The Meraglim spoke Lashon Hora about Eretz Yisrael they painted a bad picture with their report back from their trip to holy land. They brought back unique extraordinarily large fruits to scare the Jews of what lay ahead and show that the land was abnormal and dangerous.
The trend on social media is unfortunately to make light of mitzvos as people compete who can come up with a new creative video clip or photo to make fun of a mitzvah. We cant simply show a normal routine act we must emphasize a guy shaking a very large Lulav and huge Hoshaanas. A Lulav as a selfie stick, with a caption "WiFi not working". A series of video clips making fun of tzedaka collectors,making fun of lighting shabbos candles, Swinging into a sukka making a bracha again and again etc.. the list goes on and on.
Some websites proudly post these funny little videos innocently and everyone gets a good laugh. However are we not belittling Hashem's Torah? are we poking fun at the commandments and mitzvos?
The more you see these silly videos, the more it becomes our sensitivities are dulled and it cheapens the mitzvos.
The Meraglim had bad intentions, but are we not doing the same act they did?
Rambam, Hilchot Tumat Tzaarat, Chapter 16, Paragraph 10 (end of last chapter):
ReplyDeleteThe speech of wicked people [Sichat Reshaim] is mockery [Letzanut] and slander [Lashone HaRa]…
Rabbi Yehuda Cahn said:
ReplyDelete“…one who mocks others has a mean and defective character…”
MICROBIOGRAPHY: Rabbi Yehuda Cahn is a graduate of Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore, and a practicing attorney.
SOURCE: Torah From Jerusalem Volume 2 (page 335), by Rabbi Yehuda Cahn, year 2002 CE, Baltimore, Maryland.
Sefer HaMidot, chapter Letzanut [mockery], paragraph 1:
ReplyDelete[1] Through [the sin of] mockery, he [the mocker] acquires many creditors, and they rule over him. He also stumbles [into committing the sin of] adultery, and also his wife rules over him.
[2] Through [the sin of] mockery, he [the mocker] falls down when he walks.
He also acquires the character trait of falsehood, and he goes from place to place like a wanderer and a fugitive.
[3] Committing [the sin of] flattery leads to mockery.
[4] Committing [the sin of] mockery leads to sufferings (Avodah Zarah, page 18B).
[5] Committing [the sin of] mockery leads to becoming devoid of wisdom.
[6] Committing [the sin of] mockery blocks a person [coming near to] G_d and people.
[7] Committing [the sin of] mockery leads to getting burned.
[8] He who mocks the words of Torah Scholars will be thrown into boiling vomit.
[9] All mockery is forbidden, except mockery of idolatry (Megillah, page 25B).
[10] [The severe punishment for] mockery begins with sufferings and ends in complete destruction (tractate Avodah Zarah, page 18B).
[11] The person who commits mockery: his wealth decreases (Avodah Zarah, page 18B) and he falls into Hell [Gehinom], and he brings complete destruction into the world.
CHRONOLOGY:
Rabbi Nachman of Breslov was born in 1772 CE and died in 1810 CE.