LEV157 Speaking loshon hora implies a lack of awareness of God's presence. Sforno explains why the metzora was required to bring a guilt offering. When someone speaks loshon hora, he usually does so secretly. This implies a lack of awareness of God's omnipresence. Just as a person must bring a guilt offering for the sin of misusing sacred property (me'elah), so too the metzora must bring a guilt offering for his trespass against God. The Yeraim also expresses this concept in his explanation of the Talmudic statement that speaking loshon hora is tantamount to atheism (Erchin 15b). Although the speaker of loshon hora usually makes sure that the subject is not listening, he forgets that God hears every word.