## Shemirat HaLashon, Book II

###### Shemirat HaLashon, Book II 14:1
[Shemirat HaLashon, Book II 14:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shemirat%20HaLashon/s/Book%20II/r/14:1)

**פָּרָשַׁת בְּשַׁלַּח**

**Shmirath Halashon by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein:**
***Beshalach***


###### Shemirat HaLashon, Book II 14:2
[Shemirat HaLashon, Book II 14:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shemirat%20HaLashon/s/Book%20II/r/14:2)

**בְּפָרָשַׁת** בְּשַׁלַּח (שמות י"ז ז'): "וַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם הַמָּקוֹם מַסָּה וּמְרִיבָה, עַל רִיב בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל נַסּוֹתָם אֶת ה' לֵאמֹר: הֲיֵשׁ ה' בְּקַרְבֵּנוּ אִם אַיִן", וְסָמִיךְ לֵהּ (שם ח'): "וַיָּבֹא עֲמָלֵק". מִסְּמִיכַת הַכְּתוּבִים אָנוּ לְמֵדִים, שֶׁהַחֵטְא שֶׁל מְרִיבָה הָיָה גַּם כֵּן סִיּוּעַ לְהָבִיא עַל יְדֵי זֶה אֶת עֲמָלֵק עֲלֵיהֶם, וְהוּא הַדִּין שְׁאָר עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת. וְעַל כֵּן צָרִיךְ הָאָדָם לְהִשָּׁמֵר מִמְּרִיבָה מְאֹד.

**Shmirath Halashon by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein:**
(*Ibid*. 17:7): "And he called the name of the place Massah and Merivah because of the "quarrel" (*riv*) of the children of Israel and because of their "proving" (*nasotham*) the L-rd, saying: 'Is the L-rd in our midst or not?'" This is followed by (8): "And Amalek came and warred, etc." From the juxtaposition of the verses we learn that the sin of Merivah also contributed to bringing Amalek upon them. The same holds true for other idolatries — wherefore one must take great care to avoid *merivah* (quarreling).


###### Shemirat HaLashon, Book II 14:3
[Shemirat HaLashon, Book II 14:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shemirat%20HaLashon/s/Book%20II/r/14:3)

**פָּרָשַׁת מִשְׁפָּטִים**

**Shmirath Halashon by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein:**
***Mishpatim***


###### Shemirat HaLashon, Book II 14:4
[Shemirat HaLashon, Book II 14:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shemirat%20HaLashon/s/Book%20II/r/14:4)

**פָּרָשַׁת** מִשְׁפָּטִים. (שמות כ"ג א') "לֹא תִשָּׂא שֵׁמַע שָׁוְא". וְאָמְרוּ חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (פסחים קי"ח.): כָּל הַמְסַפֵּר לָשׁוֹן הָרָע וְכוּ', רָאוּי לְהַשְׁלִיכוֹ לַכְּלָבִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: "לֹא תִשָּׂא שֵׁמַע שָׁוְא", וְקָרֵי בֵּהּ: "לֹא תַשִּׂיא שֵׁמַע שָׁוְא", וְסָמִיךְ לֵהּ (שם כ"ב ל'): "לַכֶּלֶב תַּשְׁלִיכוּן אוֹתוֹ". וּפְשׁוּטוֹ הוּא, כִּי דַּרְכּוֹ שֶׁל כֶּלֶב תָּמִיד לְהַגְבִּיהַ קוֹלוֹ וּלְהַבְעִית, וְלִפְעָמִים גַּם לִנְשֹׁךְ לְמִי שֶׁעוֹבֵר לְפָנָיו, אֲפִלּוּ אִם אוֹתוֹ הָאִישׁ הוֹלֵךְ לְפִי תֻּמּוֹ. כֵּן דֶּרֶךְ בַּעַל לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, לְקַלְקֵל בְּקוֹלוֹ עַל הַכֹּל, עַל כֻּלָּם הוּא מוֹצֵא עַוְלוֹת וּמְבַזֶּה אוֹתָם, וְעַל כֵּן רָאוּי הוּא שֶׁיֻּשְׁלַךְ לִפְנֵי הַכְּלָבִים וְיַבְעִיתוּהוּ וְיִנְשְׁכוּהוּ כְּמִדָּתוֹ.

