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Why does the Torah (תורה) warn us to remember Miriam's punishment rather than simply prohibiting lashon hara? Rashi (רש"י) shows the focus is on consequences, not inherent wrongness, because people whose essence is primarily physical can only be reached through fear of punishment. When we become spiritually coarse through repeated sin, we too may need consequence-based motivation to climb back up.
The shiur begins with an analysis of the Torah (תורה)'s commandment "Zachar et asher asah Hashem (ה׳) Elokeicha l'Miriam" (Remember what Hashem did to Miriam). The speaker initially understood this as a warning about the severity of lashon hara - that even Miriam the prophetess, through whose merit the Jewish people survived in the desert, was punished for speaking lashon hara, demonstrating how serious this transgression is. However, Rashi (רש"י) interprets this differently. According to Rashi, the message is not about avoiding lashon hara because it's wrong, but rather: if you want to avoid getting tzaraas (leprosy), don't speak lashon hara. This shifts the focus from the moral wrongness of the act to its negative consequences.
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Why does the Midrash connect Pharaoh's expulsion of the Jews to the mitzvah of shiluach hakan? The shiur develops a chiddush that Pharaoh's sin wasn't only drowning the children, but the insensitivity of expelling the parents afterward. The deeper analysis reveals that Pharaoh may have valued the Jews greatly and wanted to control them—making his expulsion an act of tremendous cruelty, not liberation.
Why does Moshe respond to the splitting of the sea with shirah rather than praise or thanksgiving? Rashi's use of "al libo" reveals that shirah is an emotional expression—a response of love to love. When Hashem shows personal care, the only adequate response is "I love You too," not mere gratitude or praise, and this principle applies to all relationships.
Hilchos Teshuvah, Laws of Lashon Hara, Parshas Ki Seitzei
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