Today, we're diving into a fascinating passage from Vayikra Rabbah 26 that explores the devastating power of lashon hara (לשון הרע), or "evil tongue" – slander.
Rabbi Yosei of Milḥaya and Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin, quoting Rabbi Levi, paint a picture of King David's time. They speak of children so gifted in Torah that they could debate the purity or impurity of anything with forty-nine arguments on each side! Imagine that kind of brilliance! David, recognizing their potential, prayed, "You, Lord, preserve them… Keep them secure from this generation, forever" (Psalms 12:8). He was pleading for their Torah to be preserved, for them to be shielded from a generation "deserving of elimination."
Yet, despite all this promise, these prodigies went to war and… fell. Why? The text tells us it was because of "informers" in their midst. David laments, "I lie among lions" (Psalms 57:5). Here, "lions" are Avner and Amasa, Torah giants in their own right. He continues, "I lie with those aflame [lohatim]" (Psalms 57:5), referring to Doeg and Aḥitofel, men "enthusiastic [lehutin]" about slander. David is surrounded by those whose tongues are weapons, like the people of Ke’ila, who considered betraying him (I (Samuel 23:1)1), and the Zifites, who informed Saul of David's hiding place (I Samuel 54:2).
David's despair is palpable. He cries out, "What is the Divine Presence doing on earth? Rise above the heavens, God" (Psalms 57:6), essentially asking God to withdraw from such a corrupted place.
Contrast this with the generation of Ahab. Now, Ahab's generation was… well, they were idolaters. Not exactly role models. But, because they lacked informers, they were victorious in war! Ovadya's actions, hiding and feeding a hundred prophets (I (Kings 18:1)3), went unreported, even though everyone knew. Why? Because they didn't engage in tale-bearing.
Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani uses the image of a serpent to illustrate the insidious nature of slander. "Why are you situated among the fences?" they asked the serpent. The serpent replies, "Because I breached the fence of the world." It was the serpent, after all, who first spoke words of slander in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1–5). Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai adds that the serpent became the "executioner of all those who breach fences" – those who violate boundaries with their words.
The serpent's venom, like slander, can spread far and wide. "Does the serpent bite with no spell?" (Ecclesiastes 10:11). Can it do anything without being told from above? It bites one limb, but the poison affects the whole body. "There is no advantage to the master of the tongue" (Ecclesiastes 10:11). The slanderer gains nothing, yet inflicts immense damage. The text even calls slander "third," because it kills three: the speaker, the listener, and the subject.
The Midrash Rabbah then tells a chilling story about a man and his evil daughter-in-law. She falsely accuses him of inappropriate advances, leading to his murder by his own son, who then faces execution himself. The woman, the original slanderer, also meets her end. The tongue, indeed, killed them all.
During the time of Saul, slander killed four: Doeg, who spoke it; Saul, who believed it; Ahimelekh, the victim of the slander; and Avner. Why Avner? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says he "made a game of the blood of the lads" (II (Samuel 2:1)4). Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says it was because he put his name before David's in a message (II (Samuel 3:1)2). Others say he failed to object to Saul's actions in Nov. Each of these interpretations highlights Avner's complicity in the spread of misinformation and the abuse of power.
So, what's the takeaway from all this? The passage from Vayikra Rabbah is a stark reminder of the destructive power of lashon hara. It’s not just about gossip; it’s about the responsibility we have for the words we speak and the stories we choose to believe. It’s about building fences – boundaries of truth, compassion, and respect – against the venom of slander. In a world saturated with information, where rumors spread like wildfire, this ancient wisdom feels more relevant than ever. What fences can we build today to protect ourselves and others from the devastating power of the "evil tongue?"
