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Parshat Shlach

By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron

בס"ד

לשכנו תדרשו

Seeking the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land

"ויעלו בנגב ויבא עד חברון"

"Master of The Universe, may it be Your Will before You... that I will merit to guard my mouth and tongue from Lashon HaRa... I shall be careful to refrain from speaking [that which is forbidden] against an individual person, and how much more so I shall refrain from speaking [Lashon HaRa and gossip] against The Jewish People or against a portion of them. How much more so [shall I be careful to not] complain against the actions of The Holy One, Blessed is He... and all forbidden words." (Prayer for Guarding the Tongue - Hofetz Haim)

'Guarding the Tongue' is by no doubt one of major topics studied about and worked upon in Judaism. However, despite the great amount written and talked about this topic, relatively few are aware that one of the most central Talmudic passages that deal with this topic puts 'gossip on the Land of Israel', especially as it appears in this week's parsha, as the cornerstone in understanding the importance of 'guarding the tongue' and the severity of Lashon Hara.

The Talmud in Erchin 15a concludes that the decree on the entire generation that left Egypt to die in the Wilderness over a period of 40 years was due not to slander against God or any other sin, but rather to slander on the Land of Israel. Thus, the Talmud continues, we should conclude 'that if slander on trees and stones is so severe, even more so is it severe in regard to one's fellowman.' Therefore, the Talmud in Ktubot 112a relates that the Sages that lived in the Land were so careful that their students study in optimum conditions, so that they should not talk about difficult conditions of living in the Land. Nevertheless, these Talmudic passages require explanation: if one slanders the inanimate stones in the Grand Canyon, for example, is one liable for slander? And if not, then why should one be liable for slander on the stones of the Land of Israel?

Rabbi E. Melamed, one of today's leading rabbis and halachic authorities, explains: 'Come and see the value of the Land of Israel over all other lands, for the prohibition on slander is on people only, in order not to hurt them, and therefore there is no prohibition to slander trees and stones that do not feel hurt. However, on the Land of Israel it is forbidden to bear slander, for one who talks against (the Land) denies the Torah which praises the Land and detains the manifestation of HaShem's Name in the world, which is only manifest through the Land of Israel, the Holy Land.' In addition, some say, based on the Biblical term 'the Living Land' and other sources, that the Holy Land, unlike other lands, is indeed a living entity...

'And he (Kaleb) reached Hebron' - In this week's parsha we learn that one of the primary ways of protecting oneself from this severe prohibition is connection to Hebron, City of the Patriarchs, who so cherished this Holy Land in general and Hebron in specific. Let us follow in the footsteps of Kaleb, praising this Holy Land and giving honor to the Holy Presence therein.

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Real Stories from the Holy Land #74:

"My wife was past her delivery date, and so I was summoned to open the ark in my synagogue, considered to be a segula (omen) for an easy and speedy delivery. I opened the ark, and before I got a chance to close it after the Torah reading, I was called by my kids to come immediately because my wife had gone into labor. After about two hours, within which we rushed to the hospital by ambulance, my wife gave birth to a healthy girl b'h. Then, I went to the synagogue in the hospital which 'happened' to be just after the Torah reading, just where I had left off..."

Sources: Pninei Halacha 11, Ketubot 112a