וְהַצָּרוּעַ אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ הַנֶּגַע . . . וְטָמֵא טָמֵא יִקְרָא
And the person with tsaraas in whom there is an affliction . . . is to call out, “Impure. Impure” (13:45)
The Gemara teaches that one of the seven causes of tsaraas is speaking negatively about others.[1] The Shelah writes that the Torah specifically instructs someone with tsaraas to publicly announce his impure status in line with the Gemara’s principle that one who invalidates others does so with a defect that he himself possesses.[2] Accordingly, because the gossiper labelled others as “impure” by revealing their alleged defects, now, he must publicly admit to his own status as having that same defect.[3]
In fact, the trait of denigrating others is so severe that the Shulchan Aruch writes that while every family is assumed to be kosher to marry into, someone who always declares others as ineligible should be assumed to be ineligible himself.[4]
The following story poignantly illustrates this point: Many years ago, the owner of a large bakery decided to check that the weight of milk and cheese that he was receiving was accurate. He weighed the produce over several days and discovered that he was being cheated and receiving less than he was paying for. He brought the evidence to the beis din, who in turn conducted their own investigation, which concluded that the dairyman was indeed misleading the bakery. However, when the beis din confronted the dairyman, he was genuinely astonished at the accusation and pled complete innocence. However, once he was presented with the irrefutable evidence, the truth was soon revealed. It turns out that the dairyman did not have his own scales in order to calculate the weight of his products, therefore, he used the bakery’s bread — which are sold by weight — in order to determine the exact amount of milk and bread to give the bakery. The beis din investigated this and discovered that the dairyman was telling the truth, and it was in fact, the baker who was cheating his customers, which is why they received dairy produce less than they were paying for![5]
Many times, the character traits that we most need to work on remain hidden from our consciousness. Yet, one way to discover areas that require our attention is when see constantly see a certain fault within others. Using the principle that one who invalidates others does so with a defect that he himself possesses, if we see that we are focused on the faults’ of others in this area, we should spend time and consider whether we ourselves are struggling with the same challenges. And if we discover this to be true, then we should apply another of the Gemara’s principles not to criticize others about their failings before we have successfully confronted ours.[6]
SHORT VORT, Rabbi Moshe Kormornick. Published by Adir Press. $9.99 in stores worldwide and online here
Whether you are looking for something meaningful on the Parsha, an uplifting thought for Yom Tov, or have been asked to speak at a Simcha – “Short Vort” is the book for you! With over 140 incredible short vorts packed with stories and valuable life messages, you will never be lost for something inspiring to say.
Rabbi Moshe Kormornick is a popular writer whose words are enjoyed by thousands of readers every week.
