HaRav Dov Begon is head of Yeshivat Machon Meir
At the conclusion of the morning prayer service, it is customary to remember some of the most important events in the history of the Nation of Israel and their relevance to our times, such as the Exodus from Egypt, the Revelation at Mount Sinai, the attack of Amalek against Israel and the obligation to erase Amalek’s memory. We also remember how we angered Hashem our God in the wilderness through the sin of the Golden Calf, the Sin of the Spies, and other major transgressions.
Standing out among all these remembrances is the one that says: “Remember what Hashem your God did to Miriam on the way when you came out of Egypt." Seemingly, Miriam’s sin was a private matter. She spoke lashon hara (lashon hara is speech about a person or persons that is negative or speech that can harm them, even if it is true) about Moshe her brother - within the private circle of the family. Yet for thousands of years we have been commanded to remember her sin and her punishment, as it is written: “And behold, Miriam was leprous, white as snow… and Miriam was shut outside the camp for seven days."
The Torah comes to teach us how severe the sin of lashon hara is. It makes no difference that those who speak lashon hara are important people in Israel, such as Miriam the prophetess. It also teaches us that most lashon hara is spoken within the family circle - namely, brothers against brothers, a husband against his wife and vice versa, parents against their children and vice versa, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and so on.
And just as Miriam the prophetess was punished despite her stature and honor, and even though this took place within the family, so too we must take into account the seriousness and depth of the judgment upon those who speak lashon hara - upon themselves, upon their families, and upon their people.
These are matters that every person must remember at all times and in every place. Therefore, every day we remember what happened to Miriam - in order to learn a lesson and to purify our hearts and our speech.
We merited that in recent times the Holy One Blessed Be He planted a holy and illuminating soul within us, Rabbi Yisrael Meir HaKohen of blessed memory, who graced the Jewish People with, among other works, his well-known book Chafetz Chaim on guarding one’s speech according to Halakha and Aggadah. The quality of one's personal, family, social, and national life changes for the better if one studies and strives to fulfill the guarding of speech from his book, and purifies his thoughts and what he says.
Fortunate is the person who sets aside fixed times every day to study about guarding his speech. The words of David, King of Israel, the sweet singer of Israel will be fulfilled regarding him: “Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of Hashem. Who is the man who desires life, who loves days in order to see good? Guard your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it" (Psalms 34).
In anticipation of the complete salvation.