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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DEUT1508 The Torah and Talmud both express the gravity of loshon hora. The Torah [this verse, Rashi] places a curse on those who speak evil of others, while the Talmud (Erchin 15b) equates speaking loshon hara with atheism. Besides the inherent severity of loshon hora, the gravity is compounded by repetition; a person who isn't careful with his speech will violate the prohibition thousands of times. Therefore, we definitely will not be worthy of God's blessings until we cease speaking loshon hora. After careful observation, I have come to the realization that the general public is not aware that even if a defamatory is true it constitutes loshon hora. Even those familiar with this fundamental principle have a tendency to excuse their loshon hora by misquoting and misapplying various sources. Conversely, lack of correct knowledge can mislead a person into thinking that scrupulously observing every detail of this mitzvah is only possible by becoming a secluded hermit. These and other errors have brought about a condition in which there are few indeed who refrain from speaking loshon hora.

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DEUT1509 Backbiting. If you maliciously speak loshon hora about someone behind his back and do not want him to find out that you maligned him, in addition to violating the prohibition against speaking loshon hora, you also incur upon yourself a curse: "Cursed be the one who secretly smites his friend" [this verse].

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DEUT1530 "Walk in His Ways". We are required to emulate the attributes of Hashem Yisborach. "Just as He is merciful and compassionate, so too, we must be merciful and compassionate" (Shabbos 133b). Among God's attributes is His hatred for loshon hora. When Jericho was conquered, a ban was put on taking spoil from the city. When his army was defeated in a subsequent battle, Joshua was told by God that the ban was violated. Joshua asked God for the identity of the transgressor, but God replied, "Am I an informer? Make a lottery to find out." (Joshua 7; Sanhedrin 11a). Anyone speaking loshon hora has failed to emulate God, and violates this commandment.

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