Remember.....

We are on the move beloved, it is only a three days walk into the desert and we are already complaining. It even goes as far as Miryam, the prophetess, and Aharon, the Kohen Gadol or high priest. And we don't do much better, the ugliness is still with us today.

Miryam and Aharon spoke against Moshe because of the Kushite woman whom he had married for he had married a Kushite woman Numbers 12:1. The word translated as "spoke" is dabar which can mean prophesy or proclaim. In verse 2 it says,"Has HaShem not also spoken through us". What Miryam and Aharon did was use HaShem's name in their criticism of their brother. They covered their evil speech and jealousy with spiritual sounding jargon.

Leviticus 19:16 says,"Do not go slandering among your people. Do not stand against the blood of your neighbor. I am HaShem". When one is the subject of gossip, slander, sarcastic criticism, ridicule and such, Torah considers it as serious as if the person's very life were in danger. L'shon Hora is a curse literally and spiritually. If we look beyond the surface we see it was really jealousy of Moshe's relationship with HaShem. In verse 3 we see the secret of that relationship. "And the man Moshe was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth".The secret to a deep intimate relationship with HaShem beloved is not found in study or service, it is found in humility, it is found in submitting every aspect of one's life to HaShem. One of my favorite verses can be found in Micah 6: 6-8, "With what shall I come before HaShem, bow myself before the high Elokim? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Is HaShem pleased with thousands of rams or ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my first born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my being. He has declared to you oh man, what is good. And what does HaShem require of you but to do right, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your Elokim.

HaShem did not stand idly by, He defended Moshe, He said, hear My words, "IF there is a prophet among you I make Myself known to them in a vision or a dream, not so with My servant Moshe, he is faithful in all my house with him I speak face to face or mouth to mouth, plainly, not in riddles". Numbers 12:6-8 The Torah then tells us that HaShem's wrath burned against them, He turned away from them. Miryam's skin became white as snow for all the camp to see, her sin clearly exposed. One may ask, what about Aharon? Chazal say that we may not speak negatively about the Kohen Gadol, so let's just leave it at that.

There are not many things that the Torah compels us to remember. We are to remember the day we left Egypt, and in memory of this we are not to eat leaven for seven days, Exodus 13:3, Deuteronomy 16:3. We are to remember the Shabbat, Exodus 20:8. We are to look upon our fringes and remember all the mitzvot of HaShem, Numbers 15:39. We are to remember we were slaves in Egypt and that HaShem brought us out with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm Deuteronomy 5:15. We are to remember what HaShem did to Par'oh, Deuteronomy 7:18. We are to remember HaShem lead us the forty years we spent in the desert, Deuteronomy 8:1, 9:7. We are to remember that it is HaShem that gives us the ability to gain wealth, Deuteronomy 8:18. We are to remember what Amalek did to us, Deuteronomy 25:17. For the Torah to tell us to specifically remember something beloved, it must be very important. In Deuteronomy 24:9 it tells us, "Remember what HaShem your Elokim did to Miryam by the way as you came forth out of Mitzrayim"

HaShem will not tolerate evil speech. Every time we open our mouth we must check to see if we are mentioning anyone or anything in less than a favorable light, if we are we are speaking against HaShem and His creation.....remember what HaShem did to Miryam. Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. Those who remember what HaShem did to Miryam, will walk humbly with their Elokim.

One of the best ways to not fall into the trap of L'shon Hora is prayer. I have added a great link of the study of prayer.

Prayer in Judaism - Jewish Practice

Gut Shabbos, beloved
Elizabeth