Musar zu Schemot 4:1

First of all, the episode of the serpent, who spoke lashon hara of the Holy One Blessed be He and thereby brought death to the world. And (Bereshith 29:20): "If G-d will be with me and guard me," concerning which Chazal have said: "if He will guard me against lashon hara." And the episode of Joseph (Ibid. 37:2): "And Joseph brought their evil talk to their father," this being the catalyst of the descent of the Jews to Egypt. And (Shemoth 2:14): "In truth, the thing has become known" (see Rashi there and what we shall write below). There, too, (4:1) Moses our teacher, may peace be upon him, says: "But they will not believe me," and the Blessed L-rd counters (Ibid. 2): "What is this in your hand?" … (3) …and it became a serpent." Also there (6): "And, behold, his hand was leprous as snow." And (Ibid. 17:2): "And the people quarreled with Moses… (7) …over the quarrel of the children of Israel, etc." followed by (8): "And Amalek came and warred with Israel, etc." And (Ibid. 23:1): "You shall not bear a false report, which applies to both the speaker and the receiver [of lashon hara] (as we find in Makkoth 23a), followed by (2): "Do not be after many to do evil." And, in reference to the me'il [the outer robe of the ephod] (Ibid. 28:32): "A border shall there be to its mouth roundabout," and the entire section. And (35): "And its sound will be heard when he comes to the sanctuary, etc." And the entire section of Tazria and Metzora: the plague-spots of houses, the plague-spots of clothing, the plague-spots of men, (Vayikra 13:46): "Solitary shall he sit"— even outside of the camp of Israel. And his atonement— "chirping" birds. And (Ibid. 19:16): "Do not go talebearing among your people," (Ibid. 17): "Reprove, shall you reprove your neighbor, but you shall not bear sin because of him." And (Ibid. 25:17): "You shall not wrong, one man, his fellow," which relates to verbal wronging, which is also in the category of evil speech. And (Bamidbar 5:1): "And they shall send out of the camp every leper"— even if he were as great in Torah as Doeg. And (Ibid. 12:1): "And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses, etc." And the entire section of Shelach Lecha, which speaks about the spies. And (Ibid. 21:5): "And the people spoke against G-d and against Moses." And (Devarim 23:10): "When you go out as a camp against your foes, guard yourself against every evil thing [davar ra]," concerning which Chazal have said: "davar ra" may be read as "dibbur ra" [evil speech]. And in Tetze, the "giving out of an evil name [motzi shem ra]," and (Ibid. 24:9): "Remember what the L-rd your G-d did to Miriam, etc." And (Ibid. 27:24): "Cursed be he who smites his friend in secret," which refers to lashon hara. And it is known that all of the "cursings" were preceded by blessings; and they opened with blessing, saying: "Blessed is he who does not smite"— whence we derive that one who is heedful in this is blessed.

(Ibid. 4:1): "And Moses answered and he said: 'But they will not believe me, and they will not hearken to my voice; for they will say: 'The L-rd did not appear to you.'" (Ibid. 2): "And the L-rd said to him: 'What is this in your hand?' And he said: 'A staff.'" Why did G-d hold this against Moses? Should he not have questioned as he did? I heard from the Gaon, R. Eliyahu Schick, of blessed memory, that He took exception to the words "But 'Hen' they will not believe me," stated categorically. He should have said "Perhaps they will not believe me." [This explains what our sages of blessed memory said: "When the Holy One Blessed be He said to Moses (Devarim 31:14): "Hen your days have drawn near to die," Moses replied: "With 'Hen' did I praise You (viz. Ibid. 10:14): "Hen, to the L-rd your G-d are the heavens and the heavens of the heavens, etc.") and with 'Hen' do You answer me?" The L-red replied: "But you also said: 'But Hen they will not believe me.'" Ostensibly, this is unexplainable; but, according to the above interpretation, the meaning is clear: The Holy One Blessed be He said to him: "'Hen' your days have drawn near to die" — categorically. This was very difficult for Moses to accept, and he answered: "But I praised You with 'Hen," and do You answer me with 'Hen'!" And to this the L-rd replied, that this is "measure for measure" for his also having said 'Hen' [categorically].