Question of the Week:
If it is forbidden to speak
Loshon Hora (gossip) then why is it ok that the Torah tells us bad things about people, like the sins of the Israelites in the desert, Korach challenging Moses, Aaron helping make a Golden Calf? Even the story about Miriam speaking loshon hora about Moses, isn't that Loshon Hora?
Answer:
Evil talk is a serious sin. Even when it is true, speaking badly about people
is wrong and damages all involved - the speaker, the listener and the subject.
But when the Torah relays negative information about someone, it is for the benefit all, even the subject spoken about.
The greatest correction of a sin is when the sin itself inspires people not to sin. By telling us stories of those who did wrong and the consequences they faced, the Torah teaches us to avoid wrongdoing. The intention is not to gossip, but rather to learn from the mistakes of others.
This is a great benefit to us, as we learn right and wrong from the stories of the past. And it is also a great benefit to those who committed those wrongdoings. If their mistakes can serve as a lesson to others to become better people, then their sin is redeemed and their soul is cleansed.
This doesn't mean we can all go around gossiping about others in order to learn from their mistakes and correct their souls. You can only do that if you can be absolutely sure that the only reason you are sharing the information is purely for the good of all, without any inkling of bad feeling or taking pleasure in the failings of others. The average human can't claim to have such pure intentions, and so we can't help correct souls by speaking about them.
The only time we are allowed to share negative information is when it is of a clear practical benefit to the listener. If someone is about to enter a business deal with a person we know for a fact is an unrepentant crook, we are obligated to share that information. That is not gossip, it's preventing loss. But even then, you can only say what you know, without exaggeration or speculation. Even when you need to, you shouldn't enjoy speaking ill of others.
It is one of the uglier sides of human nature that we revel in the sins of others. Maybe we should quench that urge by studying the Torah passages that describe human failures, and learning the lessons from them. If that's the only gossip we indulge in, we'd all be better off.
Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Moss