**Shmirath Halashon by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein:**
(*Ibid*. 23:1): "Do not receive a false report," concerning which our sages have said (Pesachim 118a): "All who speak *lashon hara* deserve to be cast to the dogs, it being written 'Do not receive [*tissa*] a false report,' which may also be read 'Do not spread [*tassi*] a false report.' And this is preceded by (22:30): 'To the dog shall you throw *it* [which can also be read "him"].'" This is easily understood. For it is the way of the dog always to bark and sometimes even to bite one who walks by him, even if he does so "innocently." So is it the way of the man of *lashon hara* to harm everyone with his "bark." He finds fault with all men and shames them. It is only fit, then, that he be cast before the dogs and that they affright and bite him, "measure for measure."


###### Shemirat HaLashon, Book II 14:5
[Shemirat HaLashon, Book II 14:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shemirat%20HaLashon/s/Book%20II/r/14:5)

**וּמַהֲרַ"ל** מִפְּרָאג כָּתַב עוֹד טַעַם, כִּי הַכְּלָבִים הָיוּ שׁוֹמְרִים אֶת עַצְמָם בְּעֵת הַצֹּרֶךְ מִלַּחֲרֹץ לְשׁוֹנָם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שמות י"א ז'): "וּלְכָל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יֶחֱרַץ כֶּלֶב לְשׁוֹנוֹ". וְהוּא, אֲשֶׁר חָלַק לוֹ ה' בִּינָה וָדַעַת, לֹא יוּכַל לַעֲצֹר אֶת יִצְרוֹ מִזֶּה, וְעַל כֵּן הוּא גָּרוּעַ מִזֶּה.

**Shmirath Halashon by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein:**
The Maharal of Prague gives another reason. The dogs guarded themselves when necessary [at the exodus] from barking, as it is written (*Ibid*. 11;7): "And against all the children of Israel a dog will not sharpen its tongue." Yet *he* [man] whom the L-rd has accorded understanding and knowledge cannot keep his *yetzer* from doing so — wherefore he is worse than they!


###### Shemirat HaLashon, Book II 14:6
[Shemirat HaLashon, Book II 14:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shemirat%20HaLashon/s/Book%20II/r/14:6)

**וּבַעָל** "סֵפֶר חֲרֵדִים" בְּפֶרֶק ז' כָּתַב בְּשֵׁם הַמְקֻבָּלִים, שֶׁלִּפְעָמִים מַעֲנִישִׁים אוֹתוֹ לְמַעְלָה, שֶׁמְגַּלְגְּלִים נִשְׁמָתוֹ בְּכֶלֶב. וְזֶה רֶמֶז מַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ: רָאוּי לְהַשְׁלִיכוֹ לַכְּלָבִים, עַיֵּן שָׁם.

**Shmirath Halashon by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein:**
The *Sefer Charedim* writes in the name of he Kabbalists that sometimes Heaven reincarnates his soul in a dog, and this is intimated by "He deserves to be cast to the dogs."


###### Shemirat HaLashon, Book II 14:7
[Shemirat HaLashon, Book II 14:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shemirat%20HaLashon/s/Book%20II/r/14:7)

**וְהִנֵּה** סָמוּךְ לָזֶה הַכָּתוּב (שמות כ"ג ב'): "לֹא תִהְיֶה אַחֲרֵי רַבִּים לְרָעֹת". וּפֵרְשׁוּ הַמְפָרְשִׁים, דְּהַיְנוּ אֲפִלּוּ אִם רוֹאֶה בְּאֵיזֶה עָוֹן שֶׁהֻרְגְּלוּ רַבִּים לַעֲבֹר עָלָיו, שֶׁלֹּא לֵילֵךְ אַחֲרֵיהֶם. וְעַל כֵּן בְּעִנְיָנֵנוּ, אֲפִלּוּ אִם רוֹאֶה שֶׁרַבִּים מִמַּכִּירָיו וְרֵעָיו גַּם כֵּן נִכְשָׁלִים בְּחֵטְא הַלָּשׁוֹן, לֹא יִפְתֶּה לִבּוֹ לֵילֵךְ בְּעִקִּבוֹתֵיהֶם.

**Shmirath Halashon by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein:**
Juxtaposed with this is (23:2): "Do not incline after many [wicked men] for evil." The commentators explained this to mean that even if one sees that many have habituated themselves to a certain sin he should not follow them. And so, in our instance. Even if one sees that many of his friends and acquaintances stumble in this sin of *lashon hara*, he should not be enticed into following them.