healing, unity, and a return to divine truth. The fact that these two words share the same numerical value suggests that the very root of evil, as symbolized by the snake, will be transformed in essence in the Messianic era.
By refraining from evil speech, we participate in the process of rectifying the world, preparing for the time when we eradicate evil once and for all. Just as evil speech has the power to bring destruction, positive actions and speech can help bring the world closer to that redemptive moment.
*This is from a series of articles by Rabbi Bernstein Moshe.
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