DEUT1346 "Remember what the Lord your God did unto Miriam by the way as you came forth out of Egypt" The Torah obligates us to vocally recall the punishment Miriam received for speaking loshon hora about Moshe Rabainu (Ramban Commentary). There were numerous factors that might have mitigated the gravity of Miriam's sin and thus her punishment: (1) She spoke about her brother whom she loved dearly; [2] She risked her life to save Moshe when he was an infant; (3) She raised him in his childhood; (4) She did not say anything actually derogatory about Moshe; she merely minimized the extent of his greatness. (5) Since she did not speak in Moshe's presence, he didn't suffer embarrassment; (6) She did not speak against him in public; she privately spoke to Aharon, her brother; (7) Moshe Rabainu was the paragon of humility and was not affected by what Miriam said about him. Nevertheless, despite her righteousness Miriam was punished with leprosy. Anyone who speaks loshon hora violates the commandment to recall what Hashem Yisborach did to Miriam.

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DEUT1349 The Torah gives us advice on how to guard our speech: "Remember what the Lord your God did unto Miriam by the way as you came forth out of Egypt". Miriam spoke loshon hora about Moshe and was severely punished. By recalling her punishment we will realize the gravity of loshon hora. A person should not wonder how it is possible for someone to recite this verse (many repeat it daily after davening) and immediately afterwards to relate loshon hora. Merely saying it by rote will not prove beneficial. One must give the matter a proper amount of thought and only then will recalling Miriam's punishment effect a change. Needless to say, it is also necessary to be well–versed in the laws of loshon hora.

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DEUT1350 We must publicize how reprehensible it is to speak against others. In a public letter, the Chofetz Chayim cites the Ramban who explains that this verse obliges us to tell our children and future generations how reprehensible loshon hora is. We must publicize how wrong it is to speak against others. People must realize that refraining from loshon hora is not merely a meritorious trade, but an obligation of the highest magnitude. Unfortunately, too many otherwise observant Jews behave as if the prohibition against loshon hora did not exist. Even those who are careful do not feel as upset when they happen to speak or hear loshon hora as they would if they accidentally were to eat pork. Therefore, we must do all we can to publicize the gravity of speaking loshon hora. Moreover, if you influence others not to speak loshon hora, you will find that you yourself will be much more careful with what you say. (Michtevai Chofetz Chayim, letter 35). Since this verse comes to teach us to refrain from speaking loshon hora, the question arises why the Torah describes Mariam's sin. Rabbi Simcha Zissel Ziv writes that this teaches us the principle that it is permissible to relate derogatory information about someone when one's sole purpose is to teach another how to behave. It is a great merit for Miriam that others will learn from her experience to be careful not to speak loshon hora. This is the reason the Torah mentions the sins of various individuals and groups. (Chochmah Umussar, vol. 2, . 459, essay 340). The Chofetz Chayim writes that if a person sees faulty traits in someone (for example, conceit, a bad temper, lack of diligence in Torah study), and fears that his children or students might imitate that person, it is proper to warn them about that individual's shortcomings. The prohibition against disparaging others applies only when the words are said with intent to belittle and disgrace the person spoken about. If the intent is to alert others not to follow in the footsteps of someone who has faulty traits, it Is permitted to mention that person's faults, and it is even considered a mitzvah. It is necessary in such cases to clearly explain the purpose of your derogatory words in order to avoid any misunderstanding on the part of your children or students. If an entire community acts improperly and you fear that someone may copy their faults, you are permitted to point out their shortcomings in order to prevent a person from mingling with them. If you have first-hand knowledge of a person's fault (that is, you have witnessed it yourself), you may deliver the warning as an undisputed fact. If you only know the information from hearsay, you must give the warning in the following manner: "I have heard from others that…" Although the speaker is obligated to mention someone's faults to prevent imitation, the listeners are not allowed to except information as the absolute truth. They are only permitted to be wary in order to protect themselves from a harmful influence. (Chofetz Chaim 4:10 and B'air Mayim Chayim 42; Guard Your Tongue, p. 63).

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DEUT1348 See [[NUM106]] Numbers 12:2 us TELVOL1 336

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DEUT1351 What does this have to do with what precedes [i.e., plague– spots]? To teach that plague-spots come only because of slander [Miriam having slandered Moses regarding the "Kushite woman" that he had taken] (Sifrei)

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DEUT1352 See [[NUM102]] Numbers 12:1 spoke TZADIK 65-7

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DEUT1353 Lenders shall not forcefully take collateral from borrowers. Men cannot be allowed to prey upon one another, seizing items of value from one another, for such leads to theft and lawlessness. The strong will swallow the weak, ruling over them without fear, for the weak will be too frightened to fight back and demand their rights. Therefore the Torah takes steps to equalize the imbalance between the weak and the strong. Those who lend are forbidden to forcibly seize collateral from those who borrow. Collateral is obtained only through the courts. Thereby, life proceeds in a normal fashion, as the Creator desires. There is order and peace, without the weak living in constant fear of the powerful.

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DEUT1355 The Dignity of Being God's Creature. According to the Jewish tradition, the dignity of all human beings -- that which raises us above the status of other animals -- derives from the fact that we were created in God's own image: “And God created the man in His image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:27 The primary way in which humanity is like God is in our abilities to understand and follow an argument for justice, to know right from wrong, and to choose the right. To do these things is both the privilege and the responsibility of being created in God's image. As Jews, God has given us the Torah to help us make the right decisions, and hence study of the tradition is an aid to good practice. Even without a thorough Jewish education, though, we may not hide from the implications of being created in the divine image. M. Avot 3:18 Thus a variety of biblical and rabbinical sources demand that we preserve not only the lives of the poor but their dignity as well. (Deuteronomy 24:10-11, M. Ketubbot 13:3, S.A. Yoreh De’ah 251:8, Even Ha-Ezer 112:11, B. Ketubbot 43a, and S.A. Even Ha-Ezer 112:16, 93:4) So, for example, if someone injures another person, the attacker must compensate the victim for the injury itself (lost capital value), the pain involved, the medical expenses, the time lost from work, and the degradation. M. Bava Kamma 8:1. When discussing payment for degradation, the Talmud’s basis for comparison is the embarrassment involved in poverty. That is, the clear case of degradation, to which other cases can be instructively compared, is the embarrassment involved in being in need. B. Bava Kamma 86a Since poverty is an affront to the dignity inherent in us as creatures of God, all those who can are obliged to help. By the same token, the poor themselves must take care to protect their own dignity. One way of doing this is to give charity-- no matter what one’s economic state. “Even a poor person who lives entirely on charity must also give charity to another poor person.” B. Bava Kamma 119a, B. Gittin 7b, M.T. Laws of Gifts to the Poor 7:5, and S.A. Yoreh De’ah 248:1, 251:12. Also, the poor who need aid are encouraged to apply to the community fund and are discouraged from door-to-door begging, because it diminishes their own dignity. B. Bava Batra 9a and S.A. Yoreh De’ah 250:3-4.

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DEUT1354 [The] demand that we respect each other means, of course, that we must help others to keep them from indignity, but it also has implications for how we do that--namely, that we must do so while preserving the person's dignity as much as possible. The Torah makes this demand: “When you make a loan of any sort to your neighbor, you must not enter his house to seize his pledge. You must remain outside, while the man to whom you made the loan brings the pledge out to you” (Deuteronomy 24:10-11). It is also evident in the Talmud’s demand that “even a poor person who lives entirely on charity must also give charity to another poor person.” (B. Bava Kamma 119a)

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DEUT1357 See [[EXOD721]] Exodus 22:25 pledge AHAVCH 123-4

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