והצרוע אשר בו הנגע... וטמא טמא יקרא... בדד ישב מחוץ למחנה מושבו
Horav Yehoshua Shklar, Shlita, writes that he heard from one of the contemporary Mashgichim an explanation why lashon hora is different than all other sins. When a person sins, it affects a certain part of his body. When a person slanders his fellowman, regardless of the nature of the slander, it affects the entire human being. The entire subject of the lashon hora has been transformed, diminished by the slander. For instance, if one were to allege that an individual was guilty of a sin – ie, theft, moral turpitude, ethical impairment – it is not just one specific point…
