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How can Torah (תורה) forbid speaking truths, as when the spies accurately described Eretz Yisrael's dangers? The shiur distinguishes between factual statements and emes - lashon hara uses true details to create false impressions by presenting incomplete pictures. This spiritual shortcut to feeling superior destroys the speaker's drive for self-improvement, making them spiritually 'dead' as Chazal teach.
This shiur provides a deep analysis of Lashon Hara (evil speech), addressing fundamental questions about why the Torah (תורה) forbids speaking negative truths. Rabbi Zweig opens by examining the juxtaposition of this week's parsha (Shelach) with last week's conclusion about Miriam's Lashon Hara against Moshe, noting that the Meraglim (spies) failed to learn from Miriam's mistake. The Chayei Adam's ruling that it's forbidden to speak Lashon Hara even about inanimate objects like Eretz Yisrael raises the question of how land can be subject to such laws. The central paradox addressed is how Torah can restrict truth-telling, which seems contrary to Western values of free speech and truth dissemination. The spies gave accurate reports about Eretz Yisrael being 'Eretz Ocheles Yoshveha' (a land that devours its inhabitants), yet this constituted Lashon Hara. Rabbi Zweig distinguishes between 'truth' and 'emes' (reality), explaining that Lashon Hara uses factual statements to create false impressions by focusing on isolated details rather than the complete picture.
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