Musar su Deuteronomio 24:8

And we learn in Sifrei (Devarim 24:8): "Be heedful of the plague-spot of leprosy, etc.," followed by (Ibid. 9): "Remember what the L-rd your G-d did to Miriam, etc." What is the rationale of the juxtaposition? We are hereby taught that she was punished only because of lashon hara [(Miriam having slandered Moses because of the Kushite woman that he had taken.)] Now does this not follow a fortiori? viz.: If Miriam, who had spoken thus only of her younger brother, was punished, then one who speaks thus of someone greater than he, how much more so [should he be punished!] Another interpretation: Now, if Miriam, who, when she spoke, was heard by no one but the Holy One Blessed be He alone, as it is written (Numbers 12:2): 'And the L-rd heard,' was punished thus, how much more so, one who speaks demeaningly of his friend in public!"

והנה מרים מצורעת כשלג . Here we see the severity of the sin of gossiping. Look at what happened to the prophetess Miriam who had indulged in an ordinary conversation with her brother Aaron, making some remark about her brother Moses! We are reminded to recite the verse זכור את אשר עשה ה' אלוקיך למרים בדרך בצאתכם ממצרים, "Remember what the Lord your G–d has done to Miriam on the way when you had come out of Egypt" (Deut. 24,8). It is one of the six זכירות, commemorations, a person is to recite daily.

There is a general way to rescue oneself from this bitter sin and its punishment. And this is what we are taught by the Blessed L-rd in Parshath Tetze (Devarim 24:8): "Guard yourself against the plague-spot of leprosy, to take great care and to do according to all that the Cohanim teach you, etc.", followed by (Ibid. 9): "Remember what the L-rd your G-d did to Miriam on the way when you went out of Egypt." And we learned in Sifrei: "Remember what the L-rd your G-d did" — I might think, [remember] in your heart, but 'Guard yourself against the plague-spot of leprosy to take care and to do' already speaks of the guarding of the heart (For the Sifrei understands "Guard yourself in [lit.], the plague-spot of leprosy" as "from the plague-spot of leprosy"; that is, that we not divert our heart from guarding against the sin [lashon hara], which leads to it). How, then, am I to fulfill 'Remember'? Mention it with your mouth." The will of the Torah, then, is that we remember the greatness of the punishment of this bitter sin both in the heart and by the mouth in order to avail our souls by this. As Ramban wrote in Mitzvah 7 of his Mitzvoth: "We have been commanded to remember by the mouth and return it to our heart, what the exalted L-rd did to Miriam when she spoke against her brother, though she was a prophetess, in order to distance ourselves from lashon hara and not be one of those of whom it is said (Psalms 50:20): "You sit and speak against your brother; against your mother's son you utter slander." For, in truth, the remembrance of the issur and the greatness of its punishment lead to guarding against it, just as the remembrance of the positive commandments leads to their fulfillment, as it is written (Bamidbar 15:40): "And you shall remember all the mitzvoth of the L-rd and you shall do them."