Shelach

This parsha speaks about the meraglim, the spies who were sent to search out Eretz Yisroel. Rashi asks: why is the parsha of meraglim near the parsha of Miriam?  He explains: because Miriam got tzara’as for speaking lashon hara and these reshaim, the meraglim, saw and did not take mussar.

Rav Schwab is medayaik from Rashi that the main chait of the meraglim is that they “didn’t take mussar”, and not that they spoke lashon hara.  Also, there seems to be a special point from Miriam that they couldn’t have learned from general lashon hara.  What is this chait and what is the message from Miriam that the meraglim should have learned?

Rav Schwab explains that lashon hara is a mitzvah between one person and another.  The main issur is because it brings to arguments, fights, and separation between people.  Therefore, it would seem that there is no issur of lashon hara if the one being spoken about won’t be bothered at all.  For the same reason there would be nothing wrong with speaking about stones and wood. This is what the meraglim thought, “Since we are only speaking against land, it is permitted.”

Chazal come and teach us that they should have learned a lesson from Miriam: one is not permitted to speak lashon hara against an object of kedusha, even though no ill feelings will be felt!  This is as the Torah says right after the lashon hara of Miriam, “והאיש משה עניו מאד מכל האדם.”  Because of Moshe’s anivus, humbleness, he felt no harm, just as stones and wood don’t feel anything!  However, since Moshe Rabeinu was a being of kedusha, by speaking against him, one was really speaking against Hashem!  So too, Eretz Yisroel is the land about which Hashem says “כי לי הארץ”, “it is Mine.”  Therefore by speaking against such a land, which has kedushas Hashem, one is speaking against Hashem!  This is the mussar the meraglim should have taken.

May Hashem help us take this message and speak only positive about people and objects of kedusha.