Tafsiran yang Mengutip untuk Yeremia 9:7

Tanchuma Metzora 2, quoting Proverbs 18,21 that “life and death are within the power of the tongue,” says that everything depends on the tongue. If it is used properly it confers life, if it is abused it results in death for its owner. The word חיים, “life" in that context refers to Torah which has been described as עץ חיים היא למחזיקים בה, “it is a tree of life for the ones who hold on to it.” In fact, Torah is an effective medication against the damage one has inflicted upon oneself through indulging in evil gossip. The Midrash bases this on Proverbs 15,4: “a tree of life is a healing tongue.” If the person had been engaged in disseminating evil gossip he had thereby forfeited his life; the sin of spreading evil gossip is considered morally as worse than killing. The reason is that when one kills one only kills a single life, whereas when one spreads evil gossip about someone one causes death to at least three people, i.e. the one who tells it, the one who listens to it (approvingly), and the one concerning whom the gossip is related.
Let us take an historical example from Samuel I 22,16: Doeg the Edomite who spread gossip about Achimelech son of Achitov was killed. Achimelech was killed by Saul who had accepted the slander without investigating it. King Saul was also killed as we know from Chronicles I 10,13: “Saul died on account of the trespass he committed against the Lord.” Saul himself is quoted as telling the Amalekite youth to give him the last stab as he was already in the throes of a death struggle” (Samuel II 1,9). He had become guilty for destroying Nov the city of priests based on evil gossip which he had not checked out. The word שבץ used by Saul and which we translated as “death throes,” are understood by the sages as a reference to the priestly garments as we know from Exodus 28,13 ועשית משבצות זהב, “make them golden settings.”
Doeg the Edomite was uprooted not only from life on earth but also from the hereafter as we know from Psalms 52,7: a hymn composed on that occasion, “G’d will tear you down for good, will break you and pluck you from your tent, and root you out of the land of the living, Selah.” [For a brilliant analysis of this psalm read the Alshich’s commentary. Ed.]
What is a greater sin? He who kills with the sword or he who kills by shooting an arrow? We would assume that killing by an arrow is the greater sin as the archer does not have to risk his own life in personal combat in order to achieve his goal. If this is true, it is clear that he who engages in evil gossip is guilty of the worst kind of assassination as he keeps out of danger himself. This is why character assassination is compared to shooting arrows at the victim such as in Jeremiah 9,7: “their tongue is sharpened like an arrow, they use their mouths to deceive; one speaks to his fellow in friendship, but lays an ambush for him in his heart.” Another verse describing something similar is found in Psalms 57,5: “people whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongue is a sharp sword.”

The priest had to go out to the person who had leprosy. The leprous person was alone, separate from the people. Slander is a great sin, more than when a person commits murder. When he commits murder, he kills one person, but by speaking slander he kills three people. First, he himself is killed, the one who speaks. The second one who is killed is the one who hears the slander. The third one who is killed is the one who is spoken about slanderously. See which is more severe, a sword or an arrow? A sword can only kill one person close to him and not at a distance. However, an arrow kills even at a distance. Therefore, the Torah called slander an arrow, as the verse says, “their tongue is a sharpened arrow, they use their mouths to deceive” [Jeremiah, 9:7]. Slander is a greater sin than the three sins of illicit sex, worship of foreign gods, and murder. Even Miriam who only spoke about her brother Moses; she only wanted that he should not separate completely from his wife. Yet, the Holy One punished Miriam that she was leprous for seven whole days. Aaron also became leprous, but the Holy One immediately healed him from his leprosy.²Bahya, Leviticus, 14:2. From here we learn how great a sin is slander. One must not forgive this sin, even if he is very important.

And what seems closest to me to resolve all these questions. We find in Tractate Arakhin (15b) that Rabbi Chama bar Chanina said: What is the remedy for one who speaks lashon hara? If he is a Torah scholar, he should engage in Torah study, as it is said A healing tongue is a tree of life (Proverbs 15:4). And tongue refers to lashon hara, as it is said Their tongue is a sharpened arrow (Jeremiah 9:7). And tree of life refers to nothing other than Torah, as it is said It is a tree of life, etc. (Proverbs 3:18). And if he is an ignorant person, he should humble himself, as it is said And perverseness therein is a broken spirit (Proverbs 15:4). Rabbi Abba bar Chanina said: For one who has already spoken [lashon hara], there is no remedy, for David has already cut him off with Divine inspiration, as it is said May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that speaks big things (Psalms 12:4). Rather, what is his remedy to prevent him from coming to speak lashon hara? If he is a Torah scholar, he should engage in Torah study, etc.