Maghen Abraham - Thoughts From Mayer Sasson

"This is the teaching of the leper מצרע on the day of his becoming pure…." (14,2)

Where's his Torah?

On the words "This is the teaching of the leper מצרע on the day of his becoming pure" the Chovat Halivavot says that when a person talks slander about another person his mitzvahs are taken away and are credited to the person about whom he spoke. Moreover, the sins of the person about whom he spoke are transferred to him.

Accordingly, the Eretz Tzvi says, we can understand the Gemara that says, "He who forgoes the slights he received has all his sins transferred away." In other words, if a person knows that slander was spoken about him and nonetheless holds himself back, all his sins are transferred from him and put on the account of those who spoke about him.

Consequently, a person who speaks slander loses all the Torah that he learned and toiled over, for everything, as has been said, goes to the person he spoke about.

However, the Torah says "This is the teaching of the leper מצרע on the day of his becoming pure" – That leper מצרע who exudes a bad name about his friend שמוציא שם רע על חברו will have his Torah returned to him "on the day of his becoming pure" – on the day he repents and purifies himself from the sins of his slander.

SHABBAT SHALOM!!!