The Goal of the Exodus – Don’t Slander!

22 Adar B 5779
Parashath Shemini/Parah

l'iluy nishmath Lazer Wolf ben Tzvi Hirsh & Lillian on his 15th yahrzeit

by Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher | first published here

Blogger's Note: R' Sprecher doesn't often write like this. He feels strongly that the more religious and the more in the public eye a person is, the more he needs to take responsibility for what he says. Israeli elections are times of disunion on all sides, so one must take extra care of what goes out of his mouth — at least as much care as he takes of what goes into it. 

The big question is: Why can't we seem to handle a publicly-known difference between Jews in the Jewish State, implicating all of us who live here, without speaking lashon hara that spreads worldwide?

Rav Sprecher also brings out what might be considered a hiddush (new understanding) regarding a well-known statement by King David. Watch for it!
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"You shall not defile yourselves through any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. For I am G-d who elevates you from the Land of Egypt." (Vayikra 11:44,45)

What is the connection between the Exodus from Egypt and the prohibition of eating insects? Why does the Torah juxtapose these two subjects? HaRav Mordechai HaCohen in his sefer, Al HaTorah, gives a profound explanation. Certain individuals are extremely careful not to swallow any insect, which is a serious transgression. These people painstakingly check fruits and vegetables with a microscopic lens to make certain that even the tiniest bug, not visible to the naked eye, enters their mouth.

Regrettably, some of these same people have no problem "swallowing up" another person through Loshon Hara and Slander. Certain, even Frum, Jews degrade and insult their fellow Jews. Disparaging and slanderous comments can destroy a person's life. Subjecting a fellow Jew to degrading and insulting remarks and comments, taking away his dignity, is more wicked than swallowing an insect.

Last week at an election rally for the Degel Hatorah party, which is part of the United Torah Judaism Knesset faction, a “Charedi” Rosh Yeshiva compared Israel to the Nazis. This person stated that, unlike the Jewish State, the Nazis knew that it was proper to separate men and women. Then he continued, “Israel is a state of idol worship. Even the Nazis knew that there should be separate living quarters for men and women.”

The political party that he spoke for is called United Torah Judaism. So I want to ask, is this Torah Judaism???

Where is the Charedi condemnation for this outrageous Slander and Loshon Hara against Israel?

For this reason the prohibition of eating insects is juxtaposed to the Exodus from Egypt. Just as G-d punished the Egyptian nation for enslaving, degrading, and slandering the Jews, so too will G-d exact punishment from those who slander and degrade their fellow Jews.

Perhaps, this is also the underlying message of King David when he cried out to his "frum" enemies, like King Shaul and Doeg, "I am a worm and not a man." (Tehillim 22:7) King David meant to say, Why do you, King Shaul and Doeg, as "Charedi" Jews, pursue, slander, and persecute me, saying that you would swallow me up alive? Make believe that I am only a worm. You would not think of swallowing a worm. After all - it's a serious sin, so why do you desire to swallow me through your Slander and Loshon Hara, which is much worse than swallowing a worm?

Unfortunately, King David's rebuke and painful critique is just as relevant and warranted today as it was then.

If only our leaders and politicians would learn this lesson from the Exodus.

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