Rabbi Yosei of Milḥaya and Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: We found that there were children in the days of David, who, before they had tasted the taste of sin, knew how to expound the Torah such that [they could find] forty-nine reasons [something should be considered] impure, and forty-nine reasons [it should be considered] pure. David would pray on their behalf. That is what David said: “You, Lord, preserve them” (Psalms 12:8); preserve their Torah in their hearts. “Keep them secure from this generation, forever” 4This is a paraphrase of the continuation of the verse, which says: “Keep us secure from this generation forever.” (Psalms 12:8); from that generation that was deserving of elimination. After all this praise, they would go out to war and fall. It is because they had informers in their midst that they would fall. That is what David says: “I [lie] among lions” (Psalms 57:5) – “lions,” is [referring to] Avner and Amasa, who were lions in Torah. “I lie with those aflame [lohatim]” (Psalms 57:5) – this is [referring to] Doeg and Aḥitofel, who were enthusiastic [lehutin] regarding slander. “Among men whose teeth are spears and arrows” (Psalms 57:5) – these are the people of Ke’ila, in whose regard it is written: “Will the masters of Ke’ila deliver me into his hand?” (I Samuel 23:11). “Whose tongues are a honed sword” (Psalms 57:5) – these are the Zifites, in whose regard it is written: “When the Zifites came and said to Saul: [David is hiding among us]” (Psalms 54:2). At that moment David said: ‘What is the Divine Presence doing on earth? “Rise above the heavens, God” (Psalms 57:6), remove Your Divine Presence from their midst.’ But the generation of Ahab, [although] they were all idolaters, because there were no informers among them, they would go out to war and emerge victorious. That is what Ovadya said to Elijah: “Was it not told to my lord what I did…[I concealed one hundred men of the prophets of the Lord]…and I provided them with bread and water?” (I Kings 18:13). If bread, why water?5It should have mentioned water first, as bread is harder to come by. Alternatively, if he was giving them bread, it could have been assumed he was also providing them with water (Etz Yosef). This teaches that water was more difficult to bring than bread.6Due to the prevailing severe drought, it was very difficult to procure water. Nonetheless, despite the fact that Ovadya provided water for so many prophets who were in hiding from the king and queen, no one alerted them as to Ovadya’s actions. Elijah proclaims on Mount Carmel and says: “I alone remain a prophet of the Lord” (I Kings 18:22), and the entire people knew, but they did not inform the king. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: They said to the serpent: ‘Why are you situated among the fences?’ It said to them: ‘Because I breached the fence of the world.’7The serpent was the first creature to speak words of slander (see Genesis 3:1–5). Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai taught: The serpent was the first to breach the fence of the world; therefore, it became the executioner of all those who breach fences. They said to it: ‘Why do you bite, what benefit do you derive? A lion tramples and eats, a wolf mauls and eats, and you bite and kill.’ It said to them: ‘“Does the serpent bite with no spell?” (Ecclesiastes 10:11). Is it possible for me to do anything unless it is said to me from above?’ They said to it: ‘Why do you bite one limb but your venom disseminates to all the limbs?’ It said to them: ‘Do you say this to me: “There is no advantage to the master of the tongue”?’ (Ecclesiastes 10:11). One sits in Rome and kills in Syria, in Syria, and kills in Rome.8The slanderer can kill people even far away, and does so without personal benefit. This is similar to the manner in which a serpent kills. Why is it called third?9In popular usage, slander was referring to as “third.” It is because it kills three: The one who spoke it, the one who accepts it, and the one about whom it is spoken. There was an incident involving a man who had an evil daughter-in-law who constantly spoke slander. He would plead with her twice a day, once in the evening and once in the morning. He would say to her: ‘I implore you not to speak slander.’ What did she do? She went and told her husband: ‘This father of yours sought to have relations with me. If you do not believe me, come this evening and you will hear him sitting and pleading with me.’ He went and lay in wait for him and saw him standing bowed and speaking to her. He said: ‘The matter has proven true.’ What did he do? He struck his father and killed him. They took him to trial and he was sentenced to death. That woman who spoke slander about his father was also sentenced to death. It was thus found that the tongue killed the three of them. During the days of Saul, it killed four: Doeg, who spoke it; Saul, who accepted it; Aḥimelekh about whom it was spoken. Why was Avner killed? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Avner was killed because he made a game of the blood of the lads. That is what is written: “Avner said to Yoav: Let the lads rise now and play before us” (II Samuel 2:14). Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: Because he had his name precede the name of David. That is what is written: “Avner sent messengers to David from his place, saying: Whose is the land?” (II Samuel 3:12). This is what he wrote to him: From Avner to David.10He did not write: To David from Avner. The Rabbis say: Because Saul should have reconciled with David, but Avner did not let him, as David said to [Saul]: “My father, see, indeed, see [the corner of your robe in my hand, for when I cut off the corner of your robe, I did not kill you]” (I Samuel 24:12). [Avner] said to [David]: ‘What do you want with your boastfulness? It was severed on a thorn.’ When they came to the circle,11See I Samuel 26:5, where Saul was sleeping, surrounded by a circle of guards, including his general, Avner. David surreptitiously came and took Saul’s spear and the flask (I Samuel 26:12). Thus, David had the chance to kill Saul but chose not to. he said to him: ‘“Will you not answer, Avner?” (I Samuel 26:14). Regarding the corner, you said it was severed by a thorn, were the spear and the flask severed by a thorn?’ Some say: Because he had the ability to object to Saul regarding Nov, but he did not object.12Thus, Avner was the fourth person killed because of the slander regarding Nov.
