Maghen Abraham - Thoughts From Mayer Sasson

"Then shall the Kohen command to take for him that is to be purified – two living pure birds..." (14,4)

The plagues come for slander

"Because the plagues come for slander which is like the chatter of birds.” (Rashi)

Two girls sat on a bus from Yerushalim to Bnei Brak and spoke slander about their friend who had just gotten engaged. After about five minutes of slander and gossip the woman sitting in front of them turned around and said: "Thank you very much for the information. Hashem brought you to me. The Chatan is my son. I am immediately going to break the engagement."

The girls were very disturbed when they realized what their chatter had brought about for their engaged friend and they tried to undo the bad."We didn't mean what we said, we exaggerated, we were joking."

But the woman said: "Actually the previous conversation was much more convincing than what you are telling me now."

Now that the girls realized what they had done, they burst into tears and begged the woman not to cancel the engagement because of what they spoke, which was just nonsense. But the woman said, "I'm sorry, the truth is recognizable, it sounded very true."

For the remaining journey the girls sat silently, thinking how they could take back the words that had been said.

Before the woman got off the bus, she turned around and said to the girls, "You're lucky that I am not really the mother of the Chattan. I just wanted you to see and understand what your slander can cause, even though you had no evil intentions." (Aleinu Lishabeich)

SHABBAT SHALOM!!